LIANE HANSEN, host:
This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Liane Hansen.
And joining us is puzzlemaster Will Shortz. Hi, Will.
WILL SHORTZ: Hi, Liane.
HANSEN: How are you this week?
SHORTZ: I'm doing great. I won a table tennis contest this past week. It was a celebrity event for a charity in Brooklyn, for a literacy group for kids. And Mike Myers were there, who's actually a pretty good player, David Schwimmer, Sean Avery from the NHL and a bunch of other people. Had a good time and raised a lot of money.
HANSEN: And won.
SHORTZ: That's it.
HANSEN: That's so cool, Will. Congratulations.
SHORTZ: Thanks.
HANSEN: Well done. You've only been working on this for how many years?
SHORTZ: I know.
(Soundbite of laughter)
HANSEN: Well, our listeners only had a week to work on the challenge that you gave for us last week. So, if you don't mind, would you repeat it?
SHORTZ: Yes. I said: Think of a familiar ten-letter hyphenated word that uses all seven letters of the alphabet from F to L, plus three other letters of your choosing. What word is it?
HANSEN: And your answer?
SHORTZ: The answer is half joking. I was only half joking.
HANSEN: You were only half joking, fascinating. Well, we received more than 1,600 entries this week, and from the correct entries are randomly selected winner is Christopher Slavik from Chicago. Hi, Chris.
Mr. CHRISTOPHER SLAVIK: Hi.
HANSEN: How are you?
Mr. SLAVIK: I am excited and scared.
HANSEN: Yeah. Don't be scared. Don't be scared. It's only a game, as they say. How long did it take you to solve the puzzle?
Mr. SLAVIK: It took me a few cracks. I worked on it, I don't know, five minutes or so each time and I think by the third try I got it.
HANSEN: You know, that's a really good way to go at puzzles. I do that with crosswords. I mean, if I'm getting stuck I just put it down and then guaranteed in an hour or two, you know, if I pick it up again I'll get more answers.
Mr. SLAVIK: It's amazing how that works.
HANSEN: Yeah, yeah. What do you do in Chicago?
Mr. SLAVIK: I work at the Chicago Symphony in public relations.
HANSEN: Delightful, delightful. Well, we have a special guest to read your puzzle prizes today. Not known for classical music, but I'm sure it's someone that you'll appreciate, okay?
Mr. SLAVIK: Okay.
HANSEN: All right. But first you have to play, you know.
Mr. SLAVIK: Right.
HANSEN: Are you ready?
Mr. SLAVIK: I guess so.
HANSEN: All right, Will, meet a rather nervous Chris. Let's play.
SHORTZ: All right, Chris, don't be nervous about this. Every answer today is a word, name or familiar phrase with alternating As. For example, if I said Woody Allen movie, you'd say "Bananas." We'll start with seven-letter answers. Number one is group of wagons traveling through a desert.
Mr. SLAVIK: Canostoga?
HANSEN: Think Arabian desert.
SHORTZ: No. Think of the Sahara.
Mr. SLAVIK: Oh, caravan.
SHORTZ: Caravan is it, good. Number two: a knight on King Arthur's round table.
Mr. SLAVIK: Lancelot.
SHORTZ: No. Remember, it's going to have alternating As. A is going to be every other letter, as in bananas and caravan.
HANSEN: Oh, I got to go through the whole roundtable. I know Gawain, but that's not a-a-a-a.
SHORTZ: Think of sir, blank. It's seven letters, alternating As.
HANSEN: Sir...
SHORTZ: Starts with a G.
Mr. SLAVIK: Galahad.
HANSEN: Galahad.
SHORTZ: Galahad is it. Try this: Islamic month of fasting.
Mr. SLAVIK: Ramadan.
SHORTZ: That's it. Capital of Venezuela.
Mr. SLAVIK: Caracas.
SHORTZ: That's correct. Language of Barcelona.
Mr. SLAVIK: Spanish, but that...
HANSEN: A different dialect. This one I know only because that's where my great-grandfather comes from. Catalan.
SHORTZ: Catalan.
HANSEN: Catalan.
SHORTZ: That's good. Nice. How about sleepwear?
Mr. SLAVIK: Pajamas.
SHORTZ: Pajamas is it. A hard road surface.
HANSEN: It's another word for, like, tar, right?
SHORTZ: Yeah. Or variation on that.
Mr. SLAVIK: I'm drawing a blank here.
HANSEN: This one I think I know.
SHORTZ: Liane?
HANSEN: It's kind of a guess, but madacan?
SHORTZ: You got it. It's pronounced macadam.
HANSEN: Macadam, okay.
SHORTZ: M-A-C-A-D-A-M. How about - it's a two-word phrase - distant? Something is distant, it's...
Mr. SLAVIK: Faraway.
SHORTZ: Faraway is it. Marathon runner Alberto, who won the New York City Marathon three times.
