Games & Humor http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1052&ft=1&f=1052 Games, puzzles, and contests plus odd stories from comedy, art, and society. en Copyright 2013 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.94 Sat, 18 May 2013 00:35:00 -0400 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif Games & Humor http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1052&ft=1&f=1052 Not My Job: Three Headless Chicken Questions For Alice Cooper We've invited the heavy metal rocker to answer three questions about Mike, a chicken in the 1940s who lost his head and still went on to achieve fame and fortune. Sat, 18 May 2013 00:35:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/184566870/not-my-job-three-headless-chicken-questions-for-alice-cooper?ft=1&f=1052 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/184566870/not-my-job-three-headless-chicken-questions-for-alice-cooper?ft=1&f=1052 We've invited the heavy metal rocker to answer three questions about Mike, a chicken in the 1940s who lost his head and still went on to achieve fame and fortune.

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]]> Sandwich Monday: Tamale Spaceship Now we know why it takes astronauts three hours to get into their spacesuits. Mon, 13 May 2013 16:32:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/05/13/183646464/sandwich-monday-tamale-spaceship?ft=1&f=1052 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/05/13/183646464/sandwich-monday-tamale-spaceship?ft=1&f=1052 Now we know why it takes astronauts three hours to get into their spacesuits.

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]]> This One Is For You, Ma You are given two words starting with M-A. The answer is a third word that can follow the first one and precede the second one, in each case to complete a compound word or a familiar two-word phrase. Sun, 12 May 2013 05:34:28 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/12/183190628/this-one-is-for-you-ma?ft=1&f=1052 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/12/183190628/this-one-is-for-you-ma?ft=1&f=1052 You are given two words starting with M-A. The answer is a third word that can follow the first one and precede the second one, in each case to complete a compound word or a familiar two-word phrase.

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]]> Google Chairman Eric Schmidt Plays Not My Job We use Google to search for just about everything, so we've invited Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt to answer three questions about things that are un-Googleable. Sat, 11 May 2013 01:27:44 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/11/182873683/google-chairman-eric-schmidt-plays-not-my-job?ft=1&f=1052 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/11/182873683/google-chairman-eric-schmidt-plays-not-my-job?ft=1&f=1052 We use Google to search for just about everything, so we've invited Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt to answer three questions about things that are un-Googleable.

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]]> I Left My Heart In Boston Jonathan Coulton is wicked stoked to pay tribute to Boston in the best way he knows how: by substituting the names of Boston neighborhoods into the lyrics of well-known songs about <em>other</em> cities. Can you name the original towns? Or do you prefer a "Roslindale State of Mind"? Fri, 10 May 2013 12:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/10/182594026/i-left-my-heart-in-boston?ft=1&f=1052 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/10/182594026/i-left-my-heart-in-boston?ft=1&f=1052 Jonathan Coulton is wicked stoked to pay tribute to Boston in the best way he knows how: by substituting the names of Boston neighborhoods into the lyrics of well-known songs about other cities. Can you name the original towns? Or do you prefer a "Roslindale State of Mind"?

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]]> Name Brand Names It may take a lifetime to develop your fashion sense, but only a few trendsetters can boast clothing items actually named in their honor. Puzzle Guru Art Chung asks contestants about couture that carries the name of its inventor or inspiration. Fri, 10 May 2013 12:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/10/182594022/name-brand-names?ft=1&f=1052 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/10/182594022/name-brand-names?ft=1&f=1052 It may take a lifetime to develop your fashion sense, but only a few trendsetters can boast clothing items actually named in their honor. Puzzle Guru Art Chung asks contestants about couture that carries the name of its inventor or inspiration.

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]]> Banned In Boston To close our Boston road show, play along as the final five contestants play a game comprised of words, phrases and names that begin with the letters B-A-N. Fri, 10 May 2013 12:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/10/182594030/banned-in-boston?ft=1&f=1052 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/10/182594030/banned-in-boston?ft=1&f=1052 To close our Boston road show, play along as the final five contestants play a game comprised of words, phrases and names that begin with the letters B-A-N.

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]]> Hahd-Cawr Pun We kick off our show with a game dedicated to the stereotypical Boston dialect--you know, the one that tells you to "Pahk your cah in Hahvahd Yahd"? Host Ophira Eisenberg has a little punny fun with phrases and names that take on whole new meanings when you drop the "r's" in certain words. Fri, 10 May 2013 12:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/10/182594018/hahd-cawr-pun?ft=1&f=1052 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/10/182594018/hahd-cawr-pun?ft=1&f=1052 We kick off our show with a game dedicated to the stereotypical Boston dialect--you know, the one that tells you to "Pahk your cah in Hahvahd Yahd"? Host Ophira Eisenberg has a little punny fun with phrases and names that take on whole new meanings when you drop the "r's" in certain words.

