April 9, 2025 • 20 mins
Hello, Puzzlers! Puzzling with us today: jigsaw puzzle YouTuber and influencer, Karen Puzzles!
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.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hello puzzlers. Let's start with a quick puzzle. You have
probably heard of the company Johnson and Johnson, the medical
supply firm. My question is who are the Johnson and
Johnson in question? Who are the titular Johnson's in the
company name? Were they A A father and son, be
(00:21):
A husband and wife or c brother and brother, father
and son, husband and wife, brother and brother? The answer
and more puzzling goodness after the break, Hello puzzlers, welcome
back to the Puzzler Podcast. The feather atop your puzzle
(00:42):
Bob Mackie headdress. Before the break, we asked who were
this titular Johnson and Johnson in the name Johnson and Johnson.
Were they father and son, husband and wife, or brother
and brother. I haven't even introduced our guests, but do
you have any guesses? Karen?
Speaker 2 (01:02):
You know I don't know the answer to this one.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Well, you got one and three shot. What do you
gonna get her?
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Say? Brother and brother?
Speaker 1 (01:10):
You are correct with a twist, with a twist, because
the answer is they were founded by brothers, but not
two brothers, three brothers. It was Robert, James and Edward,
So why is it not Johnson and Johnson? And Johnson,
or at least Johnson and Johnsons. If you have any
theories on this pressing mystery, please send us a note
(01:33):
at the puzzler dot com or send us a note
about anything else. We love notes. I bring this up
because today's puzzle is about household items, some of which
are produced by Johnson Johnson stuff you might find in
your kitchen, medicine, cabinet, laundry room. And here with us
to solve this puzzle is our guest, the Awesome jigsaw
(01:53):
puzzle YouTuber Karen Cavit, known better as Karen Puzzles, which
is where you can find her on YouTube and Instagram.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Welcome Karen, Thanks for having me back. I mean that
first question makes me a little nervous.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Well, that one was more just. I wanted to introduce
the fact that there were three brothers and one of
them got screwed. I want to write that injustice. So
but yes, there's not gonna be a lot more about
company origins, but it is about things you find in
your house. Where, by the way, do you do your
(02:28):
jig sawing? Which part of the house.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
I have two spots. I have my puzzle studio, which
is where I shoot my YouTube videos. And then when
I do puzzles just for fun, I sit on the
couch and I have a Visa phone board on my
lap and then I do them on my lap.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
On your lap. Interesting. And I know some people have
very high light like bright lights, because that helps are
you are you well lit or you don't?
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Well when I'm filming, I need the bright lights so
that you know, you guys can see what I'm doing. Honestly,
when I do them just for fun at night, it's
very dim. And I think that might actually make me
a better puzzler because I'm practicing under not ideal conditions.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Right, It's like running while wearing leg weights or something
very good. All right, Well, this puzzle is about household items.
As I said, it's about a Bizarro universe where everything
is the opposite. So all brand names are called the
opposite of what they are here in the real world,
and that includes household items. So instead of ivory soap,
(03:34):
this world has ebony soap, ebony so and I figured
the closest link to jake'sawge is you have to put
those two together to create one thing. So little tenuous,
very tenuous. But I like the puzzle so I thought
we would try it. So yes, if I said if
I gave the clue ebony, then your answer would be ivory.
(03:58):
So I'll walk you through it. But let's start to
start with some other soaps in this bizarre world. There's
a soap called Hawk HWK. What is the real world
counterpart to Hawk soap?
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Hmmm? I think that would have to be Dove.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
It was apropy and you got it on you are on.
What about New Blandness, New Blandness?
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Okay, that would have to be old Spice.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Exactly, Old Spice say you had nothing to worry about.
What about push button? Push button?
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Hmmm, Well, the opposite of push is going to be
Paula are still on soaps here?
