Friday, August 19, 2016

The quirky half-dozen; Riociprocity; Subtracting letters from Olympiadders; Letter-top lopping; Cooking a country, cooler captions; The great bi-national novel; Varmints and vittles; Tail wagging (or hand shaking?) the dog

P! SLICES: OVER (pe)3 – (e4 + p3) SERVED

Welcome to our August 19th edition of Joseph Young’s Puzzleria!

Our feature puzzle this week is a fine contribution by David of Seattle who most recently sent us a “Ripping Off Shortz” puzzle titled “Treading the Borders” that appeared in our June 10th Puzzleria! 

David’s offering this week is another Ripping Off Shortz Slice titled “Subtracting letters from Olympiadders” It appears beneath our main MENU.
 
Seven additional puzzles are listed under this week’s menus. Why not order them all? They are excellent brain food for satisfying your “Thinking Good, It’s Friday” hankerings.
Please Enjoy.

Hors d’Oeuvre Menu

Synonym Crunch And Crispy Critters Hors d’Oeuvre:
Varmints and vittles

The plural forms of a critter and a food (8 letters and 10 letters) begin with the same four letters, and share three of their remaining letters in common.

Name a close relative of the critter, in 8 letters. Change its fourth letter to a different vowel. Add another vowel near the end of the word. Place a duplicate of that vowel at the beginning of this result, then rotate that vowel 90-degrees clockwise to form a 10-letter singular synonym of the food.

What are these two critters and the two food synonyms?

Morsel Menu

Backstroke And Field Morsel:
Riociprocity

Two gold medal winners in the 2016 Rio Olympics – one competing in swimming, the other in track and field – share a reciprocal peculiarity that has to do with the countries for whom they compete and their first names.

Who are they?

Appetizer Menu

Performance Artists And Actors Appetizer:
The quirky half-dozen

* A best-selling contemporary novelist;
* A past movie star often cast in “macho/action” roles;
* A past silent movie star who was blessed with pantomime skills;
* A singer/songwriter/actor;
* A past rock/jazz keyboardist; and
* A “Futurama” character voiced by David Herman.

The names of all six of these people share something somewhat unusual in common. What is it?

Name In The News Appetizer:
Letter-top lopping

Rearrange and put into lowercase the letters of the name of a person who has been recently in the news, forming two words: (1.) the newsworthy incident in which the person said he was involved, and (2.) a word reportedly describing either some of his personal belongings or the daytime temperature of the city where the incident reportedly took place.
 
Lop off the top part of the first letter in the second word to form a word that – as the news story is developing – possibly may now modify the first word.
Spoonerize the person’s first and last names. The first part sounds what some people think the person is now doing. The second part sounds what he is wearing in this picture, for short.

Who is the person? What are the two words and the possibly “modified” modifier?

MENU

Ripping Off Shortz Slice (Championship Olympics Edition):
Subtracting letters from Olympiadders

Will’s Shortz’s National Public Radio Weekend Edition Sunday Puzzle from August 7 reads:
Name a famous Olympics champion, past or present – first and last names. Remove every letter from the name that appears exactly twice. The remaining letters in order will name certain minerals. Who is this Olympics star?
 
David’s Ripping Off Shortz Slice (Championship Olympics Edition) reads:
Name a famous Olympics champion past or present – first and last names. For all double-or-more letters (not necessarily consecutive), remove same-letter pairs, starting from the left. (That is, if there are double letters, remove both; if there are triple letters, remove the first two; if there are quadruple letters, remove all four; if there are quintuple letters, remove the first four, etc.)
 
Interchange the third and fourth of the remaining letters, and you will get the last name of a second famous Olympics champion, past or present.

Change a vowel in the last name of the second famous Olympics champion to the prior vowel alphabetically (where “y” is a vowel and precedes “a” in the circular alphabet), then rearrange these letters and you will get the first name of a third famous Olympics champion, past or present.
 
All three Olympics champions past or present won multiple gold medals, so in fact they are actually past Olympics champions.

Remember, from time to time, I have been known to cheat. Who are these Olympics stars?

Riffing Off Shortz Slice:
The great bi-national novel

Will’s Shortz’s National Public Radio Weekend Edition Sunday Puzzle from August 14 reads:
Take the name of a country. Among its letters is the name of a part of the human body, reading from left to right, although not necessarily consecutively. Cross out these letters. The remaining letters in order, reading left to right, will name part of an animal’s body. What country is it?

Puzzleria!’s Riffing Off Shortz Slice reads:
Take the name of a nation. Among its letters is the second word in the title of a well-known novel, reading from left to right consecutively. Cross out these letters. Rearrange the remaining letters to name the first word in the title of the novel.

Rearrange the letters in the common shorthand name of another nation to form a plural word whose singular form is a near antonym of the third word in the title and a near synonym of the first word in the title.

What are these two nations? What is the novel title?


Bonus Riffing Off Shortz Slice:
Tail wagging (or hand shaking?) the dog

Take the name of a nation. Among its letters is the name of a part of an animal’s body, reading from left to right consecutively. 


Cross out these letters. The remaining letters in order, reading left to right consecutively, will sound like the name of part of the human body. What nation is it?


Hint: If you did last week’s puzzles (one, in particular) you will likely experience déjà vu doing this one. 

Dessert Menu

Baking Alaska Dessert:
Cooking a country, cooler captions

From the heart of a country remove and rearrange letters to form a molten substance. Rearrange the remaining   letters to form another molten substance.
 
Now rearrange all the country’s letters to create two-word captions for each of the four images pictured here.

What is this country and the two molten substances? What are the four two-word captions?


Every Friday at Joseph Young’s Puzzleria! we publish a new menu of fresh word puzzles, number puzzles, logic puzzles, puzzles of all varieties and flavors. We cater to cravers of scrumptious puzzles!


Our master chef, Grecian gourmet puzzle-creator Lego Lambda, blends and bakes up mysterious (and sometimes questionable) toppings and spices (such as alphabet soup, Mobius bacon strips, diced snake eyes, cubed radishes, “hominym” grits, anagraham crackers, rhyme thyme and sage sprinklings.)


Please post your comments below. Feel free also to post clever and subtle hints that do not give the puzzle answers away. Please wait until after 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesdays to post your answers and explain your hints about the puzzles. We serve up at least one fresh puzzle every Friday.


We invite you to make it a habit to “Meet at Joe’s!” If you enjoy our weekly puzzle party, please tell your friends about Joseph Young’s Puzzleria! Thank you.

168 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thanks, Word Woman.

      Lego'sPuzzlesAre"Current"LikeAnElectricEelSwimmingUpstreamAgainstTheNon-StaticElectricityOfRio!

      Delete
  2. Relocate the space in one of the two-word captions to describe how you might feel after watching "Million Dollar Baby".

