N-E-R-D Alert

Transcript

OPHIRA EISENBERG, HOST:

Our next contestant is on the line. Hi. You're on ASK ME ANOTHER.

MONICA MILLER: Hi, this is Monica. I am in Atlanta, Ga.

EISENBERG: Hello, Monica.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: You are a high-level academic.

MILLER: I am a mid-level academic.

EISENBERG: Oh.

MILLER: I have a postdoctoral fellowship at Georgia Tech right now.

EISENBERG: Well, that's very self-deprecating of you.

(LAUGHTER)

EISENBERG: OK. Well, this game is called N-E-R-D Alert. Monica, what are your nerdy activities that you engage in?

MILLER: Oh, you know, your general "Doctor Who,"...

(CHEERS)

MILLER: ..."Star Trek."

EISENBERG: Yup.

MILLER: Does "Downton Abbey" count? I'm quite...

EISENBERG: I mean, not this season. (Laughter).

(LAUGHTER)

MILLER: I live tweet "Downton Abbey" every Sunday night.

EISENBERG: Yup. Good. I think that you just named things that please everyone. Well done.

(LAUGHTER)

EISENBERG: So in this game, we are looking for words, names and phrases that have the letters N-E-R-D in order. For example, a nerd might protest the cancellation of "Firefly" by hanging a large sign over a building, otherwise known as a banner drop.

MILLER: All right.

EISENBERG: Got it?

JOHN FLANSBURGH, BYLINE: Nobody said this was going to be easy.

(LAUGHTER)

EISENBERG: I thought I just heard her hang up the phone, actually. I mean, you're still there, Monica.

MILLER: Oh, yeah. We'll see what we can do.

EISENBERG: All right. Here we go. If a nerd can get up the nerve to ask someone out, he or she might suggest this evening activity, which involves eating a meal. But careful, careful, not too much wine.

MILLER: Dinner date?

EISENBERG: Dinner date. Yes, correct.

FLANSBURGH: Well done.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: Nerds love to quote "Fargo," don't you know. And they know that Marge Gunderson is the sheriff of this Minnesota town. It looks like a portmanteau of a nerd's favorite body organ and the word nerd.

FLANSBURGH: Wow. Portmanteau. I don't even know what that is.

(LAUGHTER)

MILLER: It's the second time the word portmanteau has come up this week.

(LAUGHTER)

FLANSBURGH: Mid-level. Mid-level.

MILLER: Mid-level.

(LAUGHTER)

FLANSBURGH: Come on.

EISENBERG: Yeah, that's high-level.

FLANSBURGH: Quit beating yourself up.

EISENBERG: That is some post-doc nerdom (ph). We're looking for Brainerd.

MILLER: Oh. You know, if you'd said Trip Shakespeare song, I would've gotten that.

EISENBERG: Oh, sorry. I didn't write the clues.

(LAUGHTER)

EISENBERG: But good to know. Doing great. Here we go. It's that running voice in a nerd's head which is constantly telling her to stop acting so nerdy. Just take off your glasses. Be normal.

(LAUGHTER)

MILLER: Inner diva.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: You know what? Yeah.

FLANSBURGH: Judges?

EISENBERG: Totally.

FLANSBURGH: We like it.

EISENBERG: I'm totally taking that. I love that. We were going for inner dialogue. But you added creativity and a little bit of sparkle.

FLANSBURGH: I'm thinking two points.

(LAUGHTER)

EISENBERG: Nerds can't say this two-word name for a dachshund without giggling. Maybe no one can.

MILLER: Wiener dog.

EISENBERG: Wiener dog is correct.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: Monica, you did as good as we were hoping...

(LAUGHTER)

EISENBERG: ...Which means we will be sending you a limited edition ASK ME ANOTHER Rubix Cube for your puzzling pleasure. Thank you so much for playing with us, Monica Miller.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

MILLER: Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: And if you are a N-E-R-D who wants to be on our show, just send us an email to askmeanother@npr.org. We'll send you a contestant quiz and before you know it, you could be on NPR. Coming up, we'll visit a friendly desert community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful and the mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep. Stay tuned. This is ASK ME ANOTHER from NPR.

(APPLAUSE) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.