Friday, March 13, 2020

Our clever cryptic setter is “Berry” inventive; Florida sunshine melts the Midwest; “We doubt that the Island of Noman even exists!” “Only squares celebrate Pi Day!” “Jingle sells, jingle sells...”

PUZZLERIA! SLICES: OVER 8!/20 SERVED

Schpuzzle Of The Week:
“Jingle sells, jingle sells...”

The initial letters of the first six words in a classic advertising jingle spell what sounds like a nickname for a person who would not use the product that the jingle sells. 
What are these jingle words?
Hints: 
1. One of the six words contains an apostrophe. 
2. The six letters that spell what sounds like a nickname include two consecutive alike letters. If one were eliminated we could remove the words “what sounds like” from the puzzle text.

Appetizer Menu

“Solve Me, I’m Irish” Appetizer:
Our clever cryptic crossword setter is “Berry” brilliant

Top o’ the mornin’, Cryptic Crossword aficionados!
We offer this week a Pi Day/St. Patrick’s Day/St. Joseph’s Day puzzle by Patrick J. Berry (screen name, “cranberry”). 
It is his lucky 13th cryptic crossword we have published on Puzzleria!
Here are the links to Patrick’s dozen previous cryptic crosswords on Puzzleria!
ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX SEVEN
EIGHT NINE TEN ELEVEN TWELVE
If you are unfamiliar with cryptic crossword puzzles, here are a few basic cryptic crossword puzzle instructions:
Regarding the Across and Down clues and their format...
The number in parentheses at the end of each clue tells how many letters are in the answer. Multiple numbers in parentheses indicate how letters are distributed in multiple-word answers.
For example, (6) indicates a six-letter answer like “jalopy,” (5,3) indicates a five-and-three-letter answer like “cargo van,” and (5-5) indicates a five-and-five-letter hyphenated answer like “Rolls-Royce.”
(For further insight about how to decipher these numbered cryptic clues, see Patrick’s “Cryptic Crossword Tutorial” in this link to his November 17, 2017 cryptic crossword. 
The Tutorial appears below the grid that contains the answers in that edition of Puzzleria!)
And now, on to the thirteenth cryptic crossword in the sacred canon of our own “Saint Patrick.”
May the luck o’ the Irish be with you as you solve it:

ACROSS
1. Holding Dowager Empress in Rhode Island city?(10)
6. Go flippin’ crazy!(4)
9. Starts to take notice, getting into puzzle: It’s nonsense!(10)
10. Few recognize romantic love(4)
12. Actor portraying two Presidents? Just the opposite!(8,4)
15. Find one really running behind(7)
16. Woman getting makeover used to be on TV(7)
17. No good to remain alone with character played by 12?(3,4)
19. Talk radio program’s suggestion of Deep State infiltrating Washington newspaper?(7)
20. Actor skeptical about tempo in musical(6,6)
23. TV channel(4)
24. Clever cryptic setter is between coasts(10)
25. A little gibberish in this clue?(4)
26. Perhaps our old bags may need to be checked(5,5)



DOWN
1. Meathead?(4)
2. Monster, so raised(4)
3. Character played by 12 turned up first of the year in Indonesia, surprisingly(7,5)
4. Finish “Black Beauty”(not hardback)(7)
5. Where Hollywood is hosting the biggest stars, such as 12’s wife(7)
7. South African-born talk show host, refreshingly rare on TV? Oh!(6,4)
8. Spreads lies about Hope, Crosby, and Lamour?(10)
11. One willing to take date skydiving for the first time here?(6,6)
13. Rev. Spooner’s clear-cut observation?(10)
14. Almost appropriate on popular series(5,5)
18. Routine examination while inside(7)
19. Rank smell? This won’t really help(7)
21. Regal sort of family on top in Shakespeare play(4,4)
22. See 21 Down

MENU

Eponymous Product Slice:
Florida sunshine melts the Midwest 

Name a large Midwestern city and its state, in thirteen total letters. Remove from the final eight letters six of the seven letters of a large Florida city. 
Move the first three letters of this result to the end to form the name of a product. A common type of one such product was named after the Midwestern city and was manufactured there more than a century ago. 
What cities are these?
What is the product?

Riffing Off Shortz And Young Slices:
“Only squares celebrate Pi Day!”

