2021-02-17 NPR puzzle synopsis
Joe Wander
NPR Weekend Edition Puzzle
Lourdes Garcia-Novarro and Will Shortz
2021-01-17
Last week's challenge from listener Michael Shteyman of Freeland, Maryland: Name a person in 2011 world news in eight letters. Remove the third, fourth and fifth letters, and the remaining letters, in order, will name a person in 2021 world news.
Will's answers are (Osama) bin Laden and (Joe) Biden.
Lulu reported more than 2000 correct responses. This week's on-air player was KQED listener Ross Jackson of San Jose, California, who works the puzzle as part of a committee of three with son Tom and friend Libby and who turns 92 on Wednesday.
The theme of today's puzzle posted to the NPR site is "Switch the Vowel." The answer to each prompt is one of the words in the clue with its vowel sound changed.
For the example given---What fish bite---the response would be BAIT (the long-I sound of the word "bite" is changed to a long-A).
Prompts (*A hint was given)
1. Not day
2. It's made by moistening dirt
3. Jacket part that covers the head
4.* Item that's sowed in a garden
5.* Opposite of to feast
6. Fail to hit a ball in fair territory
7. Painful illness you get in your joints
8. What kickboxers fight with
9. What might surround a castle
10. What a used towel is
11. [Fill in the blank:] Man in the ___
12. [Fill in the blank:] Last but not ___
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Editor's notes:
No news items or upcoming events announced.
Puzzles, and contents of Weekend Edition/Sunday puzzle segment are copyrighted 2021, 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 Gerry Reynolds of Chicago: Name a national landmark (6,3). Add the name of a chemical element. Rearrange all the letters to name two states. What are they?
Here is our current monthly puzzle transcription schedule :
1st Sunday Joe
Hints:
4. That from which all things grow; what do you plant in a garden
5. When you don't eat
How do I subscribe to this podcast?
1. Not day -- night
2. It's made by moistening dirt -- mud
3. Jacket part that covers the head -- hood
4.* Item that's sowed in a garden -- seed
5. Not to feast -- fast
6. Fail to hit a ball in fair territory -- foul
7. Painful illness you get in your joints -- gout
8. What kickboxers fight with -- feet
9. What might surround a castle -- moat
10. What a used towel is -- wet
11. [Fill in the blank:] Man in the ___ -- moon
12. [Fill in the blank:] Last but not __ -- least
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Panama City, Florida