NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 14, 2019): Veni, Vidi, Virgo!

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 14, 2019): Veni, Vidi, Virgo!:

Q: Take an 11-letter word with two D's in it. If you drop both D's, you'll get a world capital followed by a sign of the zodiac. What's the 11-letter word?

I'm back!

The big difference between Dromedaries and Bactrian camels is in the number of humps on their backs. I'm sorry for feeling that all the hints to hump (day) and lumps (of sugar) and (camel) cigarettes were too revealing.

A: DROMEDARIES --> ROME, ARIES

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 7, 2019): On Vacation

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 7, 2019): On Vacation

I'm unable to post the puzzle this week, but I didn't want to leave you without a place to post comments on the puzzle. Somebody help me out by posting a copy here. Then feel free to add your hints.

Here's my standard reminder... don't post the answer or any outright spoilers before the deadline of Thursday at 3pm ET. If you know the answer, click the link and submit it to NPR, but don't give it away here. Thank you.

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 30, 2019): Why is the Word Abbreviation so Long?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 30, 2019): Why is the Word Abbreviation so Long?:

Q: There is a standard two-letter abbreviation for an English word that has an unusual property: The first letter of the abbreviation is the second letter of the word. And the second letter of the abbreviation does not appear in the word at all. What's the word, and what's its abbreviation?

It's not Massachusetts = MA

Edit: This was a hint to the REDSOX = RX, DOSE puzzle from not too long ago.

A: Prescription, Rx

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 23, 2019): Get to Know Your Neighbors

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 23, 2019): Get to Know Your Neighbors:

Q: Take the names of two countries that share a border. Drop the second letter from the second country's name. The resulting string of letters, in order from left to right, will spell a regular, uncapitalized word. What is it?

Swap two letters and get another word. Or rearrange completely to get a third word.

Edit: Swapping a couple letters we get MALIGNER. Or rearrange to get GERMINAL.

A: MALI + NiGER --> MALINGER

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 16, 2019): Get Out Your List of U.S. Cities

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 16, 2019): Get Out Your List of U.S. Cities:

Q: Name a major U.S. city with a population of more than 100,000. It has a two-word name. The two words rhyme, respectively, with the first and last names of a famous singer. What city is it, and who's the singer?

One half of a famous acting duo went to high school and college here.

Actor David Soul (the second half of Starsky & Hutch) grew up in Sioux Falls.

A: SIOUX FALLS --> LOU RAWLS

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 9, 2019): Actor and Writer Puzzle

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 9, 2019): Actor and Writer Puzzle:

Q: Think of a famous actor, first and last names, that together contain each of the five vowels (A, E, I, O, and U) exactly once. Add an M and rearrange the result to get a famous writer, also first and last names. Who are these famous people?

I spent too long trying to make Julia Roberts or Hugo Weaving work. I do have an answer, but I'm still not convinced it's the intended answer.

I wasn't sure how "famous" they each were. They weren't names that came immediately to mind for me.

A: LEN CARIOU + M --> ALICE MUNRO

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 2, 2019): Know Your Vehicles

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 2, 2019): Know Your Vehicles:

Q: Think of a verb in its present and past tense forms. Drop the first letter of each word. The result will name two vehicles. What are they?

I really wanted MOPED to work somehow, but I had to get rid of that idea. Back to the drawing board.

I was hinting at "strike" both in getting rid of an idea and in carrying sign "boards" while picketing.

A: STRIKE & STRUCK --> TRIKE & TRUCK

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 26, 2019): Know Your Vowels

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 26, 2019): Know Your Vowels:

Q: This week's challenge is not so hard. Take a common English word in 3 letters. Translate it into French — also 3 letters. (The French word is one everyone knows.) And between them these two words consist of 6 different vowels and no consonants. What words are these?

Is it as simple as it seems? Maybe not.

Edit: The title of the post is a hint. While some may say that YEA & OUI is a possible answer, the question does say the words consist of six different vowels and no consonants. In YEA the Y is acting as a consonant so my feeling is that answer should not be accepted (but it was).

A: AYE & OUI

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 19, 2019): Rubbernecking in Benin?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 19, 2019): Rubbernecking in Benin?:

Q: Name a profession in 13 letters that is associated with a particular 5-letter country. The letters of that country appear in left-to-right order, although not consecutively, in that profession's name. What is it?

Hint: The profession is a single word.

I'm pretty sure it's not a Quartermaster in Qatar.

A: HIEROGLYPHIST --> EGYPT

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 12, 2019): More Ways to Get From Here to There

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 12, 2019): More Ways to Get From Here to There:

Q: Think of a 6-letter conveyance on wheels. Drop the first letter. Add a new letter at the end. The result will be another 6-letter conveyance on wheels. What conveyances are these?

I doubt I'll be using either of these conveyances this Mother's Day.

A: BOXCAR --> OXCART