Ben Bass and Beyond: Mysteries of the universe

Chicago Blackhawks right wing Dustin Byfuglien pronounces his last name "BUFF-lin."

NPR Sunday puzzle

This week: If you write "WOW" in capital letters and hold up a mirror at the side of the word, you'll see "WOW" perfectly reflected in the mirror. Here's the puzzle: Think of a nationality and write it in capital letters. If you remove one stroke from the first letter, and one stroke from the last letter, and hold up a mirror at the side, the name of the nationality will be perfectly reflected in the mirror. What nationality is it? Enter here or email me for a hint.

Last week: Take the name 'Noah Adams,' as in the former host of All Things Considered. Add the phrase 'false teeth.' You can rearrange all 19 letters to name a famous work of literature. What is it? Highlight for answer: The intended answer was The Death of a Salesman, though the actual title is simply Death of a Salesman.

Two weeks ago: Take some celebrity name I can't remember because I was half-asleep listening to it on the radio and NPR has yet to post today's puzzle on its website as I write this Sunday at 10am Chicago time. (LOUIS LAMOUR or BOBBY SLAYTON would work, but those weren't it.) (Edit: It was BORIS KARLOFF.) The world capital OSLO can be found hidden in the name, not consecutively but in order from left to right. Now take the names LEONARDO DA VINCI, FRANK SINATRA and STEVEN DOUGLAS. Each of them similarly contains a world capital hidden in its letters from left to right. What are they?

Note: I solved this in a few minutes and so can you. I didn't resort to looking at a list of world capitals, but as is often the case with NPR puzzles involving world capitals, that would be a helpful technique if you're stumped. In fact, if I hadn't written this note and you had emailed me, that's what I would have recommended. If you're still stuck after doing that, I can try to help you without completely giving it away, but I think that method ought to do the trick.

Highlight for answer: London, Ankara, Seoul

Three weeks ago: From listener and FOBB&B Adam Cohen of Brooklyn: Take the name of the singer Bonnie Raitt. Rearrange these 11 letters into two words that are loosely synonyms. What words are they? Highlight for answer: Nation, tribe

Ben Bass and Beyond

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Mysteries of the universe

1 comments:

Ben

NPR Sunday puzzle

Like I was saying...

Personal Jesus

Official soundtrack

Suggested Reading

Why not to blog

Followers

Ben Bass and Beyond

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Mysteries of the universe

1 comments:

Ben

NPR Sunday puzzle

Like I was saying...

Personal Jesus

Official soundtrack

Suggested Reading

Why not to blog

Followers

Go Beyond