Sunday, November 25, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 25, 2018): WOW! Food Brands Puzzle

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 25, 2018): WOW! Food Brands Puzzle:
Q: Think of a well-known food brand. Add the letters W-O-W. Then rearrange the result to name another well-known food brand. What is it?
Edit: No ad needed.

The second brand doesn't need an additional AD to spell out AND; it's just 'N.
A: NESTLÉ --> SWEET 'N LOW

Sunday, November 18, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 18, 2018): Taking the Next Logical Step

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 18, 2018): Taking the Next Logical Step:
Q: In my trip to Europe two weeks ago I visited a friend in Amsterdam who literally has a puzzle on his doormat. Before you walk into his apartment, there's an original puzzle for you to solve. I was able to do it. See if you can. What number comes next in this series: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 23, 28?
April 2nd, '07?

Edit: In the OEIS (Online Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences), this is sequence A004207
38 (Add the sum of the digits in the prior number, e.g. 16 + 1 + 6 = 23, 23 + 2 + 3 = 28, etc.)

Sunday, November 11, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 11, 2018): Synonymous Four-Word Phrase

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 11, 2018): Synonymous Four-Word Phrase:
Q: This challenge is easy, but elegant. Think of a familiar four-word phrase that means "to be last." Together the first two words are a synonym for the last word. What phrase is it?
If you take the initial letter of each word, change the last letter to two later in the alphabet, you get another synonym for the last word.

Edit: Butt
A: BRING UP THE REAR

Sunday, November 04, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 4, 2018): What Shall I Wear Today?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 4, 2018): What Shall I Wear Today?:
Q: Think of an article of apparel in eight letters. Drop the last 2 letters. Move what are the now the last 2 letters to the front. You'll get an article of apparel in 6 letters. What is it?
The first list I looked at was no help at all.

Edit: "At all" sounds like "atoll" which leads to "Bikini Atoll" and then "Monokini".
A: MONOKINI --> KIMONO

Sunday, October 28, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 28, 2018): One Singular Sensation

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 28, 2018): One Singular Sensation:
Q: Think of a famous Broadway musical in two words. Change one letter in it to the preceding letter of the alphabet — so B would become A, C would become B, etc. Remove the space so you have a solid word. The result will name something that all of us are part of. What is it?
I've never taken an acting or singing class so I'm probably not much help.

Edit: My hint was "class"
A: MAMMA MIA! --> MAMMALIA

Sunday, October 21, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 21, 2018): You Shouldn't Open Beer That Way

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 21, 2018): You Shouldn't Open Beer That Way:
Q: Take the 9 letters of BEER MOUTH. Arrange them in a 3x3 array so that the three lines Across, three lines Down, and both diagonals spell common 3-letter words. Can you do it?
I know I can — can you?

I is a homophone for "eye" which is an example of an ORB. And you is a homophone for "U" which is the letter in the middle.
A:
OHM
RUE
BET

Across: OHM, RUE, BET
Down: ORB, HUE, MET
Diagonal: OUT, BUM

Sunday, October 14, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 14, 2018): Famous Women

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 14, 2018): Famous Women:
Q: Take the 7-letter last name of a famous woman. Drop the letter E. Add an I and an F. You can rearrange the result to get a word that famously describes this woman. Who's the woman, and what's the word?
This took me 3 minutes 10 seconds to solve.

Edit: Her stepson, Christian Bale, was in 3:10 to Yuma (2007)
A: (Gloria) STEINEM - E + IF --> FEMINIST

Sunday, October 07, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 7, 2018): The I's Have It

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 7, 2018): The I's Have It:
Q: Think of a title for a particular person — two words, 15 letters in total — in which the only vowel is "I." What is it?
The prior person had the title for about a year.

Edit: In general, unless they become Miss America, they all keep the title for about a year.
A: MISS MISSISSIPPI

Sunday, September 30, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 30, 2018): I'm Turning Pro

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 30, 2018): I'm Turning Pro:
Q: Name a major professional sports team. The first and last letters of the team's name specify something that is an anagram of its interior letters. What team is it?
This does seem pretty easy, unless I've misread something.

Edit: "does" is an anagram of "dose" while "misread something" refers to illegible handwriting attributed to doctors.
A: (Boston) RED SOX --> RX (℞), DOSE

Sunday, September 23, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 23, 2018): Caesar Cipher Time

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 23, 2018): Caesar Cipher Time:
Q: Think of an affliction in five letters. Shift each letter three spaces later in the alphabet — for example, A would become D, B would become E, etc. The result will be a prominent name in the Bible. Who is it?
This puzzle is driving me batty.

Edit: Bats are believed to be the original carriers/reservoir of the Ebola virus.
A: EBOLA --> HEROD