On-air challenge: Every answer is the name of a well-known U.S. city. For every word given, ignore the vowels. The word's consonants are the same consonants appearing in the same order as those in the city's name. For example, given the word "amiable," the answer is "Mobile" (Alabama).
Last week's challenge Think of a common two-word phrase for something 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?
Answer: Cake pan and pancake.
Winner: Sarah Milstein of Brooklyn, N.Y.
Next week's challenge:
This challenge comes from listener Rudy Simons of Southfield, Mich. The letters of the one-syllable word "groan" can be rearranged to spell "organ," which has two syllables. Here's the challenge: Think of a common one-syllable, five-letter word whose letters can be rearranged to spell a common two-syllable word — and then rearranged again to spell a common three-syllable word. I have two different answers in mind, and it's possible there are others, but you only have to think of one.
If you know the answer to next week's challenge, submit it here. Listeners who submit correct answers win a chance to play the on-air puzzle. Important: Include a phone number where we can reach you Thursday at 3 p.m. Eastern.
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Transcript
RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:
This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Rachel Martin. Flowers - check, brunch reservations - check. But if you want to really impress your mom, make sure her pencil is sharpened and she's got a clean sheet of paper. It's time for the puzzle.
(SOUNDBITE OF SUNDAY PUZZLE THEME SONG)
MARTIN: Joining me now is Will Shortz, puzzle editor of The New York Times, WEEKEND EDITION's puzzle master. Good morning, Will.
WILL SHORTZ, BYLINE: Good morning, Rachel. Happy Mother's Day.
MARTIN: Hey, thank you very much. Yeah. I'm going to have a delayed brunch today I hope. OK, what was last week's challenge?
SHORTZ: Yes, I said think of a common two-word phrase for something you might see in a kitchen. Reverse the words, that is put the second word in front of the first one, and you'll name a food in one word that you might prepare in a kitchen. What is it? Well, the thing you might see is a cake pan. And reversed the two parts, you get pancake, which you would not cook in a cake pan.
MARTIN: OK, so 662 of you got the correct answer. Our randomly-chosen winner this week is Sarah Milstein of Brooklyn, N.Y. She joins us on the line now. Hey, Sarah, congratulations.
SARAH MILSTEIN: Hi, thank you.
MARTIN: I hear that you are a mom. Is that right?
MILSTEIN: Yes.
MARTIN: So you have big plans for Mother's Day?
MILSTEIN: We're getting together at the park for a family gathering.
MARTIN: That is a nice thing to do. Do you play the puzzle a lot, Sarah?
MILSTEIN: Yes. I've been listening since the postcard days.
MARTIN: Yeah.
MILSTEIN: Everybody knows everybody's got to be quiet when I'm listening to the puzzle.
MARTIN: (Laughter) All right. Sarah, how are you feeling about this? Are you ready to play the puzzle?
MILSTEIN: I hope so. I do very well at home...
MARTIN: I think you are. Yeah.
MILSTEIN: ...But nobody's listening.
MARTIN: I know, right. Well, just, you know, a few thousand of your closest friends paying attention.
MILSTEIN: Yeah.
MARTIN: No pressure. All right, I will be here for you.
MILSTEIN: Thank you.
MARTIN: Will, let's give it a go.
SHORTZ: All right, Sarah and Rachel, every answer today is the name of a well-known U.S. city. I'm going to give you some words. Ignore the vowels in them. The consonants are the same consonants in the same order as in the city's name. For example, if I said amiable, A-M-I-A-B-L-E, Alabama, you would say Mobile because the consonants in amiable are M, B, and L, and those are the consonants in order in Mobile.
MARTIN: Ah.
MILSTEIN: Oh, OK.
MARTIN: All right, let's give it a try.
SHORTZ: Number one is baffle, B-A-F-F-L-E, in New York.
MILSTEIN: Buffalo.
MARTIN: Oh, good.
SHORTZ: That is correct. Number two is climbs, C-L-I-M-B-S, in Ohio.
MILSTEIN: Columbus.
MARTIN: Oh, you didn't even need the state.
SHORTZ: That's it. You may not even need these states.
