LIANE HANSEN, Host:
And joining us is puzzlemaster Will Shortz. Hey, Will.
WILL SHORTZ: Hey, Liane.
HANSEN: How you doing?
SHORTZ: Excellent. How you doing?
HANSEN: Very well, thank you. You sound like you might have a bit of a cold but no, no?
SHORTZ: No. Just clearing my throat, that's all. Despite the cold, I'm fine.
HANSEN: Yeah. By about this time of year that's when the atmosphere kind of dries up a little bit. And I know I have problems with my sinuses. Well, enough about our physical health. We're here to exercise our brains. Remind us - you see what I mean - remind us of the challenge you gave us last week.
SHORTZ: Yes. I said, name an article of apparel in the plural form ending in the letter S. I said rearrange the letters to name an article of apparel in the singular form. What things to wear are these?
HANSEN: And what was your intended answer?
SHORTZ: Well, the answer is coats to ascot. We also had a few people who suggested taps that you wear on your feet and you can rearrange those to make spat, which you can also wear on your shoes. And then there were hose and shoe, but hose is not a plural ending in S, so we didn't accept that answer.
HANSEN: All right. Well, you did accept coats and ascot and our winner sent in coats and ascot. Her name is Frances Boynton from Henrico, Virginia. Hi, Frances.
FRANCES BOYNTON: Hi. How are you, Liane?
HANSEN: I am very well. Where is Henrico?
BOYNTON: It's right outside Richmond. They changed it a couple of years ago because they weren't getting the tax revenue from the online sales.
HANSEN: Oh, OK. What do you do in Richmond?
BOYNTON: I am a secretary for the state department of general services.
HANSEN: And how long have you been playing the puzzle? That's the operative question.
BOYNTON: Well, I don't think I ever actually sent in a postcard but I've been playing since the postcard days.
HANSEN: What changed your mind about sending in entries?
BOYNTON: It got easier.
HANSEN: That's because you've been listening for 20 years. That's what makes it easier. Well, after all this time are you ready to play?
BOYNTON: Yes.
HANSEN: All right. Will, meet Frances. Let's play.
SHORTZ: All right, Frances. Today's puzzle has an independent streak. Every answer is a familiar two-word phrase, name or title containing the consecutive letters I-N-D, as in independent. For example, if I gave you the clue: 19th century British prime minister, you would say Benjamin Disraeli, which ends in I-N and starts with D.
BOYNTON: OK.
HANSEN: OK. So, just to get it straight, the first word has to end in I-N and the second word begins with D.
SHORTZ: That's correct.
HANSEN: All right.
SHORTZ: All right. Here's number one: a ceremony performed by Native Americans to end a drought.
BOYNTON: Rain dance.
SHORTZ: That's right. Number two: beauty is only this.
BOYNTON: Skin deep.
SHORTZ: Uh-huh. President Roosevelt's given names.
BOYNTON: Franklin Delano.
SHORTZ: That's it. Title character in a Charles Dickens' mystery.
BOYNTON: Edwin Drood.
HANSEN: Nice.
SHORTZ: Excellent. Fast food franchise with baked goods and coffee.
BOYNTON: Dunkin' Donuts.
SHORTZ: Good. Action star in "The Fast and the Furious" and "Triple X."
BOYNTON: Uh-oh.
HANSEN: Uh-oh. Ran right up against that popular culture wall, right?
BOYNTON: Yeah. All right. I-N, ends in D.
HANSEN: Right.
SHORTZ: Could you picture him with a shaved head?
BOYNTON: Oh, Vin Diesel.
HANSEN: Yes.
SHORTZ: Good job. A railroad station.
BOYNTON: Train depot.
SHORTZ: That's it. Coke, Pepsi or 7-Up, for example, when bought at a restaurant.
BOYNTON: Something drink.
SHORTZ: Yes. And where would you...
BOYNTON: Oh, fountain.
SHORTZ: Fountain drink, good. A soft drink made by Pepsi.
BOYNTON: Mountain Dew.
SHORTZ: That's it. Cleveland's leading newspaper.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
BOYNTON: Oh, dear.
HANSEN: This is tough if you don't know it.
BOYNTON: Yeah. Something dispatch.
HANSEN: No. Because I know I'll just give it: the Plain Dealer.
SHORTZ: The Plain Dealer, good. Try this one: Duke Ellington jazz standard.
BOYNTON: "Satin doll."
HANSEN: Nice.
SHORTZ: Good job. Person who interprets the news to his political advantage, say.
BOYNTON: Spin doctor.
SHORTZ: That's it. Departure of scientists and intellectuals from one country to abroad.
BOYNTON: Oh, brain drain.
SHORTZ: That's it. An entree.
BOYNTON: Entree. Main dish.
SHORTZ: Uh-huh. And your last one: a book in which you might look anno domini or e pluribus unum.
HANSEN: Well, that's Latin, right?
SHORTZ: Latin, and what book...
BOYNTON: Oh, Latin dictionary.
SHORTZ: Latin dictionary.
BOYNTON: Thanks, Liane.
SHORTZ: Nice work.
HANSEN: Anytime. You are phenomenal, Frances. You've been waiting this long and you're so good.
BOYNTON: Well, thank you.
HANSEN: Nice work. And we have someone very special to tell you what you'll get for playing our puzzle today. Here's actress Shirley Jones - yes, that Shirley Jones.
BOYNTON: Oh, cool.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV THEME SONG, "C'MON GET HAPPY")
THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY: (Singing) Hello, world. Here's a song that we're singing...
SHIRLEY JONES: For playing our puzzle today, you'll get a WEEKEND EDITION lapel pin, the "Scrabble Deluxe Edition" from Parker Brothers, the book series "Will Shortz Presents KenKen" Volumes 1, 2 and 3 from St. Martin's Press, one of Will Shortz's "Puzzlemaster Decks of Riddles and Challenges" from Chronicle Books, and a CD compilation of NPR's Sunday Puzzles.
PARTRIDGE FAMILY: (Singing) We'll make you happy.
HANSEN: Well, Frances, are you happy?
BOYNTON: Oh, yeah.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
BOYNTON: I'm so excited. This has been so much fun.
HANSEN: And before we let you go, my dear, what's your public radio station?
BOYNTON: It's WCVE in Richmond.
HANSEN: Well, Frances Boynton from Henrico, Virginia, you were a great player. Thanks for playing with us.
BOYNTON: Thank you.
HANSEN: All right, Will. We're waiting for the challenge for next week.
SHORTZ: So again, take the first seven letters of the alphabet, A through G, change one of these to another letter that's also one of the letters from A through G. Rearrange the result to spell a familiar seven-letter word. What word is it?
HANSEN: Thanks a lot, Will.
SHORTZ: Thanks, Liane.