    I've yet to solve all of them, but I will soldier on.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Howdy puzzle friends! It's over 100 degrees here...and will be tomorrow, too, so they say!! Can you spell M-I-S-E-R-A-B-L-E? I don't have air conditioning (many don't around here, either.)

    Anyway, I just got started, and have been ruminating upon the Hors D'Oeuvre --- but working backwards (which is so often THE way to do things), I managed to come up with the four words. Hurrah. On to the Morsel....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 49 degrees F here. A bit weird, backwards and all. . .

      Delete
  4. I have second ROSS and DESSERT. As I only know a handful of Olympians, I won't be attempting those puzzles.

    ReplyDelete
  5. For me, on the other hand, having the Olympics on every day has helped me with the first two Olympic-themed puzzles. I also have the last puzzle, captions and all. All others, of course, will require hints.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Starting once again with the end, I figured out the Dessert captions, then worked out the molten items and lastly the country.

    Some hours ago, also got the Name in the News, again by doing the last part first. There's backwards theme going here with me this week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I started with one molten item, found the appropriate country, and consulted the Anagram Server for the rest.
      I've got the Name in the News, but I'm not exactly sure what he's wearing ... I presume it's not "question mark mask".

      Delete
    2. Do the spoonerizing, Paul, and then SAY it out loud....you can't fail then to know what he's wearing.

      Delete
    3. Paul,
      Let's take out a patent and make a prototype of our "Question Mark Mask!" Then let's go on "Shark Tank" and ask for a $500,000 investment for a 10% stake in our company.

      LegoBelievesThatWhenOur$5MillionEvaluationFeebleMarketingStrategyAndDubiousDedicationToScalingOurBusinessAreQuestionedByMarkCubanWeWon'tBeAbleToMaskOurChagrin!

      Delete
    4. Oh, maybe you were kidding (re the ? mask).....in which case you didn't need any help/hint.

      Delete
    5. Thanks for the help/hint, VT. I think the nurse mixed up my meds again.

      Delete
  7. I have an answer for The great bi-national novel puzzle, but I'm afraid it's not good for much.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Here's a novel, but trivial, puzzle:
      Think of two well known novels.
      The title of each is two words.
      The title of each is a name (of the protagonist? ... you be the judge).
      The last name of one and the first name of the other are the first names of a well known comedy duo.

      Gee, this is fun!

      Delete
    2. I've got it, Paul....assume that we aren't supposed to put our answers in now?

      Delete
    3. Here's a "moving," but trivial, puzzle:
      Think of two well known 20th-century moving pictures, released about 5 years apart.
      The title of each is two words.
      The title of one movie is the name of its protagonist. The title of the other movie is a nickname of its protagonist.
      The first names of the protagonists are the first names of a well known comedy duo.

      Lego'sNotSoSubtleHintIsTwinBrothersOfVariousMothers

      Delete
  8. Speaking of bi-nationalism, I think I've found an approach to the Morsel, but it has not yet gotten me to the stage I desire.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I figured out the first county and the novel's name, but for the life of me, have not been able to come up with the 'shorthand' for another country (USA is too short, for instance)....and thus the syn/antonyms.

      Delete
    2. The word "shorthand" might be a bit misleading, ViolinTeddy.

      Here is an analogy for what I was trying to say. "The United States of America" is often referred to as just "America." That is somewhat the same situation that prevails with the "shorthand-named" country you seek.

      LegoWonders:IfLonghandWritingIsCursiveIsShorthandWritingDiscursive?

      Delete
    3. Thank you, LegoDiscursive (ha ha)....I will continue to ponder. Nothing is popping out at me, though.

      Delete
    4. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
  9. Puzzlerians!:

    I have just added a "Bonus Riffing Off Shortz Slice:
    Tail wagging (or hand shaking?) the dog" to this week's MENU.

    LegoSaysSoThatNowMakes8Gr8tCo0drums!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Is that not the same puzzle as the Sunday Puzzle last week?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, that's what I thought. Maybe Lego came up with a DIFFERENT country?

      Delete
    2. patjberry and ViolinTeddy,
      Please note the bold parts in Will's puzzle, and compare them to the italicized-bold parts in my latest puzzle.

      Will Shortz's August 14 NPR puzzle:
      Take the name of a country. Among its letters is the name of a part of the human body, reading from left to right, although not necessarily consecutively. Cross out these letters. The remaining letters in order, reading left to right, will name part of an animal’s body. What country is it?

      Lego's Bonus Riffing Off Shortz Slice:
      Tail wagging (or hand shaking?) the dog:
      Take the name of a nation. Among its letters is the name of a part of an animal’s body, reading from left to right consecutively. Cross out these letters. The remaining letters in order, reading left to right consecutively, will sound like the name of part of the human body. What nation is it?

      LegoAsksHowAreTheseTwoPuzzlesDifferent?

      Delete
    3. Ah, so the deja vu might be referring to the CHER puzzle of last week?

      Delete
  11. Ooh, I haven't got it yet! WTF I'm so tired of looking up names of countries to not find anything! Hints please!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Per Lego's hint, it's NOT a country.

      Delete
    2. Can I give you a hint? Let's see…nope.

      Delete
    3. P.S. I assumed, pjb, that you were talking about Lego's 'bonus' puzzle, rather than the Bi-national puzzle.

      Delete
  12. As for me, I FINALLy solved the first Olympians puzzle (the Morsel)...that surely took forever, but I am still up a creek re David's Ripping Off Shortz one....and I've had the Olympics on every night, but it still hasn't helped me. Grrrr....

    ReplyDelete
  13. Did you know there is a human body part that shares its name with an animal? Here's a hint: This looking up possible answers for these puzzles can be a pain in the ______.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Neck, patjberry?

      Btw, pjb, if it is the bonus puzzle with which you are struggling, ViolinTeddy's 8:43 PM and 9:59 PM hints are pure gold.
      And PlannedChaos's 10:09 PM comment (which I am pretty certain contains a hint that is flying over my head!) is likely worth contemplating.

      LegoButtNeckidAndFallingBackwardThroughTheWindowResultingInAPaneInThe...

      Delete
    2. Lego: based on a post you made after this one, you should be able to understand my hint now. It's a "sound-alike", if that makes it easier.

      Delete
  14. PAAA: I have a potential "property" in mind.
    Fitting that property, I have
    1) a best-selling contemporary novelist I'm virtually certain everyone has heard of
    2) a macho/action movie star of the past I think many will probably remember and a backup candidate (just in case)
    3) a past silent movie star I'd never heard of whose pantomime skills could thus not be proven by me
    4) a past rock/jazz keyboardist I'm embarrassed to admit I'd never heard of whose musical career was inspired at a very young age by ... let's just say another keyboardist
    5) a "Futurama" character (what's "Futurama"?)

