September 24, 2025 • 16 mins
Want to see The Puzzler LIVE in NYC on Oct 7? Limited tickets available now! https://bit.ly/cheerfulpuzzler
Hello, Puzzlers! Puzzling with us today: author of Matching Minds with Sondheim, Barry Joseph!
Join host A.J. Jacobs and his guests as they puzzle–and laugh–their way through new spins on old favorites, like anagrams and palindromes, as well as quirky originals such as “Ask AI” and audio rebuses.
Subscribe to The Puzzler podcast wherever you get your podcasts!
"The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs" is distributed by iHeartPodcasts and is a co-production with Neuhaus Ideas.
Our executive producers are Neely Lohmann and Adam Neuhaus of Neuhaus Ideas, and Lindsay Hoffman of iHeart Podcasts.
The show is produced by Jody Avirgan and Brittani Brown of Roulette Productions.
Our Chief Puzzle Officer is Greg Pliska. Our associate producer is Andrea Schoenberg.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello puzzlers. A quick announcement, The Puzzler is doing a
live show in New York City and we'd love for
you to come. It's October seventh at six thirty pm
and an awesome venue called Caveat. There will be stories, puzzles, prizes.
It's part of the Cheerful Earful Podcast Festival. We love
(00:23):
a good rhyming title here at the Puzzler. Please check
the show notes for a link to tickets. Now on
with the show, Hello puzzlers, how about we start with
a little warm up puzzle. This is a Shakespeare themed puzzle,
and the puzzle is can you name a Shakespeare play
(00:45):
that has an Italian city in the name? A Shakespeare
play with an Italian city.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
In the name?
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Can you name two Shakespeare plays with can your name three?
Maybe even four? I know it's crazy answers and more
puzzling goodness After the break, Hello puzzlers, Welcome back to
(01:12):
The Puzzler Podcast. The exclusive tell all interview in your
puzzle tabloid Maxine. Before the break, we had a little
Shakespeare themed puzzle for you for thou I should said
that and it was thank you, Greg. Can your name
a Shakespeare play? That has an Italian city in the name.
Anything come to mind.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Too came mind to mind right away, one of which
was also a musical that I've done a couple of times.
Two Gentlemen of Verona.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Good, nicely done.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
And then one one of the others is Merchant of Venice.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Exactly.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
Now.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
The third one is a little trickier because we are
the puzzler. The third one is a city hidden in
the name.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Okay, good, Because I was thinking of others, I was like,
the merry wives of Windsor. That's not an element of Athens.
Those aren't Italian cities. You're making this up.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
By I know, I know the other one okay. And
by the way, I didn't make this up. This was
an Andrea Schoenberg puzzle. Thank you, andreastuh so. Yes, this
is a it's like ant in Antwerp. There's a word
hidden in this title, anything come to mind.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
It's Romeo and Juliet.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
That's correct. Rome is the first four letters of Romeo Juliet.
Now we've got a theater expert with us back again.
We've got Barry Joseph, author of the book and host
of the podcast Matching Minds with Sondheim. The Puzzles and
Games of the Broadway Legend. Welcome back, Barry A. J.
Speaker 5 (02:46):
Greg.
Speaker 6 (02:46):
I am so thrilled to appear in this episode because
now I get to thank you both because in the
past two episodes you were asking me questions. Now I
get to turn the tables and ask you questions, but
not ones. I created ones that I have learned through
my own research that were developed Stephen Sondheim.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Love it well, that's it exactly. The theme of this
episode we decided was turn the tables and Barry is
going to try to puzzle us with. As we had
mentioned in earlier episodes, Sondheim himself wrote puzzles. Love He
loved puzzles, but he wrote them. He wrote crosswords and
cryptics and all and treasure hunts. So Barry's gonna try
(03:24):
to amuse and amuse us with some of Sondheim's puzzles.
So Barry take it away.
Speaker 6 (03:31):
So we're going to start in nineteen ninety five. This
was a fundraiser for the EDNA Saint Vincent Malay Colony.
And in this treasure hunt, all of the answers were numbers.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Oh interesting, Okay.
