Anyone else feel this puzzle might have been more appropriate in a couple months?Q: What word, containing two consecutive Ss, becomes its own synonym if you drop those Ss?
A: BLOSSOM --> BLOOM (and variants like BLOSSOMING --> BLOOMING, BLOSSOMED --> BLOOMED, BLOSSOMS --> BLOOMS)
So it would seem that nicknames like "Buddy" are okay if that is what the person was most known by. I have the answer but not before trying to make Annette Funicello and Isabella Rossellini work. Did you know her full name was Isabella Fiorella Elettra Giovanna Rossellini? That was interesting to find out.Q: Name a famous person whose first and last names together contain four doubled letters — all four of these being different letters of the alphabet. Who is it? For example, Buddy Holly's name has two doubled letters, D and L.
A: TENNESSEE WILLIAMS
Q: Name a familiar form of exercise in two words. Switch the order of the two words. Then say them out loud. The result phonetically will name something to wear. What is it?I feel like I recently heard this on NPR.
A: TAE BO --> BOW TIE
NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 5, 2014): Pleasant PuzzleQ: Name something in five letters that's generally pleasant, it's a nice thing to have. Add the letters A and Y, and rearrange the result, keeping the A and Y together as a pair. You'll get the seven-letter word that names an unpleasant version of the five-letter thing. What is it?I wish you well in the new year.
A: DREAM + AY --> DAYMARE
Q: The word "wizard" has the peculiar property that its letters can be grouped in pairs — A and Z, D and W, and I and R — that are opposite each other in the alphabet. That is, A and Z are at opposite ends of the alphabet, D and W are four letters in from their respective ends, and I and R are nine letters in from their respective ends. Can you name a well-known brand name in six letters that has this same property?My mistake has been assuming that the letters must pair up just like WIZARD (e.g. 1-6, 2-5, 3-4). This is not a requirement. My apologies for the delayed post and hint.
A: LA-Z-BOY
Q: Think of a well-known filmmaker, first and last names, add "S-U-N" before this person's first name and last name. In each case, you'll form a common English word. Who is the filmmaker?This puzzle shouldn't take too long; you just need to rely on a small amount of memory.
A: KEN BURNS --> SUNKEN, SUNBURNS
Q: Name an island in which some of the letters appear more than once. Drop exactly two instances of each repeated letter. The remaining letters can be rearranged to name something to eat. What is it?This puzzle seems to have been inspired by the Quarrel Synonyms Puzzle from a few weeks back. I could try and solve this but instead I think I'm going to read some Dr. Seuss.
A: Manhattan --> Ham
Q: Name a U.S. city in nine letters. Shift the third letter six places later in the alphabet. Then shift the last letter seven places later in the alphabet. The result will be a family name featured in the title of a famous work of fiction. What is the city, and what is the family name?"I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinski"
A: KALAMAZOO --> KARAMAZOV
Q: Name a dance. Change one of the letters to a U. The resulting letters can be rearranged to name an event at which this dance is done. What is it?If I weren't still recovering from eating too much on Thursday, I might have the energy to provide a clever clue. Since Will is using variations on old puzzles, I think I'm just going to recover by watching some TV re-runs.
A: HULA - H + U = LUAU
Q: Name a tree whose letters can be rearranged to spell two herbs or spices. What are they? Hint: The tree has a two-word name.If Will hadn't provided the extra hint, I would have said the Peppermint tree. I'm still waiting for the answer to hit me over the head.
A: OSAGE ORANGE --> SAGE + OREGANO
