NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 27): Hi Ho Silver, away!

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 27): Hi Ho Silver, away!:

Q: Each answer is a familiar two-word phrase in which each word has four letters. The middle two letters of the first word are 'hi' and the middle two letters of the second word are 'ho.' Two different phrases have this pattern. What are they?

I'm not putting a lot of effort into a clue this week so you'll have to be on the lookout for your own answers. I will tell you that I don't think the answer is CHIC SHOP, THIN CHOP, THIS SHOE or WHIZ SHOW, but I guess that was obvious.

Edit: The clues were all in this sentence, "I'm not putting a lot of effort into a clue this week so you'll have to be on the lookout for your own answers." In golf, when you are slightly off the green (not putting), you might use a CHIP SHOT. And if you are in the crow's nest (as the lookout), you might cry, SHIP AHOY!

A: The two-word phrases I came up with are:
CHIP SHOT and SHIP AHOY!

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 20): Mother's Day Puzzle

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 20): Mother's Day Puzzle:

Q: Name certain internal parts of the human body, five letters, the word is plural. This word contains an 'i.' Change the 'i' to an 'o,' spell the result backward, and you'll name another part of the body that's very near the first ones. What body parts are these?

I know I ought'ta provide a clue to this puzzle, but I was too busy organizing a Mother's Day Brunch for my wife, my mother and my sister. A trio of moms, near and dear to my heart, were all treated to a scrumptious buffet in the atrium of a nearby hotel. Maybe if I have time, I'll post a clue later in the week.

Edit: So you caught all the clues, right? We had the phrase "I ought'ta" which sounds like "aorta" and then "A trio" which sounds like "atria". There was mention of my "heart" and finally the hotel atrium (plural = atria).

A: ATRIA (two upper chambers of the heart) --> AORTA (large artery leaving the heart)

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 13): I've Been By This River...

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 13): I've Been By This River...:

Q: Think of two countries whose names start with the same three letters. Set these names side by side, drop the first three letters from each of the names, the remaining letters, in order, will spell the name of one of the longest rivers in the world. What are the countries and what is the river?

I actually went past this river on a trip my family took in 1980. I'm going to give a big clue; the river doesn't go by any major cities. And notice the puzzle says one of the longest rivers, so we can rule out the Nile naturally.

Edit: The Lena River is in Russia and flows to the northeast out of Lake Baikal then eventually due north into the Laptev Sea. My family rode the Transiberian Railway in the spring of 1980, shortly before the boycotted Olympics in Moscow. Most people aren't familiar with this river unless they've seen it in a crossword puzzle, but it is categorized as the 10th longest river in the world at approximately 2,650 miles. Incidentally, the name of the river was hidden inside of Nile naturally.

A: CHI(LE) + CHI(NA) --> LENA.

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 6): Knock, Knock... Who's There?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 6): Knock, Knock... Who's There?:

Q: Think of a six-letter plural word naming a certain category of foods. Change the first letter to a 'C,' then re-arrange the result to get an adjective that describes many of these foods. What is it?

The important letter in the clue is 'C'... Aren't you glad I'm here to give you clues?

Edit: Remember this old Knock, Knock joke?
"Knock, knock" Who's There?
"Banana" Banana Who?
"Knock, knock" Who's There?
"Banana" Banana Who?
"Knock, knock" Who's There?
"Banana" Banana Who?
"Knock, knock" Who's There?
"Orange" Orange Who?
"Aren't you glad I stopped saying Banana?"

The other clue was the letter C, as in vitamin C which is prevalent in citrus fruits.

A: FRUITS +C-F --> CITRUS

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 29): Up a Tree Without a Clue

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 29): Up a Tree Without a Clue:

Q: Name a famous character in literature and legend, two words, five letters in the first name, four letters in the last. The second letter of the first name is 'R.' Move this 'R' to the second position of the second word, say the result out loud and you'll name a vehicle. Who is the character and what is the vehicle?

Someone's going to have to come to my aid with a clue this week...

Edit: Who comes to the aid of a cat stuck up a tree? Okay, I know the clue was obvious, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway.

