April 9, 2024 • 11 mins
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- AJ has a new book coming out! You can pre-order "The Year of Living Constitutionally" right now!.
Hello, Puzzlers! Puzzling with us today: comedian Negin Farsad, host of "Fake The Nation"
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 Chat GPT” 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 (00:04):
Hello, puzzlers, Welcome to the Puzzler podcast, the Forgotten five
dollars bill in your daily puzzle pants pocket. I am
your host, AJ Jacobs, and today's guest is the awesome
Neghine Farsad, comedian, writer and director, also host of the
(00:27):
podcast Fake the Nation. Welcome Neighine.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Hello, thanks for having me back.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
We are delighted. We enjoy your puzzling. Today, we wanted
to talk about the English language because you are a podcaster,
but you're also a writer and author. You wrote the
book How to Make White People Laugh, a delightful book.
As a writer, I'm guessing you might have noticed that
the English language is insane. It's a crazy language, especially
(00:56):
the spelling. Yes, are you do you? Are you a
good speller? Moderate speller.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
I had a moment in my day of winning a
couple of spelling bees at a very very hyper localized level.
So I'm not trying to brag or anything, but nine
or ten year old Nagine was doing some very good spelling.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Wow, Okay, I didn't even know that side of you.
Now I'm more impressed. Well do you remember any of
your winning words?
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (01:29):
My god god no, But I think one thing that
I do remember is that they were sort of like,
you know, simple like the animal, like a you or something.
It would just like throw you off. But they were
a simple word of a sord or something. I remember
they're spelling sometimes.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
That's interesting because we've talked about you on the show
The Puzzler, because the only time you see you ewe
is either in spelling bees or crossword puzzle. Like no
one goes and says, hey, look at that beautiful you.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
I want to Yeah, I've never exactly, I've never uttered
it in casual conversation exactly.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
I felt that was there a pun on utter or
was that just me I feel? But as you said,
you is a perfect example because it's there's you, there's ewe.
Words are spelled in so many different ways but pronounced
sometimes all over the place. So for instance, you might
(02:32):
know that there are ten different pronunciations of the letters O, U,
g H. There's tough, there's cough, there's bow, there's bow,
there's maybe there's not bow, there's though, there's thought, anyway, hiccup.
It goes on and on, And these are called I rhymes.
(02:53):
So these are words that look like they should rhyme,
but do not. So this is a puzzle about I rhymes.
These are all two word phrases that look like they
should rhyme when they're written, but they do not rhyme
when they're said out loud. So if there was some
hard uncooked bread, hard to chew uncooked bread, that might
(03:14):
be tough dough, so they look but they don't.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
This is a This is one for Miriam Webster herself.
I mean, okay, let's see what I can do. But wow,
all right, you didn't.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
You're not easy to it. I'm sorry. Well, yes, Mariam
was booked as we're funk and wagnal. Does that still exist?
Funk and wagonyl It's just such a funny drunken white
I believe are drunk and funk. But I'm here to help.
I'm here to help. Your first clue is unhurried bovine.
(03:52):
So this is an unhurried bovine. A bovine is uh,
you know, sort of how now brown? Yeah, exactly, so
one unhurried one. It's not fast as a.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
I mean, it's a slow cow.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
It's a it's a slow cow. Why did you say you? Yes, yes,
a slow cow?
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Right? Okay, because like right, slow and cow look like
they should rye, but they don't write.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Okay, exactly, that's an eye right. You think it's either
slow co or slow cow, y slow cow?
Speaker 3 (04:29):
All right?
Speaker 1 (04:30):
What about a uh a checkered or tartan housekeeper? This
is a housekeeper who is checkered or tartan. So a
housekeeper as in, yes, a maid exactly. Now, think of
something that's like a Scottish ai d yes, yes, a
(04:55):
Scottish maid who wears what on there?
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Like maybe a maiden plaid.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
A maiden plaid, a plaid made exactly. You say it
sometimes as if you're a tentative. But you got it,
But I got it, But I know what I'm doing.
