Friday, August 25, 2017

The star-bestower is in the stars (2 on a scale of 5); Many noisy profs; A month of sun (phase) days; Tools, tools, tools in the attic;

PUZZLERIA! SLICES: OVER (876 + 54) SERVED

Welcome to our August 25th edition of Joseph Young’s Puzzleria! 
Our featured puzzle this week is a true gem by Patrick J. Berry (aka “cranberry,” his screen name). It is the first puzzle under our MENU, a “Film Criticism Slice” that involves two movie critics and two silver-screen thespians. The ingenious wordplay in this creation by Patrick is extremely impressive. Thank you, pjb, for sharing it with Puzzleria!

Patrick, of course, had his anagramatic “Candid Camera (=) American Dad” puzzle chosen by Will Shortz as the National Public Radio Weekend Edition Sunday weekly challenge on August 13 – quite an honor... 
But I believe the puzzle of his that we are serving up on Puzzleria! this week is even better!

Also on our menus this week are:
⇢ Half-a-dozen Will Shortz Rip-Off Slices of this week’s NPR challenge (plus one bonus puzzle);
⇢ One Antiques Roadshow Dessert; and
⇢ One  all-across-the-uniVerse Appetizer.

So, doff your woes and worries, and don your thinking caps and total-eclipse-of-the-sunglasses. 
And, as always, enjoy the totality of our puzzles.

Appetizer Menu

A month of sun (phase) days 

The noon sun is a cresent,
The noon moon is a disk.
Solar phases candescent...
A “moonth’s-worth” in a whisk!

Total solar eclipses,
Equinoxes autumnal,
Orbiters in ellipses
Form divinity’s thumbnail.

Gems in heaven aligning,
Crown jewels set to inspire.
The sun reappears, shining...
Odd magnificent fire!

Take one of the dozen lines from the verse above. Remove an “i” and rearrange the remaining letters to form a three-word phrase naming what the line alludes to.
What is the line from the verse? What is the three-word phrase?


MENU 

Film Criticism Slice:
The star-bestower is in the stars (2 on a scale of 5)

Think of the last name of a well-known actress. Now think of the last name of her costar in a well-known movie classic, and insert his name somewhere inside her name. Now drop the last letter of this result. If you have the right two actors, you’ll get the full name of a well-known film critic. 
Who are these three people? 
Hint: This critic is sometimes associated with another critic whose full name, if you remove the last three letters of the last name, becomes the name of a popular British rock group.  

Ripping Off Shortz And Baggish Slices:
Many noisy profs 

Will Shortz’s August 20th NPR Weekend Edition Sunday puzzle, created by Steve Baggish, reads: 
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?
Puzzleria’s! Ripping Off Shortz And Baggish Slices read:
ONE:
Think of two synonyms — one in 8 letters that starts with A, the other in 4 letters that starts with a C. Remove the A. You can rearrange the result to name two different synonyms, one in 7 letters that starts with D, the other in 4 letters that starts with an R. 
What are these two pairs of synonyms?
Hint: The synonyms with 7 and 4 letters share no letters in common.
TWO:
Think of two synonymous nouns — one a 6-letter compound word with a spelled-out 3-letter Greek letter in its interior, the other a 7-letter word that contains 3 S’s. Remove one of these S’s. You can rearrange the 12-letter result to name two antonyms: what the desert sun might do to one’s throat, in 5 letters, and what oasis spring water does to such a throat, in 7 letters. What are these four words?
Hint: If the “oasis” is a drive-in or sit-down restaurant along a desert road, thirsty travelers may encounter either of the synonymous nouns: the one containing the Greek letter at the drive-in, and the one containing 3 S’s at the sit-down.  
THREE:
Think of two synonymous adjectives — a 7-letter word that starts with S, and a 5-letter word that starts with A. You can rearrange these 12 letters to name a 6-letter synonym for spoke” (beginning with T) and a a 6-letter synonym for “spoke with a lack of sibilance (beginning with L).” What four words are these? 
FOUR:
Think of the name of a flying fictional character in two words — one in 6 letters, the other in 4. Change an I in the name to an A. You can rearrange the result to name a profession, in two words. The first word of the character and the second word of the profession both begin with T. 
What fictional character and profession are these?
FIVE:
Think of two synonyms — both 5 letters long. One 5-letter word starts with S, the other with A. You can rearrange the 10 letters in these words to name devices with which a regular contributor to both the Puzzleria! and Blainesville blogs is very familiar. Both synonyms could describe the contributor, or the contributor’s puzzle-solving skills. What synonyms are these? What device is this? What contributor is this? 
SIX:
Think of two synonyms — both 5 letters long — that begin with different vowels. You can rearrange these 10 letters to name a redundant phrase containing two words of 5 letters each. The two-word phrase may be stated in a more wordy way as: “Give it another shot, one more time.” 
What are these two synonyms? What is the redundant two-word phrase?
SEVEN: (a bonus puzzle)
What is the significance of “Many noisy profs,” the title of this Slice?


