Schpuzzle of the Week:
BowldlERISing Shakespeare
A character in a Shakespearean play advises a relative, using just seven words, not to play either of two opposite roles – either of which may disturb, agitate or otherwise create discord in the harmony among family members or friends.
Remove the next two letters from the first role (the one that you just “beheaded”) leaving someone who, using an implement, also agitates liquids.
What is this seven-word Shakespearean text?
What are the two agitators of liquids?
Appetizer Menu
“Riffs & Summits”
The following three Appetizers were composed and contributed by a Puzzleria!n Par Excellence.
Remote, Remoter, Remotest
[The following is a riff of the August 10, 2025, NPR Challenge.]
Rearrange the resulting seven letters to make
a word turned acronym that is remotely related to something many hospitals have.
What are the two words and the word/acronym?
Who You Gonna Call?
[The following is a riff of the August 17, 2025, NPR Challenge.]
2. Take the generic name of a well known entity, in two words, 15 letters total, that is often thought of as a misnomer and with which almost everyone comes into contact, perhaps more often than anyone would like.
What are the entity and the four words?
Who’s Minding the Store?
3. Assemble the surnames of two heads of state currently in office and in the news side-
by-side with no space.
Within that string of letters is the surname of another head of state currently in the news. The three are from different countries but all recently assembled in an office in a fourth country. Who are they?
MENU
Hellenistic Hors d’Oeuvre:
“‘Twas a Byzantine Buzz!”
What are these two Greek letters and their anagrams?
“Here’s Where The Story Ends” Slice:
Curtain comes down on a corp
Name a U.S.-based corporation.
Insert two periods, two spaces and capitalize a lowercase letter. The result is how a popular movie ended.
What are this corporation, synonym and movie ending?
Riffing Off Shortz And Young Entrees:
Grassland & Gridiron Head-Butters
Will Shortz’s September 7th NPR Weekend Edition Sunday puzzle, created by Joseph Young of St. Cloud, Minnesota, reads:
Puzzleria!s Riffing Off Shortz And Young Entrees read:
ENTREE #1
When he encountered a quizzical “Baptist” at the Pearly Gates that led to the hellbound-or-heaven-headed-elevator, Saint Peter the Keykeeper intoned, “_ _ _, _ _ _ _, _ _ _ _!”
What did the Keykeeper intone?
Hint: The final six missing letters, sans space, spell a pharmaceutical company founded in 1886.
(Note: Entree #2 was created by our Terrific Riffsmith Plantsmith.)
Think of a commercial brand name that starts and ends with a male animal.
Remove the animal names and mix remaining letters to get a kind of flower.
The flower name contains a female animal name.
What is the brand name?
What is the flower?
(Note: Entrees #3 through #8 were created by our masterful riffmeister Nodd.)
Think of a sports equipment brand name that ends with the name of a famous singer.
The first six letters of the brand name can be
rearranged to spell the name of an N.F.L. team.
Name the brand, the singer, and the team.
ENTREE #4
Write down the brand names of two drinks, the first of which consists of one word and the second of which consists of two. (The second drink was recently discontinued.)
The first six letters of the resulting three-word string can be rearranged to spell the name of an N.F.L. team.
The remaining letters can be rearranged to spell the name of another N.F.L. team and the second word in the two-word brand name of another recently discontinued drink.
Name the three drinks and the two teams.
ENTREE #5
Switch the sixth and seventh letters to get the name of an N.F.L. team and a word for something needed to play in the N.F.L., especially if you are a quarterback being rushed by 300+ pound defensive linemen.
Name the food brand, the team, and what an N.F.L. player needs.
Name a sportswear brand and an athletic shoe brand.
Delete the last letter of the shoe brand. The remaining letters can be rearranged to spell the name of an N.F.L. team and a European clothing brand.
What are the brand names and the team?
ENTREE #7
Its letters can be rearranged to spell the name
of an N.F.L. team and the first part of a familiar brand name in the cyber world.
What are the cleaning brand, the team, and the cyber brand?
Name a European toy and game brand.
The first half of the name, in order, is an N.F.L. team name.
