Quick! Sneak In That 'QU'

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Rachel Martin. Turn off the "Real Housewives" reruns because it's time for the puzzle.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

MARTIN: And joining me now is WEEKEND EDITION's puzzle-master Will Shortz. Good morning, Will.

WILL SHORTZ, BYLINE: Good morning, Rachel.

MARTIN: OK. So, you got us thinking about clothing last week. Remind us, what was last week's challenge?

SHORTZ: Yes. It came from a listener and it turned out to be a puzzle that I used on the air several years ago. And I'm sorry about that. The challenge was to name two articles of apparel, things you wear, which, when the words are used as verbs, are synonyms of each other. Well, we received a lot of different answers, including tie and lace, which both mean to combine things together. Some listeners sent in cuff and sock, which both mean to hit someone or something. And there are other possible answers. But my intended answer was belt and sock, which both mean to hit.

MARTIN: OK. So, more than 1,500 of you sent in the intended answer. And our randomly selected winner this week is Jeanne Kelsey of Lamberton, Minnesota. She joins us now on the phone. Congratulations, Jeanne.

JEANNE KELSEY: Thank you.

MARTIN: So, how did you figure this one out?

KELSEY: Oh, I just jotted down a few articles of clothing and got to thinking about verbs and came up with two that looked like they were synonyms. And I double-checked with the dictionary - I didn't know if belt was just a slang term - and sent it in.

MARTIN: And there you go. Well, what do you do in Lamberton?

KELSEY: Well, I'm a teacher, retired teacher - retired from full-time - and I teach part-time English to students of other languages, known as ESL. And I actually teach in Awana Grove, Minnesota, which is 10 miles down the road.

MARTIN: OK. So, you're pretty good with words, I imagine.

KELSEY: I try.

MARTIN: So, with that, are you ready to play the puzzle, Jeanne?

KELSEY: Yes, I am.

SHORTZ: OK, Will. We're ready.

All right, Jeanne and Rachel. Every answer today is a six-letter word containing Q-U somewhere inside it. I'll give you anagrams of the remaining four letters. You name the words. And I'll tell you no answer is a plural or a word formed by adding S. For example, if I said sake S-A-K-E, you might say squeak S-Q-U-E-A-K.

MARTIN: Wow. OK. You have it, Jeanne?

KELSEY: I don't know. I'll try.

SHORTZ: So, just add Q-U. Here's number one: rave R-A-V-E. And this one is a term used in music. It's what your voice might do if you're uncertain.

KELSEY: Quaver.

SHORTZ: Quaver is it. There you go. Number two is leap L-E-A-P, as in peter.

KELSEY: Let's see.

SHORTZ: This is something you might hang on your wall to commemorate an accomplishment.

MARTIN: Oh, man.

KELSEY: I just can't...

SHORTZ: I'll tell you it starts with a P.

KELSEY: Starts with a P. Plaque.

MARTIN: There you go.

SHORTZ: Plaque is it, good. Nita N-I-T-A, as in a woman's name. Nita N-I-T-A.

KELSEY: Quaint.

SHORTZ: There you go. No hint needed. Rims R-I-M-S.

KELSEY: R-I-M-S.

SHORTZ: Like edges or rims, or like rims of coffee cups. And this is what you might do if you're nervous. It's what you might do in your seat if you're nervous.

KELSEY: Squirm.

MARTIN: Yeah.

SHORTZ: Squirm is it. Some S-O-M-E.

KELSEY: S-O-M-E.

SHORTZ: I'll give you a hint: it's a religious facility.

MARTIN: A place of worship.

SHORTZ: Place of worship, yeah.

KELSEY: Oh, boy. Mosque.

MARTIN: Yeah.

SHORTZ: Mosque, there you go. How about sear S-E-A-R?

KELSEY: S-E-A-R?

SHORTZ: Right. And this one is a geometrical figure.

KELSEY: Oh, square.

MARTIN: Yeah.

SHORTZ: That's it. How about lice L-I-C-E?

KELSEY: L-I-C-E.

SHORTZ: And your hint for this will be a small group of your favorite people.

KELSEY: Oh, boy.

MARTIN: Oh, man. I'm not seeing this one either.

SHORTZ: OK. It starts with a C.

KELSEY: Oh, clique.

SHORTZ: Clique is it, good. And here's your last one: lees L-E-E-S.

KELSEY: L-E-E-S. Squeel.

MARTIN: Yeah.

SHORTZ: Not quite. That would be S-Q-U-E-A-L. This has got two Es.

KELSEY: Oh, sequel?

SHORTZ: Sequel is it. Good job.

MARTIN: Sequel - oh, Jeanne, good job. That was kind of a tough one.

(LAUGHTER)

MARTIN: You did great.

KELSEY: Oh, thank you.

MARTIN: You did great. For playing our puzzle today, you'll get a WEEKEND EDITION lapel pin and puzzle books and games. And you can read all about it at npr.org/puzzle.

Before we let you go, Jeanne, what's your Public Radio station?

KELSEY: I am a member at KRSW.

MARTIN: In Worthington, Minnesota.

KELSEY: Out here on the prairie.

(LAUGHTER)

MARTIN: Great, Jeanne Kelsey of Lamberton, Minnesota. Thanks so much for playing the puzzle, Jeanne.

KELSEY: Thank you. It was fun.

MARTIN: OK, Will. What's our challenge for next week?

SHORTZ: Yes, name a major U.S. city in two words. Take the first letter of the first word and the first two letters of the second word, and they will spell the standard three-letter abbreviation for the state that this city is in. What city is it?

So again, a U.S. city, two words. It's a city everyone knows. Take the first letter of the first word and the first two letters of the second word. Read three letters in order and they'll spell this city's state abbreviation. What city is it?

MARTIN: OK, you know the drill. When you have the answer, go to our Web site, npr.org/puzzle and click on the Submit Your Answer link - just one entry per person, please. And our deadline for entries is Thursday, December 13th at 3 P.M. Eastern Time.

Please 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 puzzle-master, Will Shortz.

Thanks, Will.

SHORTZ: Thanks, Rachel.

(SOUNDBITE OF THEME MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.