Dessert Menu

Antiques Roadshow Dessert:
Tools, tools, tools in the attic

An antique household tool you might pull out of an attic trunk is a compound word made up of two words of four letters each. Add an “e” to the end of three consecutive letters within the tool to form a new word. 

If you experience a mishap formed by the tool’s first word and the new word, you might pull out of your trunk a different tool formed by the new word and the tool’s second word.

What is this antique tool?


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.

43 comments:

  1. Got one! I'm not blind ... or dead ... just a wayfaring stranger.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There's a story on Roy Orbison's Wikipedia page about his trademark Wayfarer sunglasses. I mean, really, if he were blind, how would he know Julia Roberts is pretty? And, as we all know, he's still rockin' (I just love this video).

      Delete
  2. I have a feeling Paul is giving a hint to something, but I can't figure out what it is.

    After a long effort, I have only the Dessert, Rip off #4, and Patrick's puzzle!

    ReplyDelete
  3. If it's supposed to be a seven-letter word and a five-letter word, should they be rearranged to form a six-letter word and a SEVEN-letter word? That one doesn't add up right. I of course know the answer to my own puzzle, and so far I have only Ripoffs #2 and #4 of everything else. Will of course need hints for all others. Real toughies this week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, I bet Lego meant to get two 6-letter words in that RIp Off (#3).

      Delete
    2. I did mean that, VT. A goof. It's fixed. Thanks to you and cranberry.
      Hints will be forthcoming. But not quite yet.

      LegoNotVeryGoodAtAddition

      Delete
  4. And of course I got #7, the bonus Ripoff puzzle.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Just got #3 and #5! And I know who you're talking about in #5.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks to the correction of word length in #3, and working backwards (too hard otherwise), I finally got the answers. I had to take a flying guess at what "spoke without sibilance" actually meant, but it worked out. : o )

    Isn't #5 the one you presented in Blaine's Blog, Lego? Were the two adjectives pjb/cb listed there the actual answer? Seems to me that pjb's conclusion words, however, can't be the actual answer about the person being described, can they? It didn't make any sense to me.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Never mind my last paragraph...I just worked it out. Duh!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow, I finally solved Rip Off #2, because I got lucky with a list I brought up and the guess I took on the Greek letter.....frankly, I'm amazed it solved itself.

    Some hours ago, I had looked at Rip Off #1 and all of a sudden, the two initial synonyms hit me. I never would have known that the rearranged words, though, were synonyms.

    I still don't have #6, and don't get #7 either. Plus am still stuck on the Appetizer. That's all the news that's fit to type!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Replies
    1. Well, pjb, it has thus far failed to 'gimme' any enlightenment! Perhaps I am, as often happens, over thinking it.....

      Delete
    2. Hints:
      TEOTSA:
      The line from the verse contains three words. The other three lines in the quatrain in which the 3-word line appears each contain a word that is a hint to the three-word phrase you are seeking.

      ROSABS:
      SIX: The different vowels with which the synonyms begin are A and I.
      The two words in the redundant phrase begin with an R and A.

      SEVEN:
      cranberry solved this puzzle easily (I believe)…
      cranberry creates and solves many cryptic crossword puzzles…
      The clues in those cryptic puzzles often involve anagrams…
      Ergo…

      Lergo…

      Delete
    3. I had already TRIED anagramming it, Lergo, with no success. I will try again. Ho hum....

