Backwards Logic

Transcript

JONATHAN COULTON, BYLINE: (Singing) Crazy, but that's how it goes. Millions of people living as foes. Maybe it's not too late to learn how to love and forget how to hate. Mental wounds not healing. Life's a bitter shame. Going off the rails on a crazy train. Going off the rails on a crazy train.

(APPLAUSE)

OPHIRA EISENBERG, HOST:

Jonathan Coulton. Our next contestant is on the line. Hello, you're on ASK ME ANOTHER.

MIA ISEMAN: Hi, everyone. My name's Mia Iseman, calling from Austin, Texas.

EISENBERG: Hello.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: Now Mia, we're going to play a game called "Backwards Logic." Would you consider yourself a logical thinker?

ISEMAN: Oh, yes, indeed.

EISENBERG: Oh, yeah?

ISEMAN: Yeah.

EISENBERG: What do you do for, you know, cash?

ISEMAN: Oh, I taught geometry.

EISENBERG: Oh, OK, so yeah, you absolutely are a logical thinker. All right, well, this will be easy then. But it's sort of math, but in word form.

ISEMAN: OK.

EISENBERG: We'll read you sentences that contain a word that becomes another word when spelled backwards.

ISEMAN: OK.

EISENBERG: So your job is to find that backwards word. The good news is that each sentence is also a clue. For example, if we said, it's not a tuber, the answer would be, of course...

ISEMAN: Reboot?

EISENBERG: If you're in Canada, yes. Yeah, reboot, rebut, yes.

ISEMAN: Oh, rebut.

COULTON: Rebut.

EISENBERG: Write tuber backwards, exactly.

ISEMAN: Got it.

EISENBERG: Ready? All right.

ISEMAN: They're all laughing at me.

EISENBERG: No, they're laughing at me. They are laughing at me, Mia.

COULTON: Something else happened in the room; something else happened that's unrelated to you that they're laughing at.

ISEMAN: I don't know. I can't see you guys.

EISENBERG: No, you're doing great. We love you. Let's do it. Drinking fancy beer makes me feel regal.

EISENBERG: Drinking fancy beer makes me feel regal.

ISEMAN: Oh, my gosh, I don't know.

EISENBERG: OK, regal backwards?

(LAUGHTER)

ISEMAN: Oh, I get it.

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ISEMAN: The answer is, of course, lager.

EISENBERG: Yes it is.

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ISEMAN: Man, they love me.

EISENBERG: They love you - cheering for you. Dennis the Menace did some bad things.

ISEMAN: It's almost sinned. Is it sinned?

EISENBERG: Yes, it is sinned, exactly.

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EISENBERG: Should I re-knit this sweater or just make small changes?

ISEMAN: Oh, tinker.

EISENBERG: Tinker, yeah.

(LAUGHTER)

EISENBERG: See now it's getting super easy.

ISEMAN: I love that word, so...

EISENBERG: Tinker?

ISEMAN: Yeah.

EISENBERG: Interesting.

(LAUGHTER)

ISEMAN: Are you making fun of me again?

EISENBERG: No.

(LAUGHTER)

COULTON: You know what? The same funny thing happened from before.

(LAUGHTER)

EISENBERG: Your answers are funny, and we are enjoying your personality.

ISEMAN: Oh, thanks.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: But I understand deep paranoia. Trust me.

(LAUGHTER)

EISENBERG: Why do you keep sneaking looks at me? What about that one?

ISEMAN: Because I want to take a peek.

EISENBERG: Yeah, exactly.

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EISENBERG: I am stressed about my figure after eating all those cupcakes.

ISEMAN: You shouldn't have had so many desserts.

EISENBERG: Now we're doing call and answer.

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EISENBERG: Mia, that's it. We never made fun of you and you won.

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EISENBERG: Congratulations.

ISEMAN: Thanks.

EISENBERG: We are going to send you a limited edition ASK ME ANOTHER Rubik's cube.

ISEMAN: I'm so happy. Thank you.

EISENBERG: I'm happy too. Thank you so much.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: Do you know your trivia backwards and forwards? Then you should be a contestant on our show. Email us at askmeanother@npr.org and we'll see if you have what it takes. After the break we'll sing about some famous Ricks, and maybe a famous Ethan will sing to us, so stay tuned. This is ASK ME ANOTHER from NPR. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.