NPR Puzzle Synopsis: 2015-04-26

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Jerry Miller

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Apr 26, 2015, 9:28:45 AM4/26/15
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NPR Weekend Edition Puzzle 
Rachel Martin and Will Shortz
2015-04-26 


Last week's challenge (a. k. a. "The Current Challenge”): The challenge comes from listener Steve Daubenspeck of Fleetwood, Pa. Take the first names of two politicians in the news. Switch the first letters of their names and read the result backward to name something that each of these politicians is not. MARCO (Rubio) + TED (Cruz) —> DEMOCRAT

The chosen winner from among 960 correct entries was Marilyn Comerford of Clifton, N.J. How did she get the answer? Marilyn decided the puzzle was probably the presidential candidates. After eliminating Hillary, she decided to work with the Democrats. Marilyn listens to WNYC from New York City.

Today's on-air challenge was entitled on the Web (only) http://www.npr.org/2015/04/26/402002732/a-puzzle-as-easy-as-falling-off-a-log A Puzzle as Easy as Falling Off a Long. Every answer is a familiar two-word phrase or name in which the first word starts with L-O and the second word starts with G. For example, a professional organization that seeks to influence legislation is a LOBBYING GROUP.

Prompts:
1. a mirror
2. what you put a car into when you go up a steep hill
3. a pistol with bullets in it
4. what a mayor is head of
5. Mastermind or Clue
6. California city whose name is Spanish for “the cats”
7. 1920s-1930s Yankee who was known as the Iron Horse
8. term that Ernest Hemingway used for those who came of age during WWI
9. lost for more than a while
10. surety when someone borrows money
11. Eros or Cupid

Next week's challenge: This challenge comes from listener Dan Ezekiel of Ann Arbor, Mich. Name a famous actor whose first and last names both are seven letters long. Change the first three letters of the actor's last name to three new letters and you'll name another famous actor. They share the same first name. Add the three letters you changed in the first actor's last name plus the three letters you changed to get the second actor's name, and you'll spell the last name of a third famous actor. Who are these three Hollywood stars?

Answers must be received by 3:00 p.m. ET on Thursday. One entry per person. Be sure to include a telephone number where you can be reached at that time if you are selected as the winner. Entries may be made at the web page:

You can also get to this page by going to:

Submit answers as well as comments about any NPR programming at:

Clues:
5. game; what you use to solve the game

[Ed. note: Unfortunately, Will did not tell us that “Mastermind” and “Clue” were capitalized.]

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Editor's notes:
Puzzles, and contents of Weekend Edition/Sunday puzzle segment are ©copyrighted 2015 by Will Shortz and NPR. Reprinted here with permission.

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Mail:
NB, please: We editors are always eager to receive e-mail comments (even when you are pointing out one of our slips), and we will generally add them to this section of the following week's synopsis. Please let us know in the first line of your message if you would like your comment included or withheld from the synopsis. Also, if you DO want your comment included, let us know if it is okay to share your name and email address! If no constraints are mentioned, we will assume it is okay to publish it as it arrived--with comment, name, and e-mail address intact.

Mail this week:
Between Joe and one our recipients:

For 6 [from last week’s puzzle], wash is better. In my view, "witch" is very obscure.


Thanks for the note. Will's answer for the 5-letter stipulation was water and I could see a case for women as a third possibility; wash is good for 4-, and way would do for 3-. 

I hope you shared my addenda with your seniors.  joe


I tend to ignore the recommended (or required) number of letters.
Here are some you missed:

worth --> while
winter --> wonderland

and here is one that Will missed (in other words, I made it up): wheel
--> well


And wishy washy ...

This could go on for quite a while. joe


And wishy washy ...

Another good one!

This could go on for quite a while. joe

I guess so. That's a good thing. This is a good one for the senior
community where I live.



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Here is our "regular" monthly puzzle transcription schedule :   
1st Sunday Even-numbered months: Joe; odd-numbered months: Jerry
2nd Sunday Richard
3rd Sunday Joe
4th Sunday Jerry
5th Sunday Richard

Our e-mail addresses are:
Richard Renner <rrennerATigc.org>
Jerry Miller <jmmillerATmiamioh.edu>

Mail should be sent to me with a "carbon" copy (cc) to Richard and Joe, please.

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Our group of volunteer co-editors distributes these free weekly synopses of the NPR puzzle segment. You can read more about this free distribution at:

You can subscribe from this page, too.

To unsubscribe from this group, send email to:
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To change the email address of your subscription, remove the old one (from the old email account), and add the new Google subscription (from the new email account).

NPR posts the weekly challenge (and the previous week's answer) on its World Wide Web page. Option one: Go to: http://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/
Option 2: You can also listen to a recording of Weekend Edition Sunday program after 12:00 noon ET each Sunday by going to the first link at the top of this e-mail.

Submit answers as well as comments about any NPR programming at:

Podcasts are available at:
Podcasts of the Sunday puzzle are available at:

How do I subscribe to this podcast?
Copy the URL [above this paragraph] into your preferred podcasting tool software (e.g. Odeo, iTunes, iPodder). You will automatically receive this podcast each time it is published.
 
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Links of interest:
American Crossword Puzzle Tournament: http://www.crosswordtournament.com/
 
Merl Reagle's article on constructing crossword puzzles, available at: http://www.crosswordtournament.com/articles/inq031697.htm
 
World Puzzle Federation: http://www.worldpuzzle.org
 
U.S. Puzzle Championship info: http://wpc.puzzles.com/index.htm
 
More of Ed Pegg Jr.'s puzzles are available at http://www.mathpuzzle.com
 
For information about the National Puzzlers' League, visit http://www.puzzlers.org

Check out A.Word.A.Day: http://www.wordsmith.org/awad

World Sudoku Puzzle Championships: http://wpc.puzzles.com

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Prompts [answers]:
1. a mirror [looking glass]
2. what you put a car into when you go up a steep hill [low gear]
3. a pistol with bullets in it [loaded gun]
4. what a mayor is head of [local government]
5. Mastermind or Clue [logic game]
6. California city whose name is Spanish for “the cats” [Los Gatos]
7. 1920s-1930s Yankee who was known as the Iron Horse [Lou Gehrig]
8. term that Ernest Hemingway used for those who came of age during WWI [Lost Generation]
9. lost for more than a while [long gone]
10. surety when someone borrows money [loan guarantee]
11. Eros or Cupid [love god]

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Jerry Miller 
Oxford, OH
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