      Delete
    4. OK, I finally figured it out...duh....(blushes from embarrassment)

      Delete
  10. Celebrating, thanks to your hints, Lergo, I now have not only RIp Off #6, but the appetizer (indeed, cute...did someone say that already above?)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Got #6, but I still need help with the verses. Many of them have three words. I can't seem to come up with the right anagram. Maybe if I know what letter begins the correct verse or something. Some other hint. BTW I noticed there was no hint for Ripoff #1. To me, that's the toughest one! How about it, Lego?

    ReplyDelete
  12. A few more hints:

    TEOTSA:
    The first letter of the first word in the line in the verse that is to be unscrambled and rearranged is a vowel. That, along with my previous hint, ought to eliminate about 83% of the lines in my doggerel.

    ROSABS:
    ONE:
    The 8-letter synonym that starts with A (and is 3 syllables long) might descibe the baby Jesus, according to a Christmas carol about the "faithful." The 4-letter that starts with a C has one syllable. Remove the A.
    The two different synonyms also contain 3 syllables and 1 syllable.

    LegoFaithfullyHappyAndVictorious

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thnks, Paul. My goof again.
      My ROSABS: ONE: hint should have read:
      The 8-letter synonym that starts with A (and is FOUR syllables long) might descibe the baby Jesus, according to a Christmas carol about the "faithful." The 4-letter synonym of that word (and that starts with a C) has one syllable.
      The two different synonyms contain 3 syllables and 1 syllable.


      LegoMeaCulpa

      Delete
    2. Yeah, your hint for pjb today had me worried, initially, that I had the WRONG answer.....though I'm still having trouble figuring out to which Christmas carol you are referring, as I can't recall ANY that use the 4-syllable word I have as an answer...hmmm.....oh wait, I'm singing the thing and now I see that one has to 'modify' the word in the carol to get the desired 8-letter word...okie doke.

      Delete
  13. I still can't get the other pair of synonyms, or for that matter, the complex anagram that is the answer to the solar eclipse puzzle. And how about that household tool in the attic? I can't for the life of me figure out that one! A few more hints, please.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wait! The synonyms just came to me! I still need the other hints though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. More hints:
      TEOTSA:
      The line to be rearranged is in the third quatrain.
      The three-word phrase is very familiar to soloar eclipse "geeks." It is related to a two-word phrase that could be clued as "Pearl's rosary."
      The initial letters of the three-word phrase spell out a unusual but well-known part of a celebrity's name that is a homophone for a cart or wagon used for hauling heavy loads.

      ARD:
      The household tool you pull from the attic trunk is might have the shape of a serving of cheese. It is associated with heat.
      The end of the tool you pull from your trunk after the mishap also has that shape. The tool was more common before the mid-Twentieth century.

      LegoSeeksToolsToQuellHisInnerSpiritAndRespondToQualmsOfTubeBeOrNorTubeBe

      Delete
    2. I must say, I KNOW what the Appetizer answer is (and love it!), but if I didn't, the above set of clues would leave me with my mouth wide open...I STILL can't figure out to what they refer!!

      Of course, I've long thought that if you have to end up completely handing an answer to solvers, what sense of accomplishment comes along with finally coming up with a solution?

      Delete
  15. I probably shouldn't have checked this early. I have to go work out at Planet Fitness in a few minutes, so I don't really have much time to ruminate over these hints, well-written as they may be. Then again, I can hardly make heads or tails of a lot of it. I don't know what terminology solar eclipse geeks use. And the tool may very well be bellows, but I know that's not a compound word of two four-letter words. I realize these must be great examples of wordplay on Lego's part, but he hasn't given the best hints this time around. Sorry. I got nothin'.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Appetizer musical hint: Gary Lewis and the Playboys.
      Verbal non-visual rebus hint:
      1.Something (other than a Titleist) you might find in the rough... and you would really be happy about it!
      2. Something (other than a rubber duckie) you might find in the bathtub... and you would not be that happy about it.
      3. A word that precedes "change" or, in its plural form, follows "personal."

      One who gives you the antique tool is giving you a "wedgie."
      And, it's a Manhattan "grater of the heavens" (but is no greater than the heavens).
      The first trunk is not very mobile. The second trunk is.

