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Puzzle: Fast And Famous

Sunday Puzzle
NPR
Sunday Puzzle

On-air challenge:I'm going to give you some words. The first letter is the initial of a famous person's first name. The remaining letters can be rearranged to get the person's last name. I'll give you categories if you need them.

Example: MAIL (boxer) --> Muhammad Ali
1. POSER (baseball player)
2. REPORT (businessman/onetime presidential candidate)
3. JUMBLE (young adult author)
4. PENCIL (country singer)
5. TRIBAL (British prime minister)
6. SMORES (inventor)
7. FACTORS (Cuban president)
8. MONOMER (actress)
9. ARRANGED (actress)

Last week's challenge: From listener Neville Fogarty, of Newport News, Va. Think of a two-word direction or command. Take the first letter of the first word plus the entire second word, in order, and you'll get a common name for one receiving that direction or command. What is it?

Challenge answer:Roll over (command to a dog) --> Rover

Winner:Bob Werner from South Bend, Ind.

This week's challenge:From listener James Matthews, of Little Rock, Ark. Think of a six-letter word for something you might wear. Insert an "O" in the exact middle, and you'll get a phrase meaning "Not aware." What is it?

Submit Your Answer

If you know the answer to next week's challenge, submit it here. Listeners who submit correct answers win a chance to play the on-air puzzle. Important: Include a phone number where we can reach you by Thursday, July 23, at 3 p.m. ET.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

NPR's Puzzlemaster Will Shortz has appeared on Weekend Edition Sunday since the program's start in 1987. He's also the crossword editor of The New York Times, the former editor of Games magazine, and the founder and director of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (since 1978).
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