Speaker 5 (03:44):
The question is this what is the number when you
dial it on the telephone.
Speaker 6 (03:50):
Wo theun number allow you dial it on the telephone.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Dial it, So I'm guessing it's it. So it's like
whatever I is on, whatever.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Tea is, they have to look at my phone.
Speaker 5 (04:04):
You are allowed. And I was the nineteen nineties, right and.
Speaker 6 (04:09):
Had a cell phoney eight forty one, exactly correct. So
moving to the second question, we're not going to jump
to my favorite of all of his cryptic crossword clues.
In fact, it's one of the most often referenced. It
comes from his June seventeenth, nineteen sixty eight puzzle.
Speaker 5 (04:26):
That was called chop logic.
Speaker 6 (04:29):
Okay, the clue is broken harmonicas found floating in Manhattan.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Broken harmonicas found floating in Manhattan.
Speaker 5 (04:40):
And it's a cryptic clue.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
And to cryptics, by the way, I think regular listeners
might remember, they are super tricky clues that are almost
like a little language of their own. But all of
the clues lead to something, some sort of wordplay, puns
or anagrams. So break this one down. I was too
busy yammering on. Greg got it, So say.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
The clue again, Berry, It's broken Harmonica's found floating in Manhattan.
Speaker 5 (05:08):
You got it, Greg, right.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
So it's what's brilliant about it. First of all is
the surface, you know, kind of paints a picture of
You've got these harmonicas that are broken and they're floating
somewhere around the island of Manhattan. But cryptic solvers we've done,
We've played with cryptics on the show a bunch, and
so people might recognize broken as a clue to anagram
(05:31):
the thing that comes next to break it up. So
if you take harmonicas and you mix the letters around,
you get marishino. That a kind of cherry that would
be floating not around the island of Manhattan. Oh my god,
drink the Manhattan.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Oh well, there are so many levels and it's like, yeah,
it's crazy.
Speaker 6 (05:55):
And we see again, as I mentioned with the first puzzle,
this misdirection. When you asked me to picture something floating
in Manhattan, I immediately jump past the illogic of it.
There's an Manhattan is an island. You float around Manhattan,
and so I start thinking about the Hudson River and
objects in a river.
Speaker 5 (06:12):
But that's not what it says. It says floating in Manhattan.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Yeah, and also it's not a pretty picture. Have you
grown up in New York when it was even dirtier
it was. You don't want to picture things floating in
the East River.
Speaker 6 (06:30):
For our third one, we're going to stay in the
world of crypto crosswords. But this is one that Sinheim
never published. Ok So let me explain for a moment.
You described aj that The Listener was the publication in
England that was one of the most famous for creating
these really difficult crossword puzzles. The person who constructed them
was named Jimenez, or at least that was the pen name.
(06:50):
Jimenez would always leave one clue undefined and it was
up for the readers to decide what they were and
submit them. He would then rate them, and then everyone
who did would get back called his slips, which he
would then judge. And so what I'm going to read
you now is one of the ones that Sondheim got
really well rated by Jimenez. Okay, so same logic of
all cryptic puzzles. So I'm not going to tell you
(07:12):
what the answer is that Jimenez come up with. You're
gonna figure it out.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Love it all right? Well, try pop.
Speaker 6 (07:18):
Art panel derived from data pop as in pop pop
art panel derived from data. That's d A d A
with a capital D.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
And that's interesting because that is like a legitimate sentence.
If you saw that, that's not like stuff floating. And
I mean that makes sense. But of course he's using
it in a very weird and punny and anagrammy way,
a way that I have no idea.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
What are we are we?
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Is it a two letter answer?
Speaker 6 (07:48):
It's a one word answer, and I should say you
would probably have this as well as eight letters eight
eight letters?
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Wait say one more, saying.
Speaker 5 (07:57):
Pop art panel derived from data?
Speaker 2 (08:00):
All right, well, Greg, d A T A or d
A d A.
Speaker 6 (08:04):
D A d A god like first letters exactly, that's
the capital data suggests it's that.
