It was worded differently, but we've seen this wordplay twice before.Q: Think of a type of exercise equipment in three syllables. Remove the two middle letters and you'll name a means of transportation. What words are these?
Edit: The first time we had this wordplay was in the NPR Puzzle for August 8, 2021. The other time was as the On-air Puzzle in January 18, 2026.
A: TRAMPOLINE, TRAMLINE
Congrats, once again, Cap! Now for a hint...
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dr. K
DeleteBy belated congrats also to "Our CAP with a Cape!"
DeleteLegoRiddler
Here is a puzzle that I plan to run as a "riff' on this Thurdsday's edition of Puzzleria!:
DeleteWill Shortz’s August 2nd Weekend Edition Sunday Puzzle Challenge, from Michael Schwartz of Florence, Oregon, reads:
Think of a type of exercise equipment in four syllables. Remove a preposition from the middle. You’ll name:
1. the profession one who helps you remain healthy, followed by...
2.letters that can be anagrammed to spell a small sticky concave slip with instructions on how to help you maintain that health.
Name the exercise equipment, the profession, and “sticky slip” that helps you remain healthy. (All three answers apply to our proficient puzzle-maker... who – not surprisingly – earned a medical degree and practiced his craft for nearly 30 years).
Who is this puzzle-making healer and health-enhancer?
Lego...
I guess you just have to submit a puzzle from a few years ago now?
DeleteI'm sure this puzzle was an independent creation. I blame Will and NPR staff for not checking for duplicates.
DeleteNice riff, Lego. The equipment has an interesting origin.
DeleteImpressive, Lego. I'm reminded of a Canadian locale.
DeleteOn advice of my conscience, I respectfully admit that I have no recollection of a previous incarnation of this puzzle.
DeleteI'm thinking of an anagram of the final word in a John Barth novel.
ReplyDeleteRemove the first and last letters from the transportation, and rearrange. You get a fish.
ReplyDeleteCompleting the circle, a means of transportation was named for this fish!
DeleteLOL! Oh, of course!
DeleteWikipedia lists 8 means of transportation named for that fish.
DeleteIn a similar vein, I learned on yesterday's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me that Tesla Cybertruck had eclipsed the legendary Edsel as the worst-selling vehicle in history.
DeleteIf you wanna talk quanta, we'll talk quanta.
ReplyDeleteRearrange the letters in the means of transportation to get
ReplyDeleteanother transportation related word.
The other transportation related word often involves exercise too.
DeleteI think we came to the same conclusion.
DeleteYou might, actually, use one to get around the other.
DeleteWow, one of the occasions Blaine is referring to was shockingly recent.
ReplyDeleteThe first syllable of the equipment is another way to exercise.
ReplyDeleteI guess it's actually the first syllable plus the first letter of the second.
DeleteWhat's the best inorganic substance?
ReplyDeleteTOP MINERAL
DeleteDudley and Peter.
ReplyDeleteThe removed letters stand for an institution long in existence, even back to our earliest days as a country.
ReplyDeleteGood one, though my usage of those letters denotes something else.
DeleteSomething like "slow down and raise prices"?
DeleteAnagram to get a country and an island.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that someone from Okemos (Michigan) had trouble in the on air game with “okies”, but apparently the locals there don’t use that moniker. Anyway, it’s disappointing to have a repeat-type puzzle. But in the spirit of the on-air game, a popular brand of the exercise equipment backwards might signify a certain region of a state (though apparently not commonly used).
ReplyDeleteThis equipment is best used during a certain season.
ReplyDeleteThe exercise equipment is commonly used this time of year.
ReplyDeleteThe last time this puzzle was used was in August. There was a trampoline, tramline puzzle on August 8, 2021.
DeleteThe section removed could be seen as a means of conveyance stretching back to antiquity.
ReplyDeleteI was referring to the River Po, over in Italy. (But it sounds like it would be in China or Korea.) "stretching" was a hint at the bouncy thang.
DeleteNicely done, Cap!
ReplyDeleteMy clue is -- oh, wait, someone's at the door!
Thanks, Ben
DeleteThere's a connection between the word's roots and the removed letters.
ReplyDeleteTherefore, you have to be carefully taught!
A certain movie star of yore comes to mind.
ReplyDeletethe little tramp(oline)
DeleteTimeless!
ReplyDeleteAnyone remember The Outer Limits?