    Am I anywhere close?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I forgot!
      3.5) a singress/songwritress whose acting talent I was unaware of

      Delete
    2. Paul,
      You may or may not be close... geography has never been my strong suit.

      The first names of five/sixths of my "performance artists/actors" are essentially the same. The sixth "PA/A" is an "outlier" (the word that is the new darling of the cable news networks). The first name of that outlier is Rod.
      (Just kidding. The first name is NOT Rod, but it is an anagram -- indeed, a palindrome!-- of two consecutive words in the sentence: "The first name of that outlier is Rod.")

      LegoWhoHasNoClueWhat"Futurama"IsEither

      Delete
    3. Alternatively, I've got another "property" with a singer/songwriter/actor and a bona fide pantomiming past silent movie star and the first rock/jazz keyboardist who comes to my mind but happens to still be alive and groovin', and a past writer of quasi-non-fiction(?) whose work might still be called 'contemporary', I suppose, and what's "Futurama", anyway?

      Delete
    4. Our comments crossed.
      I'll attempt to interpret yours if you'll attempt to interpret mine.

      Delete
    5. I can't find the clip right now, but I recall George Shearing introducing a tune by boasting that he had 300 songwriting credits, 299 of which had faded into obscurity, and then he proceeded to play "the other one".
      Might a similar introduction have been applicable for our singer/songwriter/actor?

      Delete
    6. Regarding:
      "I'll attempt to interpret yours if you'll attempt to interpret mine."

      No way! Not "riociprocal!" (And I believe it is obvious in which direction it is not riociprocal.)

      My singer/songwriter/actor had four top-50-charting singles on the U.S. charts. In a movie he sang a song that rhymed stone and bone... he didn't write it.

      Just to clarify: You have solved my puzzle, right? And you are posing a "piggyback" puzzle of your own?

      LegoWhoStillHasNoIdeaWhatFuturamaIs(OopsThatWasAnInadvertentHintToWillShortz'sPuzzleThisWeek)

      Delete
    7. Just to clarify (What is it with these fish bladders?):

      I have NOT solved your puzzle.

      This could be TEOTWAWKI!

      Delete
    8. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    9. Do the singer/songwriter/actor and a potential "first dude" have anything in common, academically speaking?

      Delete
    10. By now, Lego, I am TOTALLY confused as to the six people and their names....I had finally written down a list and THOUGHT (probably erroneously) I'd found the commonality...but given some of the stuff you've written above, I think I'm mostly wrong...partially right in some respects, but mostly wrong. There are too many possiblities for most of the categories (when Googling)...I'm sure of only ONE (the mime/actor). I had a female for the singer/actor/songwriter, whom I believe Paul has referenced above somewhere. HELP please!

      Delete
    11. Paul,
      I sing lass songs.

      TEOTWAWKI:
      Take the first names of a comedic duo. Their first names, in the reverse-order of their billing, form the first and last names of another comedian.

      The singer/songwriter/actor and the potential "first dude" have nothing in common, academically speaking... But the name of the singer/songwriter/actor's high school was named for a guy named "Will" whose last name begins with a "C".

      VT,
      Five of the six "artistes/thespians" are named Steve or Stephen. The sixth is a woman.

      LegoAddsThatTheAnswerToThePAAAAPuzzleInvolvesAGameManyPuzzlerians!MayPlay

      Delete
    12. Geez, Lego, I just found your post to me, and I'm completely befuddled, as I was convinced most of them had the first name of Charles, or some variation thereof (Charlie Chaplin, Chuck Connors, Charlotte Church). I'll start all over again with your substantial hint. And obviously, their sharing a first name is NOT the quality they have in common that you are after.....

      Delete
    13. And once again, I hate to be dense re these wretched INITIAL abbreviations, but what in heck is the "TEOTWAWKI"? I looked and searched, with no luck.

      Delete
    14. Okay, at long last I have the 'commonality" (it became apparent after finding 3 of the Stephen/Steve), but one wrinkle remains that I can't make the Futurama character fit the bill, at least with a first name of Steve or Stephen. (I have another one for the female, i.e. non-Steve.)

      Delete
    15. So you don't waste any time on any more hints for MY benefit, Lego, I just figured out the Futurama character...it hadn't appeared as needed in any prior lists I had located. Now the entire puzzle makes sense. Whew.

      Delete
    16. Nice going, ViolinTeddy.
      Paul's "TEOTWAWKI" link stands for "The End Of The World As We Know It," which, weirdly, was a tune loved by my late mother, Helen, born more than a century ago!

      LegoNowPreparingForSomeREMZZZZZZZZZZZ

      Delete
  15. Replies
    1. Have you solved 'The great bi-national novel' yet? I'm having trouble keeping track. If not, my answer {in which I have minimal confidence) for the "near antonym of the third word in the title and a near synonym of the first word in the title" is a word you have already used in a previous comment.
      I need a photo opportunity; I need a shot at redemption; don't wanna end up a cartoon in a cartoon graveyard.

      Delete
    2. I read your comment carefully, Paul, and was delighted to see what you said about pjb's "previous comment" word, so I hunted it up since I (also with little confidence) had come up with apparently the SAME word as you have, being fed up with looking for an anto/synonym for the novel in question's title words.....so I'm very glad to have some "back-up" as to my own solution.

      Delete
    3. Paul, ViolinTeddy (and patjberry?),

      The plural form of the "near antonym of the third word in the title and a near synonym of the first word in the title" is a 10-letter word that begins with an "A". Its singular form is a close synonym of "irascibility."

      LegoHopesPuzzleSolversAreNotFeelingIrascibleTowardHim

      Delete
    4. I must have anagrammed nearly every proper-length word beginning with "A", but FINALLY FINALLY it hit me...the little trick....and lo and behold, I came up with the answer, "shorthand" and all. AT LAST. I am worn out (NO irascibility toward you, Lego, of course!)

      Delete
  16. Just got the nation puzzle! Has to do with a show Amy Poehler was on, doesn't it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, pjb. The BROSS "nation puzzle" has to do with a show Amy Poehler was on. But the ROSS "nation puzzle" has to do with a movie Audrey Hepburn was in.

      LegoSaysAmyAudreyWhat'sTheDiff?

      Delete
  17. I have not solved Riociprocity yet. It's a slow process:
    Step, step-y, step, step, step-y, step-y, step ...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. For those of you like me -- and unlike ViolinTeddy -- who cannot read sheet music, I offer these links.

      LegoHopesThisIsOkayWithPaul

      Delete
    2. How'd you dredge up those links w/o reading sheet music?

      Delete
  18. I still need better hints, I think. How about some for the critter/food puzzle?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. pjb,
      The critters are much bigger than a breadbox. The food is Spherical, and bigger than a kittenball but smaller than a volleyball.

