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

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 18): Best S'porting Actress

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 18): Best S'porting Actress:

Q: Take a six-letter word used in a certain sport. Add the letter 'I.' Re-arrange the resulting seven letters to spell the first name of a famous actress. This actress's last name, in five letters, identifies the place where the sport is played. Who is the actress and what is the sports term?

I may have this completely wrong, but I think I saw this actress on a late-night infomercial trying to sell teriyaki however, given the early hour, it's likely my brain was just a little scrambled.

Edit: Get it? Sell Teriyaki... unscrambled becomes...

A: Well the sport is bowling. When you knock down all the pins, you have a:
STRIKE + I --> KIRSTIE
And bowling is played in an:
ALLEY
So the answer is KIRSTIE ALLEY

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 11): Good = Yummy or Healthy?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 11): Good = Yummy or Healthy?

Q: Name something to eat in two words, with seven letters in each word. All the letters in the first word are in the first half of the alphabet, A to M. All the letters in the second word are in the second half of the alphabet, N to Z.
It's something good to eat, and the answer is plural. And here's a hint: the initials of the two words are A.S.

No hints this week, but just be sure you don't make the mistake I made... I thought the last letters of each word had to be A.S. Silly me!

Edit: I would have thought that chocolate cake was good to eat, but I guess Will was going for good for you, not just good tasting. Oh you caught me, I did leave a clue with the A and S. First word starts and ends with A, and the second word starts and ends with S.

A: ALFALFA SPROUTS

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 4): Scrambled actress

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 4): Scrambled actress:

Q: Take the thirteen letter word, Melancholiacs, add the letter R, then re-arrange all the letters to name a famous actress. Who is it?

This one took awhile to figure out because you can form all sorts of common female names with those letters. Plus with the Academy Awards on, I kept thinking that there would be a connection to some recent actress, or someone receiving a lifetime award. Well, I was wrong...

Edit: Time for the answer. I remember this actress from her days on Mary Tyler Moore and later on her own show as Phyllis.

A: CLORIS LEACHMAN

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 24): As Easy as Pi...

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 24): As Easy as Pi...:

Q: The object of this challenge is to develop nine different mathematical expressions that equal eight. You must use the digits 2, 7 and one other. And that other digit must be a one in the first expression, two in the next expression and so on, up to nine. You can use a digit once and only once in each expression.

You may use the four arithmetic symbols: plus, minus, times and divided by, as well as exponents and decimal points. You may use parenthesis as you need them.

Yippee! Another math puzzle! I like the word puzzles, but it's nice to have a math puzzle now and again. Unfortunately any clue I could provide would give away too much... just read the puzzle carefully and use all operators mentioned. As an extra challenge, see if you can make eight from 2, 7 and 0 also.

A: Here are my answers. As mentioned, I found I had to use the four basic operators and exponent and decimal too.
ONE: 7 + 2 - 1 = 8
TWO: 7 + ( 2 / 2 ) = 8
THREE: 7 + 3 - 2 = 8
FOUR: 2^( 7 - 4 ) = 8
FIVE: 7 + ( 2 * .5) = 8
SIX: (2 * 7) - 6 = 8
SEVEN: ( 7 / .7 ) - 2 = 8
EIGHT: 7 + .2 + .8 = 8
NINE: (7 + 9) / 2 = 8
ZERO: 7 + 2^0 = 8

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 17): As Easy as Pie...

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 17): As Easy as Pie...:

Q: By using only the letters in the phrase 'Triple Mocha,' and repeating them as often as you wish, you can spell the name of another cold treat. The answer consists of four words, with a total of twenty one letters. What is it?

This week's puzzle is so easy you can figure it out in less than 5 minutes. In fact I did it with 1 second to spare. I think my clue is probably harder to figure out than the puzzle is. So what was my clue?

Edit: Well, what's something cold that goes nicely with pie? Okay that is obvious, but that wasn't the only clue. 5 minutes is 300 seconds. 1 second to spare means 299 seconds and 299 in Roman numerals is CCIC.

A: CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 10): Strut your Stuff on this Brain Buster

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 10): Strut your Stuff on this Brain Buster

Q: This challenge is literally a brain buster. Think of a word that can follow brain and precede buster, in each case completing a compound word or a familiar two-word phrase. What word is this?

Here's your chance. I believe in your ability to solve this puzzle without any hints from me... or can you?

Edit: By the way, I actually did give you a few clues. I believe in your ability is another way of saying what? And is there any word in the title you could anagram?

A: BRAIN TRUST and TRUST-BUSTER so the word is TRUST (which is an anagram of 'strut' from the title).

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 3): A Little Game Of Rearranging Es

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 3): A Little Game Of Rearranging Es:

Q: Name a famous person, a living American, with a one-syllable first name and a one-syllable last name. Add a short 'E' sound to the end of this person's first name, add a long 'E' sound to the end of this person's last name, say the result out loud and it will sound like a common uncapitalized English word. Who is the person, and what is the word?

I feel stupid. I spent several days trying to figure out where the E sounds were supposed to go (before the names, after the names, before and after, after and before). I don't know why I didn't read it clearly and see that the puzzle clearly says they both go at the end of each name. I have an answer but I question whether the short 'E' sounds isn't more of a short 'I' or an unaccented schwa sound. Neither dictionary I checked had it as a short 'E' sound. Perhaps I have my answer wrong too... I'll have to wait until Sunday.

Edit: Well, the title was a hint... if you read the first letter of each word see what it spells? I'm still not positive I have the right answer but here what I thought it was.

A: AL GORE --> ALLEGORY

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 28): Is that really how you pronounce it?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 28): Is that really how you pronounce it?:

Q: Name a famous film director, whose last name has two syllables. Phonetically these two syllables sound like words that are opposites of each other. What are the words and who is the director?

I was looking through a list of Oscar nominees and winners for Best Director... I think I found the answer, but if that's it, it's really bogus.

Edit: Did you get the hint? Real --> TRUE, Bogus --> FAUX

A: François Truffaut (prounounced trū-fō') leading to the opposite words TRUE and FAUX.