Will Shortz’s March 8th NPR Weekend Edition Sunday puzzle, created by Joseph Young of St. Cloud, Minnesota, reads:
This week’s challenge is something different. It involves Pi Day, which is this coming Saturday, March 14  – commonly written as 3/14. That’s been designated Pi Day because 3-1-4 are the first three digits of pi. Well, the letters of “Pi Day” also have a curious mathematical significance. What is it?
Puzzleria!s Riffing Off Shortz And Young Slices read:
ENTREE #1
This Riff-Off puzzle involves the informal short-form first name of a famous past baseball player and the informal short-form first name of a not-so-famous current puzzle-maker. The sum of the letters in these first names is 5. 
Well, these five letters also have a curious mathematical significance associated with the number 5. 
What are the two first names?
What curious mathematical significance associated with the number 5 do they have? 
ENTREE #2
This Riff-Off puzzle involves an alliterative two-word 8-letter term that is associated with surfers, loafers, idlers, “wasting away in Margaritaville,” Jimmy Buffett and Jeff Spicoli. 
Replace a letter that appears twice in the two-word term with a letter that appears just once. Put the result in alphabetical order. 
Well, these eight letters also have a curious mathematical significance.
What is the 8-letter two-word term associated with surfers, loafers, Jimmy and Jeff? 
What is the curious mathematical significance these eight letters have (after one of the letters has been changed)?
ENTREE #3
This Riff-Off puzzle involves something most dogs have (in three letters) and a noun (in four letters) indicating the shape of one strand plucked from the pelt of a poodle. 
Well, these seven letters also have a curious mathematical significance associated with the number 3. 
What are these two words associated with canines?
What curious mathematical significance associated with the number 3 do they have?
ENTREE #4
This Riff-Off puzzle involves the first word in a well-known Christmas carol composed by early leaders in the Methodist movement. Shakespeare used the word twice to begin a well-known poem/song in one of his plays. It is a verb in four letters. 
Well, these four letters also have a curious orthographical distinction that is not shared by the other 22 letters of the alphabet  a uniqueness that pertains to their numerical positions in the alphabet. 
What is this four-letter verb?
What is the curious orthographical distinction the four letters of the verb share? 
ENTREE #5
This Riff-Off puzzle involves a three-letter word that is the first part of three compound words that end in “powder,” “smoke” and “fire.” 
Well, these three letters also have a curious mathematical significance associated with the number 7. 
What is this three-letter word.?
What curious mathematical significance associated with the number 7 do they have?
Hint: the letters of the three-letter word, in a different order, are the last three letters in the surname of a puzzle-maker.
ENTREE #6
This Riff-Off puzzle challenges the solver to write a three-word caption (in six, four and six words) for the left half of the image pictured here. But you may need some help. Here it is:
Choose an alphabet. Spell out its letters. For example, the eighth letter of the Greek alphabet is spelled “theta,” the eighth letter of the Latin alphabet is spelled “aitch,” and the eighth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is spelled “chet,” “cheth,” “cheit” or “het.”
Now take a handful (more or less) of letters from the alphabet of your choice. Assign a number to each letter – a number indicating its numerical position in the alphabet. If you have taken the correct “handful” of letters from the alphabet each these numbers will be “perfect.”
Now spell out your handful of letters. (For example, in the Latin alphabet the “w” would become “double-u,” the “j” would become “jay” and the “q” would become “cue.”) Pool the sum of letters from these spellings and rearrange them to form the 16-letter caption for the image. 
What is this caption? 
What alphabet did you choose?
What “perfect” numbers did you choose?

Dessert Menu

Geopolitical Dessert:
“We doubt that the Island of Noman even exists!” 

The last letter of a one-word island is the first letter of a three-syllable noun indicating the island’s autonomous geopolitical status.
The second-last letter of this island is the last letter of this noun.
Rearrange the combined letters of this island and noun to form a three-word term for a certain 20th-century-era skeptic. 
What is this three-word term?
What is the name of the island and what is the three-syllable noun indicating its autonomous geopolitical status?

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.

46 comments:

  1. Where did the sixth Entree come from? I could swear it wasn't there when I first found the new P! just after midnight!

    I am pleased to say I have solved the Product Slice, and Entrees #1 through 4, and am working on #5. No luck yet on the Schpuzzle or Dessert (on both of which I spent a LONG time going through videos and lists.)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm completely confused over Entree #6. I came up with an appropriate caption as required, but without all the 'chosen alphabet', handful of letters, perfect numbers, and spelling out. That's what i don't understand.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I believe I have the Schpuzzle (I may have had a bit of an advantage). I think it's important to note that the string of letters sounds like a nickname; I'd never spell it that way, except by accident.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Congrats to ViolinTeddy and to Paul for their successful solving thus far.
      VT: The word "perfect" (pertaining to the numbers, or numerical positions in of letters in the alphabet) might define "square" or "cube," for example.
      Paul: You are correct about my use of the word "sounds" in the Schpuzzle. I have followed your lead and italicized it in the puzzle text; it needs added emphasis.