ReplyDeletejan, do you mean like these outer limits? ;-)
Delete1.Positive Infinite Limit: If f(x) increases without bound as x approaches c, the limit is denoted as lim x→c f(x) = +∞.
2. Negative Infinite Limit: If f(x) decreases without bound as x approaches c, the limit is denoted as limâ‚“→cf(x) = −∞.
No, I was thinking more of this.
DeleteWW I once used the expression "monotonically non-decreasing" in a commercial business meeting. Although it correctly cescribed the situation under discussion, it didn't go over very well.
DeleteAdd a preposition to the equipment and anagram to get a museum.
ReplyDeleteClever hint, but not obscure enough. I had given up solving it on my own, but your comment led me to the answers. (For which I thank you--this particular brainworm was beginning to drive me crazy.)
DeleteVery nice anagram!
DeleteEvidently, Louis loves it.
ReplyDeleteHmm, I just realized I never posted a comment on Sunday. I had started writing one, but never actually posted it.
ReplyDeleteI am reminded of a lady.
Ed Pegg Jr. must be feeling pretty good having his puzzle used twice now. TRAMPOLINE >>> TRAMLINE
ReplyDeleteTRAMPOLINE —> TRAM LINE
ReplyDeleteThe “final word” in a John Barth novel is “terminal” in The End of the Road (1958; rev. 1967), which can be rearranged to make “tram line.” It’s a final line (of dialogue by the book's protagonist, as it happens) that serves as Barth’s grim joke at the book’s end.
The hint about “Louis” was a reference to Prince Louis, son of William and Catherine (and fourth in line for the British crown), who, according to his father, loves trampolining.
TRAMPOLINE, TRAMLINE
ReplyDelete> Anagram to get a country and an island.
Nepal and Timor.
> Timeless!
TRAMPOLINE anagrams to INTEMPORAL.
> Anyone remember The Outer Limits?
The last time this puzzle was used, five years ago, we were asked to name two things that moved people vertically and horizontally, respectively.
Trampoline - po >>> Tram Line
ReplyDeleteTram Line rearranges to Terminal. In some airports, like Houston’s George Bush International, you can ride a tram between different terminal areas.
I wrote, “Remove the first and last letters from the transportation, and rearrange. You get a fish.” That’s MARLIN. Thanks to all who expanded upon this clue.
ReplyDeleteMy clue: This equipment is best used during a certain season. I was referring to spring. Olympic trampolines have 118-126 steel springs.
ReplyDeleteMy post:
ReplyDelete- Interesting that someone from Okemos (Michigan) had trouble in the on air game with “okies”, but apparently the locals there don’t use that moniker. Anyway, it’s disappointing to have a repeat-type puzzle. But in the spirit of the on-air game, a popular brand of the exercise equipment backwards might signify a certain region of a state (though apparently not commonly used). This referred to the trampoline manufacturer ACON which backwards as NOCA might connote Northern California.
My clue was: "If you wanna talk quanta, we'll talk quanta." The last nine letters, "alk quanta", anagram to "Nalukataq". That's the blanket toss at the spring whaling festival of northern Alaska, thought (by some, at least) to be the earliest precursor to the trampoline!
ReplyDeleteThere isn't any superior anagram to "Nalukataq", so I stuck on the 't' to make two full words, and at least the sentence ends with a word and a word fragment that form the anagram.
I think we all had the same reaction to your post: "Ah! Nalukataq! Of course!"
DeleteYeah, I was really worried Blaine would take it down.
DeleteThis week’s Puzzleria! (to be uploaded today, in dribs & drabs) promises to be a real treat (neither dribby, drabby nor drab)!
ReplyDeleteMaster puzzle-crafter Mathew Huffman (author of countless “Mathew Huffman’s Conundrum Sets”) has constructed and sent me a pair of fresh word puzzles for the enjoyment of all!
Mathew this time has created a “double-decker crossword-style worldplay puzzle” titled:
Double-Sweet Parabodiddley Appetizer:
Two 4x4 mini crosswords: “Great British Bakeoff”
Mathew truly has come through again with his typical excellence. You just won’t want to miss this!
We will begin (gradually) uploading today’s Puzzleria! very soon this very afternoon.
Also on this week menu are:
* A Schpuzzle of the Week titled “Order An Ordinary Nth Ordinal Number,”
* a “Fishy Slice” titled “Trout, Stout, LOUD!”