      LegoWhoIsAPitcherOnHisNeighborhoodKittenballTeamCheatsByThrowingSpittenKittenballs(ByTheEighthInningTheyResembleHairballsCoughedUpByMyKitten,Smitten!)

      Delete
  19. Hey, Lego, I've meant to ask (for the last couple of weeks) about the (pe)3 – (e4 + p3) notation at the top of the blog page.....(sorry, it copied NOT superscripted)....it works out to p to the third power times (approx. 19.085) minus (approx. 54.598). I can't find any numerical value for 'p' so what in heck is it supposed to mean? You didn't used to have 'p' in your expressions. ?????????

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. P is the internationally-recognized symbol for Puzzlerium, whose standard atomic weight is constantly increasing proportional to pageviews but is currently equal to about 16.79.

      Delete
    2. I love it, PlannedChaos! We may have to have Word Woman (aka Scientific Steph of the Partial Ellipsis Of The Sun blog) weigh in on the fluctuating scientific weight of Puzzlerium!

      Actually, ViolinTeddy, the Blogger program seems to have been recently replacing my pi symbol with a "p", for some reason. Strange things tend to happen when you paste Word documents into Blogger's format. I am working on a solution that involves the "Paint tool" that I sometimes use when creating images.

      LegoPlayingTwentyQuestionsAnswers"No"To"IsItAnimal?"Then"No"To"IsItVegetable?"AndFinally"Yes!"To"IsItMineral?"...ItIsPuzzlerium!

      Delete
    3. Lego: in all seriousness, if you would like a fool-proof way to publish the pi symbol, use its corresponding HTML character entity: π

      This publishes as: π

      Am I correct in assuming that your formula is meant to equal the number of page views? (Currently >90,300.)

      Delete
    4. Somehow, I knew you would have a remedy to my "pi"/"p" quandary, PC. Thank you, again...
      (PlannedChaos generously lent his expertise already this week in helping me eliminate a glitch in The "?-mask" image in my "Name In The News Appetizer: Letter-top lopping" puzzle.)

      My "top-o'-the-blog" recurring formula is currently set at "P! SLICES: OVER (pe)3 – (e4 + p3) SERVED", where "p" equals "pi". That equalS: (623) - (55 + 31) = 537! (oops, that just 537, not 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 x 5 x 6 x 7 x 8.... x 535 x 536 x 537)...!
      By now, we must be close to 600. The nun=mber represents the number of puzzles we have "served up" since Puzzleria! "opened" in May of 2014.
      Is is supposed to be a take-off on McDonald's "Over 1,000,000,000 Served" hamburger sign.

      LegoWhoSeemsToBeNotSoGoodAtPostingGreekLetters(NotEvenLambdaWithOneForty-EightCentStampStuckInItsCorner!)

      Delete
    5. My goodness, I had no idea I'd be opening an academic can of worms, or rather, of fascinating discussion! [I, too, love PlannedChaos's analysis of what "P" means! WHERE did PC come from, suddenly, out of the blue?]

      Anyway, thanks much for all the explanations. I'm going to go do all the calculations myself...but am awfully glad to FINALLY know to what that number really refers -- makes total sense! I do love it when things make sense!!

      Delete
    6. Ah, Lego, so if you want a "P! Slice total" close to 600, you could rewrite it now as [πe]CUBED minus [π squared times e] which = approx 596.

      I just hope that my typed out π (Pi) actually shows up that way after I hit "publish" for this post.

      Delete
    7. VT: That's what the "preview" button is for.

      Delete
    8. Well, I used the Preview button, PC, but I still didn't actually trust, after what Lego wrote about what would happen to him with trying to use π, that it would actually REMAIN as π, after submittal.

      Delete
    9. Thanks, VT. I think I will go with your:
      "[πe]CUBED minus [π squared times e]"
      suggestion at the top of this Friday's blog.

      LegoTakingViolinTeddy'sAdviceAndSubtractingTwoDimensionsFromThree

      Delete
    10. Hee hee, Lego, I am pleased and nigh unto honored!

      Delete
  20. I shall henceforth call you: ▭λ

    It occurs to me that a category of rebus puzzles could be made using character entities. For instance, name the TV shows:

    1. UR + φ + RED
    2. ℵ − E
    3. (δ ⊞!)·2
    4. N + 𝒆ˆ𝒾θ
    5. UN + ⊂

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hints: 2 and 4 are the titles of the shows, whereas 1, 3, and 5 are catchphrases from the shows.

      Delete
    2. Another:
      6. Ω = ☞ <

      (catchphrase)

      Delete
    3. I can figure out only the first one, frustratingly....

      Delete
    4. Moi aussi. I don't know what the "window-like" symbol is in #3, or the c-shaped symbol in #5, for instance.

      LegoLaments"ThesePretzelsAreMakingMeThirsty"And"ThisSymbolismIsGivingMeAnEmbolism!"

      Delete
    5. These puzzles are roughly sorted by my perceived level of difficulty. I would suggest copying and pasting some of the characters into a web search to find out what they are, although admittedly this won't help in the cases where it's meant to be interpreted for what it looks like.

      2. Simply the name of the character, minus an E. Now say it out loud. Then grin like the cat that ate the canary, lest the cat get eaten itself.

      3. We have the "d" of something, followed by the archetypal two-dimensional object, and then this is multiplied by two, so the whole thing is repeated. The exclamation mark merely indicates the urgency of each phrase. Not quite pretty enough to be emblazoned on my skin.

      4. Its solution hinges on knowing the alternate name for the second term. Investigate carefully, but don't get lost at sea. (This goes for 3 as well.)

      5. Again, discovering the name for the second term is crucial. Although this can be discovered more easily than the last by simply doing a web search with the character, this rebus is somewhat harder overall because it also requires "insider" knowledge of a term used on the show. This TV show was recently in the news.

      6. Okay, this one is really out there. Read from left to right. The first character is a term used in electrical engineering to represent something. The two characters after the equals sign can be directly translated into a compound word, which is a synonym for the word I am actually intending. If all goes well, you'll maintain a sense of individuality despite what this phrase would like you to believe.

      By the way, there is a well-known actor that starred in 3 who also featured in one episode and one movie in 6's franchise, though not 6 itself.

      Delete
    6. PlannedChaos,
      I was just joshin', of course, about "these puzzles giving me an embolism." I appreciate all your contributions, including these puzzles, immensely. Thanks for posting them.

      LegoWhoIsNotExactly"TheManFromUncleRebus"

      Thanks for the hints to 2 through 6 (#1 is the only one I had solved). I shall work on them.

      Delete
    7. I appreciate the "symbolism/embolism" wordplay, and did not take it as a slight.

      Delete
    8. I THINK I just solved #5, PC.....because I HAVE watched that show. Last night I WAS going to post about the ⊂ symbol, thinking in math it meant "is an element of", but then realized I was wrong as that contains an extra line in the middle...but I see now that I was close!