      Lego"GraterOfHisFrostyWindshield"

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

    ReplyDelete
  17. I'm almost ashamed to admit the last hint gave me the answer to the Appetizer. Still baffled by the Dessert. If I had a hint to help me get the compound word, that's the part that's baffling me. I know nothing about antique fireplace(?)tools.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I apologize for bringing up my own problems on this blog. I do realize there will always times when I cannot solve all the puzzles on P!, but you really can't blame me for being so determined in the first place. They are good puzzles, after all. I really just try to do the best I can with the hints that are given, and when it gets to the point I could actually solve them all, I go for it. But I shouldn't really trouble you or anyone else on the blog with my real-life concerns. I should just leave them at the door, so to speak. I actually don't like traveling so much, but my mom feels she bought the condo, she ought to use it more often. I just don't want to go to the same place on vacation every time. Then again, it is our first cruise and I have my worries there too. I always feel this way before traveling anywhere. But if I don't get the Dessert, it's no problem. I just won't have an answer for that one. It's never stopped me before. If you do have another hint for it, though, I'd love to read it. Maybe I'll figure it out, maybe not. But there's always going to be another Puzzleria! and another collection of unique puzzles for me to try to solve. I may just be too busy with other things to get around to them, at least two Fridays I'm sure of in the near future anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Ripoff #5:
    SHARP + ACUTE (A + CUTE) anagrams to PARACHUTES, devices used by blog contributor "skydiveboy" SDB. I solved this one a week ago, last Wednesday, when it was posted on Blaine's Blog and I added "CUTE" as evidence I had solved it.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Odd magnificent fire - i >> diamond ring effect

    FLATIRON >> flat [tire] iron

    adorable, cute >> debacle, rout [Adeste Fideles, NOT Hail to the Lord's Anointed]

    ReplyDelete
  21. Appetizer
    ODD MAGNIFICENT FIRE, DIAMOND RING EFFECT
    Menu
    (My puzzle)(Richard)GERE inside(Julia)ROBERT(s)=ROGER EBERT, whose partner was Gene Siskel(GENESISkel)
    Ripoffs
    1. ADORABLE, CUTE; DEBACLE, ROUT
    2. CARHOP, HOSTESS; PARCH, SOOTHES
    3. SKILLED, ADEPT; TALKED, LISPED
    4. TINKER BELL(or TINKERBELL), BANK TELLER
    5. SHARP, ACUTE; PARACHUTES(used by skydiveboy)
    6. ANGRY, IRATE; "RETRY AGAIN"
    See y'all in Florida!-pjb

    ReplyDelete
  22. APPETIZER: ODD MAGNIFICENT FIRE => DIAMOND RING EFFECT

    PJB'S MENU SLICE: Julia ROBERTS, Richard GERE => ROGER EBERT

    RIP OFFS:

    1. ADORABLE and CUTE => DEBACLE and ROUT

    2. CARHOP and HOSTESS => PARCH and SOOTHES

    3. SKILLED and ADEPT => TALKED and LISPED

    4. TINKER BELL => TANKERBELL => BANK TELLER

    5. SMART and ACUTE => PARACHUTES => SKYDIVEBOY

    6. ANGRY and IRATE => RETRY and AGAIN

    7. MANY NOISY PROFS => PAIR OF SYNONYMS

    DESSERT: FLATIRON => TIRE => FLAT TIRE fixed with TIRE IRON

    ReplyDelete
  23. This week's official answers, for the record, Part 1:

    Appetizer Menu

    Total Eclipse Of The Sun Appetizer:
    A month of sun (phase) days

    The noon sun is a cresent,
    The noon moon is a disk.
    Solar phases candescent...
    A “moonth’s-worth” in a whisk!
    Total solar eclipses,
    Equinoxes autumnal,
    Orbiters in ellipses
    Form divinity’s thumbnail.
    Gems in heaven aligning,
    Crown jewels set to inspire.
    The sun reappears, shining...
    Odd magnificent fire!
    Take one of the dozen lines from the verse above. Remove an “i” and rearrange the remaining letters to form a three-word phrase naming what the line alludes to.
    What is the line from the verse? What is the three-word phrase?
    Answer:
    "Odd magnificent fire!"
    Diamond ring effect
    ODDMAGNIFICENTFIRE - I = ODDMAGNFICENTFIRE >> DIAMONDRINGEFFECT

    MENU

    Film Criticism Slice:
    The star-bestower is in the stars (2 on a scale of 5)
    Think of the last name of a well-known actress. Now think of the last name of her costar in a well-known movie classic, and insert his name somewhere inside her name. Now drop the last letter of this result. If you have the right two actors, you’ll get the full name of a well-known film critic.
    Who are these three people?
    Hint: This critic is sometimes associated with another critic whose full name, if you remove the last three letters of the last name, becomes the name of a popular British rock group.
    Answer:
    Julia Roberts; Richard Gere;
    Roger Ebert
    RO + GERE + BERTS - S = ROGER EBERT
    Hint: Gene Siskel - kel = Genesis

    Lego...