      LegoWhoWondersIfPaul's"BitOfAnAdvantage"MightMeanheIsVeryFamiliarWithTheLosAngelesArea(ButSuspectsItMayMeanSomethingCompletelyDifferent)

      Delete
  4. Happy Friday the 13th, everyone!
    We didn't eat out tonight, but we did make a grocery run and then we got some Lee's chicken(enough to last a few days in case Mom doesn't feel like cooking). Got the Prize Crossword solved on the Guardian website. Now I'm checking in here, and I must sadly report that, outside of my own puzzle, I could find NO answers whatsoever(except for the three-letter word in Entree #5). NOTHING! But then we were also cleaning house most of the day yesterday to get ready for the people coming on Monday with Mom's dialysis equipment, so I barely even felt like fooling with this week's P!(no offense, Lego)when the time came. Still, I hope everybody enjoys my latest offering this week, and I would especially like to call attention to 1 Across. I had never originally planned to actually reference any of my fellow bloggers, but the opportunity was just too good to pass up. I do hope Her Majesty the Empress is flattered(and a little tickled)by her inclusion in my puzzle. As for the other puzzles, I must strongly insist on hints from Lego, now more than ever! Especially for the Riff-Offs, since I'm no expert on whatever strange mathematical properties certain letters or words might have whatsoever. I have found literally nothing while looking up answers, and I will need all the help I can get! I'll take any hints you've got! These things are tough this week! Good luck to all, and enjoy the cryptic!

    ReplyDelete
  5. cranberry -- We are indeed delighted with Our inclusion in your splendid puzzle. And We are pleased to offer you the title of
    Official Court Cryptographer

    Lat Tuesday was Our birthday, so this is a special treat.

    D.E.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Official Court Cryptographer... 'tis a fitting title four our friend, Mr. Berry. I agree with you, Dowager Empress, that Patrick has again graced us with a splendid piece of puzzletry.
      Incidentally, I am glad to hear that you celebrate Lat Tuesday. Lat Tuesday, of course, is the lat day... oops, I mean last day that those who treat bodybuilding as religion work religiously on developing their latissimus dorsi muscles before they take a 40-day break from that discipline. That 40-day period of drunkenness, gluttony, wretched excess and generally "letting oneself go" begins, of course, on Bash Wednesday. It culminates, of course, on Feaster, the final day of bashes, benders and parties before the now-bloated and flabby bodybuilders return to their normal rigid routine and determined discipline of re-ripping their sculpted bods and whipping their fatty lats back into shape.

      LegoWhoNotesThatSinceErnestVincentWrightWroteANovelDevoidOfAny"E"Titled"Gadsby"PerhapsDowagerEmpressCouldWriteANovelDevoidOfAny"S"Titled"ArtieWithNoHeart!"

      Delete
  6. Happy Belated Birthday, Your Majesty. As I said before, it was never my intention to include any bloggers' names in my puzzles, but when the idea came to me, even though I hesitated to go through with it at first, I knew you'd get a kick out of being immortalized in one of my puzzles. Anything for my biggest fan on the blog! Thank you so very much!

    ReplyDelete
  7. cranberry OCC,

    Now you have a title much more deserved. D.E.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Agreed, D.E. We definitely have an Original Content Creator in our midst!

      LegoObservesThatThoseWhoAcknowledgeADeityBelieveThatGodWasTheOriginalOCC

      Delete
    2. Are you comparing me to God, Lego? He knows all, so he would be way ahead of me on this week's puzzles! Better OCC than OCD, I say!

      Delete
    3. No, cranberry. I am comparing God to you!
      (I am working on hints.)

      LegoObservesThatWhileGodIsPrettyGoodAtCreatingAUniverseHisCrypticCrosswordsTendToBeATadToTameForMyTastes(TooMuch"Churchy"Fill!)

      Delete
  8. Sunday PM Hints:

    Schpuzzle:
    Jack Nicholson says all but the first of these six words in a line of dialogue of a move with Danny DeVito and Christopher Lloyd also in the cast... which would make the nickname sound more like a grocery chain.

    Cryptic Crossword:
    (Hints available upon request)

    Eponymous Product Slice:
    The Midwestern city is in a 4-letter state. The Florida city is an anagram of the two-word term describing this.

    Riffing Off Shortz And Young Slices:
    ENTREE #1
    Wash that ear of corn down with a cup of java.
    ENTREE #2
    The alliterative two-word 8-letter term has 5 and 3 letters. It's a perfect caption for the image shown. The replacement letter (that appears just once) is an A. After that, convert the letters into numbers, just like you did with my Pi Day Puzzle (16-9 3-1-25). Then things get somewhat tougher, I ain't fibbin'...
    ENTREE #3
    What most dogs have, in three letters, is a synonym of "pelt."
    A strand from a poodle's pelt is tightly wound, like a snake getting set to strike.
    ENTREE #4
    The first word in a well-known Christmas carol and Shakespeare's poem/song rhymes with a biblical vessel.
    The curious orthographical distinction involves vowels.
    ENTREE #5
    "__smoke": Matt, Chester, Festus, Doc, Kitty...
    ENTREE #6
    Choose the Greek alphabet. Choose four "perfect" numbers (one more than the number of good meals one should eat every day). The numbers' sum is 30.

    Geopolitical Dessert:
    It is a really large island.
    There is an "Old" (but really not that old) university whose name is the nickname of the state it is in. A little girl with that state's name once questioned the existence of Santa Claus.

