2017-08-20 NPR puzzle synopsis

[Joe Wander]

NPR Weekend Edition Puzzle

Lourdes Garcia-Navarro and Will Shortz
2017-08-20

Last week's challenge, from listener Patrick Berry of Jasper, Alabama. Name a long-running TV show in two words. Add a C and rearrange the result to name another long-running TV show also in two words. What shows are these? And here's a hint: Both shows are currently on the air, although the second one was more popular the past.

The answers are American Dad, Candid Camera.

Lulu reported more than 130 correct entries.  The on-air player was WBUR listener Shari Meyer of Somerville, Massachusetts, an expectant mother whose first shared experience with her husband-to-be was working a Times crossword. 

Today's on-air challenge again has an apt title, "It's Time To Rhyme," on the Web; as usual, no title was given on the air. Each response is a 6-letter word that rhymes with the last word of the prompt. For the example given, "cause of muscle pain," the response is STRAIN.

Prompts: (* indicates a hint was given; ^indicates Lulu had to give the answer)
1. Time of year when birds start to sing
2. Having glaring light
3. What follows Sunday
4. What's raised in a mound
5. More than twice
6. Place where you might find a vassal
7, Tool on a mechanic's bench
8. What you can use to fill in a stencil
9. Bank feller
10. Traveling theater group
11. Important measure for freight
12. Like the hair of a horse
13*. Oops
14. Cover as in a cloud
15. Where many French films first ran

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Next week's challenge, from listener Steve Baggish of Arlington, Massachusetts: Think of two synonyms — one in 5 letters, the other in 4. The 5-letter word starts with S. The 4-letter word contains an S. Change one of these S's to an A. You can rearrange the result to name a group of people, in 9 letters, that ideally have those two adjectives describe them. What group is it?

The deadline to submit is 3:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday. 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 submitted at the NPR web page; you can also get to this page by going here 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 2017 by Will Shortz and NPR. Reprinted here with permission.

Lulu opened with a wave to the eclipse, as did Will---but neither planned to invest much effort to view it.

Shari had no question for Will. She and her husband spotted American Dad in a list of long-running shows and then consulted with Blaine's Puzzle Blog (link below) to get to the answer. Shari "may have seen a few episodes of American Dad" but has never seen an episode of Candid Camera. She ripped through the responses so quickly that all 15 were aired.

The last prompt is instructive. The pronunciation of Cannes is the subject of numerous sites; Shari was very close to right, and the intuitive pronunciation is a vulgar slur.

Hints:

13. What might you say instead of "oops"?

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Mail:
NB, please: We editors are always eager to receive e-mail comments (even when you are pointing out one or more 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 that 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:

I was pleasantly surprised to see my name in the 8/13/17 puzzle synopsis regarding a comment I had made 15 years ago about one of Will's puzzle challenges (the origin of the word ORANGUTAN). It's always nice to be remembered!!!
                Yours,                 Phil Goodman
                                           Binghamton, NY

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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>
Joe Wander <jdwandersrATgmail.com>
Jerry Miller <jmmillerATmiamioh.edu>

We're rolling along on schedule, so mail for next week should be sent to Jerry, with a "carbon copy" (cc) to Richard and to me, please. 
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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

U.S. Puzzle Championship info

Ed Pegg Jr.'s puzzles  National Puzzlers' League

Kristy Fowler 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-puzzlers-subscribe@googlegroups.com

Matt Jones' Jonesin’ Crosswords

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Prompts and answers
1. Time of year when birds start to sing  SPRING
2. Having glaring light  BRIGHT
3. What follows Sunday  MONDAY
4* What's raised in a mound  GROUND
5. More than twice  THRICE
6. Place where you might find a vassal  CASTLE
7, Tool on a mechanic's bench  WRENCH
8. What you can use to fill in a stencil  PENCIL
9. Bank feller  TELLER
10. Traveling theater group  TROUPE
11.Important measure for freight  WEIGHT
12. Like the hair of a horse  COARSE
13. Oops  WHOOPS
14. Cover as in a cloud  SHROUD
15. Where many French films first ran  CANNES

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Joe Wander

Panama City, Florida