Ben Bass and Beyond: A return to normalcy

Just got back from a memorable trip to New York City, highlights of which are likely to appear in this space shortly. Meanwhile, let's clear our desk with a few memoranda.

NPR Sunday puzzle

This week:

What familiar saying with seven words has seven consonants in a row? The answer is a common saying, in ordinary English. Sometimes it's expressed in nine words rather than seven, but it's the same saying. And either way, in one spot it has seven consecutive consonants. What saying is it?

Enter here or email me for a hint.

Last week: Name something in seven letters that most people keep in their homes. Take the first, third, fourth and seventh letters and rearrange them. The result will be a four-letter word naming something that the seven-letter thing is commonly used for. What is it?

Highlight for answer: Aspirin, pain

Two weeks ago: The name of what character, familiar to everyone, contains each of the five vowels (A, E, I, O and U) exactly once? The answer consists of two words — eight letters in the first word, four letters in the second.

Highlight for answer: Question mark

Three weeks ago: Name a well-known person from the 20th century who held an important position. Take the first and last letters of this person's last name, change each of them to the next letter of the alphabet, and you'll get the last name of another famous person who held the same position sometime after the first one. Who is it?

Highlight for answer: Ford, Gore