    LegoWhoToldHisParentsHeBelievedInSantaYearsAfterHeKnewClausWasACrockBecauseHeFearedHeWouldStopGettingPresentsIfHeAdmittedHisDisbelief!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ah, I just solved the Schpuzzle, after desperately perusing movie quotes,and finally got lucky to stumble on it. I had NEVER seen this particular jingle in ALL the Jingle-hunting I had been doing since Friday...and don't know if I ever heard it!!

    I now suppose I get why Paul "had an advantage," though of course, I can't be sure having never met him! I don't know what Los Angeles might have had to do with it all, however,

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VT,
      "Los Angeles Area" was a topological reference.

      LegoOnTopOfOldLogicalSmokey...

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

    ReplyDelete
  11. OOH, and I also just finished up Entree #6....indeed had already had ALMOST the correct caption (merely had to change the middle word), but could never have completed the answer without knowing that it was the Greek alphabet to which we were to refer. I caught on to another important word in both the puzzle AND the hint, too, which helped to reassure along the way....

    ReplyDelete
  12. I now have everything except Entree #6 and the Dessert! Keep those hints coming! Also, everybody stay safe, and don't go anywhere unless you absolutely must. Let's all try to stay healthy here in Puzzlerialand!

    ReplyDelete
  13. ENTREE #6
    Because the Greek aplhabet has only 24 letters, there are but four letters that correspond to the first four perfect squares: 1, 4, 9 and 16. (25 just misses!). ALPHA is Greek Letter #1; DELTA is Greek Letter #4, etc. The caption consists of a common noun, preposition and Proper noun.

    Geopolitical Dessert:
    Here is a VERY timely hint (especially at this time in the Eastern states): The name of the island in question would be a great name for the Emerald Isle, although changing the name would likely raise the ire if some Irish.
    "Mother of Presidents" is the other nickname of the state with the same name as that curious little Santa-doubting girl.

    LegoObservesThat"TheWearin'OfTheIre"IsNotASt.Paddy'sDayTraditionButThat"TheWearin'OfTheGreen"Is!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Got Entree #6, still a little confused by the Dessert. While of course, I get the state/girl name, I'm still not quite sure about its connection to the rest of it. I also don't have any idea what word describes the island's status, and to that end, I don't know the name of the skeptic. So forget the state/girl name, I need a good hint(or two)for the rest of it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The 8-letter word that describe's the island's status appears prominently in a truly excellent Dylan Thomas poem.

      LegoSayYouCanSpellAGamePieceWithPipsUsingSixOfTheEightLetters(NoRearrangementNecessary!)

      Delete
    2. I believe I have the eight-letter word, but I can't find the island's name. Have you got anything that might help me figure out the three-word skeptic term? Maybe I can work backwards from there.

      Delete
    3. Islands just do not any larger than this island!
      The skeptic contends that something that happened in 1969 was a hoax, and that visual and audio evidence of the event was orchestrated on some Hollywood movie sound stage.

      LegoTheSkepticWhoSaysTheEagleHasNotLandedAndIndeedTheEagleNeverEvenTookFlight

      Delete
    4. Got it, and I am done! See y'all later today!

      Delete
    5. I finally got, I believe, the Dessert....but have NO idea what the State that has been implied has to do with it.....basically, I FINALLY made up a three-word phrase, using the hint about the 3-syllable term, which I never would have otherwise gotten, and stuck it in an anagrammer, and hunted....and bingo, a large island appeared, so I am calling it good. Now I might go try to see WHY the state in question was supposed to have anything to do with it.

      Delete
    6. The state came up in the hintery. The second word in a popular nickname of the state is simply the "three-syllable noun indicating the island’s autonomous geopolitical status."

      LegoSays"YesAlaskaThereIsASantaClaus(AndYouOughtToKnowBecauseYou'reSoCloseToTheNorthPole!)

      Delete
    7. Oh....I had taken the hint completely wrong then...thinking you had meant that was where the island was located.

      Delete
    8. Hmm, that just cut off part of my post, which was merely "So I had given up looking anywhere else."

      Delete
  15. Speaking of worrying, as we did , was it LAST week?, geo/Ken are YOU okay? You haven't posted at all this week.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hello all,
    Sorry not to have posted this week. So far I am fine.

    I have been busy drawing up and having notarized a will and living will / end of life directive. All this has to be done before the area shuts down for travel. Tomorrow (later today) I should have the documents recorded.

    As I am 67 and immunosuppressed as a result of treatment for inflammatory bowel disease, I am considered at high risk. I am expected to home-shelter in a 1 1/2 bdrm apt until the crisis passes, say 4 months. As I live alone, it is tantamount to solitary confinement for that time period.

    As to this week's puzzles, I only got Entrées #1-#5 and the Eponymous Product Slice. No time to work on the others or pjb's Cryptic Puzzle.

    Sometimes other matters are more important than the puzzles, sorry. From what I read, I am at a ca 3 % to 20 % probability of dying from Covid-19. And 30 % to 80 % of general population will be infected. It means that I am at 0.9 % to 16 % chance of dying from it in the next 2 years or so. Jolly.