The second half, in order, is the first word in a familiar restaurant chain brand name. The second word in the restaurant name is the singular form of the name of two professional sports teams not in the N.F.L.
What are the two brand names and the three teams?
(Note: Entrees #9 through #10 are terrific riffs composed and contributed by Ecoarchitect, author of “Econfusions” on Puzzleria!
ENTREE #9
Change one letter, and the result, in order, is the name of another male animal followed by the name of a third animal that applies both to males and females.
What are the three words?
Think of a name for a male animal.
Change one letter and the result is the name of a vegetable.
What are the two words?
ENTREE #11
The result is a superlative adjective that describes the Moody Blues vis-à-vis other rock bands.
What is this Instagram competitor?
What is the superlative adjective?
Remove three consecutive letters in the alphabet from an Instagram competitor.
The result is the first word in the four-word name of a nearly 40-year-old rock band.
What are this Instagram competitor and rock band?
Dessert Menu
Nearly Midnight Or Noon Dessert:
Some Numbers So Summable
What are these creatures?
Every Thursday 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!
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 Thursday.
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.
Note:
ReplyDeleteTo place a comment under this QUESTIONS? subheading (immediately below), or under any of the three subheadings below it (HINTS! PUZZLE RIFFS! and MY PROGRESS SO FAR...), simply left-click on the orange "Reply" to open a dialogue box where you can make a comment. Thank you.
Lego...
QUESTIONS?
ReplyDeleteHINTS!
ReplyDeleteSUNDAY HINTS FOR ENTREES 3-8:
Delete3. The brand is known for winter sports equipment. Another famous singer is associated with one of the N.F.L. team’s players.
4. Knife part, mountain range fog.
5. The food brand is known for breakfast items.
6. Solo's ride, German number
7. The brand name is hyphenated. The first part anagrams to the plural of the first name of a British spy novelist. The second part is something you might wear or clean with.
EARLY MONDAY HINTS:
DeleteSchpuzzle of the Week:
BowldlERISing Shakespeare
The agitators:
sculler, Waring (according to Warren Zevon, anyway)
A character in a Shakespearean play, in seven words, advises a relative not to play either of two opposite roles – either of
"This week's Appetizers were contributed by a Puzzlerian! Par Excellence!"
Appetizer Menu
Triple-Threat Appetizer:
“Riffs & Summits”
I shall consult with our Puzzleria!n Par Excellence regarding hints.
Hellenistic Hors d’Oeuvre
“‘Twas a Byzantine Buzz!”
Both letters of the Greek alphabet contain 3 letters.
“Here’s Where The Story Ends” Slice:
Curtain comes down on a corp
The U.S.-based corporation, if you remove a couple interior "kisses," is a long period of time.
Riffing Off Shortz And Young Entrees:
Grassland & Gridiron Head-Butters
ENTREE #1
...Saint Peter the Keykeeper intoned, “Y _ _, g _ u _, J _ _ _!”
ENTREE #2
I will give Plantsmith the honor of providing a hint for his excellent riff... (But a "hen" may be involved..."
(Nodd has provided hints for his Entrees #3 through #8 in his September 14, 2025 at 8:08 PM comment, above.)
(Note: Ecoarchitect may provide hints for his Entrees #9 through #10, but if not, I may try to cobble a few hints together.
ENTREE #11
A Moody named Mike.
ENTREE #12
Hint #1: an "aquatic puffer."
Hint #2: The three consecutive letters in the alphabet spell a shortened form of a male name.
Nearly Midnight Or Noon Dessert:
Some Numbers So Summable
The marine creatures can be anagrammed to spell where one might find a hydraulic jack or a pendulum; and something doves do when they're not billing... (or crying, according to Prince).
LegoFromTheHinterlands
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThanks for the hints. I did solve a few more puzzles on Saturday afternoon.
DeleteCurrent progress after available hints: Solved the Slice and Entree #6. Still completely stuck on Entree #5.
For Entree #7, I thought I was on the right track with the plural British spy writer. I got an anagram that makes sense, and found some cleaning products that start with that anagram. The most likely one that matches the something you wear or clean with clue leads me to a football team (but is the singular version, unless you add an "S" to the cleaning product). But the remaining letters don't seem to anagram to the first part of a cyber brand. So, still stuck on this puzzle as well.
