Sunday Puzzle: Initial fame

Transcript:

AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:

It’s time to play the Puzzle.

(SOUNDBITE OF STEVEN HENLEY JR.’S “PLAY THE PUZZLE”)

RASCOE: Joining us this week is Will Shortz. He’s puzzle editor of The New York Times and Puzzlemaster of WEEKEND EDITION. How’s it going, Will?

WILL SHORTZ: Excellent. Happy Mother’s Day, Ayesha.

RASCOE: Thank you so much. I think my kids remembered (laughter). Will, would you please remind us of last week’s challenge?

SHORTZ: Yes, it came from Andrew Tuite of Chicago. I said there are four countries whose names have anagrams in one syllable that rhyme with Spain. What are they? Well, they are Iran, which rhymes with rain, China, which rhymes with chain, Nepal, which rhymes with plane, and Niger, which rhymes with reign. And some people send in a bonus answer, Erin, E-R-I-N, which is the poetic name for Ireland, and that rhymes with R-E-I-N. Pretty amazing.

RASCOE: Oh, wow. OK. Well, a lot of you got this because there were over 1,000 correct entries. This week’s winner is Tom Rymsza of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Congratulations, Tom.

TOM RYMSZA: Well, thanks, Ayesha.

RASCOE: How did you figure out this week’s answer?

RYMSZA: Well, I know some people use ChatGPT or some of those AIs.

RASCOE: Oh, my goodness. Don’t – say it ain’t so.

SHORTZ: Cheaters, cheaters.

RYMSZA: I don’t use any of them, and I appreciate puzzles that you can’t use them on. China and chain was the first one I came up with, and then they just fell into place after that.

RASCOE: And so you are actually a bit of a pro at this because this is your second time playing on air. When was your first time?

RYMSZA: It was about 10 years ago, right before the Rio Olympics. And I remember asking Will if he thought he could beat that young table tennis player, and he said he didn’t think he could.

RASCOE: Well, Will is very modest. Do you feel more prepared this time around, Tom?

RYMSZA: I am ready as I’m going to be.

RASCOE: (Laughter) OK, take it away, Will.

SHORTZ: All right, Tom and Ayesha, I’m going to give you clues for some famous people, past and present. The first two letters of each clue are the initials of the answer. For example, if I said fancy dancer, you would say Fred Astaire ’cause Fancy starts F-A, and those are the initials of Fred Astaire.

RYMSZA: OK.

SHORTZ: So here’s No. 1, printer and patriot of colonial Boston.

RYMSZA: Paul Revere.

SHORTZ: You got it. Annual prize creator in physics, chemistry and literature.

RYMSZA: Albert Nobel.

SHORTZ: It’s Alfred Nobel, but you got it. Jogged to a gold medal at the 1936 Olympics.

RYMSZA: That’d be Jesse Owens.

SHORTZ: Good. Assassinated Egyptian leader.

RYMSZA: Anwar Sadat.

SHORTZ: You got it. Astronaut who was the first American in space.

RYMSZA: Alan Shepard.

SHORTZ: Excellent. Writer of political commentary in the early 20th century.

RYMSZA: Let’s see. Will – not Shortz – Will Rogers.

SHORTZ: Will Rogers, good job. Madame secretary of state under Bill Clinton.

RYMSZA: That is Madeleine Albright.

SHORTZ: Good job. Oscar-winning director for “Platoon.”

RYMSZA: Uh-oh. Little help, Ayesha?

RASCOE: I’m trying to think myself.

SHORTZ: I’ll go ahead and tell you this one. It’s Oliver Stone.

RASCOE: Oliver Stone.

RYMSZA: Oh, of course it is.

RASCOE: Oh, my goodness. How’d I miss that one? OK.

SHORTZ: All right, try this one, Emmy-winning “Saturday Night Live” comic.

RYMSZA: E-M. How’d these get hard all of a sudden?

RASCOE: Yeah, I know ’cause now I’m thinking E. Who starts with an E?

SHORTZ: OK, the first name is Eddie.

RASCOE: Oh, Eddie Murphy. Oh, yeah.

RYMSZA: Of course.

RASCOE: Oh, my goodness, yeah.

SHORTZ: OK, try this early American patriot. You know him as blank and the Green Mountain Boys.

RYMSZA: Edgar Allen.

SHORTZ: No. It’s also the name of a furniture company, if that helps.

RASCOE: Oh. Ethan? Ethan Allen?

RYMSZA: Ethan Allen.

SHORTZ: Ethan Allen is right. How about Batman player in 2016?

RYMSZA: Ben Affleck.

SHORTZ: You got it, Ben Affleck. How about the star of “Philadelphia” and “Sully”?

RYMSZA: Tom Hanks.

SHORTZ: You got it. She was the mother of six of Thomas Jefferson’s children.

RYMSZA: Who’s Sally…

SHORTZ: Yes.

RYMSZA: Is it Hyde?

RASCOE: Hemings. Hemings.

SHORTZ: Sally Hemings is right. Two-time winner of the PGA Tour FedEx Cup.

RYMSZA: Well, Tiger Woods.

SHORTZ: Tiger Woods is it. And your last one is swinger of a mean tennis racket.

RYMSZA: Sabrina Williams. Sabrina Williams.

SHORTZ: Serena Williams. Good job.

RASCOE: Oh, my goodness. I mean, it got a little tricky around the end, but at first, you were going so fast, I couldn’t even get nothing out.

(LAUGHTER)

RYMSZA: Yeah, I was cooking early.

RASCOE: 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 Tom, what member station do you listen to?

RYMSZA: It’s WITF out of Harrisburg.

RASCOE: That’s Tom Rymsza of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Thank you for playing the Puzzle.

RYMSZA: Thank you for having me.

RASCOE: OK, Will, what’s next week’s challenge?

SHORTZ: Yes, it comes from Greg VanMechelen of Berkeley, California. Name a famous singer, past or present. Remove the first and last letters from the first name, and the result will be a potential partner of the last name. What singer is this?

RASCOE: When you have the answer, go to our website, npr.org/puzzle. And to submit your answer, just fill out the form on the page. Remember, just one entry, please. Our deadline for entries this week is Thursday, May 15 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 STEVEN HENLEY JR.’S “PLAY THE PUZZLE”)