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Yes, this is we're still last of the soaps. That
is one one way to think about the opposite. But
there is another, and it's from when. But the problem
is you are younger than me. So this was some
technology that I had to use in the day. That's
how hard life was. When I wanted to make a
(05:03):
phone call, I had to use.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
A uh oh, So would this would the opposite be
like a rotary dial? So this would be dial soap?
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Yes, dial soap exactly. You got it? Uh, all right,
we're gonna say in the general soap area, but move
on to dish soap. So I'm gonna do depression depression
soap or sadness soap I could do.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Okay, well, that would have to be something of like
happiness or joy joy.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
That's right, joy, dish soap. Have at another dish soap,
dusk dusk.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Okay, I think I got that one. That's gonna be done.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
You got it? Uh? What about now? This is more
all purpose cleaners. You might have fined under the sink
missus dirty, missus dirty.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Hmm. Okay, so that would be mister clean.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Mister clean, exactly. All right. Now this one is a trick.
This might be the trickiest of all. Are you ready?
It is hector HGCTO R hector. And as I said,
it's tricky, but you've gotten every answer so far in
your two days, so I wanted to give you a challenge.
And it's not the verb to hector. It is a
(06:18):
person named hector.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
I'm trying to think of any hectors in the world,
and I don't know if I'm coming up with any.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
All right, let me give you another person that could
be argued as the opposite of the Odysseus Odysseus or Hector,
where both people who were the opposite on the opposing
side to this all purpose powdered cleaner, which sounds very
(06:49):
much like my name, Ajax. Ajax exactly.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
I don't know if I'm getting the connection to Hector.
You might have to explain that to me.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
My pleasure. It is uh. It was in the the
Odyssey Ajax well fought for Troy. He was like the
Trojan hero and Hector and Odysseus fought him, and I
can't remember who died, but I don't want to say
because I spoilers. Yeah, I don't want to spoil it
to twenty five hundred. Oh, it's the Iliad, not the Odyssey.
(07:21):
Thank you for Andrea, our associate buzzword. So see, I'm
not so smart.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Okay, you found a gap in my knowledge. I'm not
very familiar with the Aliad.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
There you go. Well, neither am I, obviously, because I
thought it was the Odyssey. All right, a few more
we got let's move to toothpaste. We've got how about
leg or nail leg or nail leg rae.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Okay, so the arm and hammer, arm and hammer. I
forgot what the game was for a second. I was
trying to think of synonyms instead of opposites.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Yeah, no, I feel that. Yeah, leg and arm are
sort of opposite. Opposite enough. What about Valley the toothpaste valley?
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Well, when you introduced this part of the game, I
was wondering how you were going to get to Crest,
and so is this one gonna be Crest?
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Yes, wonder No more. Valley and Crest, I feel are
opposite enough. Last one in the toothpaste genre, which is
a little tricky wide angle shot, wide angle shot. What
is the opposite in filmmaking of a wide angle shot?
Speaker 2 (08:31):
That would be a close up?
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Yes, and there's a tooth You got it even without knowing?
All right, I have had some deodorance left neglect, left neglect.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Hm hmm, okay, well the opposite of left could be right.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
Yeah, right, uh, you got it? You got it. Do
not know a deodoran? Maybe it's a men's dear odorant?
It is quite pos one, all right, Well, it would
be the blanks at Buckingham Palace would be one hint guard, yes,
right guard.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Right guard?
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Okay, never heard of it? No, all right, one more deodorant. Well,
actually this one is a this one is a man.
But I think you know this because if their extensive
advertising higher hi r. What is the opposite of to
hire someone? You you fire them? Yes, but another way
to say it, a more colloquial way to say fire
(09:32):
is blank body spray axe ax. That's it. All right,
you're almost done. We've got We're gonna end up with
three from the kitchen. Paper towels Scarcity. Scarcity is the
bizarro world brand of paper towels. I think that would
(09:53):
be Bounty exactly. And then there's some garbage bags. There's
there's skinny guarbe bags I hefty, right, and sad garbage
bags hm hmmm.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Or unhappy joy happy, uh.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Right, delighted? Nice work these are I think you know
it is. Oh, I'm so blank to see you.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
I'm so glad to see lad garbage bag.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
All right, I was glad, yeah, glad, All right, Well
you did great, as promised. I wanted to ask you.
