2020-12-27 NPR puzzle synopsis

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Richard Renner

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Dec 27, 2020, 9:04:22 AM12/27/20
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Synopsis of
NPR Weekend Edition puzzle
with Sarah McCammon and Will Shortz
2020-12-27

The listener challenge last week was 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? The answers are BOUNUS and RAISE.

Sarah reported over 2,000 correct entries.

The on-air player is Steven Marsey from Virginia Beach, Virginia.Steven found it helpful to write Buenos Aires backwards. RAISES popped out. Steven says he has been playing the NPR puzzle since the early 1990’s, but he missed the postcard days. He apparently refers to the time when Weekend Edition did not accept any email submissions. That time is before I started preparing synopses in 1994.  The time when NPR stopped announcing that they accept postcard entries was 2001-10-28. 2001-10-21 was the last date on which Liane announced that postcards would be accepted.

Today’s on-air puzzle is called, “Word Sandwiches.” Every answer is an eight-letter word that consists of a three-letter word inserted inside a five-letter word. Will gives us a clue to the three-letter word as well as the five-letter word itself. For example, if the clues are, “Wrigley's product and AREN'T,” then the answer can be ARGUMENT.

CLUES:
1. Tennis court divider + MAGIC
2. Oil installation + IRATE
3. What a hot dog goes in + TRIAL
4. Everything + BROOM
5. Have dinner + ENTRY
6. Opposite of young + DRUMS
7. To employ + CAROL
8. Health resort + DITCH
9. Fruit preserves + BENIN
10. Outdoor children's game + SHORE
11. Cry of disgust + LATER
12. Be successful at bat + GRAPE
13. Affirmative response + EIGHT

Answers are near the end of this synopsis.

This week's challenge comes from listener David Curren of Arlington, Mass. Think of a familiar two-word phrase (5, 2). Replace the last letter with the next letter of the alphabet. The result will be a palindrome (the seven letters will read backward and forward the same). What phrase 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>

Sarah McCammon’s bio is at:

No mail this week. Either that or I couldn’t find them in the mass of emails about the Georgia runoffs.

Hints:
5. Have dinner + ENTRY: insert after the R
9. Fruit preserves + BENIN: A boy’s name, and slang for a 100 dollar bill

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NPR posts the weekly challenge (and the previous week's answer) on its World Wide Web page:
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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. Tennis court divider + MAGIC
magnetic
2. Oil installation + IRATE
irrigate
3. What a hot dog goes in + TRIAL
tribunal
4. Everything + BROOM
ballroom
5. Have dinner + ENTRY
entreaty
6. Opposite of young + DRUMS
doldrums
7. To employ + CAROL
carousel
8. Health resort + DITCH
dispatch
9. Fruit preserves + BENIN
Benjamin
10. Outdoor children's game + SHORE
shortage
11. Cry of disgust + LATER
laughter
12. Be successful at bat + GRAPE
graphite
13. Affirmative response + EIGHT
eyesight

This clue did not air:
10. Outdoor children's game + SHORE

End of NPR Puzzle Synopsis.

  
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