On-air challenge: I'm going to give you clues to some famous people past or present. The first two letters of each clue are the initials of the person's name.
Ex. Western lawman --> Wyatt Earp
- Trust-busting president
- Master boxer
- NASA's first man on the moon
- Celebrated actor with four Oscars
- Star child-actress of old Hollywood
- Chariot-riding actor in "Ben-Hur"
- [three initials:] Way-out comedic singer
Last week's challenge: Last week's challenge comes from listener Greg VanMechelen, of Berkeley, Calif. Think of a well-known international location in nine letters. Take the first five letters and shift each of them 13 places later in the alphabet. The result will be a synonym for the remaining four letters in the place's name. What place is it?
Challenge answer: Greeland —> Terra
Winner: Susie Woodward of Sherwood, Ore.
This week's challenge: This week's challenge comes from Sandy Weisz, of Chicago. He runs puzzle hunts and trivia events under the name The Mystery League. Think of a familiar two-word phrase that means "a secret mission". Move the last letter of the first word to the start of the second word. The result will be two words that are synonyms. What are they?
If you know the answer to the challenge, submit it here by Thursday, January 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