Will Shortz

You'd Better Sit Tight For This One

Will Shortz — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 07:02:00 +0000

On-air challenge: Every answer is a familiar two-word phrase or name in which the first word starts SI and the second word starts with T. For example, given "unadorned set of facts," you would say, "simple truth."

Last week's challenge: Name a movie in two words — five letters in each word. Both words start with vowels. Take one letter in the first word, move it two spaces later in the alphabet, and rearrange the result. You'll get the second word in the movie's title.

Follow Homer To Find Your Way

Will Shortz — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 08:56:00 +0000

On-air challenge: Categories are given based on the name "Homer," the name of a town in Alaska. Name something in the category beginning with each of the letters H-O-M-E-R. For example, if the category were "Chemical Elements," you might say Helium, Oxygen, Magnesium, Einsteinium, and Radon. You can give the answers in any order.

Last week's challenge from Merl Reagle, one of the country's top crossword makers: Can you name three common three-letter words that are all synonyms and which together consist of nine different letters of the alphabet?

Keep Your I On The Prize

Will Shortz — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 09:06:00 +0000

On-air challenge: Every answer is a made-up two-word phrase in which the letter I is inserted somewhere inside the first word to get the second word.

Last week's challenge: Think of a word starting with G. Change the G to a T and rearrange the letters after the T.

Investigating The Crime Scene

Will Shortz — Sun, 26 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

On-air challenge: Today's theme is "C.S.I." — as in the name of the long-running TV show. You're given three words starting with the letters C, S and I. For each set, give a fourth word that can follow each of the original words to complete a compound word or a familiar two-word phrase.

Last week's challenge from listener Jeffrey Harris of Chappaqua, NY.: Name a category of books, in two words. Add one letter to each word — the same letter of the alphabet in each case.

Put On Your Thinking Hat

Will Shortz — Sun, 19 May 2013 08:28:00 +0000

On-air challenge: Every answer is a familiar two-word phrase or name in which the first word starts with H-A and the second word starts with T.

Last week's challenge: From listener Al Gori of Cozy Lake, N.J. Name a famous American man — first and last names. Change the first letter of his first name from T to H. The result will sound like a term for an attractive person.

This One Is For You, Ma

Will Shortz — Sun, 12 May 2013 09:34:00 +0000

On-air challenge: You are given two words starting with M-A. The answer is a third word that can follow the first one and precede the second one, in each case to complete a compound word or a familiar two-word phrase.

Last week's challenge: Name a famous performer whose last name has six letters. Move the first three letters to the end — without otherwise changing the order of the letters — and add one more letter at the end. The result, in seven letters, will name a place where this person famously performed.

Two Last Names For The Price Of One

Will Shortz — Sun, 05 May 2013 09:24:00 +0000

On-air challenge: Every answer today consists of two people, either real or fictional, whose last names are anagrams of each other.

Last week's challenge: It comes from listener Matt Jones of Portland, Ore. Jones creates a weekly syndicated puzzle called the "Jonesin' Crossword," which appears in more than 50 alternative newspapers around the country. The first 12 letters of the alphabet are A to L. Think of a familiar six-word proverb that contains 11 of these 12 letters (along with additional letters from the second half of the alphabet).

As You Know, Puzzles Are A Pastime

Will Shortz — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 09:01:00 +0000

On-air challenge: For each given category, name something in the category where the first letter is also the first letter of the category. For example, given "Military Ranks," you would say "Major."

Last week's challenge: Name a geographical location in two words — nine letters altogether — that, when spoken aloud, sounds roughly like four letters of the alphabet.

You'll Get It Just Right, Junior

Will Shortz — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 10:45:00 +0000

On-air challenge: Every answer is a familiar two-word phrase or name with the initials "J.R."

Last week's challenge from listener Sandy Weisz: Take a common English word. Write it in capital letters. Move the first letter to the end and rotate it 90 degrees. You'll get a new word that is pronounced exactly the same as the first word.

O Say Can You C The Answer?

Will Shortz — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 08:53:00 +0000

On-air challenge: Every answer is a two-word phrase in which the first word starts with O. Drop the O, and you'll get a new word that ends the phrase.

Last week's challenge: Name something in nine letters that is commonly read on Sunday morning. If you have the right thing, you can rearrange all the letters to name a bygone car model that you still see on the road today.

A Brand-New Word

Will Shortz — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 10:06:00 +0000

On-air challenge: Every answer is a well-known commercial name that spells a regular word or name backward. Identify the brands. For example, given "laundry detergent" and "work in a magazine office," the answer would be "tide" and "edit."