    Greetings to all and stay well!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Here is a humorous mini-skit that arose from a discussion with my Czech woman-friend of what to do with my remains after death (this is a part of the end-of-life directive). She wants to receive the ashes from cremation and I want to donate the body for research into inflammatory bowel disease, or Covid-19 if I die from that. She suggested taking those parts needed for research and cremating the rest. So from this here is the mini-skit. She lives in Ivančice, pop ca. 11,000 about 30 km SW of Brno.

    Mini-skit
    Because the body is not stored for later separation:

    Dramatis Personae
    1. MORGUE SUPERINTENDENT
    2. JOE (MORGUE WORKER)

    MORGUE SUPERINTENDENT: 'OK, Joe, the medical college called. They said they need the heart, prostate, lungs and left tibia for research. Joe, cut out those organs and send them to the college. Send the rest of the body to Ivančice.'

    JOE: 'Where???'

    MORGUE SUPERINTENDENT: 'Ivančice. It's a little town somewhere in Czech Republic.'

    JOE: 'Where is Czech Republic?'

    MORGUE SUPERINTENDENT: 'Somewhere in Europe, I think.'

    ================================
    So are the Americans

    ReplyDelete
  18. My goodness, geo, while I am relieved to hear that you are okay, your news is certainly potentially devastating! I hope you will keep us posted that you ARE okay, and haven't caught anything horrible! I'd never really given any thought to the actual percentages for persons with other health problems that create extra risk. Your news surely brings home the frightening aspects of this entire mess.

    Do you have any N-95 masks? Won't you have to go get groceries, or do you have friends who can bring then to your doorstep? I'm sure we all here are very sorry to learn that you are immunosuppressed.

    You aren't the only one who will be isolated, though; I live alone as well, although (thankfully) NOT in an apartment. It's definitely a lifesaver that electronic communications now exist as much as they do, to take up a bit of people's loneliness "slack."

    ReplyDelete
  19. geofan,
    I agree with ViolinTeddy. Thank you for posting. We are concerned, and want you to continue to be a part of our Puzzleria! community.
    I love your skit! Your creativity is obviously still intact.
    You may be going through some physical hell and isolation, but we welcome any and all comments you can make on this space. You are a vital cog in our Puzzleria! mechanism.
    It is true, of course, that puzzles pale compared to life-and-death matters. They are merely a trivial diversion, but sometimes a helpful one. Please do not be a stranger, if at all possible.
    I will pray for your health to improve greatly.

    LegoSeriously

    ReplyDelete
  20. Two weeks ago I posted:

    PATTY MELT > MATTY PELT [Although Brylcreem claimed to make women "love to run their fingers through your hair," I don't think CHILLED GREASE is a remedy for a MATTY PELT]

    in response to sdb's puzzle.
    I don't think I've ever been called BALDY (or BALDDY); I have a full head of hair - but so did Dondi's friend.

    PROVIDENCE is PROVINCE holding DE, but I'm not sure I fully understand how the clue works. However, PATE seems like the right answer for "Meathead", and I'm pretty sure about ERGO > OGRE, so that helps to substantiate.
    I think maybe 19A is PODCAST, but, again, I'm unsure of the details.
    7D is no doubt TREVOR NOAH.
    Maybe I would have gotten a lot further if I'd been able to figure out the actor who played presidents.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Paul,
      cranberry's answer to 12-Across [Actor portraying two Presidents? Just the opposite!(8,4)] is an actor whose first and last names are both last names of U.S. presidents. The actor portrayed a fictional prez in a movie set mainly at a high altitude. The name of that fictional president was also the name of the guy who found the first nugget that led to the Great California Gold Rush.

      LegoWhoNotesThatCharlieChaplinIsNotTheActorInQuestion

      Delete
  21. Hello all (especially VT and Lego),
    Thank you for your concern and prayers. So far I am doing fine (actually my IBD is somewhat better).

    It has occurred to me that Puzzleria! could serve a valuable function among its bloggers, in the sense of its providing of a mental diversion (and exercise) in these unimaginable times. Also it could increase compliance with the health authorities to self-quarantine as much as possible.

    The only problem that I see is the small numbers of participants in P!.

    Fonaly, I have about 15 new fresh puzzles to submit to P! in the near future. When I get enough free time,I will assemble them and submit them to Lego.

    I have been too busy recently to do that. After the will and related documents are notarized and my 2019 taxes filed, I will have more time.

    geofan/ken

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I greatly look forward to receiving fresh puzzles from you, Ken. The many with which you have already graced us cover a broad spectrum of subject matter, and are all clever, fun to solve and educational.
      I know I speak for all of us (even those who may "lurk" but not post comments on Puzzleria!) when I say I truly value, appreciate and enjoy the many contributions you make, and will continue to make, to our blog.

