NPR Puzzle 10/16/11 - Fine Whine

Here's this week's NPR Puzzle:

Think of a familiar two-word rhyming phrase that starts with the letter F, like "fat cat." Change the F to a G and you'll get another familiar two-word rhyming phrase. What are these phrases?

I don't know if we have THE answer, but we have AN answer.  And truly, my reaction was, "That's it?"  Maybe that is it.  {Edited to add that we were solving the puzzle as it appeared on the NPR website after midnight -- not as Will recited it on the radio.}

brief pause

Nope -- Ross has solved it again and gotten the RIGHT answer.  I know it's the right answer because when I heard it, I said, "Ah, yes, that's much better."

Silent challenge to Dr. Shortz -- what's the "that's it?" solution?

For the rest of you, send your obviously right answer in to NPR using this cute little form right here.

I'm going to invoke the No Hinting rule this week, because I do think there's a delight in having the answer finally occur to you.  Seeing it through a clever but transparent hint may not be as much fun.

In that same spirit, I've taken a circuitous route to the Photos portion of this post.  One of the three words involved in this puzzle has a Wiki page for reasons I can't explain.  In that Wiki post are six place names.  In no particular order:

Time for ...

P I C K   A   R A N G E

This is where we ask you how many entries you think NPR will get for the challenge above.  If you want to win, leave a comment with your guess for the range of entries NPR will receive.  First come first served, so read existing comments before you guess.  Ross and I guess last, just before we publish the Thursday post.  After the Thursday post is up, the entries are closed.  The winner gets a puzzle book of our unspecified choosing.

Thank you, Unpaid & Underappreciated Intern!  The stated number of entries this morning was "over 800."  Once again, delightfully specific!  No winner this week.  I'm renewing my offer -- if the Unpaid & Underappreciated Intern would like to get in touch, I'll happily send him/her a thank you gift.  You -- anyone, really -- can mail me at Magdalen {at} Crosswordman.com.) 

Pick a range in the comments to see if you'll win a prize!  (And Dave, you gotta get your pick in before Thursday afternoon.  If we're late posting on Thursday, that's fine, but Saturday?  Dude, read the rules!)

Here are the ranges:

Fewer than 50        51 - 100 101 - 150 151 - 200 201 - 250 251 - 300 301 - 350 351 - 400 401 - 450 451 - 500 501 - 550 551 - 600 601 - 650 651 - 700 701 - 750 751 - 800 801 - 850 851 - 900 901 - 950 951 - 1,000

1,001 - 1,050          1,051 - 1,100 1,101 - 1,150 1,151 - 1,200 1,201 - 1,250 1,251 - 1,300 1,301 - 1,350 1,351 - 1,400 1,401 - 1,450 1,451 - 1,500 1,501 - 1,550 1,551 - 1,600 1,601 - 1,650 1,651 - 1,700 1,701 - 1,750 1,751 - 1,800 1,801 - 1,850 1,851 - 1,900 1,901 - 1,950 1,951 - 2,000

2,001 - 2,050 2,051 - 2,100 2,101 - 2,150 2,151 - 2,200 2,201 - 2,250 2,251 - 2,300 2,301 - 2,350 2,351 - 2,400 2,401 - 2,450 2,451 - 2,500 2,501 - 2,750 2,751 - 3,000 3,001 - 3,250 3,251 - 3,500 3,501 - 4,000 4,001 - 4,500 4,501 - 5,000 More than 5,000 More than 5,000 and it sets a new record.

Our tie-break rule:   In the event that a single round number is announced, AND two separate people picked the ranges leading up to and leading up from that round number, the prize will be awarded to whichever entrant had not already won a prize, or in the event that both entrants had won a prize already or neither had, then to the earlier of the two entries on the famous judicial principle of "First Come First Serve," (or in technical legal jargon, "You Snooze, You Lose").  And yes, this rule is most-likely obsolete but I just like having fine print.