2020-09-13 NPR puzzle synopsis

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Richard Renner

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Sep 13, 2020, 9:24:14 AM9/13/20
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Synopsis of
NPR Weekend Edition puzzle
with Lulu Garcia-Navarro and Will Shortz
2020-09-13

The listener challenge for this week comes from listener Jeremy Crane of Madison, Wisconsin: Name a deity in ancient mythology. The first half of the name, phonetically, names a common object. The second half of the name, by spelling, names another object that is often put inside the first one. What is it? The answer is Persephone, Queen of the Underwold, making PURSE and PHONE.

Lulu reported over 1,700 correct entries.

The on-air player is Becky Mayo of Riverside, California. Becky has been a fan of the NPR puzzle for all of its 33 years. She says that has made them “friends for 33 years,” although the friendship has been “a bit one-sided” until now. She misses Liane but loves Lulu. She asked if she gets the lapel pin “no matter what?” The implied answer was yes, but actually there is one way to be selected and NOT get the lapel pin: objecting to NPR’s use of a non-union supplier:
Becky and her husband wrote a children’s play about constellations. She also shared how her heart goes out to those suffering from fires.

Today’s on-air puzzle is called, “Don't Delete.” Every answer is a word or name that has the accented syllable "lee" (phonetic) somewhere inside it. For example, if the clue is, “expungement,” the answer could be DELETION.

CLUES:
1. City in Ohio sometimes called "holy"
2. Supreme Court justice Samuel
3. Pledge of ___
4. Opposite of an atheist
5. Island off the coast of California
6. Resident of California's largest city
7. One-named "Queen of Tejano Music"
8. Italian film director Federico
9. Leonardo da Vinci painting (two words)

Answers are near the end of this synopsis.

This week's challenge comes from listener Judy Horn, of Reading, Mass. Name a famous person with the initials M. C. The first initial and last name anagram to the person's field of renown. What is it?

Answers must be received by 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on THURSDAY.  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.

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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>

Our synopsis today was delayed by WAMU's pledge drive.

Sun, Sep 6, 2020 at 8:52 AM, Martin Eiger writes:
What category includes West Virginia and Wyoming but excludes Wisconsin?

Joe responded:
Which indeed? Thanks for spotting it.  joe

Today, Will acknowledged his error in overlooking that Wisconsin comes after West Virginia and before Wyoming. Lulu apologized to the people of Wisconsin.

Will also acknowledged that Claire Luce was not the co-founder of Readers Digest. That was Lila Wallace.
Claire Booth Luce was the wife of Henry Luce who founded Time, Life and other magazines. She was a noted author and (conservative) political figure in her own right.
Claire Luce was an actress

Hints:
3. Pledge of ___: You say it in school
7. One-named "Queen of Tejano Music": She was played by Jennifer Lopez and now by an actress named Gomez

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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. City in Ohio sometimes called "holy"
Toledo
2. Supreme Court justice Samuel
Alito
3. Pledge of ___
Allegience
4. Opposite of an atheist
believer
5. Island off the coast of California
Catalina
6. Resident of California's largest city
Angelino
7. One-named "Queen of Tejano Music"
Selena
8. Italian film director Federico
Fellini
9. Leonardo da Vinci painting (two words)
Mona Lisa

The obvious opposite of atheist would be theist, but that does not have a "lee."


End of NPR Puzzle Synopsis.
  
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