You are not just a puzzle solver, You're a puzzle designer.
So tell me about the collaboration you had.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
I am. I have released three puzzles with Ravens broker.
So the first one was called Colors on Colors. It's
a three thousand piece puzzle.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
That's a lot.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Yeah, I wanted to do something different, something bold for
my first one that I released.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
It's a laundry detergent and so it's very colorful.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
It has all these overlapping gradients, and it's a photograph
of puzzle pieces like on top of a solved gradient puzzle.
We just photographed it out in my dining room. It's yeah,
it's really fun. It's very approachable for a three thousand
piece puzzle. And then the second one we did is
called Gradient Cascade. For that one, I wanted to do
(11:33):
cutouts of giant puzzle pieces in the middle of the puzzle.
So it's a custom piece cut and we have all
these mini puzzles within the main puzzle. So we worked
with a three D artist for that one. You have
all these falling giant puzzle pieces. Again very colorful. And
then the third one, which was just released last year,
(11:55):
is called Puzzles on Puzzles, and so that one is
similar to the three thousand piece puzzle, which it's another
photograph of puzzle pieces on top of a puzzle. So
it's very much a meta puzzle, and yeah, I get
very colorful, very approachable. It's only a thousand pieces, so
you don't need quite as much space as the three thousand.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
All right, these that's great. I haven't ordered them yet
because I just found out them, but I plan to.
By the way, I've interviewed people who like to mix
together two or three puzzles pieces and then like because
solving a regular jigsaw is not challenging enough. Have you
ever run into have you ever tried that?
Speaker 2 (12:37):
I have? I actually did the advanced version of that.
I mixed together three gradient puzzles with slightly different gradients,
so all I had to go on was like the
very slight color differences.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
You are a mad woman. That is not easy. How
long did that take you to do?
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Oh? It was a while ago now, but it wasn't
too bad. I gave myself an out, so I put
a different colored dot on the back of two of
the puzzles so I could separate them back out if
I needed to. But I didn't need to. I was
able to do it.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
And what about monochromatic puzzles? Have you? I think I
saw one of your popular videos is an all white puzzle,
is that right?
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Yeah. I've done a lot of solid color puzzles. I
have kind of a collection of vintage and modern solid
color puzzles. Some of them are easier than others. It
really depends entirely on the peace cut. So some of them,
you know, I knock out with no problem, and then
some of them I'm sitting there for hours and hours
and hours.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
Yeah, I gotta say for my book, I tried a couple.
I didn't love the experience. I like a good picture, but.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
It's definitely for the advanced puzzler, right.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
And I also there was when I was doing it
during the during COVID, someone came out with an all
clear puzzle. Did you try that one? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (14:03):
There have been actually a few different like plastic clear puzzles.
I've done some of them, but I have a few
more here that I still need to do. But those
are tricky because since it's made of plastic, you don't
know which side is the top or the bottom. You
don't have that bevil on the edge like you get
with cardboard, and so each piece you basically double like
(14:25):
how it could fit into the puzzle.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Right, So a five hundred were piece puzzle is really
a thousand and I And similarly, I worked on some
of the Stave puzzles. Do you know that brand Stave?
Speaker 2 (14:40):
Yeah, Oh I'm jealous. Those are nice.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
You know what's funny. I got to meet everyone. I
got to meet Karen's sister because she lives in New
York and there's a jigsaw puzzle group that meets in
Brooklyn once a month, and I went there and I
brought a couple of Stave puzzles. So your sister has
worked on a stave puzzle. But those sometimes they like
(15:03):
to mess you up and do pieces that look like
they should be up when they're really down.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Yeah, to explain to the audience, Steve is a handcut
wooden puzzle company, and so they're like artisan pieces. They
are works of art. But along with that, they're very expensive.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
They are. Yes, Bill Gates is a is a customer.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
If that gives you anything, Yeah, just really interesting puzzle designs.