Other than Entrees #5 and #7, I'm still stuck on App #2.
Entree 5 -- the three-part brand name starts with a color. In the name, the color is used as a verb, referring to something you do on a range. The brand name has an apostrophe.
DeleteEntree 7 -- The team was the subject of a Plimpton book. The cyber brand is often mentioned on Blaine's blog.
E2.Doh! The pictures in the puzzle are great clues, although the item shown that is used to change a tire does not appear complete?
Delete"Well- it's not fine dining-by any stretch of the imagination."
The breakfast brand I found that starts with a color as a verb has two identical letters as the sixth and seventh letters, which changes absolutely NOTHING if you switch them. Still unsure about the cyber brand, can honestly say I have NEVER seen it mentioned on Blaine's Blog at all. Still don't have the brand in #3, but was quite surprised that the first drink in #4 is also a name for a part of a knife(had to look it up). I also know for a fact that "Solo's ride", if it's the right one I'm thinking of, is actually the singular form of an NFL team already, and if you delete the last letter of "German number"(according to what I found when I looked it up), you end up with no S in the answer at all, which would be necessary for the NFL team, I should think. Finally, the only real problem with the Slice now is trying to come up with a "six-letter synonym" for the "two consecutive letters", if I'm right about which two. I totally know which corporation it is from the hint. Nothing about the "movie ending" at all there, though I might have a good idea which movie it is. Far more loose ends than there should be with these puzzles, IMHO.
DeletepjbGotPlantsmith'sPuzzleEasilyUponLookingAtTheImages,ButThenHeHadToLookUpTheFlower(BasedOnLego'sAdditionalMentionOfThe"Female"InIt)
Hey Tortitude. Last night on news it was said that the Monkees- with recent death of ?- are the only band to have four no. 1 albums in the same year. Is this true?
DeleteBobby Hart at age 86.
DeleteNodd, thanks for the additional hints. Finally have the remaining two Entrees. I know about the breakfast brand, but for some reason, it never came up in any of the lists I consulted nor my memory (no great shock on that one). I had the right cleaning product, but I was trying to make a different team fit (one whose hometown is very different in latitude, not so much in longitude).
Deletepjb, Entree #5 definitely works as stated. The sixth and seventh letters in my answer are different. For Entree #7 - as maybe a hint/riff - if you take the first letter and last four letters of the cleaning product, you'll have an animal. The second and fourth letters of that cleaning product are an example of that animal. If you capitalize that two-letter animal, you'll have something that the cyber brand is an example of. The first part of the cyber brand is a French word for an animal. If you delete one letter, you'll have the English word for that animal. For the Slice, the two-letters you need to replace are the second and third ones. The final word for how the movie ended is kind of obscure.
PS, did you see the news on World News Tonight? Jeopardy! was taped last night / this morning (not on at 7 because of sports). Before Jeopardy! was the last few minutes of World News Tonight. I was pleased that they remembered someone like Bobby Hart, as he wasn't all that famous but his songs were.
In any case, to your question, from what I researched, the answer is "yes." There's a mention of this on the Monkees Wikipedia page (not necessarily trustworthy), but there was a link to a Billboard page, which I do trust. And it mentioned that as of 2021, the Monkees were the only act to have done this. https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/the-monkees-billboard-chart-record-still-stands-1235008332/
(I checked later years and the record still apparently holds)
ABC- channel. I believe.
DeleteAlready figured out the cyber word, and yes, it is brought up quite a bit on Blaine's Blog. Also already knew the two letters that would be removed from the corporation in the Slice. Telling me the last word is obscure tells me nothing. I only know of one "synonym" for both letters which, when repeated, would make six letters altogether. But it still makes no sense when trying to get the movie ending. Just found the breakfast brand, now that I've looked it up with a different color, the one I first thought of(and should've kept going with it!). Works perfectly, especially with the switching of the sixth and seventh letters! Will mention the other one tomorrow. You'll see why I got nowhere switching those, excuse me, that letter.
