AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
It is hot out there, so we're gonna find some time to play the Puzzle.
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RASCOE: Joining us is Will Shortz. He's puzzle editor of The New York Times and puzzlemaster of WEEKEND EDITION. Hey there, Will.
WILL SHORTZ, BYLINE: Good morning, Ayesha. Welcome back.
RASCOE: Thank you so much. Will, would you please remind us of last week's challenge?
SHORTZ: Yes, it came from listener Shrinidhi Rai of Pleasanton, Calif. I said, think of two parts of the human body that start with the same letter of the alphabet. Drop one instance of this letter, then rearrange the remaining letters to name a third part of the human body, which isn't near the first two. Well, the first two are neck and nape, which are on the upper part of the body. Drop one of the Ns and rearrange what remains. You get kneecap, which is in the lower part of the body.
RASCOE: OK. There were about 300 correct entries, so that was a little tough for you guys out there. And this week's winner is Hal Babcock of Cedar Springs, Mich. Congratulations, Hal.
HAL BABCOCK: Well, thank you, Ayesha. Thank you.
RASCOE: So, Hal, how long have you been playing the Puzzle?
BABCOCK: Oh, over 20 years.
RASCOE: Oh, wow. OK. And this is your first time winning?
BABCOCK: Absolutely.
RASCOE: OK. Well, we're excited that you stuck with it. Are we getting into cherry season there in Michigan?
BABCOCK: In a northern part up by Traverse City, there's cherries up there.
RASCOE: Oh, OK. OK, that's great. Well, Hal, are you ready to play the Puzzle?
BABCOCK: Yes, I am.
RASCOE: OK, take it away, Will.
SHORTZ: All right, Hal and Ayesha. Summer officially started this past week, and traditionally, summer is known for moviegoing, so today, I brought a movie puzzle. Every answer is a well-known film with a two-word title. I'll give you rhymes for the two words. You name the films. For example, if I said bad cracks, you would say "Mad Max," because bad rhymes with mad and cracks rhymes with Max. And if the title starts with the article a or the, you just ignore that. Here's number one. Car doors.
BABCOCK: Car doors.
SHORTZ: One of the highest-grossing movies of all time.
BABCOCK: "Star Wars."
SHORTZ: "Star Wars" - you got it. Sing song.
BABCOCK: Sing song.
SHORTZ: Yeah. This is a classic movie from the 1930s. It's been remade since then.
BABCOCK: Ayesha.
RASCOE: I know I'm trying to think. It's not "Ping Pong." Let me think.
SHORTZ: Oh, think of a giant gorilla.
BABCOCK: "King Kong."
RASCOE: Yeah.
SHORTZ: "King Kong" - you got it. Blinding chemo.
BABCOCK: "Finding Nemo."
SHORTZ: You got it. Mean look.
BABCOCK: Mean look.
SHORTZ: Yeah. This won the best picture Oscar a few years ago.
BABCOCK: Mean look.
SHORTZ: It was about a Black musician touring the South.
RASCOE: Yes. Do you know this one, Hal? It's - I think it's "Green Book."
SHORTZ: "Green Book," yeah - love that movie.
BABCOCK: Never heard of it.
RASCOE: OK (laughter).
SHORTZ: Cider can.
BABCOCK: Cider can?
SHORTZ: It's a superhero movie.
BABCOCK: Oh, boy. That's not my...
SHORTZ: Oh, you know this one, though. Everybody knows this.
RASCOE: Yeah. He swings around.
BABCOCK: Oh, "Spider-Man."
SHORTZ: "Spider-Man." I knew you knew it. How about the Mayan spring?
BABCOCK: Mayan spring.
SHORTZ: It's a musical, also the name of a long-running show on Broadway.
BABCOCK: Mayan spring.
SHORTZ: Mayan rhymes with an animal, if that helps.
BABCOCK: Mayan - lion - lions...
RASCOE: "Lion King."
SHORTZ: "The Lion King" is right. Bedding slashers.
BABCOCK: Bedding slashers, smashers...
RASCOE: Wedding...
BABCOCK: Wedding smashers?
SHORTZ: Nope. I think you know this one, Ayesha. Go ahead.
RASCOE: Yeah. "Wedding Crashers."
BABCOCK: Oh, OK.
SHORTZ: And here's your last one. The thing's reach.
BABCOCK: Thing's...
SHORTZ: The thing's reach. Again, this won the Academy Award for best picture a few years ago.
BABCOCK: "The King's Speech?"
SHORTZ: "The King's Speech." You got it.
RASCOE: Yeah. Exactly. Oh, my goodness. It's tougher than it seems, right? It's - (laughter).
BABCOCK: Oh, especially 'cause I don't - we don't do a lot of current movies.
RASCOE: You did a really great job, Hal.
BABCOCK: Well, thank you. We had a lot of help from you.
RASCOE: (Laughter) Well, how do you feel?
BABCOCK: Much more relaxed than I was 15 minutes ago.
RASCOE: Well, I'm glad. You did an awesome job. 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 Hal, what member station do you listen to?
BABCOCK: WTVU-FM in Grand Rapids, Mich.
RASCOE: That's Hal Babcock of Cedar Springs, Mich. Thanks so much for playing the Puzzle.
BABCOCK: Well, thank you so very much, and thank you, Will.
RASCOE: OK, Will, so what's next week's challenge?
SHORTZ: Yes, it comes from listener Laura Kozma of South River, N.J. Name a famous film actor of the past, four letters in the first name, six letters in the last. Swap the second and third letters of the first name to name a color. Then change the third letter of the last name to get another color. What actor is it?
So again, a famous film actor of the past - four, six. Swap the second and third letters of the first name to get a color. Change the third letter of the last name to get another color. What actor is this?
RASCOE: When you have the answer, go to our website, npr.org/puzzle, and click on the Submit Your Answer link. Remember, just one entry, please. Our deadline for entries this week is Thursday, June 27 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern. Don't forget to include a phone number where we can reach you. If you're the winner, we'll give you a call. And if you pick up the phone, you'll get to play on the air with the puzzle editor of the New York Times and puzzlemaster of WEEKEND EDITION, Will Shortz. Thank you, Will.
SHORTZ: Thanks a lot, Ayesha.
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