      I know what the symbol in #2 is, but when saying outloud am left only with the 'blend' at the start of its name...i.e going nowhere fast.

      No luck on 3 or 4 yet either. And I haven't read your hint for #6 yet.

      Delete
    9. Oh, I Just got #2....clearly, I thought that symbol was PHI, but googling it showed me the error of my assumption, and thus revealed the show name easily.

      Delete
    10. I JUST FIGURED OUT #6, PC!!! (Without the hint, it never would have happened)...but I am so proud of myself anyway. (Good thing I had sons who loved this show!)

      Delete
    11. Additional hint for #4: A feminist assures me this puzzle matches the identity it was assigned when created.

      Delete
    12. "... Through caverns measureless to man ..."

      "When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
      Bright shining as the sun,
      We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
      Than when we’d first begun."

      {1,2,6} ⊂ {xϵN | x<7}

      Delete
  21. Has anyone solved my Ripping Off Shortz Slice (Championship Olympics Edition) puzzle?

    For those who haven't:

    1. The first name of the second famous Olympics champion past or present and the last name of the third famous Olympics champion past or present anagram into a two word description of how one might describe Donald Trump.

    2. The first two letters of the middle name of the second famous Olympics champion past or present are the same (in order) of the first two letters of the first name of a famous Olympian past or present. This last Olympian did not win a medal, but is notable for a different Olympics reason.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. David, I believe pjb said somewhere above amongst all these posts, that HE had solved "both the Olympians" puzzles....presumably, that would include yours. I myself never got anywhere...despite trying MANY champions....now I will try applying your hints.

      Delete
    2. David's puzzle and the "Riociprocity" puzzle dealt overtly with the Olympics. But a third puzzle dealt "covert;y" with the Olympics.

      LegoWhoIsVeryGratefulToDavidForContributingThisExcellentROSSCOEPuzzle

      Delete
    3. Oh yeah, you're right...sorry about that.

      Delete
    4. More hints:

      2a. The first two letters appear twice in order in the non-gold winning athlete's first name.

      2b. In fact, those are the only letters in HER first name.

      2c. The second and non-winning athletes have the same last name.

      Delete
    5. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    6. Something About B > C? (Not Mary).

      Delete
    7. DAVID...PLEASE END OUR MISERY and give us the answers. I am completely confused where a FOURTH Olympian came from (the original puzzle asked for three.)

      Delete
  22. I did not solve David's, and I don't think I could even after his last hints. Could be a waste of time, VT. I still need better hints. I still don't have the critter/food puzzle, the people-with-things-in-common puzzle, David's puzzle, and the book puzzle. Help me, Lego!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. pjb,
      HINTS:

      SCACCHO:
      Young in-love couples whose Chevy Vega blows a gasket as they furtively start off for Vegas to get hitched might eat this food to console themselves. A two-word sign in the window of a store or restaurant means you can get service there after most businesses are closed. The two words are an anagram for on of the critters.

      PAAAA:
      As I noted earlier, answer relates to a game -- one that the young in-love couple with the blown gasket might play en route to Vegas on a board on board a taxicab.
      A guy named Steve Cook is an American IFBB professional physique competitor. I almost used him as one of my six artists, but his last name began with the wrong letter. ARRRRGHH!

      ROSSCOE:
      I will allow David to dole out clues for his puzzle.
      (Confession:I have not yet solved David's puzzle either.... and I have had more time than all of you. There are just soooo many Olympians.)

      ROSS: The great bi-national novel:
      The first nation is in Africa. The second nation is north of Australia. The novel is a classic.... Sounds like a guy's name and veggies.

      LegoDroveHisVegaToLasVegasButHisChevy'sCrankcaseWasDryButHeWasNotBecauseHeHadEatenGreenVeggiesAndOrangeFruit

      Delete
    2. Don't worry, pjb, I didn't waste much time trying with the new hints for David's puzzle...it's simply impossible. I AM comforted that neither you nor Lego got it, either. I wonder if any other Puzzlerians, who don't exult every time they solve a puzzle like we do (!) might have gotten it? I guess we'll know tomorrow.

      Delete
  23. I have the critter's relative and I know how you get the food from morphing that word. I have the place in Africa and the book title, but not the place north of Australia. Good enough. The thing about guys named Steve or Stephen, not even going to bother with it. See you tomorrow.

    ReplyDelete
  24. BTW David, nice try. If you say you can get three names of Olympics champions from one, I believe you. I'm just tired of trying to get hints from guest contributors to this site, and the Olympics are over now, so I'll read your supposed answer tomorrow, but otherwise I no longer care. Sorry.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Do not forget, Puzzlerians!, that at the end of David's puzzle this week he writes,:
      "Remember, from time to time, I have been known to cheat."

      David does not really "cheat," of course, but he has been known to throw the occasional "trick" or "twist" into his puzzles. This can lead either to exuberant "aha!" solving moments or to "of courses!", "I shoulda knowns!" and head slaps when the answer is ultimately revealed. In either case, it is always a fun ride.

      Lego

      I have to take the opportunity here to deeply thank all who have contributed puzzles to this blog. These offerings have been excellent, creative and challenging. Their variety is beautiful, and great for our blog.

      LegoBelievesVarietyIsTheSpiceOfLife...ButCanAlsoBeThePriceOfStrife

      Delete
  25. Hors dŒ'uvre:

    MUSKOXEN>>>MUSKMELONS
    ANTELOPE>>>CANTALOUPE

    ROSS:

    Sorry David. I don't know more than a handful of Olympians.

    WAR AND PEACE>>>RWANDA = WAR + AND.
    MICRONESIA (Shorthand name for five island nations) anagrams to ACRIMONIES, singular ACRIMONY is a “near synonym” for WAR and a “near antonym” for PEACE.

    Bonus ROSS:

    The PAWNEE Nation>>>PAW + KNEE.