      LegoOpimistic

      Delete
  22. Schpuzzle:

    Cryptic crossword
    1A:
    6A:
    9A:
    10A:
    12A:
    15A:
    16A:
    17A:
    17A:
    19A:
    20A:
    23A:
    24A:
    25A:
    26A:

    1D:
    2D:
    3D:
    4D:
    5D:
    7D:
    8D:
    11D:
    13D:
    13D:
    14D:
    18D:
    19D:
    21D:
    22D:

    Eponymous Product Slice: CLEVELAND, OHIO => CLEVEHI => VEHICLE (Cleveland automobile 1904)

    Entrées
    #1: JOE, TY. Each letter is a multiple of 5. (J=10, O=15, E=5, T=20, Y=25)
    #2: BEACH BUM => ABBCEHUM
    #3: FUR, CURL Each letter is a multiple of 3. (F=6, U=21, R=18,C=3, L=12)
    #4: HARK (H=8, A=1, R=18, K=11) Only letters that have numerical values containing 1, 8, or a combination thereof.
    #5: GUN (POWDER, SMOKE, FIRE) Each letter is a multiple of 7. (G=7, U=21, N=14)
    #6:

    Dessert:

    ReplyDelete
  23. SCHPUZZLE: "BRYLCREEM--A LITTLE DAB'LL DO YA" => B A L D D Y => BALDY

    PRODUCT SLICE: CLEVELAND, OHIO minus O[R]LANDO => CLEVE HI => VEHICLE

    ENTREES:

    1. TY & JOE => 20 + 25 and 10 + 15 + 5 => ALL LETTERS' ALPHABETICAL 'SPOTS' ARE DIVISIBLE BY 5.

    2. BEACH BUM => A A B C E H M U => 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 => They make a series by adding two together to get the next one in order. 1 + 1 = 2; 1 + 2 = 3; 2 + 3 = 5; etc

    3. FUR & CURL/COIL => 6 + 21 + 18; 3 + 21 + 18 + 12 OR 3 + 15 + 9 + 12 => ALL LETTERS' ALPHABETICAL 'SPOTS' ARE DIVISIBLE BY 3.

    4. HARK [The Herald Angels Sing] & [Hark Hark the Lark] => 8, 1, 18, 11 => EIGHT, ONE, EIGHTEEN, ELEVEN; Don't know what this has to do with the other vowels A, and U. Weirdly, I had NEVEr until now realized that no numbers until ONE THOUSAND contain an "A" (unless you count the AND in 101.)

    5. GUN [Young] => 7 + 21 + 14 => Once again, ALL LETTERS' ALPHABETICAL 'SPOTS' ARE DIVISIBLE, this time by 7.

    6. (1) ALPHA (4) DELTA (9) IOTA (16) PI => DAHLIA ATOP PILATE

    DESSERT: GREENLAND => DOMINION => MOON LANDING DENIER

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  24. This week's official answers for the record, part 1:

    Schpuzzle Of The Week:
    “Jingle sells, jingle sells...”
    The initial letters of the first six words in a classic adverising jingle spell what sounds like a nickname for a person who would not use the product.
    What are these jingle words?
    Hint: One of the six words contains an apostrophe.
    Answer:
    "Brylcreem, a little dab'll do ya..." (BALDDY, sounds like "Baldy")

    Lego...

    ReplyDelete
  25. Ken/geofan, I too am glad you're feeling better. I was totally unaware of your current health situation. It sounds bad enough as it is without a certain virus going around. I've heard the elderly are most susceptible to it, so I don't have to tell you the best thing would be to stay home. Don't go anywhere unless it's absolutely necessary. The entire country has been on a self-imposed lockdown lately, so one of the best things we could all do to pass the time is to solve puzzles, whether here on Puzzleria! or any other such websites. As for your situation, if other more important things take precedent over P!, you should certainly tend to them first. But don't forget about my puzzle. Keep in mind I'm not insisting, it just looks a little weird to see that empty list up there. Even though we're all supposed to reveal our answers today, I'm letting you know you can do the cryptic whenever you want, on your own time. I'm in no hurry. Above all, stay where you are, and stay safe. We all care about you here.
    Now on to my answers:
    Schpuzzle
    "Brylcream, A Little Dab'll Do Ya", BALDDY(sounds like BALDY)
    Appetizer Menu
    I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota for all cryptic answers and accurate corresponding explanations.
    Menu
    Eponymous Product Slice
    CLEVELAND, OHIO; ORLANDO(Florida); VEHICLE(Cleveland Automobiles)
    Entrees
    1. TY(Cobb), JOE(Young). The numbers signifying the letters' positions in the alphabet are all divisible by 5:
    T=20(5×4)
    Y=25(5×5)
    J=10(5×2)
    O=15(5×3)
    E=5(5×1)
    2. BEACH BUM(changing B to A, AABCEHMU), 2 5 1 3 8 1 21 13(Come to think of it, I've forgotten the mathematical connection!)
    3. FUR, COIL(or CURL). Each letter's alphanumeric position is divisible by 3:
    F=6(3×2)
    U=21(3×7)
    R=18(3×6)
    C=3(3×1)
    O=15(3×5)
    I=9(3×3)
    L=12(3×4)
    4. HARK(Their positions spell out 811811.)
    5. GUN. Each letter's position is divisible by 7:
    G=7(7×1)
    U=21(7×3)
    N=14(7×2)
    6. ALPHA, DELTA, IOTA, PI=DAHLIA ATOP PILATE(Pontius Pilate)
    Dessert
    GREENLAND, DOMINION=MOON LANDING DENIER
    Cranberry out(but still indoors)!-pjb

