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Any Questions? #20

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-999796.mp3

Albany, NY – WAMC's Ian Pickus and resident quizzer Mike Nothnagel welcome a special guest to play this week's show: NPR puzzlemaster and New York Times crossword editor Will Shortz, appropriately the first guest solver in Any Questions? history.

Last week's challenge

Begin with the word RESOLUTION. Add a letter, then rearrange the result to spell a two-word phrase (3 letters in the first word, 8 letters in the second) that names things someone might want to break free from in the new year. What are these things?

Answer: If you add a D, you can rearrange the letters to spell OLD ROUTINES.

THIS WEEK'S CATEGORY: "WILL" OR "SHORT"

On-air questions: In honor of our first Guest Answerer, NPR Puzzlemaster Will Shortz, each correct answer this week contains either the word WILL or the word SHORT.

1. Cowboy and humorist who once said, "I belong to no organized party. I'm a Democrat."
2. Form of literature to which the O. Henry Award is given annually
3. 1997 film for which Ben Affleck and Matt Damon received Best Original Screenplay Oscars
4. Actor who famously portrayed George W. Bush and Alex Trebek on Saturday Night Live
5. Only Monopoly railroad whose name fits this category
6. 1977 Queen hit frequently heard at sporting events, usually with its companion song "We Are The Champions"
7. What can be found in pitch black but not in bright light, and in left but not in right

Extra credit
1. Portrayer of Ned Nederlander in the 1986 comedy Three Amigos!
2. Three-word catchphrase from the 1960s television series Lost In Space

This week's challenge

Take the name of a well-known person in the entertainment industry whose last name ends with a Z. (The first name has 7 letters, the last name has 4.) Change the Z to an I, then rearrange the result to spell two forms of entertainment. What are they?

ANSWERS

On-air questions
1. Will Rogers
2. Short story
3. Good Will Hunting
4. Will Ferrell
5. Short line
6. "We Will Rock You"
7. Short vowel

Extra credit
1. Martin Short
2. "Danger, Will Robinson!"

A lifelong resident of the Capital Region, Ian joined WAMC in late 2008 and became news director in 2013. He began working on Morning Edition and has produced The Capitol Connection, Congressional Corner, and several other WAMC programs. Ian can also be heard as the host of the WAMC News Podcast and on The Roundtable and various newscasts. Ian holds a BA in English and journalism and an MA in English, both from the University at Albany, where he has taught journalism since 2013.