DeletepjbActuallyRemembersThereWereTwoOtherNamesJustBeforeTheBreakfastBrand,That'sProbablyWhyHeDidn'tGetItRightAway(WillAlsoMentionThisTomorrow)
PS, at first I was wondering if Taylor Swift tied/broke the record. Here's why: I remember a few years ago that Taylor Swift broke a record for number of albums in the Top 10 at once (5; the previous record was by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass with 4; Herb congratulated her on social media). I thought that if she had 5 at the same time, maybe they all went to #1, but only 3 of them did. (Prince also had 5 albums in the Top 10 at once, but that was posthumously, so a bit of an asterisk situation.)
DeleteJust like "What act had the most #1 albums in one year in the 1960s" would lead to the Monkees (and not the Beatles, Rolling Stones, etc. like everyone else might guess), the "most # of albums in the Top 10 at once" would also be a tricky question.
Here's another one that's unexpected. The Beach Boys had exactly one #1 album in the 1960s. ("Endless Summer" in 1974 also hit #1). Can you name it? Hint: It's not the obvious one. I'll give the answer with my other answers today.
PUZZLE RIFFS!
ReplyDeleteCranes are associated with something sounding like two Greek letters followed by a tree. What are the Greek letters?
DeleteIs it an art form?
DeleteI suppose it could be considered an art form, but I don't think it's the one you're thinking of. But how would I know?
DeleteThe Crane brothers, Frasier and Niles, practice psychiatry (Ψ+χ+”a tree”).
DeletePsi and chi (anagramatically, SIP and HIC) are the Greek letters called for in the Hors d’Oeuvre.
Were you thinking of something involving "origami", Plantsmith?
Very clever! I wasn't sure if "cranes" referred to the machines or the birds; turns out it was neither.
DeleteYes- -as the peace cranes of Nagasaki perhaps. gami to gamma/ phi??
DeleteMY PROGRESS SO FAR...
ReplyDeleteHaven't really felt up to solving puzzles this week, so haven't made all that much progress. I do have the Schpuzzle, App #3, Hors d'Oeuvre, Dessert, and a few of the Entrees.
DeleteBe well Tortitude.
DeletePS, thank you, but I'm not sick (well, at least not sicker than usual). Just not in the mood to do puzzles for some reason.
DeleteBefore anyone might worry, I'm in the same situation as Tortie (and was last week, too)...in my case, am under much too much stress to enjoy even reading 'puzzles' that require yet more solving. I did look at the Schpuzzle, immediately got what I THOUGHT was the correct 7-word phrase, but then the two people saying/hearing it do NOT work. So that was the end of that.
DeleteIt makes perfect sense to take a break, even a hiatus, from puzzle-solving... and also probably from "puzzle-smithing!" Too much of anything – even a healthy recreational thing like puzzle-solving or puzzle-making – can turn into tedium if moderation is not "a piece of the picture."
DeleteLegoWhoAdmitsThatLifeCanBeAPuzzleButThatLifeIsAlsoSoMuchMoreThanAPuzzle
IF YOU HAVE COMMENTS THAT DO NOT PERTAIN TO ANY OF THE FOUR CATEGORIES ABOVE, YOU MAY WRITE THEM BELOW THIS POST. THANK YOU.
ReplyDeleteWhere is everybody tonight? Looks like I'm the first one to post a comment again! Oh well...
ReplyDeleteGood Friday once again to all upon this fine blog!
Mom and Bryan actually went to the condo in Ft. Walton for the weekend, mostly just to see how everything's going over there. Mom has been renting out the place for anyone interested in going around here, but she doesn't go that often herself. No one else really wanted to go. Renae didn't feel like it, and Mia Kate wanted to stay here and attend the Foothills Festival here in Jasper. Mom did say it might be better at the condo next month, so I might just join them then. She did call earlier this afternoon to say they'd arrived. They were too late to call last night. She said they stopped off at some seafood restaurant last night, and had catfish and crab claws, things like that. But she said she felt a little too woozy getting up today(she slept fine, though)and they decided she shouldn't go to the hot tub. Also, somebody who stayed there last stole all the good throws and bed sheets! Bryan went to the beach, but I think they'll mostly just be eating out while they're there. Could've stayed home and done that. Anyway, they'll be back home Sunday, and then Monday we have a dental appointment(me at 11:00am, Mom at 2:00pm). Also going to be a big day for game shows, with all-new episodes of "Flip Side" and the premiere of "The Perfect Line" on GSN, and "The Weakest Link" and "Name That Tune" on FOX!
