On-air challenge: I'm going to give you clues to some 8-letter words. Each word contains a doubled letter. Drop that doubled letter, and the remaining letters in order will spell a 6-letter word that answers the second clue.
Ex. Most strait-laced / Catholic official --> PRI(MM)EST, PRIEST
1. George Gallup, for one / something pinned on a wall
2. Mussing, as feathers / court decision
3. [Fill in the blank:] ___ column (part of a car) / lace
4. Business / force to do something
5. In a gloomy fashion / sudden disappointment
6. Eliding / activity at Vail
7. Correct / certain salt in chemistry
8. Risqué quality / city in Wisconsin
The last two 8-letter words have two consecutive doubled letters. Drop all of these to get a 4-letter word that answers the second clue.
9. One sharing living quarters / $79 a night, for example
10. Is victorious / soapy water
Last week's challenge: This week's challenge comes from listener Chris Stuart of Las Cruces, N.M. Take the name of a country. Insert an E somewhere inside it. You'll get a phrase that answers the question: What did Henry Ford do?
Answer: Made a gas car
Winner: Phil Sweet of Sparta Township, N.J.
Next week's challenge: This is a two-week challenge, and it comes from Zack Guido, who's the author of the book Of Course! The Greatest Collection of Riddles & Brain Teasers for Expanding Your Mind. Write down the equation 65 – 43 = 21. You'll notice that this is not correct. 65 minus 43 equals 22, not 21. The object is to move exactly two of the digits to create a correct equation. There is no trick in the puzzle's wording. In the answer, the minus and equal signs do not move.
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, Oct. 26, at 3 p.m. ET.
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