W Seeking W For Compound Word Dates

Transcript

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Rachel Martin. Everybody loves a road trip - the adventure, the freedom, the chance to roll down the windows and do some singing.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BORN TO BE WILD")

STEPPENWOLF: (Signing) Get your motor running. Head out on the highway. Looking for adventure and whatever comes our way.

MARTIN: So throw a pen and some paper in the passenger seat, buckle up. It is time to play the puzzle. 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.

MARTIN: A man who loves a good road trip. In fact, you're on a road trip, right?

SHORTZ: I am on a road trip. I had a speaking engagement in Tulsa, Okla., and as long as I was down here, I decided to make a road trip of it. A friend and I played at the New Orleans Table Tennis Club, the Tulsa Table Tennis Club and Oklahoma City Table Tennis Club. Driving on little roads the whole way.

MARTIN: Oh, I love it. I love a road trip. OK, Will, tell us what last week's challenge was.

SHORTZ: Yes, it came from listener Peter Stein of San Francisco. I said think of a job in eight letters that names someone who might work with actors. I said change one letter in this to the following letter of the alphabet to name another person who works with actors. What jobs are these? So the answer is promoter and prompter changing the O to a P.

MARTIN: OK, so over 250 of you answered correctly. Our randomly chosen winner this week is Gary Grimm of Cedarburg, Wis. He is on the line now. Hey, Gary, congratulations.

GARY GRIMM: Thank you very much.

MARTIN: So this one come pretty easily to you?

GRIMM: Not right away. I kept coming up with words that were too short. And then for some reason, I went to the end instead of the beginning and came up with prompter. And then all of a sudden, oh. So I changed the P to an O, I got promoter. That sounds reasonable.

MARTIN: There you go. And you, I understand, taught high school math. Is that right?

GRIMM: Yes, I did, in West Bend, Wis.

MARTIN: So in my experience and Will's people who are good at math are good at puzzles in general. Are - do you fancy yourself a good puzzle player, Gary?

GRIMM: Off and on.

MARTIN: Well, I'm here to support you. Are you ready to try?

GRIMM: I certainly am.

MARTIN: All right, Will, I think we're ready to give it a go.

SHORTZ: All right, Gary and Rachel, I'm going to give you some words starting with W. For each one, give me a word also starting with W that can follow mine to complete a compound word or a familiar two-word phrase. For example, if I said walk, you would say way as in walkway. And the first ones I give you are four-letter answers. And your first one is wishing.

GRIMM: Well.

SHORTZ: Wishing well is right. Whirl, W-H-I-R-L.

GRIMM: Wind.

SHORTZ: Whirlwind is right. Wailing.

GRIMM: Wailing Wall.

SHORTZ: Uh-huh. Worry.

GRIMM: Worrywart.

SHORTZ: Uh-huh. And the next ones are five letters long, and your first one is windshield.

GRIMM: Windshield wiper?

SHORTZ: Uh-huh. White, W-H-I-T-E.

GRIMM: White - white wash.

MARTIN: White.

GRIMM: White - window - no, that doesn't. White witch? (Laughter).

MARTIN: Well, yeah. White witch, doesn't that work?

SHORTZ: White which? What is that, nice magic? OK, I was going for Whitewater.

GRIMM: OK.

MARTIN: Oh.

SHORTZ: Or white whale would also work. How about wonder?

GRIMM: Wonder world. Wonder wish.

SHORTZ: Oh, OK. How about a movie character?

GRIMM: Wonder Woman.

SHORTZ: In comics.

MARTIN: Yeah.

SHORTZ: Wonder Woman. Worth, W-O-R-T-H.

GRIMM: Worthwhile.

SHORTZ: Uh-huh. Wagon.

GRIMM: Wagon wheel.

SHORTZ: That's it. Now six letters. Weeping.

GRIMM: Weeping willow.

SHORTZ: Uh-huh. Window.

GRIMM: Window washer.

SHORTZ: Uh-huh. Welter.

GRIMM: Welter. Welter.

SHORTZ: Think boxing.

GRIMM: Oh, Welterweight.

MARTIN: Yeah.

SHORTZ: That's it. Now seven letters. Weight, W-E-I-G-H-T.

GRIMM: Weight watcher.

SHORTZ: Uh-huh. Wolfe, W-O-L-F.

GRIMM: Wolf woman. Wolf.

MARTIN: Oh, wolf woman.

SHORTZ: Something a woman might not take kindly to.

GRIMM: Yeah, wolf whistle.

SHORTZ: That's it. Weed, W-E-E-D.

GRIMM: Weed Whacker.

SHORTZ: Uh-huh. Warm.

GRIMM: Warm weather.

SHORTZ: Yeah, also warm welcome would work. And finally, answers more than eight letters. Woody, W...

GRIMM: Woody.

SHORTZ: And again, you're going for a cartoon character.

GRIMM: OK, Woody Woodpecker.

MARTIN: Yep.

SHORTZ: That's it. And your last one is winter.

GRIMM: Winter wonderland.

SHORTZ: That is it. Nice job.

MARTIN: Boom. Gary, that was fast. Well done.

GRIMM: Oh, thank you.

MARTIN: For playing our puzzle today, you're going to get a WEEKEND EDITION lapel pin and puzzle books and games. You can read all about your prizes at npr.org/puzzle. And, Gary, where do you hear us? What's your public radio station?

GRIMM: It is WUWM in Milwaukee.

MARTIN: Gary Grimm of Cedarburg, Wis. Thanks so much for playing the puzzle, Gary.

GRIMM: Oh, you're welcome. Thanks, Rachel. Thanks, Will.

MARTIN: OK, Will, what do you have up for us next week?

SHORTZ: Yes, it comes from listener Steve Daubenspeck of Fleetwood, Pa. Take the first names of two politicians in the news, switch the first letters of their names and read the result backward. You'll name something that each of these politicians is not. What is it? So again, the first names of two politicians in the news, switch the first letters of their names, read the result backward. You'll name something that each of these politics is not. What names and what word is this?

MARTIN: OK, and when you've got the answer, go to our website, npr.org/puzzle. Find that submit your answer link. Click on it. Just one entry per person please. Our deadline is Thursday, April 23 at 3 p.m. Eastern time. Please include a phone number where we can reach you at about that time. And it goes like this - if you're the winner, we give you a call. Then 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: Thanks, Rachel. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.