On-air challenge: This week's challenge was inspired by my puzzle-making friends at SolvingFun.com. Each answer is a word made from a part of the body, with an extra letter at the end. For example, if I gave you the clue "Polish, like an apple or a shoe" the answer would be SHINE, which is SHIN plus the letter E.
- Branch of the military
- Fencing move
- One of America's original thirteen
- Asian country
- Children's building block
- Actress Lisa, from The Cosby Show and A Different World
- Short upright piano
Last week's challenge: Last week's challenge came from listener Anjali Tripathi of Los Angeles, California.
Take the last name of a Nobel Peace Prize winner. Remove the middle three letters and duplicate the last two letters to get the first name of a different Nobel Peace Prize winner. What are those two names? Again, take a Nobel Peace Prize winners last name, remove the middle three letters and duplicate the last two letters, get the first name of another Nobel Peace Prize winner.
Challenge answer: Nelson MANDELA, MALALA Yousafzai
Winner: Thom Gillis of Livonia, Michigan
This week's challenge: Take a body part, add a letter at beginning and end to get another body part, then add another letter at beginning and end to get something designed to affect that body part.
If you know the answer to the challenge, submit it here by Thursday, March 14th at 3 p.m. ET. Listeners whose answers are selected win a chance to play the on-air puzzle. Important: include a phone number where we can reach you.
Listener well wishes to Will Shortz:
"I was so sorry to hear about Will Shortz's stroke, but glad to hear his message. I've listened to his puzzles on Weekend Edition Sunday since they started. Though I'm not always smart enough to solve his puzzles, I recognize a brilliant and warm person when I hear one. Get well soon Will."
- David West of Hayesville North Carolina.
"Will and Ayesha start my morning in the most awesome way. They make me think, and they make me laugh. They are an absolute blessing on my day and for that, I am grateful."
- Jan Sutherland of Midland, Michigan
"I wish Will the best of recoveries. I truly value your energy and your passion and the Sunday Puzzle is what I call, my favorite time of the week. I was pleased to be a contestant once before, in 2016, and you showed me nothing but good will."
- David Kosub of Silver Spring, Maryland
"I heard about Will Shortz's stroke. Please give him my best and tell him I'm sending out all of my positive energy. I've been listening to Weekend Edition Sunday since it started and he got me hooked on puzzles. I got to meet him at Hawaii Theatre when he came to Honolulu some years back. He was wonderful"
- Stacey Roberts of Honolulu, Hawaii
"We've been thinking about you because we just celebrated our tenth anniversary and always remember how you, Rachel Martin, and the NPR Weekend Edition team, tricked John into thinking he had been chosen to be on Weekend Edition as the Sunday puzzle winner. Only to turn it into a wedding proposal complete with the Weekend Edition lapel pin as a ring. Thank you for making that memory, and we can't wait to hear you on the radio soon."
- Kenny Lao of Venice Beach, California
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