NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 19, 2012): Adjoining States Puzzle

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 19, 2012): Adjoining States Puzzle:

Q: The word "marten," as in the animal, consists of the beginning letters of "Mississippi," "Arkansas," "Texas," and "New Mexico"; you can actually drive from Mississippi to Arkansas to Texas to New Mexico in that order. What is the longest common English word you can spell by taking the beginning letters of consecutive states in order as you travel through them? Puzzlemaster Will Shortz's answer has eight letters, but maybe you can top that.

I see a number of ways to match Will's answer but I'm still working on a way to top him.

Edit: The first word I found was millions, hence the clue above about "a number"

A: Assuming we can't visit a state more than once and we can't cross the four-corners diagonally, I have these words:

Common words:
omissions = oklahoma, missouri, iowa, nebraska, south dakota
ketamines = kentucky, tennessee, arkansas, missouri, nebraska, south dakota
millions = missouri, illinois, iowa, nebraska, south dakota
missions = missouri, iowa, nebraska, south dakota
misstate = missouri, tennessee, arkansas, texas
vitamins = virginia, tennessee, arkansas, missouri, nebraska, south dakota

Less common words:
illimitate = illinois, missouri, tennessee, arkansas, texas
artemisin = arkansas, tennessee, missouri, iowa, nebraska
coregnant = california, oregon, nevada, arizona, new mexico, texas
coregonid = california, oregon, idaho
florigens = florida, georgia, north carolina, south carolina
miltomate = mississippi, louisiana, texas, oklahoma, missouri, arkansas, tennessee
nevermass = new hampshire, vermont, massachusetts
virgining = virginia, north carolina, georgia
floriage = florida, alabama, georgia
floriate = florida, alabama, tennessee
misagent = mississippi, alabama, georgia, north carolina, tennessee
misatone = missouri, arkansas, texas, oklahoma, new mexico

Finally if you are going to allow repeated visits to the same state, I have:
non-omissions = new mexico, oklahoma, new mexico, oklahoma, missouri, iowa, nebraska, south dakota
concomitate = colorado, nebraska, colorado, oklahoma, missouri, tennessee, arkansas, texas
amalgamate = arkansas, mississippi, alabama, georgia, alabama, mississippi, arkansas, tennessee
amalgamist = arkansas, mississippi, alabama, georgia, alabama, mississippi, tennessee
mononomial = missouri, oklahoma, new mexico, oklahoma, new mexico, oklahoma, missouri, arkansas, louisiana
... and quite a few shorter words

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 12, 2012): Two Fictional Characters? Who Says?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 12, 2012): Two Fictional Characters? Who Says?:

Q: Name two fictional characters — the first one good, the second one bad. Each is a one-word name. Drop the last letter of the name of the first character. Read the remaining letters in order from left to right. The result will be a world capital. What is it?

By the way, I'm with you - cool puzzle!

Edit: The title of the puzzle was poking fun at Will and whether or not Santa Claus is real. The other hints were By the Way and I'm With You which are albums by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the word cool which could be a synonym for chilly.

A: Sant(a) + Iago = Santiago (Chile)

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 5, 2012): A Stern Elk and a Rattlesnake?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 5, 2012): A Stern Elk and a Rattlesnake?:

Q: Name an animal. Add the letters "A" and "T," and rearrange the result to name another animal. These are both animals that might be found in a zoo, and the last letter of the first animal is the first letter of the last one.

I was surprised to find the second animal has a longer lifespan than the first and will often weigh more.

Edit: Gorillas have a lifespan of 35 to 40 years while American alligators will live to 50+ in the wild. An adult male gorilla weighs around 400 lbs. while an adult American alligator will weigh around 800 lbs.

A: GORILLA + AT --> ALLIGATOR

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 29, 2012): An Equation for 2012

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 29, 2012): An Equation for 2012:

Q: Write the digits from 1 to 9 in a line. If you put a plus sign after the 2, a times sign after the 4, and plus signs after the 6 and 8, the line shows 12 + 34 x 56 + 78 + 9, which equals 2003. That's nine years off from our current year 2012. This example uses four arithmetic symbols. The object is to use just three of the following arithmetic operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, in a line from 1 to 9 to get 2012 exactly. The operations should be performed in order from left to right. There are no tricks to this puzzle. Can you do it?

I was just about to retire for the evening, but I figured you might need some assistance in solving the puzzle, so your help is... Gee, how do I give you a hint to a math puzzle?