Speaker 5 (08:10):
That's correct.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
What are you working on? Greg? Walk us through some
of your theories.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
My theory was derived from dada meant to take whatever
the answer is out of the word data and you know,
but it's a short word. So I was like, well,
ad is hidden in there, and the way pop art has,
you know, is kind of ad based.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Yeah, pop art.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
Right right could be you know, based upon images from ads.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
But anything there very or is that?
Speaker 6 (08:40):
So if it's helpful with as you know, with cryptics,
one size can be a straight definition.
Speaker 5 (08:46):
Do you want me to let you know where the
line is?
Speaker 3 (08:48):
Well, I thought maybe. Oh, wait a minute, Wait a minute,
Wait a minute, Wait a minute, Wait a minute. What
about the fact that Pop is a name for father
and Dada is a name like that pop art panel
derived from Doda.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Art panel, So that.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
So one of those is the straight definition pop or
data letters, crypt as fatherly, trip, typtick?
Speaker 1 (09:19):
What about tiptick?
Speaker 3 (09:20):
No, I don't think. I don't think panel is the definition.
We're looking for an answer that means derived from data
meaning from the father, paternal.
Speaker 5 (09:29):
You got it?
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Yes, pop oh pop is the crypto is the anagram indicator.
We're going to take art anagramm to get a word
meaning derived from father Greg beautifully.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
He's sweating people. He's got like, yeah, there's a dripping
from his forehead. You got anymore?
Speaker 6 (09:52):
Oh yeah, We're gonna now move over to a treasure hunt.
We're actually going to go back to a party, a
small private party that was held in the Dakota, which,
for those who don't know, is a building apartment building
right next to Central Park in two thousand and nine
that was organized by one of your former guests to
this very show, Jonathan Mark Sherman.
Speaker 5 (10:10):
Oh, yes, the way.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
Yeah, there's a photo in your book of him with Sondheim,
and you interviewed him for the book. He's in there
in the book.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
Yeah, get out of town.
Speaker 6 (10:19):
So he's the one who shared with me both these
clues and these answers because he was able to answer them.
So let's see if you can not only match Mines
with Sondheim, can you match Mines with Sherman?
Speaker 3 (10:29):
All right's cackling right now, He's like, oh, yeah, you
guys stumped me. Now I'm turning the tables from the past.
Speaker 6 (10:37):
So in the last treasure Hunt, you had to imagine
yourself being in a theater. Now you have to imagine
yourself being in someone's apartment. Okay, And these clues were
going to take you to objects in the apartment okay. Otherwise,
there was no other instructions. They were just sentences you
had to solve somehow. So here's the first one I
have for you. This could be so New York Comma
(11:01):
shortly period. This could be so New York Comma shortly.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
So like n Y or n y C. That's New
York shortly.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Right or s s n Y is so New York shortly.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
S n Y.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Okay, that's a TV station that didn't exist when this
puzzle was done, which was what s n Y.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Which is also s n Y, SNY sny s s
s n Y.
Speaker 5 (11:33):
Could be something you watch things on.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
T uh not oh Sony so New York short Sony Yes, yes,
yes short shortened too many things.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
That's great, all right, so Sony.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
So we're going to find the Sony television probably.
Speaker 6 (11:49):
And right behind the Sony television or something the next time.
That's right, all right. You guys did a beautiful job.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
Well, and Barry, you did a great job. Particularly. One
of the things that you have in the book is
sometimes principles of play, which one of them you mentioned
was generosity, right, wanting everybody to feel like they were
being included, and it was you know, he wanted everybody
to feel good and receive that generosity, playfulness of course,
(12:15):
and mentorship you said, which, uh, the idea that he
wanted to try to bring people along, right.
Speaker 5 (12:23):
That's right, that's right.
Speaker 6 (12:24):
My book is called Matching Minds with Sondheim because it's
not only about challenging yourself by getting into his headspace
through the designs of his puzzles, but also having him
bring you along, having him mentor you yeah, for his puzzles.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
That's well. I want to thank mister Sondheim and thank
mister Barry Joseph for joining us a j.
Speaker 5 (12:44):
Greg.
