News and Music Discovery
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

From Gangland To San Fran, Here's A Puzzle With A Grand Plan

NPR

On-air challenge: Every answer given in this week's puzzle is a compound word or a familiar two-word phrase in which each part contains the consecutive letters A-N.

For example: Steinway product --> GRAND PIANO.

Last week's challenge, from listener Michael Shteyman of Odenton, Md.: Take the name of a country and a well-known city in the Middle East — 12 letters in all. Rearrange these letters to name another country and another well-known city in the Middle East. What places are these?

Answer: Bahrain + Dubai = Iran + Abu Dhabi.

Winner: Randolph Meiklejohn of Brookline, Mass.

Next week's challenge, from listener Jon Herman: If PAJAMA represents first and REBUKE represents second, what nine-letter word can represent third?

There are two possible answers, one common and one not so common. Either one will be counted correct.

Submit Your Answer

If you know the answer to next week's challenge, submit it here. Listeners who submit correct answers win a chance to play the on-air puzzle. Important: Include a phone number where we can reach you Thursday, Feb. 11, at 3 p.m. ET.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

NPR's Puzzlemaster Will Shortz has appeared on Weekend Edition Sunday since the program's start in 1987. He's also the crossword editor of The New York Times, the former editor of Games magazine, and the founder and director of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (since 1978).