    ReplyDelete
  24. This week's official answers, for the record, Part 2:

    Ripping Off Shortz And Baggish Slices:
    Many noisy profs

    ONE:
    Think of two synonyms — one in 8 letters that starts with A, the other in 4 letters that starts with a C. Remove the A. You can rearrange the result to name two different synonyms, one in 7 letters that starts with D, the other in 4 letters that starts with an R.
    What are these two pairs of synonyms?
    Hint: The synonyms with 7 and 4 letters share no letters in common.
    Answer:
    Adorable, cute;
    Debacle, rout
    TWO:
    Think of two synonymous nouns — one a 6-letter compound word with a spelled-out 3-letter Greek letter in its interior, the other a 7-letter word that contains 3 S’s. Remove one of these S’s. You can rearrange the 12-letter result to name two antonyms: what the desert sun might do to one’s throat, in 5 letters, and what oasis spring water does to such a throat, in 7 letters. What are these four words?
    Hint: If the “oasis” is a drive-in or sit-down restaurant along a desert road, thirsty travelers may encounter either of the synonymous nouns: the one containing the Greek letter at the drive-in, and the one containing 3 S’s at the sit-down.
    Answer:
    Hostess, carhop;
    parch, soothes
    Hint: You are more likely to encounter a caRHOp at a drive-in, and more likely to he a hoSteSS at a sit-down restaurant/diner.
    THREE:
    Think of two synonymous adjectives — a 7-letter word that starts with S, and a 5-letter word that starts with A. You can rearrange these 12 letters to name a 6-letter synonym for “spoke” (beginning with T) and a a 6-letter synonym for “spoke with a lack of sibilance (beginning with L).” What four words are these?
    Answer:
    skilled, adept
    talked, lisped
    FOUR:
    Think of the name of a flying fictional character in two words — one in 6 letters, the other in 4. Change an I in the name to an A. You can rearrange the result to name a profession, in two words. The first word of the character and the second word of the profession both begin with T.
    What fictional character and profession are these?
    Answer:
    Tinker Bell; Bank Teller
    FIVE:
    Think of two synonyms — both 5 letters long. One 5-letter word starts with S, the other with A. You can rearrange the 10 letters in these words to name devices with which a regular contributor to both the Puzzleria! and Blainesville blogs is very familiar. Both synonyms could describe the contributor, or the contributor’s puzzle-solving skills. What synonyms are these? What device is this? What contributor is this?
    Answer:
    Sharp, acute; Parachutes, skydiveboy
    SIX:
    Think of two synonyms — both 5 letters long — that begin with different vowels. You can rearrange these 10 letters to name a redundant phrase containing two words of 5 letters each. The two-word phrase may be stated in a more wordy way as: “Give it another shot, one more time.”
    What are these two synonyms? What is the redundant two-word phrase?
    Answer:
    Angry, irate;
    Retry again
    SEVEN: (a bonus puzzle)
    What is the significance of “Many noisy profs,” the title of this Slice?
    Answer:
    The letters in “Many noisy profs” can be rearranged to spell "pair of synonyms."

    Lego...

    ReplyDelete
  25. This week's official answers, for the record, Part 3:
    Dessert Menu

    Antiques Roadshow Dessert:
    Tools, tools, tools in the attic
    An antique household tool you might pull out of an attic trunk is a compound word made up of two words of four letters each. Add an “e” to the end of three consecutive letters within the tool to form a new word.
    If you experience a mishap formed by the tool’s first word and the new word, you might pull out of your trunk a different tool formed by the new word and the tool’s second word.
    What is this antique tool?
    Answer:
    Flat iron;
    New word = TIR + E = TIRE
    (FLAT TIRE; TIRE IRON)

    Lego...

    ReplyDelete
  26. I almost forgot #7, MANY NOISY PROFS is an anagram of PAIR OF SYNONYMS. Silly me, forgetting to include the easiest Ripoff!

    ReplyDelete