Reply Of The Tiger

Transcript

JONATHAN COULTON, BYLINE: From NPR and WNYC, live from The Bell House in Brooklyn, N.Y., it's NPR's hour of puzzles, word games and trivia, ASK ME ANOTHER. Here's your host, Ophira Eisenberg.

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OPHIRA EISENBERG, HOST:

Thank you, Jonathan. So you know our VIP from her New York Times best-seller "The Interestings," where she explored the cracks of modern life with wit and insight. Her latest book, "Belzhar," is a young-adult novel following a group of teens studying Sylvia Plath. I am so jealous of young adults. They get great books. They are totally spoiled. They have tons of confidence. I want to go up to them and take them by their shoulders and just go, you know, back in my day, people failed.

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EISENBERG: When they handed out excellence trophies, there was just one.

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EISENBERG: Our parents were disappointed in us, and we played in the dryer.

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EISENBERG: But you guys get vampires, so I guess we're even. Our VIP is Meg Wolitzer.

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EISENBERG: Let's start the games with our first two contestants, Jess Zimmerman and Nick Noblett.

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EISENBERG: Jess, you're a writer that - I love this - covers tech, feminism and the intersection of the two.

JESS ZIMMERMAN: Sometimes, sometimes the intersection.

EISENBERG: OK. What are you working on right now?

ZIMMERMAN: I actually have to go home after this and write something for the Guardian, which is mostly about how you guys all sign end-user license agreements without even looking at them.

EISENBERG: It's true. That's - it's too many words. If they could bring it down to, like, 155 characters, I would read it.

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EISENBERG: Nick, you're an IT genius...

NICK NOBLETT: Yes.

EISENBERG: ...And a mathematician.

NOBLETT: Yes.

EISENBERG: Yeah, look at that. You went for both of them - just yep and yep.

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EISENBERG: So can you apply your genius math skills to a trivia show?

NOBLETT: Well, everyone always thinks that mathematicians know everything, Ophira, and...

EISENBERG: Yes, Nick?

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NOBLETT: ...We do, but - know everything about math - but we don't. We only specialize in certain little types.

EISENBERG: OK.

NOBLETT: And I want to win a Rubik's Cube so I can actually learn how to solve it. It's kind of embarrassing that I don't know, so...

EISENBERG: Oh, look at that. We have a challenge for you. So if you can get to the end, we'll see if you can solve it. Just so you know, you can buy a Rubik's Cube, but I like what you're saying.

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EISENBERG: Well, this game is called Reply Of The Tiger, and you're going to channel your inner Tony the Tiger, that you may remember from his sugary cereal - that's grrreat (ph). Here to help me with this game is our one-man house band, Jonathan Coulton.

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COULTON: Thank you so much.

EISENBERG: OK, so all the answers will feature a grrr (ph) sound, and we want you to kind of go with it. And the winner will move on to our Ask Me One More final round at the end of the show. Let's do it. This Sandra Bullock movie was so out of this world, it earned a 2014 best picture nomination.

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EISENBERG: Nick?

NOBLETT: It's "Gravity."

EISENBERG: Yeah, exactly.

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NOBLETT: See, I can do.

EISENBERG: Yeah, that was beautiful.

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COULTON: When traveling in Mexico, this is how Tony says thank you.

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COULTON: Jess?

ZIMMERMAN: Gracias.

COULTON: That's exactly how he says it.

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EISENBERG: But down there, he is Tonito.

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EISENBERG: It's a daily deal website that offers discounts on local goods and services.

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EISENBERG: Jess?

ZIMMERMAN: Groupon.

EISENBERG: Yes, Groupon.

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EISENBERG: Have you Grouponed?

ZIMMERMAN: Not in a while.

EISENBERG: Not in a while. Oh, I see.

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EISENBERG: I like that you say that all secretive. I like it when there's things like blood work, and then there's $80 crossed out for $40. You're like, oh, that seems wonderful.

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ZIMMERMAN: I mean, I could always use more blood work.

EISENBERG: Yeah, exactly. You mean your doctors accept coupons that I printed out in my own home?

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EISENBERG: Oh, well, they must be at the top of the class.

COULTON: This is way Simon and Garfunkel feel when they walk over the 59th Street Bridge.

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COULTON: Jess?

ZIMMERMAN: Groovy.

COULTON: That's right.

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EISENBERG: It's due for a comeback, groovy. It hasn't happened.

ZIMMERMAN: Yeah.

EISENBERG: Yeah, all right.

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EISENBERG: The removable metal caps worn as jewelry over one's teeth.

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EISENBERG: Jess?

ZIMMERMAN: Grills.

EISENBERG: Grills, yes.

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ZIMMERMAN: Also probably due for a comeback.

EISENBERG: And for our public radio listeners that don't know what that is, they're like really pretty retainers.

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COULTON: Yeah.

ZIMMERMAN: Yeah, very classy.

COULTON: Sandy and Danny fly off into the sunset in this systematic, hydromatic, ultramatic car.

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COULTON: Nick.

NOBLETT: Its greased lightning.

COULTON: Yeah.

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COULTON: I've got to say, Nick is really selling it, Jess.

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ZIMMERMAN: I've got to step it up.

COULTON: Yeah.

EISENBERG: It's the sweet syrup that gives a Shirley Temple its bright red color.

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EISENBERG: Jess.

ZIMMERMAN: Grenadine.

EISENBERG: Yeah. That was good.

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ZIMMERMAN: A little better, a little better? OK.

EISENBERG: There are a million versions of the Shirley Temple. I used to love that as a kid.

COULTON: Are there multiple versions?

EISENBERG: Yeah, yeah, you can get, like, one - instead of the grenadine, they use, like, Manischewitz.

ZIMMERMAN: What?

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EISENBERG: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's called...

COULTON: Wow.

EISENBERG: Yeah, they call it the Shirley Temple Beth Israel.

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COULTON: All right, this is your last question. He's the quiet canine half of a British claymation duo.

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COULTON: Jess.

ZIMMERMAN: Gromit.

COULTON: You got it.

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EISENBERG: Let's go to our puzzle guru, Mary Tobler, and find out - how did our contestants do, Mary?

MARY TOBLER, BYLINE: They both did very well, but the winner is Jess.

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EISENBERG: Jess.

TOBLER: Well done, Jess. We will see you again at our Ask Me One More final round at the end of the show.

(APPLAUSE) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.