I did not know by the way, checkered versus tartan,
it's a whole thing. I looked it up. I don't
know it's did you know I didn't understand that.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
I mean, I'm gonna say tartan is more like plaid,
and checkers is more like little squares.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Yeah exactly, Yeah, you got all right, so I did
know it was a whole thing. Well, speaking of clothing,
here's here's another one. This is a a hush hush
French hat. So this is a hat, a beret. Yes,
Now this is a hush hush one that no one
(05:50):
knows about it. It's very top ends in r e T.
So you know it's gonna end in our e t.
You whisper me a blank or tell me a blank
(06:11):
or secret? Blank, secret beret? Exactly?
Speaker 2 (06:16):
You got sacred beret or secret the French.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Exactly a secret? Exactly? All right? We got one more?
Are you ready? This one is an animal boob. The
boob of an animal might.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Be the boob of an animal? I mean, is it
an It's not utter or that we just talked about.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
No, no, I put that in your mind.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Now this is.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
Like, you know, a very common synonym for boob, breast, blank,
milk or blank. But yes, the.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Breast of an as this is suddenly this this is
a pornographic show. Suddenly, what do we do it?
Speaker 3 (07:07):
There?
Speaker 2 (07:08):
I was told this was the puzzler.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
This is listen as I say, we are very wholesome.
This is just something that exists in nature. Okay, all right, gotcha? Okay,
not so, but this is like an a blank of
burden or beauty in the blank might be.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Yes, the the breast beast, breast.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
You got its breast. Yes, why does heavy?
Speaker 2 (07:39):
It just feels so wrong because when now that you're
talking about how like similer they look, you know that
they should be the same sounding word. It feels very
weird to say them next to each other.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Well, yes, that's what we're here for, to make you
feel weird.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Yeah, to make my mouth feel really weird.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
But but I think it's it isn't instructive of how
crazy the English language is, because he should be beast
priest or it should be best pressed. Yeah, in one
of those two.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
I don't know what do we talk to about this?
Do I send an email to my senator? Who can
I talk to about this? I want to change it.
I don't like it, Sir, I don't like it.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
I am so glad you're passionate as I am out there.
I will say Ben Franklin he wanted to reform spelling,
So maybe write to him or something.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Yeah, man, we should have listened to that guy sometimes.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Yeah, not all the time, not all the time, not
all the time. He was the best of them in
my opinion. That's my humble opinion. Well, thank you, Nighin,
you did great. Where can people find more of your content?
Whether it's rhyming or I rhyming or neither.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Oh gosh, folks, I think you should totally subscribe to
Fake the Nation, where if you get your podcasts, and
if you happen to be a fan of animation, you
can see me on the hear me on the adult
swim show bird Girl. It's available on HBO Max or
Max and it's a really fun show and there's a
couple of seasons up there, so a lot to like
(09:12):
sink your teeth into. I am Meredith the mind Taker,
and I really enjenction.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
It all right, well, and we can hear you there.
We can't see you there, but we can hear you there.
Before we wrap up, as always for the puzzlers at home,
an extra credit puzzle. This is top notch food for
a carnivore, something a carnivore would really love. You will
(09:40):
get the answer to the extra credit the next episode.
And by the way, our intro phrase the one about
the forgotten five dollars bill in your pants, that comes
from puzzler listener Brandon Weathers, So thank you Brandon, and folks,
if you have your own ideas for intro phrases, please
go to the puzzler dot com and send them to
(10:01):
us and we'll try to read them on air. And
also one last bit of puzzler news. My new book
is coming out soon on May seventh. It's called The
Year of Living Constitutionally and it's about the puzzle of democracy.
I attempt to follow the original meaning of the Constitution
from seventeen eighty nine. We're talking muskets, quill pens, quartering soldiers.
(10:25):
The pre publication reviews have been very kind. Booklist calls
it fascinating and necessary and who am I to disagree?
So please pre order The Year of Living Constitutionally if
you can. It makes a huge amount of difference for
the success of the book. The link is in the
show notes on your podcast app. And get ready for
some constitution theme puzzles coming soon. We'll meet here tomorrow
(10:49):
for more puzzling puzzles that will puzzle you puzzlingly.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Hey puzzlers, Greg Pliska here up from the Puzzle Lab
with the extra credit answer from our previous episode. Neaghine
Farsade was our guest, and she played Television newte in
which each answer is the name of a television news
program with one letter changed. Your extra credit clue was
this is a PBS investigative documentary series about the first
(11:23):
half of a golf course, and that, of course, is
front nine, one letter changed from frontline. After you finish
your round of golf, you should turn on the puzzler
and join us.