I've looked at a lot of photos of them online
and they're really beautiful.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Well, when you come to New York, we'll do one.
I went to visit the headquarters and I got to
see them making them with what looked like, you know,
giant mutant sewing machines and they were there just with
the wood, just making the shapes. It was very cool.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
All right.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
So before we leave, aside from your puzzles which people
should buy, what are a couple of recommendations you have
of puzzles or puzzle jakesaw paraphernalia like puzzling gloves or something.
I don't know what you got, Well, what could people
take away and buy after listening to the show?
Speaker 2 (16:14):
I would say the only specific puzzle accessory that I
would recommend is a box stand. You can look them
up online. They're usually either wooden or plastic, and it
just lets you prop up the box very easily, so,
especially when you're speed puzzling, you can see what you're
meant to be putting together.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Great. Yes, good point. And what about an actual a
jakesaw one of your favorites, either vintage or new.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
I'm a big fan of these cork puzzles that were
released by the brand Seco back in the nineties c
ea Co And yeah, the puzzles are made of quirk.
They're really just fun Americana images and the piece cuts
are very unique, kind of similar to what you would
(17:01):
get with a wooden puzzle.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
And how is the cork different. It's like, is it softer?
You don't hurt your hands on the hard board?
Speaker 2 (17:10):
No, I mean it locks together really well. You do
have to kind of take care of it, especially when
you're taking apart the puzzle, because eventually it might start
to crumble a little bit. But yeah, I really like
cork as a puzzle material. I know different people have
different opinions on it, but I think they're really fun.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Awesome, and I'm sure they're available on eBay or what
have you.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
So I buy a lot of vintage puzzles on eBay.
There's tons out there.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Yeah. Well, Karen, it has been a delight. Where can
people find? Where should the central clearing house for all
of your Karen related information?
Speaker 2 (17:46):
You can find me on YouTube if you just look
up Karen Puzzles you'll find me, and I'm also on
Instagram at Karen Puzzles Awesome.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
I highly recommend subscribing them both. Thank you for joining
us this week. We'll have you back and call us
when you're in town so we can jigsaw together and
you can.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
Give us I mean, you need to figure out how
to do a jigsaw puzzle over audio.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Ah, yes we could. The sound of the piece is
snapping together.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
You just describe a bunch of puzzle pieces and I
have to choose which one. It's all too another spot
that you describe brilliant.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
All right, come back and we'll do that. It's four
out far outies. And then there's one with three outies
and one what do you do?
Speaker 2 (18:30):
I do I know about that? We'll just workshop it.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
Yes, that needs some work. In the meantime, I have
an extra credit for the puzzlers at home, which is
what is in the bizarre world. There's a toothpaste called
Jerries of Florida. Jerries of Florida. What might that be
in the real world? And as always, thank you for listening.
(18:53):
If you like the show, check out our Instagram feed.
Hello puzzlers. We have original puzzles, video visual puzzles and
other fun stuff. And of course we'll meet here tomorrow
for more puzzling puzzles that will puzzle you puzzlingly.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
Hey puzzlers, it's your chief puzzle Officer, Greg Pliska here
once again with the extra credit answer from our previous episode.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Karen Puzzles joined us for a game that I called
puzzles puzzle it was basically every answer is two words.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
One is the name of a person, and the second
is that person's name as a common noun instead of
a proper noun. Your extra credit clue was this the
bunny House at Berkshire Hathaway.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
That, of course is Warren's Warren, a great Warren Buffett
of Berkshire Hathaway. And Warren is a bunny is a
rabbit home. A rabbit's home is a Warren. So Warren's
Warren is your answer. Thanks for playing, and we'll see
you here tomorrow for some more puzzling puzzles that will
puzzle you puzzlingly
Hello puzzlers. Let's start with a quick puzzle. You have
probably heard of the company Johnson and Johnson, the medical
supply firm. My question is who are the Johnson and
Johnson in question? Who are the titular Johnson's in the
company name? Were they A A father and son, be
(00:21):
A husband and wife or c brother and brother, father
and son, husband and wife, brother and brother? The answer
and more puzzling goodness after the break, Hello puzzlers, welcome
back to the Puzzler Podcast. The feather atop your puzzle
(00:42):
Bob Mackie headdress. Before the break, we asked who were
this titular Johnson and Johnson in the name Johnson and Johnson.