“hominym,” and
* and a mess of puzzle apps of our friend CAP’s NPR Puzzle Challenge, titled “Pooh? The ART of MILNE?”
The Hors D’oeuve and Dessert are still being prepared in our “conundrum-kitchen.”
Why not drop by for a bite?
LegoWhoPromisesToFinishUpEreMidnight(AtWhichTimeHisLaptopTurnsIntoAPumpkin!)
TRAMPOLINE, TRAMLINE
ReplyDeleteFirst, a slight gripe with the puzzle. I liked it, but I'm not certain that a TRAMLINE is a means of transportation. I started by thinking about CARTS, BOATS, CARS, and TRAINS and the like.
When I thought about TRAMLINES and TRAMPOLINES, I first discounted the answer because a TRAM is a means of transportation, but (according to the dictionaries I use) a TRAMLINE is actually the track or the route used by the tram. No bueno.
TRAMPOLINE it was obviously the intended answer, so I submitted it.
And then my clue that -- oh, wait, someone's at the door! was a nod to the greatest trampolinist I've ever seen, the amazing DONG DONG.
He also, by the way, has a name which no Puzzle Lover could ignore.
If you've never seen him fly, do yourself a favor and search YouTube for Dong Dong Trampoline Gold Medal 2016 Rio Olympics. He's won Gold in three Olympics.
London 2012 is an even better run: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpVgcIdm6vM&t=25m20s
DeleteThink of a well known U.S. city in 6 letters. Replace the second vowel with the next vowel in the standard progression to reveal a well known city in a different state. What are these 2 cities?
ReplyDeleteDoes an article normally precede the second city?
DeleteYes, where do I send your pin?
DeleteSorry, but I'm already pinned.
DeleteWell then you probably should stick with what you have.
DeleteLet’s not put too fine a point on it.
DeletePoint well taken.
Deletetrampoline, tramline
ReplyDeleteTrampoline – po --> tramline
ReplyDeleteLast Sunday I said, “The removed letters stand for an institution long in existence, even back to our earliest days as a country.” PO stands for Post Office which is mandated even in the Constitution.
TRAMPOLINE, TRAMLINE
ReplyDelete"There's a connection between the word's roots and the removed letters.
Therefore, you have to be carefully taught!"
The Germanic roots go back to stamp and hence to PO or Post Office.
Carefully taut as in stretched on the surface of the TRAMPOLINE.
TRAMPOLINE >>> TRAMPLED BY TURTLES.
I submitted ROADMASTER/ROADSTER. Roadmaster is a brand name associated with exercise equipment, but obviously we were not dealing with a brand name here.
ReplyDeletepjbDoesn'tAlwaysGetThemRight,ButHe'sAlwaysInThereTrying!
Think of a word in three syllables. Remove the two middle letters and you'll have a two-word phrase with roughly the same meaning as the original word.
ReplyDeleteThis week's online challenge comes from Steve Baggish, of Arlington, Mass. Using only the letters in the words FACES NORTH, repeating them as often as you wish, you can spell a familiar expression in seven words (4,3,3,6,3,3,5). What expression is it?
ReplyDeleteI like this one -- it's a somewhat different type of puzzle from the usual fare.
DeleteI have an ok hint in mind, but I'm going to try to think of a better one for the new thread.
I'll get in first with this clue right now:
DeleteThe puzzle doesn't work (or doesn't work well) in British dialect.
I made an expression with different letter counts although I did use the phrase NORTH FACES instead of FACES NORTH so maybe that's why ;-).
DeleteTongan chic, dontcha know? Minnesota nice rubbed off on me after the Trampled by Turtles concerts in Dillon this weekend.
Lego, Maxx and I met folks at Saturday's concert who grew up in St Cloud. They tried to convince me that tater tots and mayo belong in a hot dish. I told them the only Mayo I like is in Rochester and it's tater nots for me. :-)
Nothing wrong with tater tots, but Minnesota hot dish uses cream of mushroom soup, not mayonnaise. I made Amy Klobuchar's hot dish back when she was running for president, and it did neither of us any good.
Deletejan, these formerly St Cloud folks now living in the Cities, said the secret sauce to their hot dish is to add mayo to the cream of whatever soup and finish with tater tots covered with more mayo. Not for me.
DeleteThe expression applies to a trip I'm taking in a couple of weeks.
ReplyDeleteSomething is missing.
ReplyDelete