NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 27): Company - TE times 3

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 27): Company - TE times 3:

Q: Name a well-known company in U.S. history, still in existence today. There are three words in its name. Each word contains the letter pair T and E. What company is it?

My wife and I were on the way up to Crater Lake with the kids last week and this puzzle kept us occupied. (This also explains why I didn't post before the deadline) I kept focusing on AT&T (American Telephone and Telegraph). I also had "United States..." but couldn't complete it. Once again my wife trumped me and came up with the answer first.

A: UNITED STATES STEEL

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 20): "And the Oscar goes to..."

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 20): "And the Oscar goes to..."

Q: Name a well-known person in show business, who might be seen at an awards ceremony. Take the first letter of this person's first name, plus this person's last name, in order, from left to right. The letters will spell something this celebrity might say at an awards ceremony. Who is the celebrity and what might this person say?

Well, I've given away a large clue with the title of this post. The answer would not apply to a music awards show; instead think of people involved with movies. I had the answer within a minute, so I don't think it is that hard. The answer for what they might say is a single word, not a phrase.

Edit: Did you figure it out?

A: TOM HANKS --> THANKS

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 13): You Put My Car in What!?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 13): You Put My Car in What!?

Q: Name a make of car containing the letter 'N.' Rearrange the letters to get a new word starting with 'N' that names something you might put a car in. What is it?

My wife and I figured out the answer together. Like last week, we worked backwards. I figured out the 'N' word, she figured out the car make. And I'll reiterate that it is a car make not a model. Think also about the clue for the 'N' word. It's obviously not something like a garage or a carport. So what do you put a car in?

Unfortunately, we are taking five days vacation starting Thursday, so I won't be able to post the answer until after the answer is revealed on the air... hopefully we've given enough hints here so you can figure it out (while we are spending our time idling on the beaches in Cancun!)

Edit: We are back safely with only minor delays from the increased security. We had to transfer all our liquid/gel items into a single bag which then got checked as luggage. Anyway, the answer has already been announced on the air, but here it is:

A: RENAULT --> NEUTRAL

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 6): Clockwise or Counter-Clockwise

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 6): Clockwise or Counter-Clockwise

Q: Take the last name of a well-known 20th century world leader -- seven letters. Write these letters in a circle, reading clockwise. Then, starting with the fourth letter of the name and reading counter-clockwise, you'll name an important period in human history. What is it?

This answer came to me almost immediately but I worked on it going backwards. The name should be familiar to anyone who has paid attention to history in the last 3 decades or so.

Edit: Well, you would have heard this name in the news in the late 1980s. And to the person that asked, yes the country would be a big clue, wouldn't it?

A:
NORIEGA (Manuel Noriega, the de facto military leader of Panama from 1983-1989)
IRON AGE (As in Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age)

NPR Sunday Puzzle (July 30): What's Your Drink Order?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (July 30): What's Your Drink Order?:

Q: Name something you might order in a bar. It's two words; three letters in the first word, five letters in the second. Change the second letter of the first word from a U to an A. The result will be a new two-word phrase, naming something you don't want to be seen in. What is it?

There are so many clues given in this puzzle (letters, word lengths) that you don't need any help from me. But I will say, one word is short for another word...
Edit: "Hey bartender, give me a light. No, I mean..."

A: BUD LIGHT --> BAD LIGHT

NPR Sunday Puzzle (July 23): He, she or they? Figure in Greek Mythology...

NPR Sunday Puzzle (July 23): He, she or they? Figure in Greek Mythology...

Q: Name a well-known figure in Greek mythology, whose name consists of two consecutive pronouns. Who is it?

I would debate the well-known part of this question. I think you'll recognize the answer but it may not be the first Greek figure you think of. Don't forget to try all the possessive and demonstrative pronouns you can think of and consider the subjective, objective and possessive forms. My first thought was HERMES, but that isn't exactly right... think a little more and the answer will come to you.
Edit: In addition to pronouns like he, she, they, him, her, we, us, me, my, mine, ours and yours I hope you remembered it, its, that, this, these and those. Here's the answer I came up with.

A: THESE + US --> THESEUS (Greek Θησεύς) was a legendary king of Athens, son of Aegeus (or of Poseidon) and of Aethra. Theseus was a founder-hero, like Perseus, Cadmus or Heracles, all of whom battled and overcame foes.

NPR Sunday Puzzle (July 16): Criminals and the Crimes they Commit

NPR Sunday Puzzle (July 16): Criminals and the Crimes they Commit

Q: Think of a word meaning criminals. Think of another word for a certain crime. Read these words one after the other, and you'll get a new word for something that may be a crime. What is it? Also, the longer word is unrelated etymologically to the shorter word.

The first word is obviously a plural. As a hint, the second word starts with a consonant and its vowel sound changes in the final word. And yes, all the answers are words, not phrases.
Edit: My wife gets the credit for coming up with the answer first.

A: CONS + PIRACY --> CONSPIRACY

NPR Sunday Puzzle (July 9): Roman Numeral Name

NPR Sunday Puzzle (July 9): Roman Numeral Name

Q: Name a well-known American of the past consisting of eight letters. This is the person's full name, as he or she was known. Six of the letters are consonants, and all six of these consonants are Roman numerals. Who is this famous person?

First it helps to know your roman numerals (I=1, V=5, X=10, L=50, C=100, D=500, M=1000). The consonants are V, X, L, C, D and M. The other thing is to remember that it is the person's full name. But don't be thrown by this. I thought the first name might be something short like AL, ED, MAX, etc. You might be surprised by the answer. One hint, the person's name has 3 syllables.
Edit: The deadline has passed, so it's time to reveal my answer...

A: Black Nationalist and spokesperson for the Nation of Islam, MALCOLM X (born Malcolm Little).

NPR Sunday Puzzle (July 2): Boy to Bird to Brit

NPR Sunday Puzzle (July 2): Boy to Bird to Brit

Q: Think of a boy's first name in six letters. Move the first two letters to the end, and you'll get a word meaning, a bird. Then, move the first two letters of that to the end, to name a well known English writer of the past. What words are these?

Well, I struggled with this one and never got past the bird... Now that I've heard the answer I realize it was a type of bird, not a species of bird. And I'm not familiar with the author either... anyway, here's the puzzle answer they gave.

A: ERNEST (Boy's first name, e.g. Hemingway)
NESTER (Bird that builds a nest)
STERNE (Laurence Sterne, English Writer 1712-1768)

NPR Sunday Puzzle (June 25): A Country and Two 20th-century World Leaders

NPR Sunday Puzzle (June 25): A Country and Two 20th-century World Leaders:

Q: Think of a certain country in the world. Change its first letter to name a well-known 20th-century world leader. Or change its third letter to name another well-known 20th-century world leader. What is the country and who are the leaders?

It shouldn't take too long to come up with this answer. First be sure to focus on 20th-century leaders, not 21st-century leaders. Also, it helps to have an atlas at hand or at least a list of countries.
Edit: If you looked through an alphabetical list of countries, it definitely shouldn't have taken long... I had the answer almost immediately

A: Republic of BENIN (Country in Western Africa)
Vladimir LENIN (First Premier of the Soviet Union, 1917-24)
Menachem BEGIN (Prime Minister of Israel, 1977-83)