Were they father and son, husband and wife, or brother
and brother. I haven't even introduced our guests, but do
you have any guesses? Karen?
Speaker 2 (01:02):
You know I don't know the answer to this one.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Well, you got one and three shot. What do you
gonna get her?
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Say? Brother and brother?
Speaker 1 (01:10):
You are correct with a twist, with a twist, because
the answer is they were founded by brothers, but not
two brothers, three brothers. It was Robert, James and Edward,
So why is it not Johnson and Johnson? And Johnson,
or at least Johnson and Johnsons. If you have any
theories on this pressing mystery, please send us a note
(01:33):
at the puzzler dot com or send us a note
about anything else. We love notes. I bring this up
because today's puzzle is about household items, some of which
are produced by Johnson Johnson stuff you might find in
your kitchen, medicine, cabinet, laundry room. And here with us
to solve this puzzle is our guest, the Awesome jigsaw
(01:53):
puzzle YouTuber Karen Cavit, known better as Karen Puzzles, which
is where you can find her on YouTube and Instagram.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Welcome Karen, Thanks for having me back. I mean that
first question makes me a little nervous.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Well, that one was more just. I wanted to introduce
the fact that there were three brothers and one of
them got screwed. I want to write that injustice. So
but yes, there's not gonna be a lot more about
company origins, but it is about things you find in
your house. Where, by the way, do you do your
(02:28):
jig sawing? Which part of the house.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
I have two spots. I have my puzzle studio, which
is where I shoot my YouTube videos. And then when
I do puzzles just for fun, I sit on the
couch and I have a Visa phone board on my
lap and then I do them on my lap.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
On your lap. Interesting. And I know some people have
very high light like bright lights, because that helps are
you are you well lit or you don't?
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Well when I'm filming, I need the bright lights so
that you know, you guys can see what I'm doing. Honestly,
when I do them just for fun at night, it's
very dim. And I think that might actually make me
a better puzzler because I'm practicing under not ideal conditions.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Right, It's like running while wearing leg weights or something
very good. All right, Well, this puzzle is about household items.
As I said, it's about a Bizarro universe where everything
is the opposite. So all brand names are called the
opposite of what they are here in the real world,
and that includes household items. So instead of ivory soap,
(03:34):
this world has ebony soap, ebony so and I figured
the closest link to jake'sawge is you have to put
those two together to create one thing. So little tenuous,
very tenuous. But I like the puzzle so I thought
we would try it. So yes, if I said if
I gave the clue ebony, then your answer would be ivory.
(03:58):
So I'll walk you through it. But let's start to
start with some other soaps in this bizarre world. There's
a soap called Hawk HWK. What is the real world
counterpart to Hawk soap?
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Hmmm? I think that would have to be Dove.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
It was apropy and you got it on you are on.
What about New Blandness, New Blandness?
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Okay, that would have to be old Spice.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Exactly, Old Spice say you had nothing to worry about.
What about push button? Push button?
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Hmmm, Well, the opposite of push is going to be
Paula are still on soaps here?
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Yes, this is we're still last of the soaps. That
is one one way to think about the opposite. But
there is another, and it's from when. But the problem
is you are younger than me. So this was some
technology that I had to use in the day. That's
how hard life was. When I wanted to make a
(05:03):
phone call, I had to use.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
A uh oh, So would this would the opposite be
like a rotary dial? So this would be dial soap?
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Yes, dial soap exactly. You got it? Uh, all right,
we're gonna say in the general soap area, but move
on to dish soap. So I'm gonna do depression depression
soap or sadness soap I could do.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Okay, well, that would have to be something of like
happiness or joy joy.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
That's right, joy, dish soap. Have at another dish soap,
dusk dusk.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Okay, I think I got that one. That's gonna be done.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
You got it? Uh? What about now? This is more
all purpose cleaners. You might have fined under the sink
missus dirty, missus dirty.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Hmm. Okay, so that would be mister clean.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Mister clean, exactly. All right. Now this one is a trick.
This might be the trickiest of all. Are you ready?
It is hector HGCTO R hector. And as I said,
it's tricky, but you've gotten every answer so far in
your two days, so I wanted to give you a challenge.
And it's not the verb to hector. It is a
(06:18):
person named hector.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
I'm trying to think of any hectors in the world,
and I don't know if I'm coming up with any.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
All right, let me give you another person that could
be argued as the opposite of the Odysseus Odysseus or Hector,
where both people who were the opposite on the opposing
side to this all purpose powdered cleaner, which sounds very
(06:49):
much like my name, Ajax. Ajax exactly.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
I don't know if I'm getting the connection to Hector.
You might have to explain that to me.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
My pleasure. It is uh. It was in the the
Odyssey Ajax well fought for Troy. He was like the
Trojan hero and Hector and Odysseus fought him, and I
can't remember who died, but I don't want to say
because I spoilers. Yeah, I don't want to spoil it
to twenty five hundred. Oh, it's the Iliad, not the Odyssey.
(07:21):
Thank you for Andrea, our associate buzzword. So see, I'm
not so smart.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Okay, you found a gap in my knowledge. I'm not
very familiar with the Aliad.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
There you go. Well, neither am I, obviously, because I
thought it was the Odyssey. All right, a few more
we got let's move to toothpaste. We've got how about
leg or nail leg or nail leg rae.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Okay, so the arm and hammer, arm and hammer. I
forgot what the game was for a second. I was
trying to think of synonyms instead of opposites.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Yeah, no, I feel that. Yeah, leg and arm are
sort of opposite. Opposite enough. What about Valley the toothpaste valley?
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Well, when you introduced this part of the game, I
was wondering how you were going to get to Crest,
and so is this one gonna be Crest?
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Yes, wonder No more. Valley and Crest, I feel are
opposite enough. Last one in the toothpaste genre, which is
a little tricky wide angle shot, wide angle shot. What
is the opposite in filmmaking of a wide angle shot?
Speaker 2 (08:31):
That would be a close up?
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Yes, and there's a tooth You got it even without knowing?
All right, I have had some deodorance left neglect, left neglect.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Hm hmm, okay, well the opposite of left could be right.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
Yeah, right, uh, you got it? You got it. Do
not know a deodoran? Maybe it's a men's dear odorant?
It is quite pos one, all right, Well, it would
be the blanks at Buckingham Palace would be one hint guard, yes,
right guard.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Right guard?
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Okay, never heard of it? No, all right, one more deodorant. Well,
actually this one is a this one is a man.
But I think you know this because if their extensive
advertising higher hi r. What is the opposite of to
hire someone? You you fire them? Yes, but another way
to say it, a more colloquial way to say fire
(09:32):
is blank body spray axe ax. That's it. All right,
you're almost done. We've got We're gonna end up with
three from the kitchen. Paper towels Scarcity. Scarcity is the
bizarro world brand of paper towels. I think that would
(09:53):
be Bounty exactly. And then there's some garbage bags. There's
there's skinny guarbe bags I hefty, right, and sad garbage
bags hm hmmm.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Or unhappy joy happy, uh.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Right, delighted? Nice work these are I think you know
it is. Oh, I'm so blank to see you.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
I'm so glad to see lad garbage bag.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
All right, I was glad, yeah, glad, All right, Well
you did great, as promised. I wanted to ask you.
You are not just a puzzle solver, You're a puzzle designer.
So tell me about the collaboration you had.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
I am. I have released three puzzles with Ravens broker.
So the first one was called Colors on Colors. It's
a three thousand piece puzzle.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
That's a lot.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Yeah, I wanted to do something different, something bold for
my first one that I released.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
It's a laundry detergent and so it's very colorful.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
It has all these overlapping gradients, and it's a photograph
of puzzle pieces like on top of a solved gradient puzzle.
We just photographed it out in my dining room. It's yeah,
it's really fun. It's very approachable for a three thousand
piece puzzle. And then the second one we did is
called Gradient Cascade. For that one, I wanted to do
(11:33):
cutouts of giant puzzle pieces in the middle of the puzzle.
So it's a custom piece cut and we have all
these mini puzzles within the main puzzle. So we worked
with a three D artist for that one. You have
all these falling giant puzzle pieces. Again very colorful. And
then the third one, which was just released last year,
(11:55):
is called Puzzles on Puzzles, and so that one is
similar to the three thousand piece puzzle, which it's another
photograph of puzzle pieces on top of a puzzle. So
it's very much a meta puzzle, and yeah, I get
very colorful, very approachable. It's only a thousand pieces, so
you don't need quite as much space as the three thousand.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
All right, these that's great. I haven't ordered them yet
because I just found out them, but I plan to.
By the way, I've interviewed people who like to mix
together two or three puzzles pieces and then like because
solving a regular jigsaw is not challenging enough. Have you
ever run into have you ever tried that?
Speaker 2 (12:37):
I have? I actually did the advanced version of that.
I mixed together three gradient puzzles with slightly different gradients,
so all I had to go on was like the
very slight color differences.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
You are a mad woman. That is not easy. How
long did that take you to do?
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Oh? It was a while ago now, but it wasn't
too bad. I gave myself an out, so I put
a different colored dot on the back of two of
the puzzles so I could separate them back out if
I needed to. But I didn't need to. I was
able to do it.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
And what about monochromatic puzzles? Have you? I think I
saw one of your popular videos is an all white puzzle,
is that right?
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Yeah. I've done a lot of solid color puzzles. I
have kind of a collection of vintage and modern solid
color puzzles. Some of them are easier than others. It
really depends entirely on the peace cut. So some of them,
you know, I knock out with no problem, and then
some of them I'm sitting there for hours and hours
and hours.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
Yeah, I gotta say for my book, I tried a couple.
I didn't love the experience. I like a good picture, but.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
It's definitely for the advanced puzzler, right.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
And I also there was when I was doing it
during the during COVID, someone came out with an all
clear puzzle. Did you try that one? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (14:03):
There have been actually a few different like plastic clear puzzles.
I've done some of them, but I have a few
more here that I still need to do. But those
are tricky because since it's made of plastic, you don't
know which side is the top or the bottom. You
don't have that bevil on the edge like you get
with cardboard, and so each piece you basically double like
(14:25):
how it could fit into the puzzle.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Right, So a five hundred were piece puzzle is really
a thousand and I And similarly, I worked on some
of the Stave puzzles. Do you know that brand Stave?
Speaker 2 (14:40):
Yeah, Oh I'm jealous. Those are nice.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
You know what's funny. I got to meet everyone. I
got to meet Karen's sister because she lives in New
York and there's a jigsaw puzzle group that meets in
Brooklyn once a month, and I went there and I
brought a couple of Stave puzzles. So your sister has
worked on a stave puzzle. But those sometimes they like
(15:03):
to mess you up and do pieces that look like
they should be up when they're really down.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Yeah, to explain to the audience, Steve is a handcut
wooden puzzle company, and so they're like artisan pieces. They
are works of art. But along with that, they're very expensive.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
They are. Yes, Bill Gates is a is a customer.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
If that gives you anything, Yeah, just really interesting puzzle designs.
I've looked at a lot of photos of them online
and they're really beautiful.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Well, when you come to New York, we'll do one.
I went to visit the headquarters and I got to
see them making them with what looked like, you know,
giant mutant sewing machines and they were there just with
the wood, just making the shapes. It was very cool.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
All right.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
So before we leave, aside from your puzzles which people
should buy, what are a couple of recommendations you have
of puzzles or puzzle jakesaw paraphernalia like puzzling gloves or something.
I don't know what you got, Well, what could people
take away and buy after listening to the show?
Speaker 2 (16:14):
I would say the only specific puzzle accessory that I
would recommend is a box stand. You can look them
up online. They're usually either wooden or plastic, and it
just lets you prop up the box very easily, so,
especially when you're speed puzzling, you can see what you're
meant to be putting together.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Great. Yes, good point. And what about an actual a
jakesaw one of your favorites, either vintage or new.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
I'm a big fan of these cork puzzles that were
released by the brand Seco back in the nineties c
ea Co And yeah, the puzzles are made of quirk.
They're really just fun Americana images and the piece cuts
are very unique, kind of similar to what you would
(17:01):
get with a wooden puzzle.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
And how is the cork different. It's like, is it softer?
You don't hurt your hands on the hard board?
Speaker 2 (17:10):
No, I mean it locks together really well. You do
have to kind of take care of it, especially when
you're taking apart the puzzle, because eventually it might start
to crumble a little bit. But yeah, I really like
cork as a puzzle material. I know different people have
different opinions on it, but I think they're really fun.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Awesome, and I'm sure they're available on eBay or what
have you.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
So I buy a lot of vintage puzzles on eBay.
There's tons out there.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Yeah. Well, Karen, it has been a delight. Where can
people find? Where should the central clearing house for all
of your Karen related information?
Speaker 2 (17:46):
You can find me on YouTube if you just look
up Karen Puzzles you'll find me, and I'm also on
Instagram at Karen Puzzles Awesome.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
I highly recommend subscribing them both. Thank you for joining
us this week. We'll have you back and call us
when you're in town so we can jigsaw together and
you can.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
Give us I mean, you need to figure out how
to do a jigsaw puzzle over audio.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Ah, yes we could. The sound of the piece is
snapping together.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
You just describe a bunch of puzzle pieces and I
have to choose which one. It's all too another spot
that you describe brilliant.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
All right, come back and we'll do that. It's four
out far outies. And then there's one with three outies
and one what do you do?
Speaker 2 (18:30):
I do I know about that? We'll just workshop it.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
Yes, that needs some work. In the meantime, I have
an extra credit for the puzzlers at home, which is
what is in the bizarre world. There's a toothpaste called
Jerries of Florida. Jerries of Florida. What might that be
in the real world? And as always, thank you for listening.
(18:53):
If you like the show, check out our Instagram feed.
Hello puzzlers. We have original puzzles, video visual puzzles and
other fun stuff. And of course we'll meet here tomorrow
for more puzzling puzzles that will puzzle you puzzlingly.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
Hey puzzlers, it's your chief puzzle Officer, Greg Pliska here
once again with the extra credit answer from our previous episode.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Karen Puzzles joined us for a game that I called
puzzles puzzle it was basically every answer is two words.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
One is the name of a person, and the second
is that person's name as a common noun instead of
a proper noun. Your extra credit clue was this the
bunny House at Berkshire Hathaway.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
That, of course is Warren's Warren, a great Warren Buffett
of Berkshire Hathaway. And Warren is a bunny is a
rabbit home. A rabbit's home is a Warren. So Warren's
Warren is your answer. Thanks for playing, and we'll see
you here tomorrow for some more puzzling puzzles that will
puzzle you puzzlingly
Hosts And Creators
Greg Pliska
A.J. Jacobs
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