Today I've watched "The Blues Brothers" and "Stripes" on IFC, but about an hour ago I did the Prize Crossword(set by Brockwell)and Wordle and everything else you don't have to subscribe to solve. Did you know you can't just solve the Mini Crossword or Letter Boxed any more? They'll probably do all the others that way too before long!
A few easy ones this week. Got the Schpuzzle and the Hors d'Oeuvre already, but the Entrees are especially tough. Have only got #1 and #11 so far(the "Moody Blues" one, not the "40-year-old rock band" one). Looking forward to any and all hints for everything else. Hope y'all will be coming up with some good ones!
Good luck in solving to all, and please stay safe, and I hope Mom and Bryan will have a safe return home Sunday. Cranberry out!
pjbDoesn'tLikeHavingATripToTheCondoSoCloseToADoctor'sAppointment,SoHeDidn'tGo(InCaseYou'reWondering)
What no Whataburger this week? Or what was the other restaurant in Destin- Henry O's? They have a nice Gumbo and cornbread.
ReplyDeleteHarry T's in Destin.
ReplyDeleteSchpuzzle: NEITHER A BORROWER NOR A LENDER BE; BLENDER, ROWER
ReplyDeleteApp:
1. DOFF, OUST, DUSTOFF
2. ????
3. KEIR STARMER, VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, FRIEDRICH MERZ
Hors d’Oeuvre: PSI, CHI, SIP HIC!
Slice: (Post hint: ) EXXON (replace XX with TWENTY), E.T. WENT YON
Entrees:
1. JOSEPH YOUNG; “YES, GO UP, JOHN”
2. JACK IN THE BOX; (-JACK, OX); HENBIT
3. FISCHER, CHER, CHIEFS
4. TANG, SIERRA MIST, DIET RITE, GIANTS, RAMS
5. (Post hint:) BROWN ’N SERVE, BROWNS, NERVE
6. (Post hint: ) FILA, CONVERSE, VIER, FALCONS
7. (Post hint: ) SANI-CLOTH, CHATGPT (tried to get SAINT(S) to work without luck; LOCH might work for a Nessie puzzle, but not this one)
8. RAVENSBURGER, BURGER KING, BALTIMORE RAVENS, LOS ANGELES KINGS, SACRAMENTO KINGS
9. STALLION, STAG, LION
10. RAM, YAM
11. PINTEREST, PINDEREST (Mike Pinder)
12. HOOTSUITE, HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH
Dessert: OCTOPI (8 + pi)
Paul’s riff: ???
Album trivia: The only #1 album that The Beach Boys had in the 1960s was not Pet Sounds. It also wasn’t Smiley Smile, The Beach Boys Today!, Surfin’ Safari, etc. It was Beach Boys Concert in 1964. I remember hearing this trivia on a 60s Satellite Survey episode, and I was surprised by it.
Ohhhh...once again, I completely MISunderstood the directions, for the Schpuzzle. I thought it had meant that by 'role' we were meant to take the father and son's NAMES (i.e. Polonius and Laertes) and mess around with them. I never realized we were supposed to do the letter changes with the words BORROWER and LENDER. Duh....
ReplyDeleteSchpuzzle
ReplyDelete"NEITHER A BORROWER NOR A LENDER BE"("Hamlet"), BLENDER, ROWER
Appetizer Menu
1. DOFF, OUST, DUSTOFF
3. (Kier)STARMER, (Volodymyr)ZELENSKYY, (Friedrich)MERZ
Menu
Hellenistic Hors d'Oeuvre
PSI, CHI, SIP, "HIC!"
"Here's Where The Story Ends" Slice
EXXON, E. T. WENT YON(X is the Roman numeral for ten, so XX would be two tens, or TWENTY.)