Speaker 6 (12:44):
This was such a pleasure, and I just want to
remind all your listeners someone is on your side when
matching minds with Sondheim.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
Right, Oh, that's the jingle for no One is Alone,
No One is Alone? And what is what's that from?
Speaker 3 (12:59):
What's a quote of the song no One Is Alone from.
Speaker 5 (13:03):
Into the Wood of the Woods.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Okay, well there we're into.
Speaker 5 (13:05):
The hoods if it's written.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
I have a little extra credit for our listeners. This
is a crossword clue uh that has appeared in uh
Crossward Puzzles, and I'm just going to give you the
clue and then you have to The answer is seven
letters along and the clue is hedonism for sun.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
Time, hedonism for sun time. Excellent. Barry is loving it
all right, Well that was uh, that was your extra credit.
If you want to know the answer, come back tomorrow
where we have more puzzling puzzles for you to puzzle. Okay,
(13:53):
where we What is that puzzle puzzle? That one that's
the one that I've said five hundred times literally, But
thank you. We'll see you there.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
Hey, puzzlers, It's Greg Pliska from the Puzzle Lab with
the extra credit answer from our previous episode. But once more,
before I do that, let me tell you a little
bit about a fun fundraiser from friend of the puzzler,
Scott Weiss. Scott is raising money for The Trevor Project,
which is a nonprofit that supports LGBTQIA plus youth in crisis.
(14:30):
If you donate any amount, you'll receive a link to
a trivia word play sort of quiz that Scott has constructed.
It's called an anti match quiz, and each question has
multiple correct answers, and your goal is to come up
with the answers that are provided by the fewest number
of other players. Basically, you're trying to guess what everybody
else is not going to guess. Now, to donate and
(14:54):
get a link to Scott's quiz, go to give dot
the Trevor Project to dot org. Trevor is t R
e v O R slash Anti match fundraiser. That's give
dot the Trevor Project dot org slash Anti Match fundraiser
entries are do Wednesday, which I believe is today, So
(15:16):
go donate now. Now for the extra credit I promised.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
You, we did a quiz about Stephen Sandheim, whose shows
are all one letter different from the more famous shows
by Stephen Sondheim. Your extra credit clue was this A
crumbling theater hosts a reunion of musicians who once performed
there Pete seeger Arlo, Guthrie, Odetta and the Weavers.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
And that, of course is the Great Folkeys f O
l K I E s one letter different from Steven's
Sondheim's famous musical follies. Thanks for playing. Go check out
that anti match quiz and donate to the Trevor Project
and we'll catch you here next time.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
MM
Hello puzzlers. A quick announcement, The Puzzler is doing a
live show in New York City and we'd love for
you to come. It's October seventh at six thirty pm
and an awesome venue called Caveat. There will be stories, puzzles, prizes.
It's part of the Cheerful Earful Podcast Festival. We love
(00:23):
a good rhyming title here at the Puzzler. Please check
the show notes for a link to tickets. Now on
with the show, Hello puzzlers, how about we start with
a little warm up puzzle. This is a Shakespeare themed puzzle,
and the puzzle is can you name a Shakespeare play
(00:45):
that has an Italian city in the name? A Shakespeare
play with an Italian city.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
In the name?
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Can you name two Shakespeare plays with can your name three?
Maybe even four? I know it's crazy answers and more
puzzling goodness After the break, Hello puzzlers, Welcome back to
(01:12):
The Puzzler Podcast. The exclusive tell all interview in your
puzzle tabloid Maxine. Before the break, we had a little
Shakespeare themed puzzle for you for thou I should said
that and it was thank you, Greg. Can your name
a Shakespeare play? That has an Italian city in the name.
Anything come to mind.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Too came mind to mind right away, one of which
was also a musical that I've done a couple of times.
Two Gentlemen of Verona.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Good, nicely done.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
And then one one of the others is Merchant of Venice.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Exactly.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
Now.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
The third one is a little trickier because we are
the puzzler. The third one is a city hidden in
the name.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Okay, good, Because I was thinking of others, I was like,
the merry wives of Windsor. That's not an element of Athens.
