Synopsis of
NPR Weekend Edition puzzle
with Lulu Garcia-Navarro and Will Shortz
2020-11-22
The listener challenge last week was from listener Bruce
Campbell of Kansas City, Missouri. Name a title character from
books and TV (5, 5). You can rearrange the letters to get two
words describing what you can hear and do in church. What
character is it? The answer is PERRY MASON, making PRAY
and SERMON.
Lulu reported over 1,300 correct entries.
The on-air player is Susan Higgins of Peyton, Colorado. She is a
runner.
Today’s on-air puzzle is called, “The R&F Scramble.” Each uses
only R and F for consonants, repeated as needed. For example, if
the clue is, “outbreak of public anger,” then the answer would be
FUROR.
CLUES:
1. Monk
2. Worker who puts shingles on a house
3. More just
4. Less likely to happen
5. Brother, in France
6. Cost of flying on a plane
7. Basketball official
8. A long way away (two words)
9. One who sells mink coats, e.g.
10. One who shoes horses
11. Illicit relationship with a married person
12. Without cost (two words)
13. Frills or ornamentation on clothes
14. Disreputable or undesirable people, informally
15. Send quickly and angrily, as a letter (two words)
16. Repeated sound of a small dog (two words)
Answers are near the end of this synopsis.
This week's challenge comes from listener Alan Hochbaum of
Duluth, Georgia. Name a marine animal in two words. Remove
two consecutive letters in the name and read the resulting string
of letters in order from left to right. You'll name a major American
city. What is it?
Answers must be received by 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on
WEDNESDAY this week. NPR will no longer receive entries by
email. Be sure to include a telephone number where you can be
reached if you are selected as the winner.
Entries may be submitted at the NPR web page:
You can also get to this page by going to:
and clicking the "Submit Your Answer" link. You may also submit
a suggestion for a new puzzle by selecting Puzzle Idea from the
"I'd Like to" pulldown, and you may comment about NPR
programming at the same site.
I imagine that Alan could be receiving phone calls from volunteers
all over the county who care about getting a large turnout for the
January 5 runoff elections that will decide control of the U.S.
Senate.
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Editor's notes:
Puzzles, and contents of Weekend Edition/Sunday puzzle
segment are copyrighted 2020, by Will Shortz and NPR.
Reprinted here with permission.
Here's our regular monthly puzzle transcription schedule:
1st Sunday Joe
2nd Sunday Richard
3rd Sunday Joe
4th Sunday Richard
5th Sunday Kristy
Our e-mail addresses are:
Richard Renner <rrennerATigc.org>
Joe Wander <jdwandersrATgmail.com>
Kristy Compton <bisonbooksATgmail.com>
No mail this week.
Hints:
4. Less likely to happen: starts with an I; ryhmes with JIFFY
(actually, in the comparative form, JIFFIER)
6. Cost of flying on a plane: add 3 letters in front of FARE
8. A long way away (two words): includes a preposition
11. Illicit relationship with a married person: Someone might have
an ____
12. Without cost (two words): starts with a 3 letter word
13. Frills or ornamentation on clothes: 8 letter word; first 4 letters
are the same as the last 4
14. Disreputable or undesirable people, informally: starts with R
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Links of interest:
Audios of past NPR puzzle segments
World Scrabble Championship
American Crossword Puzzle Tournament
Merl Reagle’s article on constructing crossword puzzles, available
at
World Puzzle Federation (including Sudoku tournaments):
The US Team page is at:
Register for the USA team at:
Ed Pegg Jr.'s puzzles are available at:
National Puzzlers’ League
Kristy Fowler suggests linguaphiles visit
You can join Kathie Schneider's email list for accessible word and
logic puzzles. To subscribe, send a blank email to
Will noted that Matt Jones writes the Jonesin’ Crosswords which
appears in over 50 alternative newspapers.
Joseph Young’s Puzzleria is at:
Richard Renner
in Silver Spring, Maryland, for the foreseeable future
rrennerATigc.org
Twitter: @rennerr3
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Clues
|
Answers
|
1. Monk
|
FRIAR
|
2. Worker who puts shingles on a house
|
ROOFER
|
3. More just
|
FAIRER
|
4. Less likely to happen
|
IFFIER
|
5. Brother, in France
|
FRèRE (FRERE)
|
6. Cost of flying on a plane
|
AIRFARE
|
7. Basketball official
|
REFEREE
|
8. A long way away (two words)
|
FAR OFF
|
9. One who sells mink coats, e.g.
|
FURRIER
|
10. One who shoes horses
|
FERRIER
|
11. Illicit relationship with a married person
|
AFFAIR
|
12. Without cost (two words)
|
FOR FREE
|
13. Frills or ornamentation on clothes
|
FROU-FROU
|
14. Disreputable or undesirable people,
informally
|
RIFFRAFF
|
15. Send quickly and angrily, as a letter (two
words)
|
FIRE OFF
|
16. Repeated sound of a small dog (two words)
|
ROOF ROOF or ARF
ARF
|
It appears to me that the modern trend in English is that FRU
FRU is actually two three-letter words:
RIFFRAFF can also be hyphenated: RIFF-RAFF.
End of NPR Puzzle Synopsis.