Sunday Puzzle: Once Upon A Time These Names Would Have Been Easy To Recall

By Will Shortz

Published February 5, 2017 at 7:10 AM CST

On-air challenge:Every answer today is a word containing the letters of SUPER + one or two other letters.

For Example: + C = A tree with cones --> SPRUCE

+ U = Follow

+ H = A drug dealer

+ T = Explodes

+ E = Read

+ I = Revolt

+ B = Excellent

+ O = Person who pretends to be someone he or she is not

+ T = Get some sleep before a big event (2 wds.)

+ B & M = Parts of pinball machines

+ A & T = Field for grazing

+ O & P = Reason for doing something

+ G & L = Spend extravagantly

+ E & L = Drive back by force

+ P & W = Big mistake

+ N & T = Person making plays on words

+ M & T = Really hard puzzle

Last week's challenge:Take six different letters. Repeat them in the same order. Then repeat them again — making 18 letters altogether. Finally add "tebasket" at the end. If you have the right letters and you space them appropriately, you'll complete a sensible sentence. What is it?

Puzzle answer: The correct answer was "Her washer was her wastebasket," from the letters H-E-R-W-A-S.

Puzzle winner: Steve Marks of Princeton, N.J.

Next week's challenge:

This week's challenge comes from listener Peter Collins of Ann Arbor, Mich. Name a prominent figure in a fairy tale. Write this in all capital letters. Add a stroke to one letter and rearrange the result. You'll name another prominent figure in a fairy tale. What two fairy tale figures are these?

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 Thursday, Feb. 9, at 3 p.m. ET.