    ReplyDelete
  26. This week's official answers for the record, part 2:

    Appetizer Menu

    “Solve Me, I’m Irish” Appetizer:
    Our clever cryptic crossword setter is “Berry” brilliant
    NOTE: The CRYPTIC CROSSWORD ANSWER GRID can be found above this week's Comments Section.
    ANSWERS:
    ACROSS
    1. Holding Dowager Empress in Rhode Island city?(10)
    DE inside PROVINCE
    6. Go flippin' crazy!(4)
    BATS reversed
    9. Starts to take notice, getting into puzzle: It's nonsense!(10)
    TA, plus AD inside RIDDLE
    10. Few recognize romantic love(4)
    hidden inside recogniZEROmantic
    12. Actor portraying two Presidents? Just the opposite!(8,4)
    (Benjamin or William Henry)HARRISON+(Gerald)FORD
    15. Find one really running behind(7)
    I+SO LATE
    16. Woman getting makeover used to be on TV(7)
    ANNA containing NET reversed
    17. No good to remain alone with character played by 12?(3,4)
    HANG-G+SOLO
    19. Talk radio program's suggestion of Deep State infiltrating Washington newspaper?(7)
    D+CA(California)inside POST
    20. Actor skeptical about tempo in musical(6,6)
    WARY containing BEAT inside RENT
    23. TV channel(4)
    double definition
    24. Clever cryptic setter is between coasts(10)
    SETTER anagram plus IS inside W(West Coast)and E(East Coast)
    25. A little gibberish in this clue?(4)
    hidden inside gibberisHINThis
    26. Perhaps our old bags may need to be checked(5,5)
    OUROLDBAGS anagram
    DOWN
    1. Meathead?(4)
    double definition, different pronunciations
    2. Monster, so raised(4)
    ERGO reversed
    3. Character played by 12 turned up first of the year in Indonesia, surprisingly(7,5)
    JAN(uary)reversed inside INDONESIA anagram
    4. Finish "Black Beauty"(not hardback)(7)
    END+HORSE-H
    5. Where Hollywood is hosting the biggest stars, such as 12's wife(7)
    CA(California again)containing A-LIST
    7. South African-born talk show host, refreshingly rare on TV? Oh!(6,4)
    RAREONTVOH anagram
    8. Spreads lies about Hope, Crosby, and Lamour?(10)
    BS(I won't explain it)containing ROAD CAST(Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour all costarred in many "Road" pictures, such as "Road to Rio" and "Road to Morocco".)
    11. One willing to take date skydiving for the first time here?(6,6)
    UNI(prefix meaning one)+TESTATE containing D, plus S
    13. Rev. Spooner's clear-cut observation?(10)
    WHITE NOTCH "spoonerized"
    14. Almost appropriate on popular series(5,5)
    ROUND+ROB+IN
    18. Routine examination while inside(7)
    BIT inside ORAL
    19. Rank smell? This won't really help(7)
    PLACE+BO(body odor)
    21. Regal sort of family on top in Shakespeare play(4,4)
    KIN+REGAL anagram
    22. See 21 Down

    Lego...

    ReplyDelete
  27. This week's official answers for the record, part 3:

    MENU

    Eponymous Product Slice:
    Florida sunshine melts the Midwest
    Name a large Midwestern city and its state, in thirteen total letters. Remove from the final eight letters six of the seven letters of large Florida city.
    Move the first three letters of this result to the end to form the name of a product. A common type of one such product was named after the Midwestern city and was manufactured there more than a century ago. What cities are these?
    What is the product?
    Answer:
    Cleveland, Ohio; Orlando, Florida
    CLEVELAND OHIO - OLANDO = CLEVE HI = VE HI CLE
    The Cleveland automobile, a vehicle manufactured in Cleveland, Ohio