Those aren't Italian cities. You're making this up.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
By I know, I know the other one okay. And
by the way, I didn't make this up. This was
an Andrea Schoenberg puzzle. Thank you, andreastuh so. Yes, this
is a it's like ant in Antwerp. There's a word
hidden in this title, anything come to mind.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
It's Romeo and Juliet.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
That's correct. Rome is the first four letters of Romeo Juliet.
Now we've got a theater expert with us back again.
We've got Barry Joseph, author of the book and host
of the podcast Matching Minds with Sondheim. The Puzzles and
Games of the Broadway Legend. Welcome back, Barry A. J.
Speaker 5 (02:46):
Greg.
Speaker 6 (02:46):
I am so thrilled to appear in this episode because
now I get to thank you both because in the
past two episodes you were asking me questions. Now I
get to turn the tables and ask you questions, but
not ones. I created ones that I have learned through
my own research that were developed Stephen Sondheim.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Love it well, that's it exactly. The theme of this
episode we decided was turn the tables and Barry is
going to try to puzzle us with. As we had
mentioned in earlier episodes, Sondheim himself wrote puzzles. Love He
loved puzzles, but he wrote them. He wrote crosswords and
cryptics and all and treasure hunts. So Barry's gonna try
(03:24):
to amuse and amuse us with some of Sondheim's puzzles.
So Barry take it away.
Speaker 6 (03:31):
So we're going to start in nineteen ninety five. This
was a fundraiser for the EDNA Saint Vincent Malay Colony.
And in this treasure hunt, all of the answers were numbers.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Oh interesting, Okay.
Speaker 5 (03:44):
The question is this what is the number when you
dial it on the telephone.
Speaker 6 (03:50):
Wo theun number allow you dial it on the telephone.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Dial it, So I'm guessing it's it. So it's like
whatever I is on, whatever.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Tea is, they have to look at my phone.
Speaker 5 (04:04):
You are allowed. And I was the nineteen nineties, right and.
Speaker 6 (04:09):
Had a cell phoney eight forty one, exactly correct. So
moving to the second question, we're not going to jump
to my favorite of all of his cryptic crossword clues.
In fact, it's one of the most often referenced. It
comes from his June seventeenth, nineteen sixty eight puzzle.
Speaker 5 (04:26):
That was called chop logic.
Speaker 6 (04:29):
Okay, the clue is broken harmonicas found floating in Manhattan.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Broken harmonicas found floating in Manhattan.
Speaker 5 (04:40):
And it's a cryptic clue.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
And to cryptics, by the way, I think regular listeners
might remember, they are super tricky clues that are almost
like a little language of their own. But all of
the clues lead to something, some sort of wordplay, puns
or anagrams. So break this one down. I was too
busy yammering on. Greg got it, So say.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
The clue again, Berry, It's broken Harmonica's found floating in Manhattan.
Speaker 5 (05:08):
You got it, Greg, right.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
So it's what's brilliant about it. First of all is
the surface, you know, kind of paints a picture of
You've got these harmonicas that are broken and they're floating
somewhere around the island of Manhattan. But cryptic solvers we've done,
We've played with cryptics on the show a bunch, and
so people might recognize broken as a clue to anagram
(05:31):
the thing that comes next to break it up. So
if you take harmonicas and you mix the letters around,
you get marishino. That a kind of cherry that would
be floating not around the island of Manhattan. Oh my god,
drink the Manhattan.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Oh well, there are so many levels and it's like, yeah,
it's crazy.
Speaker 6 (05:55):
And we see again, as I mentioned with the first puzzle,
this misdirection. When you asked me to picture something floating
in Manhattan, I immediately jump past the illogic of it.
There's an Manhattan is an island. You float around Manhattan,
and so I start thinking about the Hudson River and
objects in a river.
Speaker 5 (06:12):
But that's not what it says. It says floating in Manhattan.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Yeah, and also it's not a pretty picture. Have you
grown up in New York when it was even dirtier
it was. You don't want to picture things floating in
the East River.
Speaker 6 (06:30):
For our third one, we're going to stay in the
world of crypto crosswords. But this is one that Sinheim
never published. Ok So let me explain for a moment.
