NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 28): Is that really how you pronounce it?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 28): Is that really how you pronounce it?:

Q: Name a famous film director, whose last name has two syllables. Phonetically these two syllables sound like words that are opposites of each other. What are the words and who is the director?

I was looking through a list of Oscar nominees and winners for Best Director... I think I found the answer, but if that's it, it's really bogus.

Edit: Did you get the hint? Real --> TRUE, Bogus --> FAUX

A: François Truffaut (prounounced trū-fō') leading to the opposite words TRUE and FAUX.

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 21): After the New Year's Shindig...

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 21): After the New Year's Shindig...:

Q: A special challenge open for two weeks. The object is to arrange 16 different letters of the alphabet into a 4-by-4 square, so that four common, uncapitalized words read across and four common uncapitalized words read down. To start, the second word across is RULY. This is the only slightly unusual word in the square. Every other word in it is one any school child would know. Can you do it?

Now that my wife and I are done with the New Year's Eve shindig in the city, is time to get things back in order here. However, I will say we were quite a cute couple and my wife looked gorgeous in her fancy dress. Anyway, back to the puzzle solution. Given that you already know one of the words, and the letters can't repeat it really isn't that hard to figure out. I would definitely work on the word in the last column since there are fewer choices. From there things should fall into place. If you find it hard, at least you have a couple weeks to work on it.
Edit: Once you see my answer, you'll notice all the clues above. New Year's Shindig = Bash, In order = Ruly, Cute couple = Item, Fancy dress = Gown.

A:
BASH
RULY
ITEM
GOWN

I've learned from other sources that there is an alternate answer. After some additional trials, I came up with it too. It only varies in a couple letters:

GASH
RULY
ITEM
DOWN

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 7): ...and a New Year Dawns

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 7): ...and a New Year Dawns:

Q: Think of a familiar two-word phrase, in the form, BLANK-OIL. And another familiar two word phrase, in the form, OIL-BLANK, in which the two words in the blanks are anagrams of each other. Here's a hint: Each of the anagrams is a regular four-letter word. What phrases are these?

Edit: Technically the answer to this could be LAMP OIL and OIL LAMP, but I think the intended answers are true anagrams of each other.

A: PALM OIL --> LAMP OIL

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 31): As the Year Comes to an End...

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 31): As the Year Comes to an End...:

Q: Think of two words, one starting with O, the other starting with R. Both end with ING, and they have the same number of letters. In one sense the words are synonyms and in another sense they're antonyms. What are the words?

The only clue I'll give is the title.

Edit: 2006 is leaving us... it is the outgoing year, or the retiring year, is it not?

A: OUTGOING and RETIRING
Synonyms in the sense of leaving a position, as in the OUTGOING or RETIRING person.
Antonyms in the sense of having an OUTGOING (extroverted) versus RETIRING (introverted) personality.

Christmas Puzzle 2006 Now Uploaded

Our Annual Christmas Puzzle is now available. The theme is "Close but No Rhyme".

If you are stumped, you can check out the answer key.

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 24): Plural + S makes Plural

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 24): Plural + S makes Plural:

Q: Think of a five-letter word starting with T. The word is plural. Add an S at the end, and you'll get a six-letter word that is also plural. What words are these?

Indeed, what are these words? I can only think of one at the moment... I'll give you the second word after the session expires.

Edit: If you read the question carefully, I found it already contained a clue to the first word ("What words are these?") and then there were some hints in my comments. In case you missed them, read the following: "I'll give you the second word after the session expires." Did you catch those hints?

A: THESE (plural of "this")
THESES (plural of "thesis")

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 17): Swans, Geese, Calling Birds, etc.

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 17): Swans, Geese, Calling Birds, etc.:

Q: Take the names of two birds, four letters each. Place these names side by side, then move the first letter of the string to the end and you'll get an eight-letter word that describes where birds fly. What are the birds and where do they fly? Hint: the first bird is a common one everyone knows. The second bird is seen mainly in crossword puzzles.

Obviously I started with the crossword puzzle bird. It's not ANIS, NENE or KIWI. I won't say anything more but I'm sure you'll get the two birds if you think about it...
Edit: The title should make you think of the 12 Days of Christmas. Counting down there are 7 Swans, 6 Geese, 4 Calling Birds, 3 French Hens and 2 Turtle *Doves* That was a clue...

A: DOVE + RHEA --> OVERHEAD

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 10): T for Two (or Five)...

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 10): T for Two (or five)...:

Q: There's a familiar five-word saying in which one of the words ends in the letter T and the other four words all start with T. What is the saying?

I couldn't have solved this week's puzzle without the help of my wife. We kept trying answers ("The best things take time", "Taking it to the top", etc.) and we finally stumbled upon what we believe to be the intended answer.
Edit: You caught the hint about not being able to do this without my wife, right? What's a saying that might echo that sentiment? And notice how our wrong answers kept including 'take' in them; that was another clue.

A: IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 3): Sacramento Anagrams

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 3): Sacramento Anagrams:

Q: Take the name 'Sacramento,' the capital of California. Re-arrange these 10 letters to spell two words that are synonyms.

A: SCENT and AROMA

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 26): Giving Lots of Thanks

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 26): Giving Lots of Thanks:

Q: Name a well-known American city, with 12 letters in its name, containing the letters of THANKS in left to right order, not necessarily consecutively. A hint: This is a city of more than 100,000 people. What city is it?

Thanksgiving is putting me in a giving mood, so I'll give you a link to a List of U.S. Cities by Population. That should be very helpful for solving this week's puzzle.

A: THOUSAND OAKS in Southern California