A few of us here at work do the New York Times crossword puzzle together on Thursdays (a copy of an old one in our weekly suburban newspaper, anyway). They usually have a theme for the really long phrases in the puzzle. Last week's theme was, "Twice-told Tales" -- the answers were phrases made of 2 pairs of homonyms. For example, one of the clues was: "Boorish boarder regretted scuttlebutt" and the answer was, "Rude roomer rued rumor."

I thought it was fun, so I made some up. Here are the other ones from the puzzle and some I made up. Mine aren't nearly as great and concise as theirs, but I've italicized the part you'd need to translate. Have fun...

From the paper:

*Depressed Dvorak was spendthrift

*Collins’s style permeates estate

*Blockheaded lover has an accident on a rural road

*Merchant recognized animal in the basement

From me:

*Acme Egg Farm Shut Down -- Chickens wafted disgusting odor towards neighboring homes.

* Franchise founder Sanders puts bullets in corn silo exit-slides

*Different groups of vulgar pursers, stewards, yeomen, etc. worked on that particular Carnival route throughout the season.

* Bono’s group says of his pet sheep: she reminds us of a bunch of fungus/alga symbiotic dual-plants

*Homemaker support hotline helps housewives vent: “One wife phoned and talked about her extreme distaste for the ring her husband leaves on his shirt from having a sweaty neck ” says founder.

*Santa was late for the next house on his list because the weird appendages on Johnny’s pet crab really impressed him

* Ms. Wray’s namesakes were victorious in the first stage.

*So as not to blemish his reputation as a great athlete, former Left Fielder Rice de-accentuated his “F” in phys-ed when he posted his freshman year report card on his “Meet the 1974-1989 Redsox” website.

*(there are 2 in this one) Women Trampled at Free-range Zoo! The exclusive group of house cleaners took a picture (causing a certain sound .) What follows is as would be expected: a sound that was audible irritates group of buffalo , stampede ensues.)

* Franchise founder Sanders puts bullets in corn silo exit-slides
Colonel shoots kernel chutes.


* Ms. Wray’s namesakes were victorious in the first stage.
Fayes won phase one.

a sound that was audible irritates group of buffalo , stampede ensues.)
A noise heard annoys herd.

*Acme Egg Farm Shut Down -- Chickens wafted disgusting odor towards neighboring homes.

Fowl sent foul scent.

Women Trampled at Free-range Zoo! The exclusive group of house cleaners took a picture (causing a certain sound .)
Maid clique made click.

okay - I really have to stop thinking about these now!

okkay - one more...
*Merchant recognized animal in the basement

Seller knew cellar gnu.

*Santa was late for the next house on his list because the weird appendages on Johnny’s pet crab really impressed him

Odd claws awed Claus.

Any help on the U2/ewe too/you two combo??? Anybody?

Is "odd" pronounced the same as "awed"?

maybe if you're from Boston :)

Which reminds me of a commercial I saw a year or so ago (for Southwest Airlines perhaps) that showed an Asian family practicing their Boston accents before presumably flying there. They kept saying "...wicked hodd coah..." which I assume to be "wicked hard core." So I guess "hard" also rhymes with "odd" and "awed."

*Depressed Dvorak was spendthrift

Blue Czech blew cheque.

or is that
Blue Czech blew check?

if it was the NYTimes, the later...

if it was the NYTimes, the latter...

It was and it was.

In Boston odd sounds like how a normal human being would pronounce awed but I'm not sure how awed is pronounced in Boston. It's been too long.

I'd pronounce claws with a voiced sibilant at the end and Claus with an unvoiced one.

Is "odd" pronounced the same as "awed"?

Yup, at least by most Canadians. Also homophones, for many* Canadians, are claws/Claus, tot/taught, Mary/merry/marry, and others like it. I once found a really neat map (of the US I think) showing the geographic distributions of a bunch of those vowel sounds. (Maybe chez the American Dialect Society?) Conversely, stock/stack are two different sounds in Canada but many USns (I haven't figured out the geographic pattern yet) pronounce stock so it sounds like stack to me. Anyway, I think for these riddles (they are so neat!) you have to stretch your pronunciation rules a bit!

BTW, BankrollBets, welcome aBoard!

* note that I did not say all here...

Bono’s group says of his pet sheep: she reminds us of a bunch of fungus/alga symbiotic dual-plants

U2 likens ewe to lichens.

I'm going to get fired if I don't stop...

"I'd pronounce claws with a voiced sibilant at the end and Claus with an unvoiced one."

Not to begin a protracted off topic discussion, since I know very little of orthoepy (recently learned word which I'm not even sure how to pronounce) but would you say that Claus rhymes with Oz as in Wizard of Oz?

"...normal human being..."

