< Sunday Puzzle: Six-letter words with four vowels and two consonants

AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:

It's time to play the Puzzle.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

RASCOE: Joining us is Will Shortz. He's puzzle editor of The New York Times and puzzlemaster of WEEKEND EDITION. Hey there, Will.

WILL SHORTZ, BYLINE: Good morning, Ayesha. Happy Mother's Day.

RASCOE: Oh, thank you so much. I really appreciate that. Will, would you please remind us of last week's challenge?

SHORTZ: Yes, it came from listener Jim Bricker of Wayland, Mass. I said, think of three common six-letter words that have vowels in the second and fifth positions. And the last five letters of the words are the same. Only the first letters differ. And what was unusual is none of the words rhyme with either of the others. What words are they? Well, there turned out to be multiple answers. My intended answer was mallet or pallet, along with wallet and ballet. But equally good was father, lather and bather. So we accepted either answer.

RASCOE: A lot of people did not get this. There were just 360 correct entries, and this week's winner is Michael Kahan of Mountain View, Calif. Congratulations, Michael.

MICHAEL KAHAN: Thank you so much.

RASCOE: And you know, no offense, Michael, but you are proof that we do select winners randomly because of all Sundays, we probably would have wanted a mother, but I will represent the mothers today (laughter).

KAHAN: I send greetings to my own mother and to mothers throughout the world.

SHORTZ: Maybe I brought a mother of a puzzle.

RASCOE: Oh, OK. OK, that's good to know. That's good to know. Michael, how long have you been playing the Puzzle?

KAHAN: I'd say about four years that I've been really trying to send in entries pretty regularly. It was something I picked up when we were under lockdown.

RASCOE: OK. And what do you do when you're not playing the Puzzle?

KAHAN: Well, I teach in the urban studies program at Stanford, and I also like to play tennis, and I play the guitar with a bluegrass group.

RASCOE: Oh, wow. OK. That sounds like a lot of fun. Michael, are you ready to play the Puzzle?

KAHAN: I am.

RASCOE: OK. Take it away, Will.

SHORTZ: All right, Michael. Every answer today is a six-letter word or name that has four vowels and exactly two consonants, and it's pronounced in four syllables. For example, if the clue was absolute madness, you would say idiocy.

KAHAN: Oof. OK.

SHORTZ: Four syllables. Number one is a perfect world.

KAHAN: Utopia.

SHORTZ: You got it. Number two is a home for birds.

KAHAN: Aviary.

SHORTZ: How about a home for bees?

KAHAN: Apiary.

SHORTZ: That's correct. Fill in the blank - Saudi blank.

KAHAN: Arabia.

SHORTZ: That's it. Peninsula with Spain and Portugal?

KAHAN: Iberia.

SHORTZ: Nice. At a slow tempo, musically.

KAHAN: Adagio.

SHORTZ: Nice. Keen eyesight.

KAHAN: Oh, keen eyesight.

SHORTZ: It can mean keenness in general, but in particular with eyesight.

KAHAN: I'm having trouble with this one.

SHORTZ: What if I told you it starts with an A?

RASCOE: (Laughter).

KAHAN: It's still not coming to me.

SHORTZ: And ends in a Y. Does that help?

RASCOE: Ends in a Y.

KAHAN: No, I can't seem to get it. I'm sorry.

SHORTZ: OK. I'll tell you, it's acuity.

KAHAN: Oh, OK.

RASCOE: OK, OK, OK. Yeah.

SHORTZ: All right. How about singer Newton-John?

KAHAN: Olivia.

SHORTZ: Right. Do you know the muse of astronomy?

KAHAN: Urania?

SHORTZ: Excellent. A strong-flavored cheese from Northern Italy.

KAHAN: Oh, asiago.

SHORTZ: You got it. How about area of dark colored skin surrounding a nipple?

KAHAN: Oreola (ph)?

SHORTZ: You almost got it - areola, starting with an A. And here's your last one. Weakness caused by a low number of red blood cells.

KAHAN: Oh, anemia.

SHORTZ: You got it. Nice job.

RASCOE: Oh, my goodness. I wasn't any help at all, but you did an awesome job, Michael. I'm glad you knew this stuff. How do you feel?

KAHAN: I feel good. I feel very good. Thank you.

RASCOE: You played with great acuity.

(LAUGHTER)

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

KAHAN: I'm a sustaining member of KQED.

RASCOE: That's Michael Kahan of Mountain View, Calif. Thank you so much for playing the Puzzle.

KAHAN: Thank you so much. It was a pleasure.

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

SHORTZ: Yes. Think of a well-known seven-letter geographical name in a single word that has just two consonants, and yet it's pronounced in five syllables. So that's all. It's a seven-letter geographical name I think everyone knows. It's a single word that has just two consonants, and yet it's pronounced in five syllables. What name 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, May 16 at 3:00 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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