Edit: The hints were "retire" (Social Security Administration = SSA = subtract, subtract, add) and "assistance" and "help" (411 = number of digits to group together, with 3 being assumed for the remaining digits).

A: 1234 - 5 - 6 + 789 = 2012

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 15 and 22, 2012): Two Week TV Title Challenge

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 15, 2012): Two Week TV Title Challenge:
NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 22, 2012): Two Week TV Title Challenge (cont.):

Q: This is a special two-week creative challenge. Combine the titles of some TV shows, past or present, into an amusing sentence or statement. Here are 3 examples:
"TODAY / SISTERS / NAME THAT TUNE / FATHER KNOWS BEST,"
"DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES / BEWITCHED / MY THREE SONS / ONE DAY AT A TIME,"
"I'VE GOT A SECRET / MURDER, SHE WROTE / THE F.B.I."
Entries will be judged on their sense, naturalness of syntax, humor, originality, familiarity of the TV shows named, and overall effect. No more than three sentences per entry, please.

Not much to say, but here's list of television shows that might be useful.

Edit: Feel free to discuss your submissions in the comments.

A: "The Nanny / Lost / All My Children." (Will's pick submitted by Patrick B. of Jasper, AL)

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 8, 2012): Make a Game of Finding Car Parts

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 8, 2012): Make a Game of Finding Car Parts:

Q: Name four parts of a car that are also terms used in a particular game. One of the parts is spelled in three letters, two of them in five letters each, and one has six letters. Two places a car might go are also terms used in the game. What game is it, and what are the terms?

Musical Hint: Wake Up Little Susie

Edit: Wake Up Little Susie is a song by the Everly Brothers. Another song (their last top 40 hit) is "Bowling Green."

A: Car parts: Pin, Frame, Spare, Bumper
Places: Lane, Alley
Sport: Bowling
Note: Will may accept alternate words or answers.

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 1, 2012): Sport Scores and Another Sport

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 1, 2012): Sport Scores and Another Sport:

Q: Name certain scores in a certain sport. This is a two-word phrase with a total of 10 letters (5 letters in each word). If you have the right phrase, you can rearrange all the letters to name a different sport, also in two words (6 letters in the first word, 4 in the second). What are the scores, and what is the sport?

Looks like we are back to anagrams. Perhaps Will wants to start off the year with something familiar. Generally I despise anagrams, but this puzzle was enjoyable. Anyway, the puzzle isn't too difficult so do you think I need to provide a hint or two?

Edit: Read the first letter of each of the sentences above and you'll get LPGA. I also stopped my counting before I got to four ("Fore!")

A: FIELD GOALS --> LADIES GOLF

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 25, 2011): Unusual, Uncommon Entertainer

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 25, 2011): Unusual, Uncommon Entertainer:

Q: Name an occupation in nine letters. It's an entertainer of sorts — an unusual and uncommon but well-known sort of entertainer. Drop the third letter of the name, and read the result backward. You'll get two four-letter words that are exact opposites. What are they?

I'm sorry for the late post of the puzzle. There was some problem with our internet where it would be up for a little bit, but before I could finish a post, it would come back down. Anyway, it seems to have sorted itself out and my elder son is just grateful that he can get online with his Xbox again.

Edit: Okay, so our internet wasn't really dead (we were just busy with Christmas), but I did like the visual of something going up for a little bit and back down, like a daredevil jumping a canyon or a row of buses. The other hints were Grateful (Dead) and Xbox (Live) which are the antonyms.

A: DAREDEVIL --> LIVE + DEAD

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 18, 2011): A Guy and Another Guy

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 18, 2011): A Guy and Another Guy:

Q: Take the word "at." Put a man's first name on each side of it, and say the word out loud. Phonetically, you'll get a word that describes a growing part of our country. What is it?

Will probably forgot to mention that these are two *different* men's names.

Edit: Sorry, I guess I was trying to imply that Will was getting forgetful in his "old age".

A: Jerry + at + Rick = Geriatric

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 11, 2011): Mixed up animals

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 11, 2011): Mixed up animals:

Q: Think of an animal whose name contains an O. Change the O to an H, and rearrange the result to name another animal. What animals are these?

Hint: Beautifull Desaster

An image search for "Antelope Elephant" came up with this image on DeviantArt by BeautifullDesaster.

A: ANTELOPE -O +H --> ELEPHANT