A Puzzle With Everything, Including The Kitchen Sink

Transcript

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

The big boxing fight may have been last night, but we're about to unleash our own heavyweight battle. Time for the puzzle.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

MARTIN: In one corner is Will Shortz, puzzle editor of The New York Times and WEEKEND EDITION's puzzle master. Good morning, Will.

WILL SHORTZ, BYLINE: Good morning, Rachel.

MARTIN: OK. What was last week's challenge?

SHORTZ: Yes. It came from listener Dan Ezekiel of Ann Arbor, Mich. Name a famous actor, seven-letter first name, seven-letter last name. I said change the first three letters of the last name to three new letters and you'll name another famous actor with the same first name. And what's interesting, the three letters you changed in the first actor's name plus the three letters you changed them to in the second actor's name, in order, spell the last name of a famous third actor. Who are these three Hollywood stars? And the answer was Anthony Hopkins and Anthony Perkins, and those letters you changed from and to spell Hopper, as in Dennis Hopper. We also accepted William Hopper. Do you remember him from "Perry Mason"?

MARTIN: I do not.

SHORTZ: I think that's before your time.

MARTIN: A little before my time. Wow, though. That was a doozy of a puzzle. Over 750 of you got the correct answer. Our randomly chosen winner this week is Warren Orloff of Worthington, Ohio. He joins us on the line now. Hey, Warren, How's it going? Congratulations.

WARREN ORLOFF: Oh, thank you. Thank you.

MARTIN: So you a big movie buff? How'd you figure this one out?

ORLOFF: I am, I am, and the seven-letter first name and seven-letter last name helped a lot.

MARTIN: And what's happening for you in Worthington, Ohio?

ORLOFF: Let's see, I'm a teacher and...

MARTIN: What do you teach?

ORLOFF: I teach high school biology and anatomy.

MARTIN: Oh, cool. And do you happen to have a question for Will Shortz, Warren?

ORLOFF: I do. Will, I know that you've been on TV before because of your puzzling abilities. And I was just wondering what other surprising doors have opened for you because you are a lifetime puzzler?

MARTIN: Oh.

SHORTZ: Well, I'll tell you, a week ago, I was invited to be the commencement speaker for the University of Virginia Law School next year, 2016. Now, I'm a UVA law school graduate, so it wasn't a completely crazy thing.

MARTIN: Yeah.

SHORTZ: But I always thought of myself as a black sheep of law, you know, because I've never practiced.

MARTIN: Validation.

SHORTZ: So maybe this will make me legitimate.

MARTIN: Vindication.

SHORTZ: There we go.

ORLOFF: Yeah.

MARTIN: OK, Warren, with that, are you ready to play the puzzle?

ORLOFF: I think so.

MARTIN: Let's do it.

SHORTZ: All right, Warren and Rachel, I'm going to give you some words. Each word is an anagram of something you might see in a kitchen. For example, if I said skin you would say sink.

MARTIN: All right.

SHORTZ: Number one is votes, V - O - T - E - S.

ORLOFF: Stove.

SHORTZ: Is right. Number two is anger, A - N - G - E - R. Move one letter to a different spot.

ORLOFF: Oh, range, range.

MARTIN: Yeah.

SHORTZ: Range it is.

ORLOFF: Stove as in range.

MARTIN: Yeah.

ORLOFF: OK. I got it.

MARTIN: We're cooking with fire now.

(LAUGHTER)

SHORTZ: Your next one is a merit, M - E - R - I - T.

ORLOFF: Timer.

SHORTZ: There you go. Trounce, T - R - O - U - N - C - E. Something you would work on when you're working in the kitchen.

MARTIN: Oh.

ORLOFF: Trounce? Wow, Rachel?

SHORTZ: I don't think Rachel knows this one.

MARTIN: What gave it away? I think it's counter.

SHORTZ: Counter is it? Good.

ORLOFF: Oh, oh, yes, yes.

SHORTZ: All right. Snoop, S - N - O - O - P.

ORLOFF: Spoon.

SHORTZ: That's it. Garrett, G - A - R - R - E - T. Now, this is something you might find in your kitchen drawer. OK, and let's say you have some cheese, what would you bring out?

ORLOFF: Grater, grater, grater.

MARTIN: Oh, good. I didn't see that.

SHORTZ: Grater is it. Terrains, T - E - R - R - A - I - N - S, another thing in your kitchen drawer.

ORLOFF: Strainer.

MARTIN: Yeah, good.

SHORTZ: And your last one. Your last one is macroview, M - A - C - R - O - V - I - E - W.

ORLOFF: Oh, geez - microwave.

SHORTZ: Microwave. Nice job.

MARTIN: Warren, well done. I felt like you got the hard ones really easily

ORLOFF: Yeah, spoon, I got that one pretty quickly.

(LAUGHTER)

MARTIN: So for playing the puzzle today, you get a WEEKEND EDITION lapel pen and all kinds of puzzle books and games. You can check them out npr.org/puzzle. And where do here us, Warren? What's your public radio station?

ORLOFF: WCBE in Columbus.

MARTIN: In Columbus, Ohio, Warren Orloff of Worthington, Ohio. Thanks so much for playing the puzzle, Warren.

ORLOFF: Thank you, Rachel. Thank you, Will.

SHORTZ: Thank you.

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

SHORTZ: Yes, think of a common two-word phrase for something else you might see in a kitchen. Reverse the words, that is, put the second word in front of the first, and you'll name a food in one word that you might prepare in a kitchen. What is it? So again, something you might see in a kitchen, reverse the words, and you'll name a food in one word that you might prepare in a kitchen. What food is it?

MARTIN: You know what to do. When you've got the answer go to npr.org/puzzle. Click on that submit your answer link. Send in one entry per person, please. And our deadline for those entries is Thursday, May 7 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 will give you a call and then you get to play on the air with the puzzle editor of The New York Times, and he's WEEKEND EDITION's puzzle master Will Shortz. Thanks so much, Will.

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