LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:
And it's time to play The Puzzle.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Joining us is Will Shortz. He's puzzle editor of The New York Times and WEEKEND EDITION'S puzzlemaster. Good morning, Will.
WILL SHORTZ, BYLINE: Good morning, Lulu.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: All right - what was last week's challenge?
SHORTZ: It came from listener Steve Baggish (ph) of Arlington, Mass. I said take the name of a classic song that became the signature song of the artist who performed it - two words - five, three. And I said the letters can be rearranged to spell two new words. One is a feeling, and the other is an expression of that feeling. What song is it? Well, the answer is "Piano Man" by Billy Joel. And you can rearrange those letters to make pain and moan.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: We received 952 responses. And our winner this week is Erin Rodriguez of San Antonio, Texas. Congratulations.
ERIN RODRIGUEZ: Oh, thank you so much. Thank you.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: So are you a Billy Joel fan?
RODRIGUEZ: Actually, when I got married in 1997, my husband sang "She's Got A Way" at our reception. So...
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Aw.
RODRIGUEZ: ...I am a huge Billy Joel fan.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: (Laughter) Is that how you solved it?
RODRIGUEZ: I just kept thinking. I thought I was, like, Elvis' song "Hound Dog."
SHORTZ: "Hound Dog."
RODRIGUEZ: Yeah. And I thought - and we couldn't figure that one out. But when I said "Piano Man," my 16-year-old was next to me driving. And within about 20 seconds, he got the - he anagrammed it out. And it was a joint effort. His name's Tony (ph).
GARCIA-NAVARRO: His name's Tony. So it was a family affair - all right. I like it. What do you do for a living?
RODRIGUEZ: I actually work for a nonprofit in San Antonio called Youth Orchestras of San Antonio. And my oldest son Tony, that I just mentioned, is a cellist in YOSA.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Oh, how beautiful - well, that's great. So it is a musical family with a musical answer to the quiz. Are you ready to play The Puzzle?
RODRIGUEZ: I hope so.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Here we go.
SHORTZ: All right - Erin, I'm going to read you some famous advertising slogans, past and present. Each contains the advertiser's name but anagrammed. You name the advertiser. For example, if I said this dubs for you, you would say bud - as in, this Bud's for you.
RODRIGUEZ: OK.
SHORTZ: That was the simplest one. Number one, please don't squeeze the rich man.
RODRIGUEZ: Oh, my goodness - I'm totally (unintelligible).
SHORTZ: And it's a bathroom tissue. Please don't squeeze the rich man.
RODRIGUEZ: Oh, Charmin?
SHORTZ: Charmin is right. Number two, you're in good hands with a tall set. You're in good hands with a tall set. And it's an insurance company.
RODRIGUEZ: Allstate?
SHORTZ: Allstate is right. The best part of waking up is golfers in your cup.
RODRIGUEZ: Folgers.
SHORTZ: Folgers is it. I don't want to grow up. I'm a U.S. story kid.
RODRIGUEZ: Toys R Us kid.
SHORTZ: Toys R Us - no longer around. The best...
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Rest in peace.
SHORTZ: Rest in peace. Try this. This is not your father's idle blooms - I-D-L-E - blooms. This is not your father's idle blooms.
RODRIGUEZ: Oh my gosh. This is - (laughter).
SHORTZ: And it's a make of auto that was discontinued, I think, about 10 years ago. And during their last years, they were trying to jazz up the brand and said, this is not your father's idle blooms.
RODRIGUEZ: Gosh.
SHORTZ: What if I told you it starts with O?
RODRIGUEZ: Oldsmobile?
SHORTZ: Oldsmobile is it - good. Nobody better lay a finger on my better fig earn.
RODRIGUEZ: Gosh.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Do you watch TV at all?
RODRIGUEZ: I do, actually.
(LAUGHTER)
RODRIGUEZ: I used to be a news producer in Miami.
SHORTZ: You must zap...
GARCIA-NAVARRO: I'm bewildered because you must zap through these commercials...
SHORTZ: You must zap through them. Yeah.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: ...Because they are ringing in my head.
RODRIGUEZ: Oh.
SHORTZ: OK. It's a brand of chocolate bar - candy bar. Nobody better lay a finger on my better fig earn. All right - you know this one, Lulu?
GARCIA-NAVARRO: I do - Butterfinger.
SHORTZ: Butterfinger.
RODRIGUEZ: Butter...
SHORTZ: That's right.
RODRIGUEZ: Oh, yeah.
SHORTZ: All right - try this one. Pardon me. Do you have any younger pop?
RODRIGUEZ: Grey Poupon.
SHORTZ: Yes. How about this? Nobody doesn't like a resale. And they're cakes, like snack cakes. Nobody doesn't like a resale - R-E-S-A-L-E.
RODRIGUEZ: Oh, Little Debbie - no.
SHORTZ: No - probably a competitor.
RODRIGUEZ: Sara Lee?
SHORTZ: Yes. Yeah. Nobody doesn't like a Sara - doesn't like Sara Lee. That's right.
RODRIGUEZ: I better have gotten that right. My brother used to work for Sara Lee. So - (laughter).
SHORTZ: Whoa. And here's your last one. There are some things money can't buy. For everything else, there's dream carts.
RODRIGUEZ: Mastercard?
SHORTZ: Mastercard is it.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Good job - congratulations. I got to ask you something, Will. How do you come up with these? Do you go back into the sort of - the mists of time to look up old advertising?
SHORTZ: Yeah, I did Google searches of classic advertising slogans, went through literally thousands of them.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Wow. OK. So there you go. It was a tough puzzle, but you did great. How do you feel, Erin?
RODRIGUEZ: I feel like my brain got a workout.
(LAUGHTER)
GARCIA-NAVARRO: That's what we want. For playing our puzzle today, you'll get a WEEKEND EDITION lapel pin, as well as puzzle books and games. You can read all about it at npr.org/puzzle. And, Erin, what member station do you listen to?
RODRIGUEZ: I listen to KSTX in San Antonio. And I'm a member.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Erin Rodriguez of San Antonio, Texas, thank you for playing The Puzzle.
RODRIGUEZ: Thank you.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: All right - Will, tell us next week's challenge.
SHORTZ: Yes. It comes from listener Joe Krozel of Creve Coeur, Mo. Name a vehicle in two words, each with the same number of letters. Subtract a letter from each word. And the remaining letters in order will spell the first and last names of a famous writer. Who is it? So again, a vehicle, two words, same number of letters in each word - subtract a letter from each word. And the remaining letters in order without any rearranging will spell the first and last names of a famous writer. What writer is it?
GARCIA-NAVARRO: When you have the answer, go to our website npr.org/puzzle and click on the Submit Your Answer link. Remember, just one entry per person, please. Our deadline for entries is Thursday, January 31 at 3 p.m. Eastern. Include a phone number where we can reach you at about that time. And if you're the winner, we'll give you a call. 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. Thanks so much, Will.
SHORTZ: Thanks, Lulu.
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