Last week's challenge: Name something in four letters that you use every day. Add the letters O, H and M, and rearrange all seven letters. You will name something else you probably use every day. This seven-letter thing is usually found near the four-letter thing.

Hiding In Plain Sight

Will Shortz — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 09:39:00 +0000

On-air challenge: You will be given some words. For each one, you provide a four-letter word that can follow the first to complete a familiar two-word phrase. The four letters of the second word can always be found inside the first word. For example, given "personal," the answer would be "loan."

Last week's challenge from listener Andrew Chaikin: Take the four words "salt," "afar," "lava" and "trap." Write them one under the other, and the words will read the same vertically as horizontally. This is a word square of four-letter words.

Finding The Answers Within

Will Shortz — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 09:33:00 +0000

On-air challenge: You'll be given clues for some five-letter words. In each case, the letters of the answer can be found consecutively somewhere inside the clue. For example, given "Some teenagers' language," the answer would be "slang"(hidden inside "teenagerS' LANGuage").

Last week's challenge from Tyler Hinman: Take an eight-letter word for something used in water. Phonetically remove a word for something else used in water. Squish what is left together. The result, phonetically, will be a verb describing what water does.

Take Your Pics

Will Shortz — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 07:29:00 +0000

On-air challenge: Every answer is a familiar two-word phrase or name in which the first word starts with the letters P-I and the second word starts with C. For example, given "One of 27 compositions by Mozart" you would say "(Pi)ano (C)oncerto."

Last week's challenge: Think of two familiar three-word sayings in which all three words are the same length. The middle word in both sayings is the same. In each saying, the first and last words rhyme with each other.

From A To Z

Will Shortz — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 05:33:00 +0000

On-air challenge: Every answer is a word containing an A and a Z. Given anagrams of the remaining letters, name the word. For example, given "leg," the answer would be "glaze".

Last week's challenge: Eight people are seated at a circular table. Each person gets up and sits down again — either in the same chair or in the chair immediately to the left or right of the one they were in.

Perfectly Puzzling

Will Shortz — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 10:49:00 +0000

On-air challenge: You will be given two words starting with the letter P. Name a third word starting with P that can follow the first one and precede the second one, in each case to complete a familiar two-word phrase. For example, given "peer" and "point," you would say "pressure," as in "peer pressure" and "pressure point."

Last week's challenge from listener Brian Greer of Portland, Ore.: Name two parts of the human body, 10 letters in all. Place their names one after the other.

Rolling R's Into Wise Words

Will Shortz — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 09:29:00 +0000

On-air challenge: You will be given some words starting with the letter R. You name a proverb or saying that contains each one.

Last week's challenge from listener Gary Alvstad of Tustin, Calif.: Name a well-known movie in two words with a total of 13 letters. Each of the two words contains the letter C. Drop both C's. The letters that remain in the second word of the title will be in alphabetical order, and the letters that remain in the first word will be in reverse alphabetical order.

Dear Mr. President, What's Your Name?

Will Shortz — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 09:36:00 +0000

On-air challenge: In honor of Presidents Day, every answer is the last name of a U.S. president. You will be given a word or phrase that is a president's last name with two letters changed. You name the president. For example, given "Carpet," the answer would be "Carter."

Last week's challenge: Take the last name of a former president of a foreign country, someone well-known. Change the last letter of this name to an O and rearrange the result. You'll get the last name of someone who wanted to be president of the United States.

The Answer Lies Within

Will Shortz — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 05:08:00 +0000

On-air challenge: Every answer is a three-letter word that ends a familiar two-word phrase. You will be given the first word of the phrase. You provide the three-letter word that ends it. And the three letters in your answer will always be found, in some order, inside the first word. For example, given "Arctic," you would say "Air."

Last week's challenge from listeners Mike Morton of Lyme, N.H., and Barry Hayes of Palo Alto, Calif.: Name a famous author, first and last names. Change an X in this name to a B, and rearrange all the letters.

Tackle 'Yards' To Make A Touchdown

Will Shortz — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 09:27:00 +0000

On-air challenge: In recognition of the Super Bowl, the key word is "yards." You will be given some categories. For each one, name something in the category beginning with each of the letters Y, A, R, D and S. For example, if the category were "Girls' Names," you might say Yvonne, Alice, Rachel, Donna and Sally.

Last week's challenge from listener Jed Martinez of Margate, Fla.: Name a personal mode of transportation. Remove its first and sixth letters.

