Timothy McSweeney's Header Image

M c S W E E N E Y ' S
B R A I N   E X P L O D E R :
A N S W E R S .


- - - -

A NAME-TAG SNAFU AT THE ANNUAL
SPICE GIRLS/SMURFS/SEVEN DWARFS CONVENTION.

September 10

Last week, we presented a short excerpt of police fiction and asked readers to complete blanks in the story with anagrams for the names of conflated Spice Girls, Smurfs, and dwarves (trust me, it makes sense; read the story).

Nine entrants filled in all five blanks correctly. They are: Mark Davies, Jed Scott, Matthew Blakstad, Andrew Kraft, Mark Mathis, Ian Baker, George Long, Nick Woodhead, and David Provost.

The winner of a McSweeney's book, chosen at random, is Nick Woodhead.

The answers are as follows:

1. Before you know it, they've started another one of these WAR-CRY FADS (SCARY DWARF) and it takes half the force to keep them in line."

2. "All I do is sit here and PUSH FORMS (POSH SMURF) around all day."

3. They'd brought Panini in before for Neon Tetra abuse and Red Swordtail theft. But those were strictly GUPPY CRIMES (GRUMPY SPICE) compared to something like this.

4. "I suggest you just sit there nice and quiet while the CHIEF TYPES (HEFTY SPICE) up the charges,"

5. "I'll be walking outta here soon and when I do, there better be A PEPSI CAP (PAPA SPICE) on my head."

- - - -

THE JED SCOTT CASE
Jed Scott wrote:

"I felt bad for Handy, Sleepy, and Sporty being left out of the game. Here's a possible continuation of the story…"

Panini continued, "I was enjoying myself on that pier. It was a ______________ before you showed up."

Esposito didn't react well to the criminal's tone. He shouted with ____________ into solitary and lose the key!"

Sponsky and Jameson took Panini away, and returned, slapping each other on the back. "What a great catch," Jameson opined.

Esposito just shook his head. "I'd be a little more ______________ if I knew what he was doing with that whale."

(See the bottom of this page for the answers.)

- - - -

NOT SMURFY
Ian Baker offered a few other anagrams in the way of impolite suggestions. One was SPRUCE MY PIG (Grumpy Spice) and the other one is not repeatable (but you can craft it yourself out of "Sleepy Smurf")

- - - -

A GOOD EFFORT, MR. FAWLTY
The unpronounceable "rpt pts" (or "rbt pts," his address proclaims it both ways) had a few entertaining and plausible near misses among his guesses.

1. POWDRY FARTS (sporty dwarf) or
"PCP YES!" RIOTS (sporty spice)

3. RACY PISCES (scary spice)

- - - -

YOU CAN'T GO TO THAT GRUMPY SPICE WELL TOO OFTEN
And Megan Cohen didn't get all five, but we much enjoyed the defense of her answers:

"As for those war-mongering youths, I firmly believe they've started another one of these ELF SUM PYRES (Sleepy Smurf). If practicing addition on and then setting fire to gnome corpses wouldn't start a riot, I don't know what would; after all, it's quite an incendiary action.

"I hate to think of what will become of poor Sponksy, with his constant lament, "All I do is sit here and PUSH FORMS (posh smurf) around all day." (However, as a kind of bonus, he may very well be constantly reaching under his desk for the bottle to PEG SPICY RUM (Grumpy Spice) instead.)

"And yes, Panini's Neon Tetra abuse and Red Swordtail theft were strictly GUPPY CRIMES (Grumpy Spice) compared to his latest caper, Esposito (who didn't drink much water) realized while working on the warrant. That's why Jameson advised the gangster to "Just sit there nice and quiet while the OFT DRY WRAPS (Sporty Dwarf) up the charges." But, through it all, Panini's focus remained on DE SHINY CAP (Handy Spice) that had been confiscated from his head."