You described aj that The Listener was the publication in
England that was one of the most famous for creating
these really difficult crossword puzzles. The person who constructed them
was named Jimenez, or at least that was the pen name.
(06:50):
Jimenez would always leave one clue undefined and it was
up for the readers to decide what they were and
submit them. He would then rate them, and then everyone
who did would get back called his slips, which he
would then judge. And so what I'm going to read
you now is one of the ones that Sondheim got
really well rated by Jimenez. Okay, so same logic of
all cryptic puzzles. So I'm not going to tell you
(07:12):
what the answer is that Jimenez come up with. You're
gonna figure it out.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Love it all right? Well, try pop.
Speaker 6 (07:18):
Art panel derived from data pop as in pop pop
art panel derived from data. That's d A d A
with a capital D.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
And that's interesting because that is like a legitimate sentence.
If you saw that, that's not like stuff floating. And
I mean that makes sense. But of course he's using
it in a very weird and punny and anagrammy way,
a way that I have no idea.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
What are we are we?
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Is it a two letter answer?
Speaker 6 (07:48):
It's a one word answer, and I should say you
would probably have this as well as eight letters eight
eight letters?
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Wait say one more, saying.
Speaker 5 (07:57):
Pop art panel derived from data?
Speaker 2 (08:00):
All right, well, Greg, d A T A or d
A d A.
Speaker 6 (08:04):
D A d A god like first letters exactly, that's
the capital data suggests it's that.
Speaker 5 (08:10):
That's correct.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
What are you working on? Greg? Walk us through some
of your theories.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
My theory was derived from dada meant to take whatever
the answer is out of the word data and you know,
but it's a short word. So I was like, well,
ad is hidden in there, and the way pop art has,
you know, is kind of ad based.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Yeah, pop art.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
Right right could be you know, based upon images from ads.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
But anything there very or is that?
Speaker 6 (08:40):
So if it's helpful with as you know, with cryptics,
one size can be a straight definition.
Speaker 5 (08:46):
Do you want me to let you know where the
line is?
Speaker 3 (08:48):
Well, I thought maybe. Oh, wait a minute, Wait a minute,
Wait a minute, Wait a minute, Wait a minute. What
about the fact that Pop is a name for father
and Dada is a name like that pop art panel
derived from Doda.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Art panel, So that.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
So one of those is the straight definition pop or
data letters, crypt as fatherly, trip, typtick?
Speaker 1 (09:19):
What about tiptick?
Speaker 3 (09:20):
No, I don't think. I don't think panel is the definition.
We're looking for an answer that means derived from data
meaning from the father, paternal.
Speaker 5 (09:29):
You got it?
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Yes, pop oh pop is the crypto is the anagram indicator.
We're going to take art anagramm to get a word
meaning derived from father Greg beautifully.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
He's sweating people. He's got like, yeah, there's a dripping
from his forehead. You got anymore?
Speaker 6 (09:52):
Oh yeah, We're gonna now move over to a treasure hunt.
We're actually going to go back to a party, a
small private party that was held in the Dakota, which,
for those who don't know, is a building apartment building
right next to Central Park in two thousand and nine
that was organized by one of your former guests to
this very show, Jonathan Mark Sherman.
Speaker 5 (10:10):
Oh, yes, the way.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
Yeah, there's a photo in your book of him with Sondheim,
and you interviewed him for the book. He's in there
in the book.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
Yeah, get out of town.
Speaker 6 (10:19):
So he's the one who shared with me both these
clues and these answers because he was able to answer them.
So let's see if you can not only match Mines
with Sondheim, can you match Mines with Sherman?
Speaker 3 (10:29):
All right's cackling right now, He's like, oh, yeah, you
guys stumped me. Now I'm turning the tables from the past.
Speaker 6 (10:37):
So in the last treasure Hunt, you had to imagine
yourself being in a theater. Now you have to imagine
yourself being in someone's apartment. Okay, And these clues were
going to take you to objects in the apartment okay. Otherwise,
there was no other instructions. They were just sentences you
had to solve somehow. So here's the first one I
have for you. This could be so New York Comma
(11:01):
shortly period. This could be so New York Comma shortly.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
So like n Y or n y C. That's New
York shortly.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Right or s s n Y is so New York shortly.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
S n Y.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Okay, that's a TV station that didn't exist when this
puzzle was done, which was what s n Y.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Which is also s n Y, SNY sny s s
s n Y.