Two Blanks For The Price Of One

Will Shortz — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 10:31:00 +0000

On-air challenge: You will be given some sentences with two blanks. Add the letters E and Y to the word that goes in the first blank to get a new word that goes in the second blank to compete the sentence.

Last week's challenge: Take the last name of a famous world leader of the past. Rearrange the letters to name a type of world leader, like czar or prime minister.

Two Is Company, Three Is A Crowd

Will Shortz — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 05:03:00 +0000

On-air challenge: Given three three-letter words, give a three-letter word that can follow each to complete a familiar six-letter word. None of the words in a set will be related in meaning. For example, given "dam," "man" and "sew," the answer would be "age," which results in "damage," "manage" and "sewage."

Last week's challenge from Sam Loyd: This challenge appeared in a puzzle column in the Woman's Home Companion in January 1913.

Scrambling To Ring In The New Year

Will Shortz — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 11:15:00 +0000

On-air challenge: This week's puzzle celebrates ringing in the new year. Take the letters Y-E-A-R. Add one letter and scramble to make a new word that answers the clue. For example, by adding the letter B to Y-E-A-R, with the clue "maker of aspirin," the answer would be "Bayer."

Last week's challenge from listener Ben Bass of Chicago: First, name a U.S. state capital. Rearrange its letters to spell the name of another American city. Remove one letter and read the result backward to spell a third American city.

If You Didn't Know, Now You Know

Will Shortz — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 10:04:00 +0000

On-air challenge: This week is the annual "new names in the news" quiz. You're given some names that you probably never heard of before 2012, but who made news during the past 12 months. You say who they are. These names were compiled with the help of Kathie Baker and Tim Goodman, who were players on previous year-end quizzes.

Last week's challenge: Take the last name of a famous actor. Drop the first letter, and you'll get the last name of a famous artist. Drop the first letter again, and you'll get the name of a god in classical mythology.

Unwrap 'Christmas' For Your Gift

Will Shortz — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 09:55:00 +0000

On-air challenge: Every answer is a word that can be formed from the letters of "Christmas." You'll be given two words as clues. The first one can precede the answer word, and the second one can follow it — in each case to complete a compound word or familiar two-word phrase. For example, given "forward" and "madness," the answer would be "march" (as in "forward march" and "March Madness").

Last week's challenge from listener Henri Picciotto of Berkeley, Calif.: Name a two-word geographical location. Remove the first letter.

Sticking With The Sunshine State

Will Shortz — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 11:42:00 +0000

On-air challenge: Every answer is a familiar two-word phrase or name in which the first word starts with "F" and the second word starts with "LA."

Last week's challenge: Name a major U.S. city in two words. Take the first letter of the first word and the first two letters of the second word, and they will spell the standard three-letter abbreviation for the state the city is in.

Quick! Sneak In That 'QU'

Will Shortz — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 09:56:00 +0000

On-air challenge: Every answer is a six-letter word containing "QU" somewhere inside it. You'll be given anagrams of the remaining four letters. You name the words (No answer is a plural or a word formed by adding "s.").

Last week's challenge from listener Adam Cohen of Brooklyn, N.Y.: Name two articles of apparel — things you wear — which, when the words are used as verbs, are synonyms of each other.

Untangle An 'Act Of God'

Will Shortz — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 07:53:00 +0000

On-air challenge: Every answer is a familiar three-word phrase in the form "____ of ____." The letters in the first and last words of each phrase are rearranged. You give the phrases. For example, "Cat of Dog" becomes "Act of God."

Last week's challenge from listener Henry Hook of Brooklyn, N.Y.: In a few weeks something will happen that hasn't happened since 1987.

Being Initially Famous

Will Shortz — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 05:03:00 +0000

Special Note: Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, the deadline for this week's puzzle is Wednesday by 3 p.m. Eastern.

On-air challenge: Each clue is a two- or three-word description of a famous person in which the initial letters of the description are also the initials of the person. For example, given the clue "Motown great," the answer would be Marvin Gaye.

Last week's challenge: With one stroke of a pencil you can change a capital F into E; you can change an O into a Q, and so on.

Saluting The Flag

Will Shortz — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 08:33:00 +0000

On-air challenge: Sunday is Veterans Day, so we have a game of categories based on flags. Given some categories, for each one name something in the category beginning with each of the letters F, L, A, G and S.

For example, if the category were chemical elements, you might say fluorine, lead, argon, gold and sulfur.

Last week's challenge from longtime listener Merl Reagle: The words "organic" and "natural" are both commonly seen at health food stores.