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Humor & Fun Games, puzzles, and contests plus odd stories from comedy, art, and society.

Humor & Fun

Thursday

Whee!

Contestants Anne Holsinger (right) and Jonathan Bettle correctly answer questions in the game "Whee!" Steve Petrucelli hide caption

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Steve Petrucelli

Ask Me Another

Whee!

Enjoy this roller coaster of a game, where all of the answers are words that contain double Es, just like the word you would say when you're on a ride: "Whee!"

Whee!

Listen · 4:51
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National Treasures

Contestants Gautam Hans (left) and Sharyn Horowitz give their best Nicolas Cage impressions for "National Treasures." Steve Petrucelli hide caption

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National Treasures

We hope you've been practicing your Nicolas Cage impression, or have seen his 2004 action thriller National Treasure. In this game, you must name famous items found in the Smithsonian Museum's collection, as described by house musician Jonathan Coulton. We encourage you to answer in the style of Cage's immortal line, "I'm going to steal the Declaration of Independence."

National Treasures

Listen · 4:24
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Such Characters

Contestants gather for the final round. Steve Petrucelli hide caption

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Steve Petrucelli

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Such Characters

In this final round, led by puzzle guru Art Chung, contestants are given the names of two actors who have played the same role in different movies, and they must name the character. For example, Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro both played Vito Corleone from The Godfather trilogy. Who was a more convincing mob boss? We'll let you figure that out on your own.

Such Characters

Listen · 6:22
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Random Questions With: Ian MacKaye

Ian MacKaye made his mark on the D.C. punk scene with Minor Threat and Fugazi. Becky Harlan/NPR hide caption

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Random Questions With: Ian MacKaye

The front man of the bands Minor Threat, Fugazi and The Evens played a fundamental role in the development of Washington, D.C.'s punk and straight-edge scene. Hear MacKaye opine on everything from performing for audiences with the lights on, to the importance of dental care.

Random Questions With: Ian MacKaye

Listen · 7:22
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Ian MacKaye: Un-Punk'd

Ian MacKaye (left) and NPR's Stephen Thompson play an Ask Me Another Challenge in Washington, D.C. Becky Harlan/NPR hide caption

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Ian MacKaye: Un-Punk'd

Throughout his career as a musician, MacKaye has played, listened to and analyzed countless hours of music. But how will he fare in our version of "Name That Tune"? MacKaye teams up with NPR's Stephen Thompson to identify acoustic renditions of punk songs performed by house musician Jonathan Coulton.

Ian MacKaye: Un-Punk'd

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Sunday

Hungry For A Hidden Word
NPR

Sunday Puzzle

Hungry For A Hidden Word

This week's puzzle involves brand names of foods at the grocery. If I asked you to take "Dole" (as in pineapples) and rearrange the letters to name an ore deposit, you would say "lode." What anagrams do each of the names conceal?

Hungry For A Hidden Word

Listen · 6:37
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Friday

Not My Job: What Does John Lithgow Know About Flops?
Boneau Bryan-Brown/AP

Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

Not My Job: What Does John Lithgow Know About Flops?

Since actor John Lithgow has been so successful onstage, we're going to ask him three questions about total failures. He'll take a quiz on three of the most terrible products ever brought to market.

Not My Job: What Does John Lithgow Know About Flops?

Listen · 10:50
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Thursday

Ask Me Another

Celebrity Spoonerisms

A "spoonerism"is a type of wordplay that flip-flops the initial sounds of two words. Twist some celebrity names into unusual phrases. "Mark Hamill" would become "Hark Mammal." Spoon on!

Celebrity Spoonerisms

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This, That Or The Other VI: Bad Movie Edition

Kevin Murphy (left) comforts Bill Corbett after Bill incorrectly guessed that "War With The Mutant Spider Ants" was a movie title. (It's a Choose Your Own Adventure book, naturally.) Eamon Coyne/NPR hide caption

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This, That Or The Other VI: Bad Movie Edition

Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett, of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and RiffTrax, make fun of bad movies for our enjoyment. On Ask Me Another, the pair goes head to head to guess whether hilarities such as "War With the Mutant Spider Ants" or "Death Bed: The Bed That Eats" are movie titles, Choose Your Own Adventure book titles, or Weekly World News tabloid headlines.

This, That Or The Other VI: Bad Movie Edition

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Piper Kerman: Recipes For Survival

Piper Kerman at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota. Eamon Coyne/NPR hide caption

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Piper Kerman: Recipes For Survival

The Orange Is The New Black author says that cooking behind bars allowed her to bond with fellow inmates, and points out where her experiences, and those depicted in the hit Netflix series, differ.

Piper Kerman: Recipes For Survival

Listen · 13:02
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