Hello, puzzlers, Welcome to the Puzzler podcast, the Forgotten five
dollars bill in your daily puzzle pants pocket. I am
your host, AJ Jacobs, and today's guest is the awesome
Neghine Farsad, comedian, writer and director, also host of the
(00:27):
podcast Fake the Nation. Welcome Neighine.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Hello, thanks for having me back.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
We are delighted. We enjoy your puzzling. Today, we wanted
to talk about the English language because you are a podcaster,
but you're also a writer and author. You wrote the
book How to Make White People Laugh, a delightful book.
As a writer, I'm guessing you might have noticed that
the English language is insane. It's a crazy language, especially
(00:56):
the spelling. Yes, are you do you? Are you a
good speller? Moderate speller.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
I had a moment in my day of winning a
couple of spelling bees at a very very hyper localized level.
So I'm not trying to brag or anything, but nine
or ten year old Nagine was doing some very good spelling.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Wow, Okay, I didn't even know that side of you.
Now I'm more impressed. Well do you remember any of
your winning words?
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (01:29):
My god god no, But I think one thing that
I do remember is that they were sort of like,
you know, simple like the animal, like a you or something.
It would just like throw you off. But they were
a simple word of a sord or something. I remember
they're spelling sometimes.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
That's interesting because we've talked about you on the show
The Puzzler, because the only time you see you ewe
is either in spelling bees or crossword puzzle. Like no
one goes and says, hey, look at that beautiful you.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
I want to Yeah, I've never exactly, I've never uttered
it in casual conversation exactly.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
I felt that was there a pun on utter or
was that just me I feel? But as you said,
you is a perfect example because it's there's you, there's ewe.
Words are spelled in so many different ways but pronounced
sometimes all over the place. So for instance, you might
(02:32):
know that there are ten different pronunciations of the letters O, U,
g H. There's tough, there's cough, there's bow, there's bow,
there's maybe there's not bow, there's though, there's thought, anyway, hiccup.
It goes on and on, And these are called I rhymes.
(02:53):
So these are words that look like they should rhyme,
but do not. So this is a puzzle about I rhymes.
These are all two word phrases that look like they
should rhyme when they're written, but they do not rhyme
when they're said out loud. So if there was some
hard uncooked bread, hard to chew uncooked bread, that might
(03:14):
be tough dough, so they look but they don't.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
This is a This is one for Miriam Webster herself.
I mean, okay, let's see what I can do. But wow,
all right, you didn't.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
You're not easy to it. I'm sorry. Well, yes, Mariam
was booked as we're funk and wagnal. Does that still exist?
Funk and wagonyl It's just such a funny drunken white
I believe are drunk and funk. But I'm here to help.
I'm here to help. Your first clue is unhurried bovine.
(03:52):
So this is an unhurried bovine. A bovine is uh,
you know, sort of how now brown? Yeah, exactly, so
one unhurried one. It's not fast as a.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
I mean, it's a slow cow.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
It's a it's a slow cow. Why did you say you? Yes, yes,
a slow cow?
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Right? Okay, because like right, slow and cow look like
they should rye, but they don't write.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Okay, exactly, that's an eye right. You think it's either
slow co or slow cow, y slow cow?
Speaker 3 (04:29):
All right?
Speaker 1 (04:30):
What about a uh a checkered or tartan housekeeper? This
is a housekeeper who is checkered or tartan. So a
housekeeper as in, yes, a maid exactly. Now, think of
something that's like a Scottish ai d yes, yes, a
(04:55):
Scottish maid who wears what on there?
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Like maybe a maiden plaid.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
A maiden plaid, a plaid made exactly. You say it
sometimes as if you're a tentative. But you got it,
But I got it, But I know what I'm doing.
I did not know by the way, checkered versus tartan,
it's a whole thing. I looked it up. I don't
know it's did you know I didn't understand that.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
I mean, I'm gonna say tartan is more like plaid,
and checkers is more like little squares.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Yeah exactly, Yeah, you got all right, so I did
know it was a whole thing. Well, speaking of clothing,
here's here's another one. This is a a hush hush
French hat. So this is a hat, a beret. Yes,
Now this is a hush hush one that no one
(05:50):
knows about it. It's very top ends in r e T.
So you know it's gonna end in our e t.
You whisper me a blank or tell me a blank
(06:11):
or secret? Blank, secret beret? Exactly?
Speaker 2 (06:16):
You got sacred beret or secret the French.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Exactly a secret? Exactly? All right? We got one more?
Are you ready? This one is an animal boob. The
boob of an animal might.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Be the boob of an animal? I mean, is it
an It's not utter or that we just talked about.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
No, no, I put that in your mind.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Now this is.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
Like, you know, a very common synonym for boob, breast, blank,
milk or blank. But yes, the.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Breast of an as this is suddenly this this is
a pornographic show. Suddenly, what do we do it?
Speaker 3 (07:07):
There?
Speaker 2 (07:08):
I was told this was the puzzler.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
This is listen as I say, we are very wholesome.
This is just something that exists in nature. Okay, all right, gotcha? Okay,
not so, but this is like an a blank of
burden or beauty in the blank might be.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Yes, the the breast beast, breast.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
You got its breast. Yes, why does heavy?
Speaker 2 (07:39):
It just feels so wrong because when now that you're
talking about how like similer they look, you know that
they should be the same sounding word. It feels very
weird to say them next to each other.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Well, yes, that's what we're here for, to make you
feel weird.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Yeah, to make my mouth feel really weird.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
But but I think it's it isn't instructive of how
crazy the English language is, because he should be beast
priest or it should be best pressed. Yeah, in one
of those two.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
I don't know what do we talk to about this?
Do I send an email to my senator? Who can
I talk to about this? I want to change it.
I don't like it, Sir, I don't like it.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
I am so glad you're passionate as I am out there.
I will say Ben Franklin he wanted to reform spelling,
So maybe write to him or something.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Yeah, man, we should have listened to that guy sometimes.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Yeah, not all the time, not all the time, not
all the time. He was the best of them in
my opinion. That's my humble opinion. Well, thank you, Nighin,
you did great. Where can people find more of your content?
Whether it's rhyming or I rhyming or neither.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Oh gosh, folks, I think you should totally subscribe to
Fake the Nation, where if you get your podcasts, and
if you happen to be a fan of animation, you
can see me on the hear me on the adult
swim show bird Girl. It's available on HBO Max or
Max and it's a really fun show and there's a
couple of seasons up there, so a lot to like
(09:12):
sink your teeth into. I am Meredith the mind Taker,
and I really enjenction.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
It all right, well, and we can hear you there.
We can't see you there, but we can hear you there.
Before we wrap up, as always for the puzzlers at home,
an extra credit puzzle. This is top notch food for
a carnivore, something a carnivore would really love. You will
(09:40):
get the answer to the extra credit the next episode.
And by the way, our intro phrase the one about
the forgotten five dollars bill in your pants, that comes
from puzzler listener Brandon Weathers, So thank you Brandon, and folks,
if you have your own ideas for intro phrases, please
go to the puzzler dot com and send them to
(10:01):
us and we'll try to read them on air. And
also one last bit of puzzler news. My new book
is coming out soon on May seventh. It's called The
Year of Living Constitutionally and it's about the puzzle of democracy.
I attempt to follow the original meaning of the Constitution
from seventeen eighty nine. We're talking muskets, quill pens, quartering soldiers.
(10:25):
The pre publication reviews have been very kind. Booklist calls
it fascinating and necessary and who am I to disagree?
So please pre order The Year of Living Constitutionally if
you can. It makes a huge amount of difference for
the success of the book. The link is in the
show notes on your podcast app. And get ready for
some constitution theme puzzles coming soon. We'll meet here tomorrow
(10:49):
for more puzzling puzzles that will puzzle you puzzlingly.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Hey puzzlers, Greg Pliska here up from the Puzzle Lab
with the extra credit answer from our previous episode. Neaghine
Farsade was our guest, and she played Television newte in
which each answer is the name of a television news
program with one letter changed. Your extra credit clue was
this is a PBS investigative documentary series about the first
(11:23):
half of a golf course, and that, of course, is
front nine, one letter changed from frontline. After you finish
your round of golf, you should turn on the puzzler
and join us.
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