MARTIN: (Laughter).
SHORTZ: OK, atlas, A-T-L-A-S, Oklahoma.
MILSTEIN: I'm stumped.
MARTIN: Take out the vowels.
MILSTEIN: Atlas? Tulsa.
MARTIN: Oh, good, good, good.
SHORTZ: Tulsa is it. Good. Stately, S-T-A-T-E-L-Y, in Washington.
MILSTEIN: Washington.
SHORTZ: Your consonants are S,T,T and L.
MILSTEIN: Seattle.
MARTIN: Yeah.
SHORTZ: Seattle is it. Dolls, D-O-L-L-S, in Texas.
MILSTEIN: Dallas.
MARTIN: Yeah.
SHORTZ: That's it. Guest, G-U-E-S-T, in Maine.
MILSTEIN: Augusta.
SHORTZ: Uh-huh. Foreseen, F-O-R-E-S-E-E-N, in California.
MILSTEIN: Fresno.
MARTIN: Great.
SHORTZ: Fresno, yes. Talent, T-A-L-E-N-T, Georgia.
MILSTEIN: Atlanta.
MARTIN: Yes.
SHORTZ: That's it. Forage, F-O-R-A-G-E, North Dakota.
MILSTEIN: Fargo.
MARTIN: Good.
SHORTZ: That's it. Abstain, A-B-S-T-A-I-N, Massachusetts.
MILSTEIN: Boston.
SHORTZ: Styles, S-T-Y-L-E-S, Missouri.
MILSTEIN: St. Louis?
SHORTZ: St. Louis. Nice.
MARTIN: Good.
SHORTZ: Au Pair, A-U-P-A-I-R, Illinois.
MILSTEIN: Just P, R, right?
SHORTZ: Just P, R, yeah. There's only six letters in the city's name.
MILSTEIN: Purdue, no.
SHORTZ: And the only consonants are P, R.
MARTIN: Politicians are always saying that, right? House is going to play in - Peoria.
SHORTZ: There you go, Rachel. Jump in. Peoria is it.
MILSTEIN: Thank you. I just was not getting that.
MARTIN: That's OK.
MILSTEIN: Thank you.
SHORTZ: And here's your last one - no charge, N-O-C-H-A-R-G-E, Alaska.
MILSTEIN: Anchorage.
MARTIN: Good.
SHORTZ: Anchorage is it. That wasn't so bad.
MARTIN: Sarah, you did great. No, I thought you did really great.
MILSTEIN: Thank you.
MARTIN: So for playing the puzzle today, you listen so you know that you'll get a WEEKEND EDITION lapel pin and puzzle books and games. You can read all about those prizes at our website, npr.org/puzzle. Before we let you go, Sarah, what's your public radio station? Where do you hear us?
MILSTEIN: It's WNYC 8:20 a.m. in New York.
MARTIN: Great. Sarah Milstein of Brooklyn, N.Y. Sarah, thanks so much for playing the puzzle.
MILSTEIN: Thank you. It was fun.
MARTIN: Good. I'm glad. OK, Will, what's up for next week?
SHORTZ: Yes, the challenge comes from listener Rudy Simons of Southfield, Mich. And he sent this to me a long time ago. The letters of the one-syllable word groan, G-R-O-A-N, can rearrange to spell organ, which has two syllables. And here's the challenge - thing of a common five-letter word in one syllable whose letters can be rearranged to spell a common two-syllable word and then rearranged again to spell a common three-syllable word. I have two different answers in mind, and it's possible there are others. But you only have to think of one answer. So again, common five-letter word, one syllable. Rearrange the letters to get a two-syllable word and then again to get a three-syllable word. What words are these?
MARTIN: OK, when you have the answer, go to our website. It is npr.org/puzzle. Click on that submit your answer link. Just one entry per person, please. And our deadline for those entries is Thursday May 14 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 winner, then we'll give you a call, and you get to play on the air with the puzzle editor of The New York Times. And he is WEEKEND EDITION's puzzle master, Will Shortz. Thanks so much, Will.
SHORTZ: Thank you, Rachel. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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