Each audio track is the phonetic pronunciation of a clue that has been phonetically transformed. Transforming the answer the same way will yield languages.
Blanks and numbers are provided for the clue answers. Taking the numbered letters 1-22 yields "His included the word song." The "he" in this case is Bob Dylan, singer of "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35," whence the famous lyric "Everybody must get stoned" and winner of a 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature. The citation for his prize included the word "song."
There are one or two extra words in each clue. These words come from the Nobel Committee's recognition of a Nobel laureate in that language. The clue's word length (counting the extra words) equals the number of letters in the last name of the author. Take the letters corresponding with extra words to get DECLINE A NOBEL PRIZE FOR LITERATURE.
Clip | Clue as pronounced | Transformation | Clue (extra words in parenthesis) | Clue answer | Letter | Language | Author | Extra |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | uh-sh-yarp uh-cl-yaw uh-f-yound uh-yawn uh-pre-da-tor-yee (uh-scee-nyic) (uh-ree-vi-vyal) uh-cree-chyurs uh-l-yike uh-falk-yuhns | Add I to front, j before last vowel | Sharp claw found on predatory (scenic) (revival) creatures like falcons | talon | N | Italian | PIRANDELLO | DE |
2 | mar-vel-uhn saw-mihs-uhn boos-uhn sre-ay-tor-uhn jah-suhn (sunch-ree-uhn) | Change k to s, add ən to end | Marvel comic book creator Jack (country) | Kirby | R | Serbian | ANDRIĆ | C |
3 | noyj-uhn thiw-en (slih-shake-uhn) (leez-uhn) craff-it-uhn lie-wuhn ngrai-vid-uhn | Swap first and last consonants, add ən | Join with (cliches) (zeal) traffic while driving | merge | G | German | JELINEK | LI |
4 | wee-din ree-duh-peet-uhd, kee-dayt-ee (kee-dun-densd) pee-dairy seed-ong thee-dat fee-dee-churs nee-dik-kee (tree-dans-loo-cent) mee-din-ahj | Add iː d after before first vowel | When repeated, Katy (condensed) Perry song that features Nicki (translucent) Minaj | Swish | W | Swedish | TRANSTRÖMER | NE |
5 | Bruhb-itish (thruhb-oo) wrub-ait-erub djorub-dj oruhb-wellz beruhb-th foruhb-naim | Insert əb after ɹ | British (through) writer George Orwell's birth forename | Eric | C | Arabic | MAHFOUZ | A |
6 | erife nah nahluhbab zootnosh erknockoh (pokes) | Completely reverse | "Fire on Babylon" chanteuse O'Connor (scope) | Sinead | D | Danish | JENSEN | N |
7 | hee-maik hee-beer hee-with (hee-pro-found-lee) hee-fer-ment-ai-shun | Add hiː to front | Make beer with (profoundly) fermentation | brew | E | Hebrew | AGNON | O |
8 | shohn shohz, mohp, floors, (frohg-mens), bohf oh-puhlz, or, ohm-pruv roe-ting | Change first vowel sound to oʊ | Shine shoes, mop floors, (fragments), buff apples, or improve writing | polish | H | Polish | SZYMBORSKA | B |
9 | ai-tik'm ai-for ai-spoh-kuhn ay-vik-shuhn (ai-pow-ik) ai-of ai-lai-buhl | Add aI to front, change ɜː to Ik | Term for spoken version (power) of libel | slander | D | Icelandic | LAXNESS | E |
10 | thuh-nuh din-i-vai-duhd (pehn-ehz-ehnt-ree) skai-nai an-and chawn-awk-dust (ehn-ehks-kwiz-it) tohnor-cher ban-and | Double first vowel, insert n between them | "The Divided (peasantry) Sky" and "Chalkdust (exquisite) Torture" band | Phish | S | Finnish | SILLANPÄÄ | LP |
11 | cree-tchu-chuh-reez ree-tchu-eez-em-bling (pair-tchu-uh-bull-eez) pu-tchu-fin-eez seentchu dur-tchu-ing last-tchu jeh-tchu-di | Add t͡ʃ ə after first syllable, i before z | Creatures resembling (parables) puffins seen during Last Jedi | Porgs | O | Portuguese | SARAMAGO | R |
12 | span-uh-lies (sla-rik-uhl) saar sad-min-ist-er sdas-i-plin sta (spya-rity) | add s to front, change first vowel to æ | Penalize (lyrical) or administer discipline to (purity) | punish | U | Spanish | JIMÉNEZ | IZ |
13 | tail-bohss (sresh-neff) thi-wh (nam) oot tiff-er-ehnd sast'm | Swap first and last phonemes | Sailboat (freshness) with (man) two different masts | ketch | T | Czech | SEIFERT | EF |
14 | ing-ech-nik-uhl (ing-iss-ench-uhl) (ing-as-pek) ing-rubb-uhl, ing-sof-wair ing-eks-ploy ing-or ing-mis-aik | Add ɪ ŋ to start, delete t | Technical (essential aspect) trouble, software exploit, or mistake | glitch | L | English | MORRISON | OR |
15 | heen-lin (tree-dish-uhn) nee-oh-luhdj-izm feer (free-duhm) keem-pruh-hend | Change first vowel to iː | Heinlein (tradition) neologism for (freedom) comprehend | grok | O | Greek | ELYTIS | LI |
16 | kahm-rach, buh-chee, or (speer-it) kahn-fi-chawnt (kwest) | Change d to tʃ | Comrade, buddy, or (spirit) confidant (quest) | friend | I | French | SARTRE | TE |
17 | mawsh-uh-nik-er for djoh-sef sim-uhshunz who (poh-eh-tree) part-shuhn-erd with muhk-dash-uhn-yuhls | Add ʃə before n | Moniker for Joseph Simmons who (poetry) partnered with McDaniels | Run | N | Russian | PASTERNAK | R |
18 | spaind (binn-er) behn-er-uhgiz | Change 3rd phoneme to N | Spiced (bitter) beverages | Chai teas | I | Chinese | GAO | A |
19 | soo-per-ai-luh-tiv-lee n-ar-vai-ing fam-i-ai-shd (hin-er-ai-ee) nee-di-aing suh-ni-ai-nans bad-lai-ee | Insert ɛ after 4th phoneme, change st to n | Superlatively starving, famished, (history) needing sustenance badly | hungriest | E | Hungarian | KERTÉSZ | T |
20 | ker-ta-ee ner-kor-ee per-kam-ee (serkwett) ker-nick-nass | Penultimate phoneme, plus ɝ to front | Tacky corny campy (quest) knickknacks | kitsch | S | Turkish | PAMUK | U |
21 | ya-sa-tuhl-ite yuh-duh-viss you-food yay-playt you-byou-tee (yuh-truh-dish-uhn) | j and first vowel added to front | Satellite device, food plate, beauty (tradition) | dish | D | Yiddish | SINGER | R |
22 | djran-spyr-eez (jruh-dik-uh-men-eet) | Change first to dʒ and insert iː before last phoneme | Transpires (predicament) | happens | H | Japanese | ŌE | E |