Sunday Puzzle: Two letter : NPR

In a recent NPR segment, Ayesha Rascoe hosted a puzzle challenge featuring listener Ann Kritzer from Coral Springs, Florida, alongside Puzzlemaster Will Shortz. The on-air challenge involved identifying four-letter words where the first two letters correspond to a well-known U.S. city, and the last two letters represent that city's state postal abbreviation. For example, the word 'SAGA' corresponds to Savannah, Georgia. The challenge included words like GAIN, DECO, and LINE, among others. Additionally, the previous week's challenge, proposed by listener Michael Schwartz from Florence, Oregon, required participants to take the name of a watercraft with an odd number of letters, remove the middle letter, and rearrange the remaining letters to form a body of water. The answer was 'Gondola' leading to 'lagoon.' Ann Kritzer was recognized as the winner for this challenge. This week's challenge, presented by listener Rawson Scheinberg from Northville, Michigan, asks participants to name a U.S. state capital and a world capital. When pronounced together, the names should phonetically resemble an expensive dinner entrée. This engaging format encourages listeners to think creatively and connect different concepts through wordplay. The NPR puzzle segment not only entertains but also stimulates cognitive skills among its audience, fostering a sense of community among puzzle enthusiasts. The challenges are designed to be fun and thought-provoking, making them a popular feature of the program.