Lightning Fill In The Blank

Transcript

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

Now, it is time to move on to the final game, Lightning Fill In The Blank. Each of our players now has 60 seconds in which to answer as many fill-in-the-blank questions as he or she can. Each correct answer now worth two points. Bill, can you give us the scores?

BILL KURTIS, BYLINE: Aparna has two, Amy three, and Peter has four.

AMY DICKINSON: Whoa.

KURTIS: Quite the catch.

SAGAL: All right. Well, this is pretty clear then. Aparna, you are in fact in third place. You're going to go first. Please fill in the blank. The clock will start when I begin your first question. Here we go. This week, President Obama apologized to the families of two blanks killed by a drone strike in January.

APARNA NANCHERLA: Al-Qaida hostages.

SAGAL: Yes indeed.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: On Thursday, Apple opened a new app store for their blanks, which began shipping this week.

NANCHERLA: Apple watches.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: Saudi Arabia announced Tuesday that it was ending its campaign of airstrikes against the rebels in blank.

NANCHERLA: Yemen.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: This week, officials in Oklahoma admitted to a link between fracking and the dramatic increase in blank.

NANCHERLA: Earthquakes.

SAGAL: Yes.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: Police in Pittsburgh managed to catch a four-time bank robber despite the fact that he disguised himself by blanking.

NANCHERLA: Hiding.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: No. He wore a fake beard over his real beard. On Thursday...

(LAUGHTER)

NANCHERLA: Even better.

SAGAL: On Thursday, Google announced Project Fi, their new wireless blank service.

NANCHERLA: Mobile.

SAGAL: Yeah, mobile service.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: An English surgeon had his medical license revoked...

(SOUNDBITE OF GONG)

SAGAL: ...After he tried to fix a patient's fractured cheek bone by blanking.

NANCHERLA: Wearing a fake beard over his beard.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: No. He tried to fix a patient's fractured cheek bone by punching him 10 times in the face. In his defense, the doctor says the technique is a perfectly acceptable nonsurgical method for dealing with fractured cheekbones, though he did have trouble explaining how taking a bite of the patient's left ear helped with the healing process. Bill, how did Aparna do on our quiz?

KURTIS: Five write for 10 more points. She now has 12 points and the lead.

SAGAL: Well done.

(APPLAUSE)

SAGAL: All right. Amy, you're up next. Fill in the blank. White House officials announced Monday that an airstrike had seriously wounded the leader of blank.

DICKINSON: ISIS.

SAGAL: Yes.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: This week, Bluebell recalled all of its ice cream products over fears of a blank contamination.

DICKINSON: Listeria.

SAGAL: Yeah.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: Saying that it was perfect for music festivals, road trips and families on the go, a company has begun selling blank.

DICKINSON: Marijuana lollipops.

SAGAL: No, giant human-sized wet wipes.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: According to a new study - like, they're like big towels, but they're wet wipes. According to a new study from the Physical Activity Council, Americans are the blank-est they've been since 2007.

DICKINSON: Most obese.

SAGAL: Laziest is the answer. Ethiopian Lelisa Desisa and Kenyan Caroline Rotich were the winners of this year's blank.

DICKINSON: Boston Marathon.

SAGAL: Right. This week...

(SOUNDBITE OF GONG)

SAGAL: ... A woman suffering from agoraphobia went outside for only the third time in 10 years and promptly blanked.

DICKINSON: Died.

SAGAL: No, she fell down an open manhole.

(LAUGHTER)

DICKINSON: No.

SAGAL: The woman, whose real name - this is the truth...

PETER GROSZ: I told you.

DICKINSON: No.

SAGAL: Her name, believe it or not, is Janet Fall.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: She suffered only minor injuries after leaving her house for only the third time in 10 years and almost immediately falling into an open manhole, which means she was right.

GROSZ: And the previous two times, she also fell in manholes.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Different ones every time.

NANCHERLA: She has a horrible track record.

GROSZ: Listen, it's not going to happen again.

SAGAL: Bill, how did Amy do on our quiz?

KURTIS: Amy got three right, six more points, total of nine, but Aparna has the lead still.

SAGAL: OK. How many then does Peter need to win?

KURTIS: Four to tie and five to win.

SAGAL: All right. Peter, this is this is for the game. Fill in the blank. After an extended delay, the Senate voted to confirm blank as the new attorney general.

GROSZ: Loretta Lynch.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: On Tuesday, officials in Italy arrested the captain of a migrant ship that blanked off the coast of Libya.

GROSZ: Capsized.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: The family of Michael Brown announced Thursday plans to file a wrongful death suit against the city of blank.

GROSZ: Ferguson.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: On Monday, Mohamed Morsi, the former president of blank, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

GROSZ: Egypt.

SAGAL: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: A Business Insider headline that announced that Southwest Airlines was adding seven inches of legroom was soon corrected to blank.

GROSZ: Zero.

SAGAL: No, Southwest is adding .7 inches of legroom.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: During induction ceremonies for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Yoko Ono called blank the most influential Beatle.

GROSZ: I'm going to go with Ringo.

SAGAL: Yes, Ringo.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

SAGAL: During a San Francisco Giants game this week, play was delayed by blank.

GROSZ: Steroids.

SAGAL: No, a chicken nugget falling from the sky and onto the field.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: On Wednesday, Scottish traffic officials warned motorists...

(SOUNDBITE OF GONG)

SAGAL: ...To expect delays thanks to blank.

GROSZ: Heavy accents.

SAGAL: No, a dog driving a tractor on the highway.

(LAUGHTER)

NANCHERLA: No.

SAGAL: The tractor was driven by a sheepdog named Don who had accidentally leaned on the controls while his owner was checking on the flock. Don eventually crashed the tractor through a fence and onto the highway, eventually coming to a stop in a median. Problem is it's very hard to steer while at the same time sticking your head out the window.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Bill, did...

GROSZ: The best day of that dog's life, by far.

SAGAL: It really was. I'm making it. I'm making it.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: No more sheep, ever. So, Bill, did Peter do well enough to win?

KURTIS: Five right, 10 more points, 14 and the win.

SAGAL: Yay for Peter. Well done.

(APPLAUSE)

SAGAL: In just a minute, we'll ask our panelists to predict who will be the next person caught trying to hide something in their past. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.