< Sunday Puzzle: A puzzle for the guest Puzzlemaster, (G)reg (P)liska

AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:

And it's time to play the Puzzle.

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RASCOE: I am so happy today because we are warmly welcoming back the puzzlemaster himself, Will Shortz. Welcome back (laughter).

WILL SHORTZ, BYLINE: Ayesha, it is so good to be back, so good to hear your voice.

RASCOE: He's the puzzle editor of the New York Times and puzzlemaster of WEEKEND EDITION. I just want to say, we have missed you so much, Will. So many people have reached out to me, and we are so, so glad to have you back.

SHORTZ: Oh, it's great to be here. You know, I had so many letters and emails from friends and strangers alike who wrote me at home and wrote me through NPR. It was just very heartwarming. I'll tell you a little background. You know, I had a stroke on February 4, which left my left side incapacitated. And I'm home again, which is so good. But I'm continuing therapy seven days a week. I'm just working really hard to get my body back physically.

RASCOE: I'm glad to hear that. And we want to give a special shoutout to Greg Pliska, who stepped in while you were away. But now we get to get back down to business. Will, remind us - what was last week's challenge?

SHORTZ: Yes, it came from listener Steve Baggish of Arlington, Mass. It was, think of a nine-letter word naming a kind of tool that's mentioned in the Bible, remove the second and sixth letters, and the remaining letters can be rearranged to spell two new words that are related to the area in which the tool is used. And what are they? Well, the tool is a plowshare, and those extra letters can be rearranged to spell reap and sow.

RASCOE: There were over 1,400 correct entries this week. And this week's winner is Scott Manas of Miami, Fla. Congratulations, Scott.

SCOTT MANAS: Thank you, Ayesha. It's good to be here. And Will, good to have you back.

SHORTZ: Thanks a lot.

RASCOE: And how long have you been playing the puzzle, Scott?

MANAS: Oh, this is my first time submitting - wait for the collective groan. I'm kidding. I've been playing since the postcard days.

RASCOE: (Laughter) And, Scott, you told me earlier that you would actually put a reminder on your calendar just in case we were going to call you at 3 p.m.

MANAS: On Thursdays - that's correct.

RASCOE: Well, Scott, I got to ask you - are you ready to play the Puzzle?

MANAS: I'm ready as I'll ever be. Nervous as a - can't even come up with a simile right now, but I'm nervous.

RASCOE: Don't worry about it. It's going to be great. Take it away, Will.

SHORTZ: All right. Scott, you know, a few weeks ago, Greg Pliska did a tribute puzzle to me in which every answer was a familiar two-word phrase or name with initials W-S. So I wanted to return the favor. Every answer today is a familiar two-word phrase or name with initials G-P. For example, if I said quarry that's the source of road material, you would say gravel pit.

MANAS: OK (laughter).

SHORTZ: Here you go - what you step on to make a car go faster.

MANAS: Gas pedal.

SHORTZ: That's right - an annual auto race with a French name.

MANAS: Grand Prix.

SHORTZ: That's right - a family doctor.

MANAS: General practitioner.

SHORTZ: That's it - someone who provides instruction on the links.

MANAS: Golf pro.

SHORTZ: That's it - writing material that you might draw a chart on.

MANAS: Graph paper.

SHORTZ: That's it - a noted political opinion survey.

MANAS: I don't know.

SHORTZ: So what is an opinion survey in general, starting with P?

MANAS: Poll.

SHORTZ: Yes. What's a famous name? What kind of pole?

RASCOE: Oh, yeah. It's like a horse. You tell a horse to gallop (laughter).

MANAS: The Gallup Poll. Thank you. Thank you, Ayesha.

SHORTZ: How about an actor who co-starred with Ingrid Bergman in Hitchcock's "Spellbound"?

MANAS: Gregory Peck.

SHORTZ: Excellent. And here's your last one - tiny bumps on the skin when you're cold or afraid.

MANAS: Goose pimples.

SHORTZ: You got it.

RASCOE: Goose pimples - that is what we all have today after this puzzle. But you did such a good job. You knocked it out of the park. How do you feel?

MANAS: Like a deer in headlights.

RASCOE: (Laughter) So for playing our Puzzle today, you'll get a WEEKEND EDITION lapel pin as well as puzzle books and games. You can read all about it at npr.org/puzzle. And Scott, what member station do you listen to?

MANAS: My wife Linda (ph) and I are sustaining members of WLRN in Miami.

RASCOE: That's Scott Manas of Miami, Fla. Thank you so much for playing the Puzzle.

MANAS: Thanks for having me. Thanks, Will.

RASCOE: OK, Will, what's next week's challenge?

SHORTZ: Yes, it comes from listener Bruce DeViller of Brookfield, Ill. Think of a popular online service. Change the first letter to a Y and rearrange the result to get what this service provides. So again, a popular service online, and change the first letter to Y. And rearrange the result to get what this service provides. What is it?

RASCOE: When you have the answer, go to our website, npr.org/puzzle, and click on the submit your answer link. Remember, just one entry, please. Our deadline for entries this week is Thursday, April 18, at 3 p.m. Eastern. Don't forget to include a phone number where we can reach you. If you're the winner, we'll give you a call, and if you pick up the phone, you'll get to play on the air with the puzzle editor of the New York Times and puzzlemaster Of WEEKEND EDITION, Will Shortz. Thank you, Will.

SHORTZ: Thanks a lot, Ayesha.

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