The seven-year literary itch; Offensive driving; Let’s do launch; Probers! Outcries! Promise us anything, but give us our pageantry; Chipmunks Shake-up! Alvin, Simon out; Anthony, Colin in;

P! SLICES: OVER 543 + 21 SERVED (Thanks, PC)

Welcome to our October 21^st edition of Joseph Young’s Puzzleria!

We serve up six puzzles this week, including one Ripping/riffing Off Shortz Slice relating to rocketry.

Also on our menu are:

One campaign promise Hors d-Oeuvre;

One NFL Morsel;

One change-of-career Appetizer;

One chipmunky Slice, and finally,

One timely blurby Dessert.

Think Good, It’s Friday. Enjoy our puzzles.

Hors d’Oeuvre Menu

Symbolic Promises Hors d’Oeuvre:

Promise us anything, but give us our pageantry

The symbols pictured in the image at the above-left represent two words, of four and nine letters. 

Rearrange these 13 letters to form the three words that complete a campaign promise made recently, in the form:

“I will _ _ _ _ _    _ _ _    _ _ _ _ _.”

What do the symbols represent? What is the campaign promise?

Morsel Menu

Vehicular Homophone Morsel:

Offensive driving 

A current NFL player who is a starter on his team’s offensive squad has a Super Bowl ring. 

His first name consists of the first names of a pair of offensively talented Hall of Fame baseball players, in chronological order.

The football player’s first name is also a homophone of a two-word automobile part that is essential to the safe operation of the vehicle. The football player’s last name is a homophone of a profession.

Who are this NFL football player and the baseball Hall of Famers? What is the auto part?

Appetizer Menu

Change Of Career Appetizer:

The seven-year literary itch

After seven years of plying his chosen profession, a young man completely abandons that career. He feels compelled to scratch an itch to become a non-fiction writer, which he believes to be his true destiny. 

Adopting a pen name he deems to be equal parts down-home folksy and tech-school savvy – Tony Ray Goolgol – the young writer sets off on his journalistic journey.

Tony’s first published book – titled “Eras, Eons and Hot Tar” – addresses the role molten hydrocarbons played in the Earth’s formation.

His second published book – titled “Looting Astrology” – traces the history of how charlatans usurped the once-legitimate science of astrology in order to prey upon the gullible for monetary gain.

Given those book titles, what is Tony’s former profession?

For extra credit: Given what Tony believes to be his “true professional destiny,” what is his true, non-fictional name?

Hint: Tony’s true name is in the form:

_ _ _  “ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _”  _ _ _ _ _ , where the nickname in quotation marks reflects Tony’s well-documented proclivity for partying and celebrating.

MENU

Anthony, Colin, Theodore On Reels Slice:

Chipmunks Shake-up! Alvin, Simon out; Anthony, Colin in

The first names of three cinematic actors are Anthony, Colin and Theodore. Change one letter in each of their last names and pronounce the three results aloud (just the altered last names, not the first names). People who hear what you say will think of a certain number.

What is the number? Who are the actors?

Hint: Neither of the following sentences is true:

All three actors are still living.

All three actors are deceased.

Ripping/riffing Off Shortz Slice:

Let’s do launch

Will’s Shortz’s October 16^th National Public Radio Weekend Edition Sunday Puzzle reads:

Take the digits 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1, in that order. Using those digits and the four arithmetic signs – plus, minus, times and divided by – you can get 1 with the sequence 5 – 4 + 3 – 2 – 1. You can get 2 with the sequence (5 – 4 + 3 – 2) x 1.

The question is, how many numbers from 1 to 40 can you get using the numbers 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 in that order along with the four arithmetic signs?

You can group digits with parentheses, as in the example. There are no tricks to this, thought. It’s a straightforward puzzle. How many numbers from 1 to 40 can you get – and, specifically, what number or numbers can you not get? Will will reveal his solution on October 30^th. 

Puzzleria!’s Ripping/riffing Off Shortz Slice reads:

In the waning seconds before a rocket blasts off, a countdown is spoken, often in the form:

“T minus 10, 9,8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, liftoff!” (Sometimes, “launch” is substituted for “liftoff.”)

Make an equation from the countdown, separating the eleven numerals by any of the four arithmetic signs – plus, minus, times and divided by. You can group digits with parentheses.

The equal sign must be inserted between the  “0” and the word  “liftoff.” The numerical value of  “liftoff” is the sum of the numerical values of its seven letters (A = 1, B = 2... Z = 26... see chart provided). 

At the left-hand side of the countdown equation, substitute for T the numerical value of T. Substitute a minus sign for the word “minus.”

Form two true equations – one using the word “liftoff,” and another using the word “launch.”

Dessert Menu:

Blurb-berry Ambrosia Dessert:

Probers! Outcries!

Judging from the quartet of exclamatory blurbs featured on the promotional movie poster pictured here, what is the title of this timely election-themed “movie”?

Note: The final blurb: “Scribe outs Groper,” includes a “phantom G” that puzzle solvers ought to  ignore as they work to discern the title of this movie.

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.