NPR Weekend Edition Sunday Puzzle

June 2, 2024

Will Shortz (1-10)

 

Each clue below is the second item - in alphabetical order - of a familiar group. What is the first item in the group - alphabetically? For example, if the clue were FIVE, the answer would be EIGHT. In the spelled-out names of the digits zero through nine, FIVE is the second digit in alphabetical order, EIGHT is the first. It's up to you to determine the nature of the group - shown in ( ).

 

1. Monday

2. Jupiter

3. Alaska

4. Columbus Day

5. Adverb

6. Diamonds

7. Aries

8. Center fielder

9. Antarctica

10. Doc 

11. Comet

12. Luke

13. Exodus

14. Green

15. Gluttony

16. O

Answers:

 

1. Friday (days of the week)

2. Earth (planets in the solar system)

3. Alabama (U.S. states)

4. Christmas (U.S. Federal holidays)

5. Adjective (parts of speech)

6. Clubs (suits of playing cards)

7. Aquarius (signs of the Zodiac)

8. Catcher (players on a baseball team)

9. Africa (continents)

10. Bashful (Seven Dwarfs) 

11. Blitzen (Santa's reindeer)

12. John (Writers of the Gospels)

13. Deuteronomy (Books of the Torah)

14. Blue (colors of the rainbow)

15. Envy (deadly sins) 

16. Can (O say can you see)