NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 6, 2020): Ancient Deities

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 6, 2020): Ancient Deities

Q: Name a deity in ancient mythology. The first half of the name, phonetically, names a common object. The second half of the name, by spelling, names another object that is often put inside the first one. What is it?

I don't, but others might. Anyone else get sidetracked trying to make Loki turn into lock and key?

Edit: My main hint was that I don't put my phone in a purse, but others might. The comment about Loki/Lock/Key was to point out that the pronunciation of "purse" doesn't match the original syllables of the name, similar how the syllables of Loki don't sound like "lock" unless you isolate the letters.

A: PERSEPHONE --> PURSE, PHONE

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 30, 2020): Make Your Move

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 30, 2020): Make Your Move

Q: Name a famous person in history (5,4). The letters of the last name can be rearranged to name a popular game. And the letters in the first name can be rearranged to name an action in this game. Who is this famous person?

The last name can also be rearrange to name a place where another related game is played.

Edit: The game of "Marco Polo" is played in the pool.

A: MARCO POLO --> POOL, CAROM

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 23, 2020): Where in the World?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 23, 2020): Where in the World?

Q: Think of a place on earth with a four-word name. Take the third word. Advance three of its letters to the next letter of the alphabet (so A would become B, B would be come C, etc.). You'll get the fourth word in the name. What place is this?

Ask someone to point to this on a map and they'll probably get it wrong.

Edit: Many people believe this to be the southernmost point of Africa but it's actually not.

A: CAPE OF GOOD HOPE (G>H, O>P, D>E)

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 16, 2020): Taking the Intra-Europe Train

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 16, 2020): Taking the Intra-Europe Train

Q: Think of a major city in France whose name is an anagram of a major city in Italy. Each city has more than 100,000 people. What are the cities?

I thought I had it with AMIENS and MESSINA. I guess I'll have to take a new tack.

Edit: I was hinting at NEW ORLEANS.

ORLÉANS <--> SALERNO

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 9, 2020): A Puzzle for the Birds

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 9, 2020): A Puzzle for the Birds

Q: Think of a famous living person in the entertainment field whose first name is a bird. The person's last name is a quality of this bird — something its feathers have. Who's the famous person, and what's the bird?

Hint: Steamboat inventor?

The actor adopted his stage name from a combination of the CBS casting director, Robert Dale Martin, who gave him his first big break, and the televangelist archbishop, Fulton J. Sheen. If he had chosen their first names he might be Robert Fulton.

A: MARTIN SHEEN

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 2, 2020): Name with 5 Consecutive Letters

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 2, 2020): Name with 5 Consecutive Letters

Q: Think of a famous living American whose first and last names have a total of eight letters — all different. Five of these letters are consecutive in the alphabet. The remaining three can be rearranged to spell a woman's nickname. What famous American is this?

Do they have open angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension?

GANFORT is a medicine that can be used to treat the stated conditions. It anagrams to GRAFTON, as in author SUE GRAFTON which was a hint to the woman's name.

A: ELON MUSK --> KLMNO + SUE

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 26, 2020): Tumbling Tumbleweed

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 26, 2020): Tumbling Tumbleweed

Q: Think of a common two-word phrase for something you experience in a desert. Rearrange the letters to get a single word for something you should do in the desert as a result.

Think of a two-word phrase that means the same thing as the word. Rearrange to get something you can experience in the Arctic.

Edit: The answer to my puzzle was DRINK WATER --> DARK WINTER

A: DRY HEAT --> HYDRATE

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 19, 2020): Not A Wear

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 19, 2020): Not A Wear

Q: Think of a six-letter word for something you might wear. Insert an "O" in the exact middle, and you'll get a phrase meaning "Not aware." What is it?

A Rubik's Cube

A Rubik's Cube is 3 x 3 x 3 which is 27. The 27th president was TAFT who shares the same 3 consonants (in order) as the answer.

A: OUTFIT --> OUT OF IT

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 12, 2020): Follow that Car!

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 12, 2020): Follow that Car!

Q: Think of a two-word direction or command. Take the first letter of the first word plus the entire second word, in order, and you'll get a common name for one receiving that direction or command. What is it?

It seems a suitable time for some misdirection.

Edit: "Suitable time" = "Opportunity" as in one of the Mars Rovers.

A: ROLL OVER, ROVER

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 5, 2020): Wisdom of the Crowd

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 5, 2020): Wisdom of the Crowd

Q: Think of an eight-letter word for something we all crave now. It consists of three consecutive men's nicknames. What are they?

Hint: Mapplethorpe's mom

In a recent film on Robert Mapplethorpe, the role of his mother, Joan, was played by actress Carolyn McCormick. "Carolyn M." is an anagram of the answer.

A: NORMALCY = NORM + AL + CY