Am I supposed to read between the lines to infer something about your opinion of Bostonians Faldage? All I know about Boston accents I learned from listening to Mayor Quimby (a cartoon being), and watching commercials.

read between the lines

Clawss...Ahz No rhyme nor reason

I lived in Boston for two years. Notwithstanding that blip in my life (I like Boston; I got tired of the big city), I enjoy making fun of the accent from time to time just because it is so distinctive.

Bean: stock/stack? never heard that b'fore...

and Fald:

Santa Clawz. definitely a z

stock/stack

OK, how 'bout this. For me, stock rhymes with walk and stack rhymes with black. However, my experience has been that people from certain parts of the US (which ones?) *more or less* rhyme stock with black. I recall seeing something in a Maximum PC magainze about how to pronounce a word (which I already knew) and they spelled the pronunciation with an a where I would have used an o. I can't remember what word it was. I'll look it up when I get home.

Inspired by etaoin above, though not nearly as good as the original posted clues:

What the tense impaired grocer declared after the legume broths had been properly shelved...

EDIT: answer below

"stock rhymes with walk " rhymes with "stalk"

Bean is your first name Jack?

OK, I know this is now thoroughly off-topic, but I found the magazine bit. The word was fogging and they wrote out the phonetic pronunciation as FAH ging. When I say the word there is not even remotely an ah-ish sound to it.

EDIT: I would probably spell it FAW ging.

I think either pronunciation is acceptable, just as long as you don't change the "g" to a hard "c" sound, and I'm not talking about the second "g."

Despite being tempted, I will refrain from trying to make an obscene Twice-Told Tale using these pseudo homophones.

>since I know very little of orthoepy (recently learned word which I'm not even sure how to pronounce)

orthoepy (the customary pronunciation of a language) has two accepted pronunciations (according to W3)

go figure..

[ blue] [ /blue ] (eliding the spaces...)
/o(r)' thu we pE/
/o(r) thO' uh pE/

1. Stalking Seattle Slew

2. Persistently explain the obvious concerning the work force in the apiary


k

Inspired by etaoin above
hey, I was inspiring!

I would agree with fawging, though one might argue for fah; as in "ahhh" like at the doctor.

Depressed Dvorak was spendthrift

Blue Czech blew cheque.

...I wanted to do something with "wanton Anton" but nobody bought it.

"What the tense impaired grocer declared after the legume broths had been properly shelved"

Bean Stocks Be In Stacks!!

Collins’s style permeates estate

Phil's manner fills manor.
(I got the first and third words, a co-worker got the second and fourth -- nothing like teamwork!)

*Homemaker support hotline helps housewives vent: “One wife phoned and talked about her extreme distaste for the ring her husband leaves on his shirt from having a sweaty neck ” says founder.

now I'm grasping...
Disdained caller dissed stained collar?????

or
Distant caller disdained collar????

Disdained caller dissed stained collar

I love this answer! I was going for "Caller discussed collar disgust", but I like yours better.

Thanks; it was fun...

From the paper:

*Depressed Dvorak was spendthrift
Blue Czech blew check

*Collins’s style permeates estate
Phil's manner fills manor

*Blockheaded lover has an accident on a rural road
Dense dear dents deer

*Merchant recognized animal in the basement
seller knew cellar gnu

From me:

*Acme Egg Farm Shut Down -- Chickens wafted disgusting odor towards neighboring homes.
fowl sent foul scent

* Franchise founder Sanders puts bullets in corn silo exit-slides
colonel shoots kernel chutes

*Different groups of vulgar pursers, stewards, yeomen, etc. worked on that particular Carnival route throughout the season.
crude crews crewed cuise

* Bono’s group says of his pet sheep: she reminds us of a bunch of fungus/alga symbiotic dual-plants
U2 likens ewe to lichens

*Homemaker support hotline helps housewives vent: “One wife phoned and talked about her extreme distaste for the ring her husband leaves on his shirt from having a sweaty neck ” says founder.
caller discussed collar disgust

*Santa was late for the next house on his list because the weird appendages on Johnny’s pet crab really impressed him
odd claws awed Claus

* Ms. Wray’s namesakes were victorious in the first stage.
Fayes won phase one

*So as not to blemish his reputation as a great athlete, former Left Fielder Rice de-accentuated his “F” in phys-ed when he posted his freshman year report card on his “Meet the 1974-1989 Redsox” website.
Jim grayed gym grade

*(there are 2 in this one) Women Trampled at Free-range Zoo! The exclusive group of house cleaners took a picture (causing a certain sound .) What follows is as would be expected: a sound that was audible irritates group of buffalo , stampede ensues.)
maid clique made click -- a noise heard annoys herd

Guess I didn't get the knack of it.

1. Stalking Seattle Slew
Tracking Track King

2. Persistently explain the obvious concerning the work force in the apiary
Belabor bee labor


k

Popular comercial to be ditched:
Admired add - mired

Let's sabotage a small airline company!:
Impair Imp Air!

what a fun game
but there was NO way I'd have got Dense dear dents deer - I was on a completely different path, and it wasn't leading to the answer.