Sunday Puzzle: Antonyms Attract : NPR

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe hosted a puzzle segment featuring DJ Boyd, the week's winner from Northville, Michigan, alongside puzzle master Will Shortz. The on-air challenge involved listeners transforming pairs of words by changing one letter in each to create antonyms. Examples included pairs like 'Bloat & Sick' changing to 'Float & Sink.' The challenge aimed to engage listeners in a fun and interactive way, showcasing their linguistic skills and creativity. In addition to the current challenge, the previous week's puzzle was presented by listener Ethan Kane from Albuquerque, New Mexico. This challenge required participants to identify a famous TV personality, modify the name by dropping a letter, and phonetically combine the names to sound like a creature from the past. The answer was Dinah Shore, which phonetically resembles 'Dinosaur.' The current week's challenge, proposed by listener Michael Schwartz from Florence, Oregon, involved a watercraft name with an odd number of letters. Participants were tasked with removing the middle letter and rearranging the remaining letters to identify a body of water. This challenge continues the tradition of engaging the audience in wordplay and problem-solving. Overall, these puzzles not only entertain but also stimulate cognitive engagement among listeners, fostering a sense of community through shared challenges and creative thinking. The segment exemplifies NPR's commitment to interactive programming that encourages audience participation and enjoyment.