Entrees
1. YES, GO UP, JOHN!=JOSEPH YOUNG
2. JACK IN THE BOX-JACK and OX=HENBIT
3. FISCHER, CHER, CHIEFS
4. TANG, SIERRA MIST, GIANTS, RAMS, RITE(Diet Rite)
5. BROWN 'N SERVE(I grew up knowing it as Swift Premium Brown 'N Serve.), BROWNS, NERVE
6. FILA, CONVERSE, FALCONS, VIER
7. SANI-CLOTH, LIONS, CHAT(ChatGPT)
8. RAVENSBURGER, RAVENS, BURGER KING, LOS ANGELES KINGS(ice hockey team), SACRAMENTO KINGS(basketball team)
9. STALLION, STAG, LION
10. RAM, YAM
11. PINTEREST, "PINDEREST"(Mike Pinder was a member of the Moody Blues.)
12. HOOTSUITE(never heard of it), HOOTIE(and the Blowfish)
Nearly Midnight Or Noon Dessert
OCTOPI(more than one octopus; OCTO- is a prefix meaning "eight", and PI is a number as well)
And from there, Cranberry "went yon". Bye, y'all(until it be morrow)!-pjb
SCHPUZZLE–“Neither a borrower nor a lender be", BLENDER, ROWER
ReplyDeleteAPPETIZERS ??
HORS D’OEUVRE–PSI, CHI, SIP, HIC
SLICE–EXXON, TWENTY, E.T. WENT YON
ENTREES
1. “YES, GO UP, JOHN!”
2. JACK IN THE BOX, HENBIT
3. FISCHER, CHER, CHIEFS
4. TANG, SIERRA MIST, DIET RITE, GIANTS, RAMS
5. BROWN ‘N SERVE, BROWNS, NERVE
6. FILA, CONVERSE, VIER, FALCONS
7. SANI-CLOTH, LIONS, CHATGPT
8. RAVENSBURGER, BURGER KING, RAVENS, KINGS (NBA), KINGS (NHL)
9. STALLION, STAG, LION
10. STALLION, SCALLION
11. PINTEREST, PINDEREST
12. ??
DESSERT–OCTOPI
Schpuzzle: NEITHER A BORROWER NOR A LENDER BE, Polonius to Laertees” blender, rower
ReplyDeleteApp:
1. Rid, evict
2. ??
3. Keir Starmer, Volodymyr Zelensky, Star(mer Z)elensky – Merz.
Hors d’Oeuvre:
Entrees:
1. Joseph Young, Yes go up, John”
2. “Jack IN the box, (Jack, Ox); Henbit,hen
3. Fischer, Cher, Chiefs
4. Tang, Sierra Mist (now defunct) mist, Diet Rite, Giants, Rams
9. Stallion, Stag, Lion
10. Ram, Yam
11. Pinterest, Pinderest (Mike Pinder) “Go now”
12.
Rid,evict mix to get Direct tv- something many hospitals have.
DeleteThis week's official answers for the record, part 1:
ReplyDeleteSchpuzzle of the Week:
BowldlERISing Shakespeare
A character in a Shakespearean play, in seven words, advises a relative not to play either of two opposite roles – either of which may disturb, agitate or otherwise create discord within the harmony among family members or friends.
(For example, a parent may play the role of workaholic or, at the opposite extreme, couch potato.)
Move the first letter in the first one-word role to the beginning of the second one-word role to spell SOMETHING that agitates liquids.
Remove the next two letters of the first word, leaving SOMEONE who also agitates liquids.
What is this Shakespearean text?
What are the two agitators of liquids?
ANSWER:
In "Hamlet," Polonius advises his son Laertes to "Neither a BORROWER nor a LENDER be.";
(A blender agitates liquids with its blades; a rower agitates liquid with oars.)
Lego...
This week's official answers for the record, part 2:
ReplyDeleteAppetizer Menu
Triple-Threat Appetizer:
“Riffs & Summits”
The following three Appetizers were composed and contributed by a Puzzleria!n Par Excellence.
Remote, Remoter, Remotest
1. Take a word meaning remove and another word meaning remove by force. Remove from that string of letters one instance of a vowel that appears twice. Rearrange the resulting seven letters to make a word turned acronym that is remotely related to something many hospitals have. What are the two words and the word/acronym?