    DESSERT MENU:

    EL SALVADOR = LAVA + SOLDER
    -1. SAD OVERALL
    -2. SALAD LOVER
    -3. LARD LOAVES
    -4. DOLLAR VASE

    ReplyDelete
  26. Like ron, I have limited knowledge of or interest in Olympic athletes, but Ryan Lochte has been hard to ignore recently. Why was I wasting time trying to figure out how his shirt could be described as a 'knock-tee'? I mean, where did that n-sound come from? Well, the preceding 'hot or not' limb of the puzzle, of course. I got a little lost. Sometimes I forget little things.
    "Forget little things" ... MICRONESIA, get it? Hahahaha ... Anyway, I enjoyed my trip to SPAIN, and I'm glad VT did, too. OK, actually, I've never been to Spain, but I kinda like the music, and I've never been to England, but, as an elementary school student, I used to have to march around a maypole while a teacher clapped time and sang 'step, step-y, step, step' to the tune of English Country Garden. If English Gardner is part of the Riociprocity puzzle, I'll be pleasantly surprised. I guess there are still some people who refer to the events of April 12, 1861 – May 9, 1865 on the North American continent as "the late unpleasantness". Some of my comments may not be good for much, but they're good for more than war is.
    Take for example TEOTWAWKI. It has nothing to do with any of the puzzles this week, so it was largely just a distraction. I was only using it to contrast with Steve Allen's "This Could Be the Start of Something Big"-- you know, start/end, alpha/omega, that whole thing. OK, bad example. Maybe.
    Steve Allen is not the singer/songwriter/actor, nor is Carole King, nor is Rhodes Scholar Kris Kristofferson. Stephen Bishop is. John "Duke" Wayne is not the macho/action movie star. Steve McQueen is. King Baggot is not the silent film star, nor is Charlie Chaplin. I don't know who is. There is a cinematographer named Stephen King Baggot ...??? Stephen King is the novelist (Carlos Castaneda was an anthropologist), Castle Rock provides the setting for a number of his tales, and Steve Castle (not King Roberto) is the obscure character from Futurwhatever. The pieces in the corner squares of a chessboard at the start of the game are not CASTLEs, dammit, they are ROOKs; but CASTLE as a verb is a chess term, so, since the keyboardist is not George Duke (or Chick Corea or Bob James or Billy Preston, who all failed at some level), I'm guessing it's Stephanie EnPassant.

    No luck with the critter and food puzzle.

    Sorry, Dave, I've had it with the Olympics.

    And hands that look like tails coming out of necks that look like corners of mouths of prehistoric fish that look like snakes ... no matter how iridescent (or not) they are ... and nations waving their sabers about .... and whatnot.

    As I stated previously, I sought assistance from an online anagram finder for the dessert. An advertisment on that site for some audio book outfit placed Moby Dick alongside Tom Sawyer. When I saw them there together like that, I felt I just had to share it somehow. I contrived a trivial puzzle. It later occured to me that the puzzle might have two answers. Then it occurred to me that it probably has NO answers, since neither Tom Sawyer nor Tom Jones are titles of novels. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling are. Further research reveals that Moby Dick is hyphenated and has an appendage: Moby-Dick; or, The Whale.
    I haven't solved the "moving" puzzle yet. Maybe when all my f-a-c-u-l-t-i-e-s are intact.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The inside of your brain, Paul dear, must be VERY VERY complicated indeed!!!!! : o )

      Delete
  27. Names in the News:
    Ryan Lochte / larceny / not larceny / Lyin' Rock Tee

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. should be larceny hot / not larceny

      Delete
    2. I also got the Ryan Lochte puzzle but am so over it now. . .

      David, did your Olympian puzzle involve Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner?

      Delete
    3. No, the first and third were Olympians prior to Jenner, the second and fourth after.

      I would be surprised in anyone did not hear of the first Olympian.

      Delete
    4. I also tried Gertrude Ederle but could not quite get anywhere.

      Delete
  28. Rebus puzzle answers:

    1. The Apprentice ("you're fired")
    2. Alf (aleph – e)
    3. Fantasy Island (De plane! De plane!)
    4. NCIS
    5. Criminal Minds ("unsub", term used on show)
    6. Star Trek: The Next Generation ("Resistance is pointless"/"Resistance is futile")

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You will see (below), PC, that I got all your rebusi (ha ha ) except #4. SO would you please EXPLAIN how that worked out to NCIS (a show I THOUGHT might be one of your answers whilst checking out all TV titles beginning with "N", but certainly didn't know how to turn those symbols into it.) Thanks....

      Delete
    2. VT: e^iθ is Euler's formula, which equals cos θ + i sin θ and is also represented by its initials as cis θ. "Cis" is also a term for people that have a gender identity that matches their assigned sex, which is what my second hint was referring to.

      Delete
    3. I hate to be dense, PC, but how did the two squares equate to e (hat) i THETA (I don't know where to find the 'hat' or THETA on the mac keyboard....)
      I was a math major, thus took complex variables long ago; any memory of Euler's formula AND the CIS thing is indeed vague at best...but as I sit here, can't connect those concepts in any way to the two SQUARES you used.

      Delete
    4. Oh, well then you never could have gotten the puzzle. Sounds like the characters didn't display properly for you. I wonder what they looked like for other people? I guess I got unnecessarily fancy and used the special math symbol for Euler's number and a script 'i' for the imaginary number.

      You're saying for you it looked something like this: N + ▯^▯θ

      The way it was supposed to look, and the way it looked for me, was more like: N + e^iθ

      Delete
    5. Correct, instead of the 'e' and the 'i' what I saw (still see) were only two large, dark squares.

      Delete
    6. Here's a screen capture of what it looks like for me. I'd be interested to know if any were illegible for other posters as well.

      Delete
    7. Ah, that would have been nice, PC.....I would have googled it immediately and thus (like I said, vaguely) recalled the concept, and solved the title. Oh well....I, too, wonder how your #4 appeared to everyone else. Lego?

      Delete
    8. You get a mulligan on this one, VT. Better luck on the back nine.

      Delete
    9. I had to look up 'mulligan'...heee heee...

      Delete
  29. ANTELOPE, CANTALOUPE
    Runner USAIN BOLT from Jamaica has USA as the first three letters in his first name. Swimmer JAMES FEIGEN from America has JAM as the first three letters in his name.
    RYAN LOCHTE, LARCENY, HOT; not LARCENY, LYIN' ROCK TEE
    RWANDA, WAR AND PEACE
    PAWNEE(PAW, KNEE)
    EL SALVADOR, LAVA, SOLDER
    1. SALAD LOVER
    2. OVERALLS AD
    3. LARD LOAVES
    4. DOLLAR VASE
    Good anagrams there.

    ReplyDelete
  30. DELAYED AS USUAL...SORRY ABOUT THIS:

    HORS D'OEUVRES: MUSKOXEN and MUSKMELONS; ANTELOPE and CANTELOUPE


    MORSEL: [USA]IN BOLT and USA; [JAM]ES FEIGIN and JAMAICA


    APPETIZERS:

    QUIRKY HALF-DOZEN: ALL LAST NAMES ARE or CONTAIN CHESS PIECES: STEPHEN KING, STEVE McQUEEN, DORIS PAWN, STEPHEN BISHOP, STEVE CASTLE. There was also a Futurama character called BRAIN PAWN.