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]]> 'Plus One' With Wesley Morris In this game, Jonathan Coulton pits Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Wesley Morris against a fellow cinephile. They must add "1" to a numerical movie title to create its fictitious sequel. For instance, Hugh Grant and Andie McDowell try to recapture their magic in <em>Five Weddings and Two Funerals</em>. Fri, 10 May 2013 10:22:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/10/182594020/plus-one?ft=1&f=1052 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/10/182594020/plus-one?ft=1&f=1052 In this game, Jonathan Coulton pits Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Wesley Morris against a fellow cinephile. They must add "1" to a numerical movie title to create its fictitious sequel. For instance, Hugh Grant and Andie McDowell try to recapture their magic in Five Weddings and Two Funerals.

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]]> Barney Frank: The Comedian's Politician This week's Very Important Puzzler talks about his political family, his accomplishments in Congress and the role of comedy in politics. Plus, we challenge him to identify the speaker of some notable quotes: Was it Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, rapper Kanye West ... or Barney Frank? Fri, 10 May 2013 10:22:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/10/182594028/barney-frank-the-comedians-politician?ft=1&f=1052 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/10/182594028/barney-frank-the-comedians-politician?ft=1&f=1052 This week's Very Important Puzzler talks about his political family, his accomplishments in Congress and the role of comedy in politics. Plus, we challenge him to identify the speaker of some notable quotes: Was it Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, rapper Kanye West ... or Barney Frank?

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]]> 'Product Placement' With Lois Lowry Hear young adult author Lois Lowry talk about the 10,000 letters that convinced her to write three sequels to <em>The Giver</em>. Plus, she plays a trivia game that mashes up the titles of famous literary works with the names of household products and companies. Fri, 10 May 2013 10:22:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/10/182594024/product-placement-with-lois-lowry?ft=1&f=1052 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/10/182594024/product-placement-with-lois-lowry?ft=1&f=1052 Hear young adult author Lois Lowry talk about the 10,000 letters that convinced her to write three sequels to The Giver. Plus, she plays a trivia game that mashes up the titles of famous literary works with the names of household products and companies.

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]]> Sandwich Monday: Fried Peanut Butter And Banana Peter Sagal's in New York, so what did he go get for this week's Sandwich Monday? A classic New York hot dog? A pastrami sandwich from 2nd Avenue Deli? No, a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich. Mon, 06 May 2013 15:26:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/05/06/181629636/sandwich-monday-fried-peanut-butter-and-banana?ft=1&f=1052 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/05/06/181629636/sandwich-monday-fried-peanut-butter-and-banana?ft=1&f=1052 Peter Sagal's in New York, so what did he go get for this week's Sandwich Monday? A classic New York hot dog? A pastrami sandwich from 2nd Avenue Deli? No, a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich.

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]]> Two Last Names For The Price Of One <strong></strong>Every answer consists of two people, either real or fictional, whose last names are anagrams of each other. Sat, 04 May 2013 17:08:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/05/181170673/two-last-names-for-the-price-of-one?ft=1&f=1052 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/05/181170673/two-last-names-for-the-price-of-one?ft=1&f=1052 Every answer consists of two people, either real or fictional, whose last names are anagrams of each other.

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]]> Not My Job: Steve Martin Takes A Quiz About Boring People Steve Martin is a comedian, a playwright, an author, an art collector, an actor, a Grammy-winning banjo player, a composer and, as we all know, a "wild and crazy guy." So we've decided to ask him questions about the most mundane and dull guys we could find. Sat, 04 May 2013 10:01:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/04/180815696/not-my-job-steve-martin-takes-a-quiz-about-boring-people?ft=1&f=1052 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/04/180815696/not-my-job-steve-martin-takes-a-quiz-about-boring-people?ft=1&f=1052 Steve Martin is a comedian, a playwright, an author, an art collector, an actor, a Grammy-winning banjo player, a composer and, as we all know, a "wild and crazy guy." So we've decided to ask him questions about the most mundane and dull guys we could find.

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]]> A.J. Jacobs: The Quest To Do Everything This week's Very Important Puzzler talks about his life as a "human guinea pig," from trying to become the healthiest person in the world, to living by the Bible for a whole year. Plus, we put Jacobs in the puzzle hot seat for an Ask Me Another Challenge about famous people who go by two initials and a last name. Fri, 03 May 2013 12:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/03/180621926/a-j-jacobs-the-quest-to-do-everything?ft=1&f=1052 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/03/180621926/a-j-jacobs-the-quest-to-do-everything?ft=1&f=1052 This week's Very Important Puzzler talks about his life as a "human guinea pig," from trying to become the healthiest person in the world, to living by the Bible for a whole year. Plus, we put Jacobs in the puzzle hot seat for an Ask Me Another Challenge about famous people who go by two initials and a last name.

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