2020-12-20 NPR puzzle synopsis

[Joe Wander]

NPR Weekend Edition Puzzle

Lourdes Garcia-Novarro and Will Shortz

2020-12-20

 

Last week's challenge from listener Steve Baggish, of Arlington, Massachusetts: Using only the letters in the phrase RIDE ON — repeating them as often as necessary — you can spell 1) the one-word proper name of a famous fictional animal, and 2) a word for what kind of animal it is. What's the name of the animal, and what's the word?

Will's answers are REINDEER and DONNER (or DONDER). 

 

Lulu reported over 3000 correct responses.  This week's on-air player was KBSX listener Phoebe Simmons of Boise, Idaho, who hit on "deer," expanded to reindeer when she couldn't think of a famous deer, and spieled through"'Twas the Night before Christmas" til she got to Donder.

 

The theme of today's puzzle posted to the NPR site is "State Capitals In Christmas." Each prompt is a sentence that contains the name of a state capitol with one letter changed.

For the example given, "I'm a lover of the whole Christmas Season," the answer would be "Dover (Delaware)." 

 

Prompts (*A hint was given)

 

1. The kids made a lot of noise unwrapping their presents.
2.* Did you hear Santa Claus landing on the roof?.
3. Christmas is a season of traditional sacraments.
4.* The little sock hanging by the fireplace is my baby brother's. 

5. You'll have to pierce the packaging to get out the Christmas ornament.
6. Julys and Augusts are when stores place their Christmas orders.
7. Is this the same Santa we ran into at the other mall?

8.* I can't wait for the after Christmas sales.

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Editor's notes:

No news items or upcoming events announced. Synopsis transcribed from the broadcast.

 

Puzzles, and contents of Weekend Edition/Sunday puzzle segment are copyrighted 2020, by Will Shortz and NPR. Reprinted here with permission.

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Mail:
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Correspondence this week: None.

 

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 This week's challenge from listener from listener Dan Pitt, of Palo Alto, California: Take one letter from Buenos Aires. Then rearrange the remaining letters to spell two things people wish for this time of year. What are they? 

Here is our current 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>

Justin Bassett <justin.t.bassettATgmail.com> 

Still on schedule. Mail this week should be sent to Richard  with a "carbon copy" (cc:) to Justin,  Kristy, and me  please.  

 Hints:

2. try landing

4. Arkansas

8. Think witch hunt

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Links of possible interest:

Blaine's Puzzle Blog (snarky takes on the listener challenges)

American Crossword Puzzle Tournament  World Puzzle Federation

Merl Reagle's article on constructing crossword puzzles

North American Scrabble Championship  World Sudoku Puzzle Championships

 

Our group of volunteer co-editors has distributed these free weekly synopses of the NPR puzzle segment. Read more about this free distribution here.

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NPR posts the weekly challenge (and the previous week's answer) on its World Wide Web page.  You can also listen to a recording of Weekend Edition Sunday programs after noon ET each Sunday by going to this page and clicking on the blurb about the puzzle sequence.

Submit answers as well as comments about any NPR programming here.

Podcasts of NPR shows are available here.

U.S. Puzzle Championship info   Audios of past NPR puzzle segments

Ed Pegg Jr.'s puzzles  National Puzzlers' League

Kristy Compton suggests linguaphiles visit A.Word.A.Day

To join Kathie Schneider's email list for accessible word and logic puzzles, send a blank email to blind-puzzle...@googlegroups.com

Matt Jones' Jonesin’ Crosswords

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Answers

1. The kids made a lot of noise unwrapping their presents.  Boise
2.* Did you hear Santa Claus landing on the roof?  Lansing
3. Christmas is a season of traditional sacraments.  Sacramento
4.* The little sock hanging by the fireplace is my baby brother's.  LittleRock

5. You'll have to pierce the packaging to get out the Christmas ornament.  Pierre
6. Julys and Augusts are when stores place their Christmas orders.  Augusta
7. Is this the same Santa we ran into at the other mall?  Santa Fe

8.* I can't wait for the after Christmas sales.  Salem

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Joe Wander

Panama City, Florida