    NAME IN THE NEWS: ryanlochte 1. "larceny" 2. "hot" -> "NOT"; "RYAN LOCHTE" -- LYAN ROCHTE = "LYIN' ROCK-TEE"


    MENU:

    DAVID'S RIPPING OFF SHORTZ SLICE:

    BI-NATIONAL NOVEL RIPPING OFF SLICE: RWANDA; "WAR AND PEACE"; MICRONESIA -> ACRIMONIES, i.e. ACRIMONY


    BONUS: PAWNEE -> PAW and KNEE


    DESSERT: EL SALVADOR; LAVA and SOLDER; CAPTIONS: OVERALLS AD, SALAD LOVER, LARD LOAVES, and DOLLAR VASE



    PAUL's PUZZLE: TOM (Sawyer) and (Moby); DICK (Tom and Dick SMOTHERS)

    PUZZLE LISTED by LEGO AT 9:01 PDT on AUGUST 20: Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis; JERRY MCGUIRE and ?

    TEOTWAWKI listed by LEGO at 5:29 PDT on AUGUST 21: ????

    PLANNEDCHAOS's REBUSES: 1. YOU'RE FIRED! 2. ALF 3. DE PLANE DE PLANE [Ricardo Montalban] 4. ?? 5. UNSUB (Criminal Minds) 6. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Lego: my earlier comment to PJB was a sound-alike for "Leslie Knope", the name of the lead character played by Amy Poehler in the TV show "Parks and Rec", which is set in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, PC. I knew you were up to something sneaky.

      LegoIsRemindedOfBertParksAndRexHarrison

      Delete
  32. Answer to my "moving," but trivial, puzzle:
    Think of two well known 20th-century moving pictures, released about 5 years apart.
    The title of each is two words.
    The title of one movie is the name of its protagonist. The title of the other movie is a nickname of its protagonist.
    The first names of the protagonists are the first names of a well known comedy duo.
    Answer: The Smothers Brothers (Tommy and Dick)
    ("Tommy Boy" -- 1995) ("Dick Tracy" -- 1990)

    Answer (Answers?) to my TEOTWAWKI puzzle:
    Take the first names of a comedic duo. Their first names, in the reverse-order of their billing, form the first and last names of another comedian.
    Answer: Steve Allen...
    Sorry, I goofed. The puzzle should have read "Take the first name of the second-billed member and the last name of the first-billed member of a comedic duo to form the first and last names of another comedian." (Although I guess I could my answer was Steve Martin instead of Steve Allen... if Marty Allen ever went by "Martin Allen."!

    LegoGraspingAtStraws

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Once again, I hate to be dense, but WHO is the comedy duo? Allen and Steve WHO?

      Delete
    2. VT, the dou consists of Marty Allen and Steve Rossi, known as Allen & Rossi.

      LegoAdmitsAlasThatMartyAllen'sRealNameWasNotMartinAllenButMortonDavidAlpern

      Delete
    3. Well, that would explain my getting the wrong answer, because I'd never heard of Allen and Rossi....what else is new? : o )

      Delete
    4. They were probably before your time, ViolinTeddy

      LegoWondersIfViolinTeddyHasHeardOfMartini&Rossi?

      Delete
    5. I'm probably not as young as you think I am, Lego (WINK WINK)

      Delete
  33. This week’s official answers, for the record, Part 1:

    Hors d’Oeuvre Menu

    Synonym Crunch And Crispy Critters Hors d’Oeuvre:
    Varmints and vittles
    The plural forms of a critter and a food (8 letters and 10 letters) begin with the same four letters, and share three of their remaining letters in common.
    Name a close relative of the critter, in 8 letters. Change its fourth letter to a different vowel. Add another vowel near the end of the word. Place a duplicate of that vowel at the beginning of this result, then rotate that vowel 90-degrees clockwise to form a 10-letter singular synonym of the food.
    What are these two critters and the two food synonyms?

    Answer:
    Musk oxen, antelope;
    Muskmelons, cantaloupe

    Morsel Menu

    Backstroke And Field Morsel:
    Riociprocity
    Two gold medal winners in the 2016 Rio Olympics – one competing in swimming, the other in track and field – share a reciprocal peculiarity that has to do with the countries for whom they compete and their first names.
    Who are they?

    Answer:
    James Feigen, swimming for the USA;
    Usain Bolt, competing in track & field for Jamaica
    The first 3 letters of Bolt’s first name (USAin) are the 3 letters used in the International Olympic Committee’s country code for the United States of America (USA), Feigen’s country.
    The first 3 letters of Feigen’s first name (JAMes) are the 3 letters used in the International Olympic Committee’s country code for the Jamaica (JAM), Bolt’s country.

    Lego…

    ReplyDelete
  34. This week’s official answers, for the record, Part 2:

    Appetizer Menu

    Performance Artists And Actors Appetizer:
    The quirky half-dozen
    * A best-selling contemporary novelist;
    * A past movie star often cast in “macho/action” roles;
    * A past silent movie star who was blessed with pantomime skills;
    * A singer/songwriter/actor;
    * A past rock/jazz keyboardist; and
    * A “Futurama” character voiced by David Herman.
    The names of all six of these people share something somewhat unusual in common. What is it?

    Answer:
    The surnames of the six people either are the name of a chess piece or contain the name of a chess piece:
    * Stephen King = A best-selling contemporary novelist
    * Steve McQueen = A past movie star often cast in “macho/action” roles;
    * Doris (NOT STEPHEN OR STEVE!) Pawn = A past silent movie star who was blessed with pantomime skills;
    * Stephen Bishop = A singer/songwriter/actor;
    * Steve Knight = A past rock/jazz keyboardist; and
    * Steve Castle = A “Futurama” character voiced by David Herman.

    Name In The News Appetizer:
    Letter-top lopping
    Rearrange and put into lowercase the letters of the name of a person who has been recently in the news, forming two words: (1.) the newsworthy incident in which the person said he was involved, and (2.) a word reportedly describing either some of his personal belongings or the daytime temperature of the city where the incident reportedly took place.
    Lop off the top part of the first letter in the second word to form a word that – as the news story is developing – possibly may now modify the first word.
    Spoonerize the person’s first and last names. The first part sounds what some people think the person is now doing. The second part sounds what he is wearing in this picture, for short.
    Who is the person? What are the two words and the possibly “modified” modifier?

    Answer:
    Ryan Lochte;
    Larceny; hot, (as in the personal belongings and cash that was “stolen,” as well as the seasonally steamy daytime Brazilian temperatures);
    not (Lopping the “h” in “hot” results in “not.” It now appears that what befell the swimmers was “not larceny.”

    Lego...

    ReplyDelete
  35. This week’s official answers, for the record, Part 3:

    MENU

    Ripping Off Shortz Slice (Championship Olympics Edition):
    Subtracting letters from Olympiadders
    Name a famous Olympics champion past or present – first and last names. For all double-or-more letters (not necessarily consecutive), remove same-letter pairs, starting from the left. (That is, if there are double letters, remove both; if there are triple letters, remove the first two; if there are quadruple letters, remove all four; if there are quintuple letters, remove the first four, etc.)
    Interchange the third and fourth of the remaining letters, and you will get the last name of a second famous Olympics champion, past or present.
    Change a vowel in the last name of the second famous Olympics champion to the prior vowel alphabetically (where “y” is a vowel and precedes “a” in the circular alphabet), then rearrange these letters and you will get the first name of a third famous Olympics champion, past or present.
    All three Olympics champions past or present won multiple gold medals, so in fact they are actually past Olympics champions.
    Remember, from time to time, I have been known to cheat. Who are these Olympics stars?