Mr. SLAVIK: I'm not going to know that one.
HANSEN: And neither am I.
SHORTZ: Uh-oh. Salazar. Alberto Salazar. How about Telly - that's T-E-L-L-Y, Telly who was on the telly?
Mr. SLAVIK: Savalas.
SHORTZ: Savalas is it. Now, we have some nine-letter answers, and your first one is July 1st as celebrated north of the border.
Mr. SLAVIK: Canada Day.
SHORTZ: Canada Day is it. A light summer headwear. It's a two-word phrase.
Mr. SLAVIK: Something hat.
SHORTZ: Some kind of hat. What kind of a hat. Think of a Central American country.
Mr. SLAVIK: Panama hat.
SHORTZ: Panama hat is it. How about body of water adjoining Cuba's capital?
Mr. SLAVIK: Bahama Sea - no.
SHORTZ: Well, first of all, what's the capital of Cuba?
HANSEN: Havana.
SHORTZ: Havana. And what's that body of water?
Mr. SLAVIK: Havana Bay.
SHORTZ: Havana Bay is it. The largest city in eastern Afghanistan. It starts with a J, which is pronounced like an H.
Mr. SLAVIK: I need to learn more geography, I think.
HANSEN: Yeah. Especially, Afghani geography because I can't get past Kandahar or Kabul.
SHORTZ: I'll tell you this, it's Jalalabad.
HANSEN: Okay.
Mr. SLAVIK: Okay.
SHORTZ: How about this: A light multi-hulled boat used for fishing or a sport. Starts with a C.
Mr. SLAVIK: Catamaran?
HANSEN: Catamaran.
SHORTZ: Catamaran is it. And your last one - and this is 11 letters long -connection between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Mr. SLAVIK: Panama Canal.
SHORTZ: Panama Canal is right.
(Soundbite of laughter)
HANSEN: All right, Chris.
Mr. SLAVIK: Woo.
HANSEN: Woo. Nice work. Well, as I mentioned, you know, we have someone neat to read your puzzle prizes today. I know you're a classical music fan and that's your profession. But I imagine you like some pop music too, right?
Mr. SLAVIK: Sure.
HANSEN: All right. So to tell you what you'll be getting for being such a great player today, here is none other than Ringo Starr.
(Soundbite of song, "Everyone Wins")
Mr. RINGO STARR (Musician): (Singing) Oh, everyone wins.
For playing our puzzle today, you'll get a WEEKEND EDITION lapel pin, the "Scrabble Deluxe Edition" from Parker Brothers. Who typed this out? It's like typed by a four-year-old. The book series "Will Shortz Presents KenKen," Volume 1, 2 and 3, you lucky people, from St. Martin's Press. One of Will - how do you pronounce him - Shortz's "Puzzlemaster Decks of Riddles and Challenges" from Chronicle Books and a CD compilation from NPR's Sunday puzzle.
(Soundbite of song, "Everyone Wins")
Mr. STARR: (Singing) Everyone wins in the end.
HANSEN: What do you think, Chris?
Mr. SLAVIK: That's great. Now I just need Carl Kasell's voice on my answering machine.
HANSEN: Oh, and life will be complete, right?
(Soundbite of laughter)
Mr. SLAVIK: Exactly.
HANSEN: All right. Before we let you go, tell us what member station you listen to, Chris.
Mr. SLAVIK: WBEZ, and I am a member.
HANSEN: Good for you. Chris Slavik from Chicago. Thanks so much for playing the puzzle today. Everyone wins.
Mr. SLAVIK: Thank you.
HANSEN: Okay, Will. You got a kick out of that too, didn't you?
SHORTZ: That was fantastic.
HANSEN: Wasn't that fun? All right, we have a challenge for next week, sir. What is it?
SHORTZ: Yes. It comes from Mike Reese who produces the "The Simpsons" and is co-creator of "The Critic." It's a little complicated, so listen up. I'm looking for the full names of a well-known TV actress and TV comedienne. The first four letters of the actress' first name are the last four letters of the comedienne's last name. And the first four letters of the comedienne's first name are the last four letters of the actress' last name. Who are these well-known entertainers?
So, again, the first four letters of the actress' first name are the last four letters of the comedienne's last name, and the first four letters of the comedienne's first name are the last four letters of the actress' last name. Who are these well-known entertainers?
HANSEN: Well, when you know, go to our Web site, NPR.org/puzzle and click on the Submit Your Answer link. Only one entry per person, please. Our deadline is Thursday, 3 P.M. Eastern Time. Please include a phone number where we can reach you at about that time. We'll call you if you're the winner and you'll get to play on the air with the puzzle editor of The New York Times and WEEKEND EDITION's puzzlemaster Will Shortz.
Will, thanks a lot.
SHORTZ: Thanks, Liane.