What's Your Number?

Transcript

OPHIRA EISENBERG, HOST:

Welcome back to ASK ME ANOTHER, NPR and WNYC's hour of trivia puzzles and word games. I'm Ophira Eisenberg, and with me is our one-man house band Jonathan Coulton and our puzzle guru John Chaneski. Coming up, we're going to talk to Mo Willems about all things Big Bird. But first, let's welcome our next two contestants. Say hello to Cynthia Tsao and Lou Brothers.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: So this next round is called What's Your Number? And here's my question to you, Lou, Cynthia - you're both smart, I can tell - you got good names, solid names, but if you had to replace your name with a number that you would be called for the rest of your life - it could be a small number, a large number - this would just be your new name, this number, what number or numbers would you choose? Lou.

LOU BROTHERS: Four-sixty-two.

EISENBERG: Four-sixty-two, and what's behind that?

BROTHERS: It rhymes with my real name.

EISENBERG: Yeah, right, I understand. You are the kind of person in the apocalypse that wants to be reminded of your human past.

BROTHERS: That's it.

EISENBERG: Got it. Cynthia, how about you?

CYNTHIA TSAO: It has to be pi.

EISENBERG: Pi.

TSAO: Infinite, never ending.

EISENBERG: Yep, perfect.

TSAO: Yeah, in every way.

EISENBERG: Well done. You guys answered that question correctly, both of you. This game is about people who have numbers in their names. We don't mean actual numerals. We mean that one of the syllables in their name sounds like a number. So we'll give you clues describing one of these people or characters, and you have to give me the name.

And in honor of our VIP's work on "Sesame Street," you have to answer in the manner of the Muppet Count von Count. For an example, and a performance example, let's go to our puzzle guru John Chaneski.

JOHN CHANESKI, BYLINE: If I said this grizzled actor won an Oscar for "Marty" in 1955 and was the original voice of Mermaid Man on "SpongeBob SquarePants," you'd say - (imitating Count von Count) Ernest Borgnine, ha, ha, ha.

(LAUGHTER)

JONATHAN COULTON, BYLINE: Well done. Well done, John.

CHANESKI: Thank you, Jonathan, thank you.

COULTON: So you get it - right? - terrible pun plus Muppet voice equals radio comedy gold...

(LAUGHTER)

COULTON: ...And probably a Peabody - fingers crossed. All right, here we go.

The number in this actor's name is not one even though he played Han Solo. Who played Han Solo?

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

COULTON: Cynthia?

TSAO: (imitating Count von Count) Harrison Ford, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.

COULTON: That is correct.

EISENBERG: Good job, pi. This singer is known for huge hits such as "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" and "Superstition."

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

EISENBERG: Cynthia?

TSAO: (imitating Count von Count) Stevie Wonder, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.

EISENBERG: Yeah. I feel the Count lives within you, Cynthia. It's good.

COULTON: In 1953, Edmund Hillary and this Nepalese Sherpa - just now realizing this question is a bad idea - became the first men to climb to the top of Mount Everest.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

COULTON: Oh, Lou.

BROTHERS: Yeah. Tenzing Norgay.

COULTON: Yeah.

BROTHERS: (Imitating laughter) Ha, ha, ha.

(APPLAUSE)

COULTON: Well done.

EISENBERG: That's your wheelhouse, huh?

BROTHERS: This is the information I know.

EISENBERG: That's great. That is good information.

COULTON: This is your last question. In 2012, a 3D likeness of this deceased rapper performed at Coachella with Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

COULTON: Lou.

BROTHERS: Was it Tupac Shakur? (Imitating laughter) Ha, ha, ha.

COULTON: It sure was.

(APPLAUSE)

COULTON: John Chaneski, how did our contestants do?

CHANESKI: We have a tie again.

COULTON: Oh my.

CHANESKI: And here's your tiebreaker - this English novelist wrote "Pride And Prejudice."

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

TSAO: (Imitating Count von Count) Jane Austen, ha, ha, ha.

CHANESKI: Very good, Cynthia. That's correct.

(APPLAUSE)

CHANESKI: And 3.1415, you are our winner and move on to our Ask Me One More final round. Way to go.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "EVERYDAY I WRITE THE BOOK")

ELVIS COSTELLO: (Singing) I'm giving you a longing look every day, every day, every day, every day I write the book. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.