    Answer: ?
    It appears that David has stumped all of us. My hat is off to him. David, I trust, will reveal the answer if we cry “Uncle!”

    Riffing Off Shortz Slice:
    The great bi-national novel
    Take the name of a nation. Among its letters is the second word in the title of a well-known novel, reading from left to right consecutively. Cross out these letters. Rearrange the remaining letters to name the first word in the title of the novel.
    Rearrange the letters in the common shorthand name of another nation to form a plural word whose singular form is a near antonym of the third word in the title and a near synonym of the first word in the title.
    What are these two nations? What is the novel title?
    Answer:
    Rwanda, Micronesia, (The Federated States of);
    “War and Peace”;
    Rwanda – and = Rwa >> War
    The letters in “Micronesia” can be rearranged to spell “acrimonies,” which is somewhat synonymous with “war” and antonymous with “peace.”

    Bonus Riffing Off Shortz Slice:
    Tail wagging (or hand shaking?) the dog

    Take the name of a nation. Among its letters is the name of a part of an animal’s body, reading from left to right consecutively.
    Cross out these letters. The remaining letters in order, reading left to right consecutively, will sound like the name of part of the human body. What nation is it?
    Hint: If you did last week’s puzzles (one, in particular) you will likely experience déjà vu doing this one.

    Answer:
    Pawnee Nation,which like week’s “Cherokee Nation” answer, is based in Oklahoma.

    Dessert Menu

    Baking Alaska Dessert:
    Cooking a country, cooler captions
    From the heart of a country remove and rearrange letters to form a molten substance. Rearrange the remaining letters to form another molten substance.
    Now rearrange all the country’s letters to create two-word captions for each of the four images pictured here.
    What is this country and the two molten substances? What are the four two-word captions?

    Answer:
    El Salvador;
    Lava, solder;
    Captions:
    Salad lover
    Overalls ad
    Lard loaves
    Dollar vase

    Lego…Crying "Uncle!"

    ReplyDelete
  36. David must be the boy who cried "Puzzle!" And if he hasn't provided an answer by now, maybe his last name is Godot! I owe skydiveboy another apology! At least his HAD an answer!

    ReplyDelete
  37. David, where are you???? We're dying here, collectively!

    ReplyDelete
  38. I've analyzed about 250 names from the Wikipedia list of multiple Olympic gold medalists, to no avail. I also considered that they might be paralympians—nothing. Given David's clue that from time to time he cheats, I considered that the first Olympian might be of a disgraced competitor stripped of his/her medal(s)—but again, nothing. So maybe when David says he's known to cheat, he's really not kidding. I'm not ruling out the possibility that this is a collective joke being played on the lengths people will go to to solve puzzles. But if there really is an answer, I will be all the more impressed at the quality of David's puzzle-crafting abilities!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love that hypothesis, PC, that David was playing a giant joke on us, complete with lots of hints sprinkled through...I'm still trying to work out how suddenly there were FOUR Olympians, the female of whom has only two letters in her first name of four letters, and that somehow going backwards turns into her LAST NAME, and then that last name is the same as one (or was it TWO) others? My logic circuit burned itself out!!

      Delete
    2. I have now checked every single name from that list, with no matches. My most interesting findings:

      1. The olympian James Lightbody has a humorous surname for an athlete, and without any repeating letters

      2. Following the procedure laid out in the puzzle, Al Oerter becomes "alto", Aldo Nadi becomes "loin" and Sharon Stouder becomes "hat nude".

      Delete
    3. Al Oerter was Lego's Olympian in last week's puzzle (I think), although my poor brain can NOT now remember what he did to his name, to get what result.

      Delete
    4. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    5. If we allow for phonetic results, Tibor Berczelly becomes "tea cozy" (ticozy).

      Delete
    6. I still want someone to come up with the answer. For the first famous Olympics champion past or present, 1936 Olympics in Berlin. The next step is where the "cheating" is.

      Delete
    7. Two reactions to your comment:

      Message for you.

      What the rest of us hear when we read it.

      Sorry, David, you'll have to win your medal somewhere else because everyone here is done playing your game. You'll get 'em next time!

      Delete
    8. I am thinking Jesse Owens to start. Must the letters crossed out be together, i. e. Jowens or may we cross the doubled letter out in different order a la Jesown or Jewons?

      Is this on the right track, David?

      Delete
    9. Good start. Remember, the next step is where I cheat.

      Delete
    10. Joe Weenus?
      How many steps before the David?
      May I?

      Delete
  39. Replies
    1. Ah, very sneaky. Jesse Owens >>> Marion Jones >>> (still calculating)

      Delete
    2. Jesse Owens >>> Marion Jones >>> Sonja Henie.

      Whew!

      UUUU

      Delete
    3. Glub!
      Glad you made it across, WW.
      Looks like I took one for the team.

      Delete
    4. "Marion" and "Henie" anagram to "Hair Nominee", which might describe Donald Trump.

      Marion's middle name is Lois, which leads to (Lori Susan) Lolo Jones, an Olympian in both the summer and winter games.

      PlannedChaos was right about an Olympian being stripped of gold medals for cheating (steroids), but it was Marion Jones, not Jesse Ouuens.

      Delete
  40. I was out and didn't have time to post JESSE OWENS before I left, and now I see the puzzle has finally been solved.....of course, I was STUCK at "Joe Wens" (unless I somehow goofed the transitions).....so I still must process as to how Jesse Owens turned into Marion Jones (and HOW do any of them have the SAME las tname, as in one of your hints? I had guessed LOLO Jones.....

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Initially, I had Jesse Owens, Marion Jones and Sonja Henie as the gold medal winning Olympians when I submitted the puzzle to Lego. Lolo Jones came in when I sent Lego some admittedly obscure hints.

      As discussed above, I got from Jesse Owens to Joens by removing the double E, the double S and the W.

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  41. And where's the FOURTH Olympian you mentioned, David, in one of your hints above? And how does the four letters/only two letters repeated in first name apply to Marion or Sonja? You MUSt have meant LOLO, but she really isn't IN the puzzle....

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    1. Lolo was just in a hint, which was really an expansion of the puzzle.

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    2. Lolo was just in a hint, which was really an expansion of the puzzle.

      Delete
  42. Jesse Owens - eessw(double u) = Marion Jones, who shares the name with Lolo Jones, as you guessed, VT.

    Paul, thank you for the assist! Would not have gotten there without you!

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