The Color Of This Puzzle Is Punny Looking

Transcript

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

OK steal yourselves. We are headed into a jungle of the unknown; a wild and wondrous place where one man's creations will challenge your smarts, your skills and your nerve. But you will find no dinosaurs here. It is time for the puzzle. Joining me now is Will Shortz, puzzle editor of The New York Times, WEEKEND EDITION's puzzle master, lover of dinosaurs. Hi, Will.

WILL SHORTZ, BYLINE: Good morning, Rachel.

MARTIN: I just added that. I just added that last bit. I just assumed you kind of like "Jurassic Park" and dinosaurs.

SHORTZ: I love it. I do. Are you going to see "Jurassic World"?

MARTIN: Totally. It seems like a spectacle you can't miss.

SHORTZ: That's right.

MARTIN: All right, reminder us of last week's challenge.

SHORTZ: Yes. It came from listener David Rosen of Bethesda, Md. I said name a person in Washington, D.C., seven letters in the first name, five letters in the last. Drop the last sound in the last name. And the result phonetically will be the first and last name of a famous living entertainer. Who is it? So the answer is Loretta Lynch, attorney general, and Loretta Lynn the singer, who's about to embark on a tour.

MARTIN: Oh, very cool. So over 300 of you all got the answer right. This week's winner is Neville Fogarty of Lexington, Ky. He joins us on the line now. Hey, Neville.

NEVILLE FOGARTY: Good morning, Rachel.

MARTIN: Congratulations.

FOGARTY: Well, thank you so much. I appreciate it.

MARTIN: How'd you figure it out?

FOGARTY: I heard the puzzle, and it sounded sort of familiar to me. And I racked my brain for a while, but I couldn't come up with the right answer. So after about a day into that, I'll admit it, I took to the Internet, and searched for a list of the president's recent appointees. And immediately, when I saw Loretta Lynch, I said, well, that's it. And it's Loretta Lynn. If you live in Kentucky, you're going to know who Loretta Lynn is.

MARTIN: Yeah, there you go. And for those of us who have never been to Lexington, what's your favorite part of that town?

FOGARTY: So we got a lot of horses, but we have even more bourbon. I like that aspect of it.

MARTIN: (Laughter). Will Shortz is on the line, Neville. Do you happen to have a question for him?

FOGARTY: Well, in fact, I have a close relationship with will in the sense that I've written a couple of puzzles The New York Times myself.

MARTIN: Wow.

FOGARTY: I'm not sure if Will recognized my name immediately.

SHORTZ: Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, I did not hear your last name, but yeah, I was just thinking Neville. Fantastic, yeah.

MARTIN: Two expert puzzlers and me, the hanger on person (laughter). All rights, so that means you're probably going to be good at this, Neville. Are you ready to show me up?

FOGARTY: Well, no, Rachel, if I need your help, I'm not going to be afraid to ask.

MARTIN: OK, that's a fair deal. All right, Will, take it away.

SHORTZ: All right, Neville and Rachel, I'm going to read your some sentences. Each sentence has a blank. Put the name of a color in the blank to complete the sentence in a punny way. For example, after getting title to the Maserati, I was able to call that blank, starting with the letter C, and you would say carmine. As in, I was able to call that car mine.

MARTIN: Wow, OK.

FOGARTY: OK (laughter).

MARTIN: My mind exploded. Let's try.

SHORTZ: Number one, to avoid a blank the wound heal naturally, starting with S.

FOGARTY: The wound heals naturally - maybe a scar something.

SHORTZ: Yeah, yeah, yeah, what color starts with scar?

FOGARTY: Scarlett.

SHORTZ: Yeah, to avoid a scar.

FOGARTY: ...Scar, let the wound heal naturally.

MARTIN: Oh, OK. Wow. OK.

SHORTZ: That's it. And if that was bad, there's worse to come. Number two, for many older moviegoers, action films these days are too - starting with V. For many older moviegoers, action films these day are too blank, starting with V.

FOGARTY: Another B - oh, they're violet.

SHORTZ: They're too violet. That's right. We stayed up all night watching for shooting stars, but we didn't blank, starting with S.

FOGARTY: Oh, we didn't see...

SHORTZ: Yeah, yeah.

FOGARTY: See - any.

SHORTZ: Oh, yeah, yeah, just say - what color is that.

MARTIN: Sienna.

SHORTZ: We didn't Sienna.

FOGARTY: Oh, Sienna.

(LAUGHTER)

FOGARTY: Thanks, Rachel.

MARTIN: Sure.

SHORTZ: Had the answer, didn't know it. All right, try this one. The attorney said to her clients, blank lawyer, I recommend keeping quiet, starting with A.

FOGARTY: As a lawyer...

SHORTZ: Oh, yeah, yeah, almost. Yeah start with the A.

FOGARTY: Azure.

SHORTZ: Azure lawyer, nice. Louis Armstrong was a professional blank, starting with J.

FOGARTY: He was a jasmine.

MARTIN: Good.

SHORTZ: That's it, a professional jasmine. And here's your last one. In packing my suitcase, I made room for some more items, and now blank, starting with I.

FOGARTY: Indigo.

SHORTZ: Now, indigo.

MARTIN: Wait, I don't get that one.

FOGARTY: In they go

SHORTZ: In they go.

MARTIN: Oh, OK, all right, fine. I'll give you that one.

(LAUGHTER)

SHORTZ: Nice job.

MARTIN: That was great. Neville, you did awesome.

FOGARTY: Oh, well, thanks, Rachel, and thanks for your help o na few of those there.

MARTIN: You bet. You didn't really need it. But for playing the puzzle today, you get a WEEKEND EDITION lapel pin, puzzle books and games, and you can read about your prizes at npr.org/puzzle. And where do you hear us, Neville, what's your public radio station?

FOGARTY: WUKY here at the University of Kentucky.

MARTIN: Neville Fogarty of Lexington, Ky. Thanks so much for playing the puzzle, Neville. It was fun.

FOGARTY: Well, thanks again, Rachel. And thank you, Will.

SHORTZ: Thank you.

MARTIN: OK, Will, what's up for next week?

SHORTZ: Yes, think of an adjective that describes many shampoos, add the brand name of a shampoo in its basic form. And the result reading the letters in order from left to right will name a famous musician. Who is it? So again, an adjective that describes many shampoos, add the brand name of a shampoo, and the result reading left to right will name a famous musician. Who is it?

MARTIN: When you've got the answer, go to our website, npr.org/puzzle. Click on the submit your answer link. Just one entry per person please. The deadline for those entries is Thursday, June 18, at 3 p.m. Eastern time. Don't forget to include a phone number where we can reach you at about that time, and if you're the winner, we'll give you a call. And then you get to play on the air with the puzzle editor of The New York Times and WEEKEND EDITION's puzzle master, Will Shortz. Thanks so much, Will.

SHORTZ: Thanks a lot, Rachel. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.