SOLUTION:
Doff, Oust, & DUSTOFF. [Extra Credit: Explain the remote relationship of the word/acronym to the thing many hospitals have.]
(Extra Credit: DUSTOFF is the radio call sign of U.S. Army Aerial Medical Evacuation units and has become synonymous with the operations they perform, which operations often involve remote, and sometimes hastily prepared, landing zones as waypoints for transporting a patient to a hospital Helipad.)
Who You Gonna Call?
[The following is a riff of the August 17, 2025, NPR Challenge.]
2. Take the generic name of a well known entity, in two words, 15 letters total, that is often thought of as a misnomer and with which almost everyone comes into contact, perhaps more than often anyone would like. Change one letter in the second word to the letter three spaces later in the alphabet by adding one straight line. Rearrange the resulting 15 letters to make four words – one which might prompt an encounter with the entity and three associated with reactions which might result from an encounter with the entity. What are the entity and the four words?
SOLUTION:
Customer Service (add a straight line to "v" to make "y", and rearrange to get) Ire, Cuss, Emote, & Cry.
Who’s Minding the Store?
3. Assemble the surnames of two heads of state currently in office and in the news, side-by-side with no space. Within that string of letters is the surname of another head of state currently in the news. The three are from different countries but all recently assembled in an office in a fourth country. Who are they?
SOLUTION:
STARMER; ZELENSKYY; MERZ [STAR(MERZ)ELENSKYY]
Keir Starmer; Friedrich Merz; Volodymyr Zelenskyy (who met August 18 at the White House in Washington D.C.)
Lego...
This week's official answers for the record, part 3:
ReplyDeleteMENU
Hellenistic Hors d’Oeuvre
“‘Twas a Byzantine Buzz!”
Take and spell out two letters of the Greek alphabet. Anagram each.
For example, you might write: “delta beta” which might become “dealt beat.”
If you have the right Greek letters and anagram them properly, you will spell something you may do repeatedly vis-à-vis a flute of VIN, and a sound you may repeatedly make in its wake.
What are these two Greek letters and their anagrams?
Answer:
Psi, Chi; Sip, Hic! (sound of a hiccup)
“Here’s Where The Story Ends” Slice:
Curtain comes down on a corp
Name a U.S.-based corporation.
Replace two consecutive letters with a six-letter synonym of those letters. Insert two periods, two spaces and capitalize a lowercase letter. The result is how a popular movie ended.
What are this corporation, synonym and movie ending?
ANSWER:
Exxon; twenty (a synonym of the Roman numeral XX); "E.T. went yon" (at the end of "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,"
Exxon => Etwentyon => E.T. went yon
Riffing Off Shortz And Young Entrees:
Grassland & Gridiron Head-Butters
Will Shortz’s September 7th NPR Weekend Edition Sunday puzzle, created by Joseph Young of St. Cloud, Minnesota, reads:
Think of a popular commercial name that ends with the names of two male animals one after the other. If you have the right commercial name, its first six letters can be rearranged to spell the name of an N.F.L. team. What is it?
Answer:
Instagram; Stag, Ram, Giants
Puzzleria!s Riffing Off Shortz And Young Entrees read:
ENTREE #1
When he encountered a quizzical “Baptist” at the Pearly Gates that led to the hellbound-or-heaven-headed-elevator, Saint Peter the Keykeeper intoned, “_ _ _, _ _ _ _, _ _ _ _!” Rearrange those eleven letters to spell the name of a puzzle-maker.
What did the Keykeeper intone?
Hint: The final six missing letters, sans space, spell a pharmaceutical company founded in 1886.
Answer: “Yes, go up, John!”
Hint: Upjohn
Lego...
This week's official answers for the record, part 4:
ReplyDelete(Note: Entree #2 was created by terrific riffsmith Plantsmith.)
ENTREE #2
Think of a commercial brand name that starts and ends with a male animal. Remove the animal names and mix remaining letters to get a kind of flower. The flower name contains a female animal name.
What is the brand name?
What is the flower?
