© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Sunday Puzzle: Complete the compound with these animal connections!

Sunday Puzzle
NPR
Sunday Puzzle

On-air challenge: I'm going to give you three words, one of which is an animal. You give me a fourth word that can follow each of mine to complete a compound word or a familiar two-word phrase.

Ex. Toad, Step, Bar --> STOOL (toadstool, stepstool, bar stool)

1. Snake, Olive, Castor

2. Pig, Fountain, Play

3. Cow, Door, Dumb

4. Dog, Shooting, Rock

5. Cat, Bathing, Paternity

6. Whale, Wish, Collar

7. Horse, Power, Foul

8. Tortoise, Shotgun, Taco

9. Mule, Gravy, Wagon

10. Bear, Stock, Black

11. Monkey, Show, Unfinished

Last week's challenge: Think of a well-known seven-letter geographical name in a single word that has just two consonants and yet is pronounced in five syllables.

Challenge answer: Oceania

Winner: Craig Hamilton of Mountain View, Cali.

This week's challenge: This week's challenge comes from the noted crossword constructor and editor Peter Gordon. Think of a famous film with a three-word title (six letters in the first word, three letters in the second, and four letters in the last), in which the first and last words are rhymes for consecutive numbers. What movie is it?

Submit Your Answer

If you know the answer to the challenge, submit it here by Thursday, May 23rd at 3 p.m. ET. Listeners whose answers are selected win a chance to play the on-air puzzle. Important: include a phone number where we can reach you.

Copyright 2025 NPR

NPR's Puzzlemaster Will Shortz has appeared on Weekend Edition Sunday since the program's start in 1987. He's also the crossword editor of The New York Times, the former editor of Games magazine, and the founder and director of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (since 1978).

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.