A: FRIAR TUCK --> FIRE TRUCK

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 22): Is that Really an Office *Item*?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 22): Is that Really an Office *Item*?:

Q: Name something commonly found in an office. It is two words, with five letters in the first word and four letters in the last. Both words are the last names of famous singers. What is the office item, and who are the singers?

It might be a trivial distinction, but I'd hardly call this an office item. Technically it is something found in an office... but I don't think of it as a single, tangible item.
Edit: Okay, so perhaps I was getting a little petty, picking on the puzzle clue.

A: TOM PETTY and JOHNNY CASH --> PETTY CASH

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 15): Two-word Phrases and Car Parts, a Common Theme

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 15): Two-word Phrases and Car Parts, a Common Theme

Q: Take the phrase 'saturated fat,' which contains the letter pair 'AT' three times, and think of another familiar two-word phrase, this time containing the lettered pair 'SE' three times. Drop the 'SEs' every time they appear and the remaining letters, in order, reading left to right, will name part of a car. What is it?

I have to get on Will's case. Just three weeks back we had a puzzle involving two-word phrases and a car part. Practical wisdom would say that you need to vary your puzzles a little. Sounds like he might not be listening to me however...
Edit: The clues were "Practical wisdom" and the reference to the puzzle a few weeks back with the faulty car horn (and the words "sounds" and "listening").

A: HORSE SENSE --> HORN

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 8): I'll State for the Record that I'm No Fool

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 8): I'll State for the Record that I'm No Fool:

Q: Take the names of two U.S. States, mix them all together, then rearrange the letters to form the names of two other U.S. States. What states are these?

I had the answer to this puzzle after a few minutes of thinking but thought I must have missed something. The answer seemed like an oversight on Will's part. I even spent time writing a few Excel macros to find 1225 combinations of the 50 states (50 x 49 / 2, excluding duplicates), sort the letters alphabetically then find matches. All that effort was overkill, because it brought me back to the original "simple" answer I had at the beginning. Next time I'll focus on the date the puzzle is aired, rather than when the answer will be announced.

Edit: Sure enough, there is only one set of four states that answer the puzzle. And they are the first four I thought of. This was obviously an April Fool's joke to make us think the puzzle was much more complicated than it really is.

A: NORTH CAROLINA + SOUTH DAKOTA
= SOUTH CAROLINA + NORTH DAKOTA

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 1): Rejuvenate Puzzle

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 1): Rejuvenate Puzzle:

Q: Take the word, rejuvenate. Add two S's, and rearrange the resulting 12 letters to name a famous person (first and last names). Who is it?

I've been trying to think of somebody famous... I figure this person might be known for being on TV, or in movies, or in politics, or as an athlete. Unfortunately, I don't have a clue to give you and it is late. Taking a hint from the puzzle, I need to get to bed and let the body and mind rejuvenate.

Update: Someone asked me if I was truly not going to give a clue this week. Yes, he thought I had failed to solve the puzzle and therefore couldn't provide a clue. I would venture a guess that he hasn't read many of my posts, because he would see that I often try to fake people out, but really do have a clue there. In fact there are numerous hints in this post, but just don't try to pin me down to admitting where they are, at least not before the deadline.

Edit: Well, the person in question has been known for all of those roles from a WWF Wrestler on TV, to film roles, to being Governor of Minnesota. His nickname was "The Body" and that clue was hidden in my first post. In the update, if you read it aloud, you'll hear the words "Yes, he" and "venture a" which sound like his name. And "fake" and "pin me down" were obvious references to WWF/WWE wrestling, though many will still contend that it is real wrestling.

A: REJUVENATESS --> JESSE VENTURA

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 25): Motto Puzzle

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 25): Motto Puzzle:

Q: Think of a well known two-word motto. Say it quickly and it will sound like a different two-word phrase for the result of some auto garage work. What is it?

I don't think a clue is merited this week. If you just sound it out, you'll get the answer.

Edit: Reread those last two sentences and you'll find the hidden clues that I gave you (even though I said I wouldn't). Merited should make you think of merit badges and scouting. What's the motto of the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts? Also, the word sound when you are thinking of a car should make you think of the horn...

A: BE PREPARED --> BEEP REPAIRED