Answer:
Jack in the Box:
Jack (a male donkey, jackrabbit or any of several birds, such as a jackdaw),
Ox;
Henbit (a purple flower in the dead nettle family, which contains "hen");
(Note: Entrees #3 through #8 were created by masterful riffmeister Nodd.)
ENTREE #3
Think of a sports equipment brand name that ends with the name of a famous singer. The first six letters of the brand name can be rearranged to spell the name of an N.F.L. team. Name the brand, the singer, and the team.
Answer:
FISCHER, CHER, CHIEFS
ENTREE #4
Write down the brand names of two drinks, the first of which consists of one word and the second of which consists of two. (The second drink was recently discontinued.) The first six letters of the resulting three-word string can be rearranged to spell the name of an N.F.L. team. The remaining letters can be rearranged to spell the name of another N.F.L. team and the second word in the two-word brand name of another recently discontinued drink. Name the three drinks and the two teams.
Answer:
TANG, SIERRA MIST, DIET RITE, GIANTS, RAMS
ENTREE #5
Name a three-part brand name of food products you might buy at the grocery store. Switch the sixth and seventh letters to get the name of an N.F.L. team and a word for something needed to play in the N.F.L., especially if you are a quarterback being rushed by 300+ pound defensive linemen. Name the food brand, the team, and what an N.F.L. player needs.
Answer:
BROWN ‘N SERVE, BROWNS, NERVE
ENTREE #6
Name a sportswear brand and an athletic shoe brand. Delete the last letter of the shoe brand. The remaining letters can be rearranged to spell the name of an N.F.L. team and a European clothing brand. What are the brand names and the team?
Answer:
FILA, CONVERSE, VIER, FALCONS
ENTREE #7
Think of a two-part cleaning products brand. Its letters can be rearranged to spell the name of an N.F.L. team and the first part of a familiar brand name in the cyber world. What are the cleaning brand, the team, and the cyber brand?
Answer:
SANI-CLOTH, LIONS, CHATGPT
ENTREE #8
Name a European toy and game brand. The first half of the name, in order, is an N.F.L. team name. The second half, in order, is the first word in a familiar restaurant chain brand name. The second word in the restaurant name is the singular form of the name of two professional sports teams not in the N.F.L. What are the two brand names and the three teams?
Answer:
RAVENSBURGER, BURGER KING, RAVENS, KINGS (NBA), KINGS (NHL)
Lego...
This week's official answers for the record, part 5:
ReplyDelete(Note: Entrees #9 through #10 were composed and contributed by Ecoarchitect, author of “Econfusions” on Puzzleria!
ENTREE #9
Think of a name for a male animal.
Change one letter, and the result, in order, is the name of another male animal followed by the name of a third animal that applies both to males and females.
What are the three words?
Answer:
Stallion → stag, lion
ENTREE #10
Think of a name for a male animal.
Change one letter and the result is the name of a vegetable.
What are the two words?
Answer:
Stallion → scallion
ENTREE #11
Replace the fourth letter of a competitor of Instagram with a “d”. The result is a superlative adjective that describes the Moody Blues vis-à-vis other rock bands.
What is this Instagram competitor? What is the superlative adjective?
Answer:
Pinterest; "Pinderest" (The Moody Blues had more people named "Pinder" in its band (namely, one) than any other band during its tenure.)
ENTREE #12
Remove three consecutive letters in the alphabet from an Instagram competitor (The middle letter of the three consecutive alphabet letters appears twice; remove its second appearance).
The result is the first word in the four-word name of a nearly 40-year-old rock band.
What are this Instagram competitor and rock band?
Answer:
Hootsuite; "Hootie and the Blowfish" (Hootsuite – stu = Hootie)
Hint: The three consecutive letters in the alphabet spell the shortened form of a male name.
Dessert Menu
Nearly Midnight Or Noon Dessert:
Some Numbers So Summable
Name a word for some marine creatures.
Its first two syllables suggest a number, as does is third syllable. The sum of those numbers is between 11 and 12.
What are these creatures?
Answer:
Octopi (octo- prefix meaning 8) + (pi, the mathematical constant pi, the ratio of the circumference/diameter of a circle, 3.14 )
Lego!
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