Don't Get Dizzy While You're Busy Every answer today is a rhyming two-word phrase in which each word has two syllables and the first word ends with a doubled consonant plus the letter Y.
This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Rachel Martin. And no, Kim Kardashian's back side did not break the Internet, but what's about to happen now is likely to blow up your radio. It's time to puzzle. Joining me now is Will Shortz. He is the puzzle editor of The New York Times and WEEKEND EDITION's puzzle master. Good morning, Will.
WILL SHORTZ, BYLINE: Good morning, Rachel.
MARTIN: So what was last week's challenge?
SHORTZ: Yes. It came from listener Steve Baggish of Arlington, Massachusetts. I said name a well-known clothing company, move each of its letters three spaces earlier in the alphabet and rearrange the result. You'll name something you don't want in an article of clothing. What is it? Well, the clothing company is Izod - I-Z-O-D. And do that letter thing, and you get flaw - F-L-A-W - which is definitely something you don't want in your clothing.
MARTIN: OK. And I understand their might have been an alternative answer you would've accepted.
SHORTZ: Well, I'm not sure we accepted it, but I thought it was pretty clever. It's Luvs - L-U-V-S - as in the diapers. And you move the letters like I said and you get rips - R-I-P-S.
SHORTZ: So you definitely don't want rips in your diaper.
MARTIN: No, definitely not. So you don't win, but points for creativity with that answer. Nearly 400 of you, though, did submit the correct answer. And our randomly selected winner is Chris Matthews of Ridgecrest, California. He joins us now on the line. Hey, Chris. Congratulations.
CHRIS MATTHEWS: Hey, this is quite an honor.
MARTIN: Well, it's really great to have you with us. Was this an easy thing for you to figure out?
MATTHEWS: It was in a way. It took me about half an hour. I was going to bed, and I just submitted. And I never thought you guys would call.
MARTIN: And we did. You know what's funny, Will? I notice a lot of people - the answers come to them right before they go to bed. There's something about that moment.
SHORTZ: Absolutely. And I get a lot of my best puzzle ideas right before I go to sleep.
MARTIN: There you go. You're in good company.
SHORTZ: And then I try and - then I think, do I want to get up and write this down or can I commit it to memory?
MARTIN: And what do you do?
SHORTZ: I'm usually enough just to lie in bed and hope I remember in the morning.
MARTIN: OK, Chris, are you ready to play the puzzle?
MATTHEWS: I'm as ready as I'll ever be.
MARTIN: OK, let's do it, Will.
SHORTZ: All right, Chris and Rachel, every answer today is a rhyming two-word phrase in which each word has two syllables, and the first word ends with a doubled consonant plus the letter Y. For example, if I said a good-looking metropolis, you would say pretty city.
SHORTZ: Two syllables, they always rhyme. And here's number one, a hilarious rabbit.
SHORTZ: A funny money is it. Numbered two, a taxi driver who complains a lot.
SHORTZ: That's it. An odorous sandwich shop.
MATTHEWS: Oh, a smelly deli.
SHORTZ: A smelly deli, yes. A stylish and sophisticated Scottish girl.
SHORTZ: I'll give you that. I was going for a classy lassie, but we'll go for sassy too. Speaking of sassy, an impudent woman who's hard to please.
MARTIN: Am I going to be offended by this one?
SHORTZ: And I've written the clue as most inoffensively as I can.
SHORTZ: But it might still offend. Yeah. I'm just going to tell you. It's a fussy hussy.
MATTHEWS: Oh, I wasn't going to say hussy.
MARTIN: Fussy hussy. All right.
SHORTZ: OK. Moving right along. A haughty London policeman.
MATTHEWS: Hobby. Oh - a snobby bobby.
SHORTZ: A snobby bobby is it. A stupid '60s guy with long hair and a tie-dye shirt.
SHORTZ: That's it. How about wifey's overweight spouse.
SHORTZ: That's it. And embalmed body in a pyramid that is in poor condition.
SHORTZ: Oh, OK. Or a crummy mommy. And here's your last one. An addled person whose looks rate a 10.
MATTHEWS: Got to think of a Y.
SHORTZ: So if someone is really good-looking, what would you call them?
SHORTZ: A hottie. Yes. An addled person.
MATTHEWS: Oh, hang on, hang on. An addled person.
SHORTZ: The rhyme starts with a D.
SHORTZ: A dotty hottie is it. You've got it.
MATTHEWS: I've got to use that in my vocabulary.
MARTIN: Tricky, tricky, Will. Very tricky.
MARTIN: OK, Chris, good job. Very well done.
MARTIN: And for playing the puzzle today, you get a WEEKEND EDITION lapel pin and all kinds of puzzle books and games. If you want to read about those prizes, you can do so at our website, npr.org/puzzle. And before we let you go, tell us where you hear us, Chris. What's your public radio station?
MATTHEWS: I have two. It's split between usually KCRW out of Santa Monica or KVCR in San Bernardino.
MARTIN: Great. Chris Matthews of Ridgecrest, California. Thanks so much for playing the puzzle, Chris.
MATTHEWS: This has been great. It was a lot of fun.
MARTIN: OK, Will. What's up for next week?
SHORTZ: Yes. Name a country, drop one of its letters and rearrange the remaining letters to name this country's money. What is it? So again, name a country, drop one of its letters, rearrange the remaining letters to name this country's money. What country is it, and what's the money?
MARTIN: All right. You know what to do. When you've got the answer, go to our website, npr.org/puzzle, click on the submit your answer link. Just one entry per person please. And our deadline for those entries is Thursday, November 20 at 3 p.m. Eastern time. Don't forget to include a phone number where we can reach you at about that time. And if you're the winner, we give you a call. And then you get to play on the air with the puzzle editor of The New York Times and WEEKEND EDITION's puzzle master, Will Shortz. Thanks so much, Will.