- - - -

ANSWERS TO "THE JED SCOTT CASE":

DANDY WHARF = HANDY DWARF

FURY, "TOSS MR. P = SPORTY SMURF

SUPER MYSELF = SLEEPY SMURF

 

 

MORE BRAIN EXPLODERS

- - - -

MAIN PAGE   |   ARCHIVES

 

Memories of Amanda Davis

 


Red dot denotes content that is new today.

Black dot denotes newish content.

McSWEENEY'S STORE

SUBSCRIBE TO:
McSWEENEY'S
THE BELIEVER
WHOLPHIN

FUTURE McSWEENEY'S BOOKS

THE AMANDA DAVIS HIGHWIRE FICTION AWARD

INVITE A McSWEENEY'S AUTHOR TO SPEAK IN YOUR TOWN OR COLLEGE

McSWEENEY'S MONTHLY MAILING LIST

McSWEENEY'S-RELATED EVENTS AND VARIOUS TOUR DATES

ORDER INQUIRIES AND ADDRESS CHANGES

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
FOR BOOKS
FOR THE QUARTERLY
FOR THE WEBSITE
FOR WHOLPHIN

McSWEENEY'S INTERNSHIPS

CONTACT US

- - - -

LETTERS TO McSWEENEY'S

LISTS

McSWEENEY'S PREDICTS

McSWEENEY'S RECOMMENDS

NEW WHOLPHIN FILM

DAN LIEBERT, VERBAL CARTOONIST

JOKES BY BRIAN BEATTY

REVIEWS OF NEW FOOD

DISPATCHES FROM MOSCOW

SO YOU WANT TO BE PRESIDENT?

DISPATCHES FROM THE ANACOSTIA

THE WINNER'S CIRCLE WITH ERIC FEEZELL

BEN GREENMAN'S FAKE CELEBRITY MUSICALS

DISPATCHES FROM A HUMANITARIAN JOURNALIST

DISPATCHES FROM IRAQ

SHORT IMAGINED MONOLOGUES

PHILIP GRAHAM SPENDS A YEAR IN LISBON

STAINED TEETH: A COLUMN ABOUT WINE

DISPATCHES FROM THE NAPOLEONIC WARS AT THE MET

KEVIN DOLGIN TELLS YOU ABOUT PLACES YOU SHOULD GO IN EUROPE

SONGS OF ENEMIES AND DESERTS: LIVING WITH THE SUDAN LIBERATION ARMY

LAWRENCE WESCHLER'S EVERYTHING THAT RISES: A BOOK OF CONVERGENCES

THE CONVERGENCES CONTEST

ABOUT WHAT IS THE WHAT

ABOUT BOWL OF CHERRIES

ABOUT COMEDY BY THE NUMBERS

ABOUT JOHN BRANDON'S ARKANSAS

ABOUT MICHAEL CHABON'S MAPS AND LEGENDS

LETTERS FROM AN EARTH BALL TO, OR CONCERNING, SEAN HANNITY

DISPATCHES FROM ADJUNCT FACULTY AT A LARGE STATE UNIVERSITY

ADVICE FROM A PERSON WITH A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN PSYCHOLOGY

DISPATCHES FROM THE NBA ENTERTAINMENT LEAGUE

JOHN MOE'S POP-SONG CORRESPONDENCES

B.R. COHEN'S ANNALS OF SCIENCE

INTERVIEWS WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE INTERESTING OR UNUSUAL JOBS

OPEN LETTERS TO PEOPLE OR ENTITIES WHO ARE UNLIKELY TO RESPOND

DISPATCHES FROM A PUBLIC LIBRARIAN

MICHAEL IAN BLACK IS A VERY FAMOUS CELEBRITY

DISPATCHES FROM ROY KESEY, AN AMERICAN GUY MARRIED TO
A PERUVIAN DIPLOMAT LIVING IN CHINA


STEPHEN ELLIOTT'S POKER REPORT

- - - -

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL