NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 20, 2024): Greetings from...

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 20, 2024): Greetings from...

Q: The city of UTICA, NEW YORK, when spelled out, contains 12 letters, all of them different. Think of a well-known U.S. city, that when its name is spelled out (including the state), contains 13 letters, all of them different. Your answer doesn't have to match Will's.

A typo was introduced when the city name was registered; if that hadn't occured, it wouldn't be composed of 13 unique letters.

Edit: While the name is derived from Fort Caspar and Lt. Caspar Collins, it is officially named "Casper" due to a typo occurring during the official registration.

A: CASPER, WYOMING

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 7, 2024): Camping Trip

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 7, 2024): Camping Trip

Q: Think of something in two words (7,5) that you might take camping. The phrase has seven consonants, which are all different and appear in alphabetical order through the phrase. What camping item is this?

You can rearrange the letters to name something archeologists might study.

Edit: CAVEMAN TOOLS

A: CoLeMaN SToVe

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 12, 2024): Mother Earth

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 12, 2024): Mother Earth

Q: Think of a well-known seven-letter geographical name in a single word that has just two consonants and yet is pronounced in five syllables.

I'm seeing a genus of aphids in the anagram.

Edit: First the word "seeing" sounds like the letters CN which are the two consonants. And the word anagrams to ANOECIA, a genus of aphids. Interestingly the reverse, (AICEONA) is also a genus of aphids.

A: OCEANIA

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 4, 2024): Checking a Liszt...

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 4, 2024): Checking a Liszt...

Q: Name a famous classical composer in three syllables. Change the vowel sounds in the first and third syllables, and phonetically you'll name a sport. What is it?

I thought I was close with Tchaikovsky

Edit: Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture includes a cannon while Pachelbel wrote a canon

A: PACHELBEL --> PICKLEBALL

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 27, 2022): State with All the Vowels

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 27, 2022): State with All the Vowels

Q: Name a state that contains all five vowels — A, E, I, O, and U — once each.

I went from thinking this would be easy, to impossible and finally...

Edit: ...I was very happy! By the way, this puzzle was very reminiscent of another "state" puzzle for April Fool's week in 2020. Coincidence?

A: A state of EUPHORIA (Other accepted answers included Mozambique, the Republic of Chad, and different states of being — such as anxiousness, exhaustion, pandemonium, and perturbation.)

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 9, 2019): Actor and Writer Puzzle

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 9, 2019): Actor and Writer Puzzle:

Q: Think of a famous actor, first and last names, that together contain each of the five vowels (A, E, I, O, and U) exactly once. Add an M and rearrange the result to get a famous writer, also first and last names. Who are these famous people?

I spent too long trying to make Julia Roberts or Hugo Weaving work. I do have an answer, but I'm still not convinced it's the intended answer.

I wasn't sure how "famous" they each were. They weren't names that came immediately to mind for me.

A: LEN CARIOU + M --> ALICE MUNRO

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 26, 2019): Know Your Vowels

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 26, 2019): Know Your Vowels:

Q: This week's challenge is not so hard. Take a common English word in 3 letters. Translate it into French — also 3 letters. (The French word is one everyone knows.) And between them these two words consist of 6 different vowels and no consonants. What words are these?

Is it as simple as it seems? Maybe not.

Edit: The title of the post is a hint. While some may say that YEA & OUI is a possible answer, the question does say the words consist of six different vowels and no consonants. In YEA the Y is acting as a consonant so my feeling is that answer should not be accepted (but it was).

A: AYE & OUI

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 7, 2018): The I's Have It

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 7, 2018): The I's Have It:

Q: Think of a title for a particular person — two words, 15 letters in total — in which the only vowel is "I." What is it?

The prior person had the title for about a year.

Edit: In general, unless they become Miss America, they all keep the title for about a year.

A: MISS MISSISSIPPI

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 27, 2017): All Signs Point To Sequoias

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 27, 2017): All Signs Point To Sequoias:

Q: This week's challenge is a common two-word expression. The expression consists of 8 letters and uses all five vowels — A, E, I, O and U. It has only three consonants, one of which is repeated. The first word in the expression has two letters and the second has six letters. What familiar expression is it?

I saw a sign that said "Sequoias", but that's one word, not two.

A: AU REVOIR

NPR Sunday Puzzle (July 23, 2017): Pat Sajak and Vanna White

NPR Sunday Puzzle (July 23, 2017): Pat Sajak and Vanna White:

Q: What common three-word expression — 14 letters in all — has only N and G as consonants, and otherwise is all vowels?

I'm not sure Will Shortz has hit a homerun with this puzzle.

Edit: Some announcers might say this as the ball is heading over the wall.

A: GOING, GOING, GONE!

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 6, 2016): No Vowel Left Behind

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 6, 2016): No Vowel Left Behind:

Q: Think of a sign that's frequently seen around this time of year — two words of four letters each. Among these eight letters all five vowels — A, E, I, O, and U — appear once each, along with three consonants. What sign is it?

Edit: My hint was "LOVE MAUI" which uses the vowels in the same order as the answer.

A: VOTE AQUÍ