Speaker 5 (11:33):
Could be something you watch things on.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
T uh not oh Sony so New York short Sony Yes, yes,
yes short shortened too many things.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
That's great, all right, so Sony.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
So we're going to find the Sony television probably.
Speaker 6 (11:49):
And right behind the Sony television or something the next time.
That's right, all right. You guys did a beautiful job.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
Well, and Barry, you did a great job. Particularly. One
of the things that you have in the book is
sometimes principles of play, which one of them you mentioned
was generosity, right, wanting everybody to feel like they were
being included, and it was you know, he wanted everybody
to feel good and receive that generosity, playfulness of course,
(12:15):
and mentorship you said, which, uh, the idea that he
wanted to try to bring people along, right.
Speaker 5 (12:23):
That's right, that's right.
Speaker 6 (12:24):
My book is called Matching Minds with Sondheim because it's
not only about challenging yourself by getting into his headspace
through the designs of his puzzles, but also having him
bring you along, having him mentor you yeah, for his puzzles.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
That's well. I want to thank mister Sondheim and thank
mister Barry Joseph for joining us a j.
Speaker 5 (12:44):
Greg.
Speaker 6 (12:44):
This was such a pleasure, and I just want to
remind all your listeners someone is on your side when
matching minds with Sondheim.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
Right, Oh, that's the jingle for no One is Alone,
No One is Alone? And what is what's that from?
Speaker 3 (12:59):
What's a quote of the song no One Is Alone from.
Speaker 5 (13:03):
Into the Wood of the Woods.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Okay, well there we're into.
Speaker 5 (13:05):
The hoods if it's written.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
I have a little extra credit for our listeners. This
is a crossword clue uh that has appeared in uh
Crossward Puzzles, and I'm just going to give you the
clue and then you have to The answer is seven
letters along and the clue is hedonism for sun.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
Time, hedonism for sun time. Excellent. Barry is loving it
all right, Well that was uh, that was your extra credit.
If you want to know the answer, come back tomorrow
where we have more puzzling puzzles for you to puzzle. Okay,
(13:53):
where we What is that puzzle puzzle? That one that's
the one that I've said five hundred times literally, But
thank you. We'll see you there.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
Hey, puzzlers, It's Greg Pliska from the Puzzle Lab with
the extra credit answer from our previous episode. But once more,
before I do that, let me tell you a little
bit about a fun fundraiser from friend of the puzzler,
Scott Weiss. Scott is raising money for The Trevor Project,
which is a nonprofit that supports LGBTQIA plus youth in crisis.
(14:30):
If you donate any amount, you'll receive a link to
a trivia word play sort of quiz that Scott has constructed.
It's called an anti match quiz, and each question has
multiple correct answers, and your goal is to come up
with the answers that are provided by the fewest number
of other players. Basically, you're trying to guess what everybody
else is not going to guess. Now, to donate and
(14:54):
get a link to Scott's quiz, go to give dot
the Trevor Project to dot org. Trevor is t R
e v O R slash Anti match fundraiser. That's give
dot the Trevor Project dot org slash Anti Match fundraiser
entries are do Wednesday, which I believe is today, So
(15:16):
go donate now. Now for the extra credit I promised.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
You, we did a quiz about Stephen Sandheim, whose shows
are all one letter different from the more famous shows
by Stephen Sondheim. Your extra credit clue was this A
crumbling theater hosts a reunion of musicians who once performed
there Pete seeger Arlo, Guthrie, Odetta and the Weavers.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
And that, of course is the Great Folkeys f O
l K I E s one letter different from Steven's
Sondheim's famous musical follies. Thanks for playing. Go check out
that anti match quiz and donate to the Trevor Project
and we'll catch you here next time.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
MM
Hosts And Creators
Greg Pliska
A.J. Jacobs
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.