< Sunday Puzzle: Fill in the Blank

May 2024 · 6 minute read

AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:

And y'all better be ready 'cause it's time to play the Puzzle.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

RASCOE: Joining us, as always, is Will Shortz. He's puzzle editor of The New York Times and puzzlemaster of WEEKEND EDITION. Good morning, Will.

WILL SHORTZ, BYLINE: Good morning, Ayesha. Your intros always make me smile.

RASCOE: Oh, and I think you got some good news that has you smiling, too, right? I have to say congratulations. You're a newlywed.

SHORTZ: I got married on Tuesday, and the big ceremony is next Saturday.

RASCOE: Oh.

SHORTZ: And there will be puzzles and games involved.

RASCOE: (Laughter) Yes. I am so excited for you. That is amazing. Congratulations.

SHORTZ: Thank you. Thank you.

RASCOE: That is amazing news. And so - but we still putting you to work out here. So you got to tell us about this challenge (laughter).

SHORTZ: Yes. It came from Michael Schwartz of Florence, Ore. I said name something found on a map of England - two words. The last two letters of the first word are the same as the first two letters of the last. And if you go to England, curiously, you can't see this place. You can see it only on a map. What is it? And the answer is prime meridian.

RASCOE: Ooh, OK, OK. Well, it sounds like y'all blew this one out of the water (laughter). There were more than 1,800 correct entries. And Jeff Forster of Pittsburgh, Pa., is our Puzzle winner. Congratulations, Jeff.

JEFF FORSTER: Thank you so much. And congratulations to Will on your wedding.

SHORTZ: Thank you, Jeff. I appreciate that.

RASCOE: I hear that you actually won before. So you've played this before?

FORSTER: I did win before in 1999.

RASCOE: Wow. Oh, my goodness. So it's been a long time coming for you to get back on again.

FORSTER: It has. I'm amazed.

RASCOE: (Laughter) What do you like to do when you're not playing the Puzzle?

FORSTER: I like to play basketball, and I cycle, and I'm a baker. I bake bread and cookies.

RASCOE: Oh. Oh, that sounds very nice. So then I feel like you're definitely ready to play this Puzzle 'cause you going to have the stamina, but you also have the sweetness that we need to get through, right? So you're ready to play the Puzzle?

FORSTER: I am ready.

RASCOE: OK, take it away, Will.

SHORTZ: All right, Jeff, I hope this is in your wheelhouse. I'm going to read you some sentences. Each sentence has two blanks. Change the first letter of the word that goes in the first blank to Q-U to get the word that goes in the second blank. For example, if I said the ducks in our blank yard blank a lot, you would say back and quack, as in the ducks in our backyard quack a lot.

So here we go, number one. After jogging, I sat on a park blank with a sports drink to blank my thirst.

FORSTER: Bench and quench.

SHORTZ: You got it. Number two, the price of a blank of oil to the exact penny is not something to blank about. Here it is again. The price of a blank of oil to the exact penny is not something to blank about.

FORSTER: Barrel and quarrel?

SHORTZ: You got it. How many blocks of limestone can a rail car blank from a blank? Here it is again. How many blocks of limestone can a rail car blank from a blank?

FORSTER: Oh, carry from a quarry.

SHORTZ: You got it. The chef's - that's apostrophe S - the chef's blank in the world of cooking was making blank lorraine.

FORSTER: Niche and quiche.

SHORTZ: You got it. If you haven't heard about a manuscript you submitted months ago, it would be blank smart to blank your editor.

RASCOE: What was it? Quooksmart (ph)?

SHORTZ: And that second Q-U word is a synonym for question. You would send something to your editor.

FORSTER: Very smart to...

RASCOE: Oh, yeah.

FORSTER: ...Query your editor.

SHORTZ: You got it. The blank was two members short of a blank to conduct business.

RASCOE: Oh.

FORSTER: Something in quorum. Is it...

SHORTZ: Yeah, yeah.

FORSTER: ...Forum and quorum?

SHORTZ: Yeah. Forum and quorum. Good. The witty writer was most blank for being eminently blank.

RASCOE: Oh.

FORSTER: So it sounds like quips.

SHORTZ: Oh, no, not quip.

FORSTER: No, not quips. Quotes - no.

SHORTZ: Oh, yeah. You want to - you're on to the track. The witty writer was most blank for being eminently blank.

FORSTER: Yeah. Notable, quotable?

RASCOE: Oh (laughter).

SHORTZ: You got it.

FORSTER: OK.

SHORTZ: Here's your last one. The words blank and blank both mean to exhibit unsteadiness. The words blank and blank both mean to exhibit unsteadiness. And the first one is if you're trying to make a decision, you might this first word. And the second one is in terms of your voice being unsteady.

FORSTER: Wavering and quavering.

SHORTZ: Waver and quaver. You got it.

RASCOE: Oh, my goodness. I kind of got some of these, but I got them late, and I could - I would - it took me a little time to get it together. But you did a great job, Jeff, so you're awesome. How do you feel?

FORSTER: I feel great. That was a lot of fun.

RASCOE: That was a great Puzzle for you. I'm glad you got it 'cause we would've been sitting here for a little while trying to figure out some of these. So for playing our Puzzle today, you'll get a WEEKEND EDITION lapel pin, as well as puzzle books and games. You can read all about it at npr.org/puzzle. And, Jeff, what member station do you listen to?

FORSTER: We are sustaining members of WESA.

RASCOE: Oh, we love to hear that. That's Jeff Forster of Pittsburgh, Pa. Thank you so much for playing the Puzzle.

FORSTER: Thank you.

RASCOE: OK, Will, so what's next week's challenge?

SHORTZ: Yes, it comes from listener Dan Pitt of Palo Alto, Calif. Name a famous contemporary singer - six letters in the first name, four letters in the last. The second, fourth, sixth, eighth and ninth letters in order spell a repeated part of a song that everyone knows. What is it? So again, a famous contemporary singer - six, four. The second, fourth, sixth, eighth and ninth letters in order spell a repeated part of a song that everyone knows. What song is it?

RASCOE: When you have the answer, go to our website, npr.org/puzzle, and click on the Submit Your Answer link. Remember, just one entry, please. Our deadline for entries this week is Thursday, August 17 at 3 p.m. Eastern. Don't forget to include a phone number where we can reach you. If you're the winner, we'll give you a call. And if you pick up the phone, you'll get to play on the air with the puzzle editor of The New York Times and puzzlemaster of WEEKEND EDITION, Will Shortz. Thank you, Will.

SHORTZ: Thank you, Ayesha.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

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