    Riffing Off Shortz And Young Slices:
    “Only squares celebrate Pi Day!”
    Puzzleria!s Riffing Off Shortz And Young Slices read:
    ENTREE #1
    This Riff-Off puzzle involves the informal short-form first name of a famous past baseball player and the informal short-form first name of a not-so-famous current puzzle-maker. The sum of the letters in these first names is 5. Well, these five letters also have a curious mathematical significance associated with the number 5.
    What are the two first names?
    What curious mathematical significance associated with the number 5 do they have?
    Answer:
    Ty (Cobb); Joe (Young)
    The numerical positions in the alphabet of "Ty" and "Joe" are 20, 25, 10, 15, and 5 – the first five numbers evenly divisible by 5.
    ENTREE #2
    This Riff-Off puzzle involves an alliterative two-word 8-letter term that is associated with surfers, loafers, idlers, “wasting away in Margaritaville,” Jimmy Buffett and Jeff Spicoli. Replace a letter that appears twice in the two-word term with a letter that appears just once. Put the result in alphabetical order. Well, these eight letters also have a curious mathematical significance.
    What is the 8-letter two-word term associated with surfers, loafers, Jimmy and Jeff?
    What is the curious mathematical significance these eight letters have (after one of the letters is changed)?
    Answer:
    Beach Bum (BEACH BUM-->AEACH BUM-->AABCEHMU
    The numerical positions in the alphabet of "AABCEHMU" are 1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21 – the first eight numbers of the Fibonacci Sequence.
    ENTREE #3
    This Riff-Off puzzle involves something most dogs have, in three letters, and a noun, in four letters, indicating the shape of one strand plucked from the pelt of a poodle. Well, these seven letters also have a curious mathematical significance associated with the number 3.
    What are these two words associated with canines?
    What curious mathematical significance associated with the number 3 do they have?
    Answer:
    Fur, coil
    The numerical positions in the alphabet of "FUR" and "COIL" are 6,21,18, and 3,15,9,12 – the first seven numbers evenly divisible by 3.

    Lego...

    ReplyDelete
  28. This week's official answers for the record, part 4:
    (Eponymous Product Slice, continued)
    ENTREE #4
    This Riff-Off puzzle involves the first word in a well-known Christmas carol composed by early leaders in the Methodist movement. Shakespeare used the word twice to begin a well-known poem/song in one of his plays. It is a verb in four letters.
    Well, these four letters also have a curious orthographical distinction that is not shared by the other 22 letters of the alphabet – a uniqueness that pertains to their numerical positions in the alphabet.
    What is this four-letter verb?
    What is the curious orthographical distinction the four letters of the verb share?
    Answer:
    Hark, Hark!
    The numerical positions in the alphabet of H, A, R and K are eight, one, eighteen and eleven, all which begin with a vowel. The other 22 letters begin with consonants.
    ENTREE #5
    This Riff-Off puzzle involves three-letter word that is the first part of three compound words that end in “powder,” “smoke” and “fire.” Well, these three letters also have a curious mathematical significance associated with the number 7.
    What is this three-letter word.?
    What curious mathematical significance associated with the number 7 do they have?
    Hint: the letters of the three-letter word, in a different order, are the last three letters in the surname of a puzzle-maker.
    Answer:
    Gun; (gunpowder, gunsmoke, gunfire)
    The numerical positions in the alphabet of "GUN" are 7, 21 and 14 – the only three numbers evenly divisible by 7.
    Hint: joseph yoUNG
    ENTREE #6
    This Riff-Off puzzle challenges the solver to write a three-word caption (in six, four and six words) for the image pictured here. But you may need some help. Here it is:
    Choose an alphabet. Spell out its letters. For example, the eighth letter of the Greek alphabet is spelled “theta,” the eighth letter of the Latin alphabet is spelled “aitch,” and the eighth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is spelled “chet,” “cheth,” “cheit” or “het.”
    Now take a handful (more or less) of letters from the alphabet of your choice. Assign a number to each letter – a number indicating its numerical position in the alphabet. If you have taken the correct “handful” of letters from the alphabet each these numbers will be “perfect.”
    Now spell out your handful of letters. (For example, in the Latin alphabet the “w” would become “double-u” and the “h” would become “aitch.”) Pool the sum of letters from these spellings and rearrange them to form the 16-letter caption for the image.
    What is this caption?
    What alphabet did you choose?
    What “perfect” numbers did you choose?
    Answer:
    Dahlia atop Pilate; Greek alphabet;
    The "perfect squares" 1, 4, 9 and 16 are the numerical positions in the Greek alphabet of alpha, delta, iota and pi. (ALPHA+DELTA+IOTA+PI = DAHLIA ATOP PILATE)

    Lego...

    ReplyDelete
  29. This week's official answers for the record, part 5:

    Dessert Menu

    Geopolitical Dessert:
    “We doubt that the Island of Noman even exists!”
    The last letter of a one-word island is the first letter of a three-syllable noun indicating the island’s autonomous geopolitical status.
    The second-last letter of this island is the last letter of this noun.
    Rearrange the combined letters of this island and noun to form a three-word term for a certain 20th-century-era skeptic.
    What is this three-word term?
    What is the name of the island and what is the three-syllable noun indicating its autonomous geopolitical status?
    Answer:
    Moon landing denier; (Greenland; dominion, definition #4)
    (Greenland is a self-ruling dominion of Denmark.)
    Greenland is the world’s largest but sparsely populated island, with only approximately 50,000 residents and is a self-ruling dominion of Denmark. Denmark offers economic and foreign policy support while Greenland handles domestic affairs.

    Lego!

    ReplyDelete