November 20, 2023 • 11 mins
Hello, Puzzlers! Puzzling with us all this week: comedian and host of "Parenting is a Joke" Ophira Eisenberg!
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 fabric softener
in your daily puzzle detergent. I am your host, A J. Jacobs,
and I am here with today's guest, the awesome Ofira Eisenberg, comedian, author,
(00:27):
moth storyteller, host of her own amazing podcast on iHeart
Parenting is a Joke. Welcome O Fira, Hello J.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
How's it going?
Speaker 1 (00:39):
It is good because you're here and you are a
friend of puzzles. I happen to know that for a minute.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
That is true. I've befriended the puzzle. Has the puzzle
befriended me?
Speaker 1 (00:51):
We will find out. But you're also a friend of
puzzle lurse. I mean you hosted Ask Me Another on
NPR for many years, which we consider an inspiration, a
cousin of the Puzzler. So we are delighted to have
you here. And before that, my favorite fact, before you
(01:13):
were a superstar, you were briefly a host for Watson
Adventures Scavenger Hunts, my Wife's wonderful Company.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
So true.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
I'm so grateful for that job on so many levels.
And one of those things is that I ended up.
I ended up because I was writing the puzzles and
at times, or writing the clues at times, but mostly
running hunts is that I got to learn about New
York and I got to go to all the museums
and art galleries with people and look at it from
(01:46):
a different point of view.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Like it gave me so much access edutainment.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
It was pure edutainment, right, yeah, because the scavenger hunts
are in museums often or historic neighborhoods, right.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
That's right. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
And so that's why I say people all the time
they're like, what kind of job do you recommend getting
out of college?
Speaker 2 (02:03):
I go, what do you want to know about? Get
a job in that, because you'll get to learn everything.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
I love it. Wise advice, all right, See, look look
at what you give the listeners added value. All right,
Well today's puzzle. Today's puzzle is called Galahad's Bahamas Caravan.
Uh WHOA Okay, I'm acpit sure that in this puzzle
every answer is going to be a word with a
(02:29):
lot of a's a lot of the letter A. In fact,
these words, these answers have no other vowel besides A,
and there is an a every other letter of the word. So,
for instance, whoa. Yeah, thank you for that, for that reaction.
I love that. So if I said country where Ofira
(02:52):
Eisenberg was born, you would say Canada. You would even
sing it that you don't have to say that is
not the tune of the national anthem, just so everyone else.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
That was completely independent.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
That was just a burst of Canadian joy that. Yeah, exactly,
love it all right, So you got you got the idea.
We're gonna start, ready, Jess. So you know, I'm going
to have several clues for each one, and I'm going
to start with the harder clues. So I don't want
you to get it on the first one. If you do,
(03:26):
you know, I'm impressed. Tend not to, but you can
do it. Okay, are you ready?
Speaker 2 (03:31):
I'm ready.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
You might come from this place with a banjo on
your knee.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Oh that is a well, wait a second. Okay, that's
from a song lyric.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
It is a song lyric.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
And it's an American state now as a Canadian, Wait
a second's an American state or American city. This is
excellent way to start, aj because I feel like this
is probably part of your life growing up.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
But we sang songs.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
About maple syrups and beavers and bear attacks. Okay, there
was not a lot of banjo's I grew up, so
it's going to be a little bit more interesting for
me to figure this out.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
So let's go for a hint.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
All right, Well that yeah, so we totally we screwed
you because we went American and and ignored it.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Always Katy, all right, it always gets me.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Well, you're right, it is a state. It's the home
state of Channing Tatum and Mia Hamm and our producer
Neelie Neelie Lowman.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Oh so I'm just thinking just because you said every
other letter, So let's see al Alabama works Alabama?
Speaker 1 (04:39):
That is it?
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Okay?
Speaker 1 (04:40):
The Tide is Crimson. That was the next one. Excellent,
all right, you're one for one.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Tight is Crimson. That also would have been not a
great one, not for me at all.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Okay, are you ready for your next day? Words?
Speaker 4 (04:54):
Sure?
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Anne?
Speaker 4 (04:55):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Okay, you can have a party in these. You can
have a party in these.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
I'm just gonna keep going and you just stopped me.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Party in these? I love this? Okay? What would I
have a party in Martini glass? Not enough as keep going.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
The name comes from Urdu and means garment for the legs.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Ooh uh, garment for that you would have a party?
It a garment for the legs.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Okay, I take about all the tights.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
It's almost the opposite of tights. Interestingly, it is it
has appeared in the title of Adoris Day movie.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Oh oh part It's like, oh my goodness, now, I
just want to go, like underwear.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Am I in the Am I in the right world
of underwear? Pajamas?
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Exactly. I don't know is pajamas is considered underwear. I
don't know.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
That's a good So this is a good question because
I took my son for ice cream late the other
day because I was trying to bribe him to do
homework anyway, awesome parent of the year. And he was
wearing his pajamas and I said, just put a hoodie
over it and we'll pretend it's clothes.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
And he said, but it's like underwear.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
So if you ask him, okay, that is good. Well,
we've got one data point that says it is underwear,
right in with your own opinion? All right, are you ready?
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Yep?
Speaker 1 (06:21):
This is where dirty Dancing Too took place. I don't
know if you saw that dirty dancing too.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
No dirty dance. So the first one took place in
the Catskills. And everyone can get mad at me right
now because guess what movie I've never seen from beginning
to end Dirty Dancing And again what I've almost seen
every like.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Scene from it, but I've never seen it all the
way through.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Well, I feel if you've seen they don't put baby
in the corner. Yes, exactly, that's really all you need.
I think you and the main day and the Yeah, exactly,
feed el cast show to university. Okay, play right. Uh
Havannah Havanna, Havanna, Havanah, Havana.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Exactly you Havana Havanda.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Uh there it is dirty dancing too, Havana Knights. That's right,
not seen it?
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Wait a second, doesn't someone we know have a writing
credit on that?
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Are you serious?
Speaker 3 (07:19):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Andrea? Can you look up who is the writer?
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Or Peter?
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Say?
Speaker 2 (07:26):
That is correct? Out of I knew that a little
bit of trivia.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
That is, how did that happen?
Speaker 2 (07:33):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Well, we did record some episodes with him. I'm going
to get him back on and ask him. Uh, all right,
one more, maybe two, because I want it. I want
to hear you sing. But one more is it's about
three point six million square miles, which is more than
the total area of Australia. It gets about three inches
(07:54):
of rain a year.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Three That doesn't sound like enough, that's enough.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Well, I mean it is for this place, and it
is located in such countries as Egypt, Chad, Sudan and Libya.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
And so you want a name of are you thinking
like the name of a desert? Is this where we're going?
Speaker 3 (08:15):
I am the name of it, kay, I do desert name.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
And it's a big desert. It's a huge desert.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
I think the biggest.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Okay, the Sahara desert.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
There it is, I know it was in there.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
All right.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
One quick piece of trivia that I can't resist. Andrea
found that the word desert translates to Sahara, So Sahara
desert is actually desert desert.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Red Dunde.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
All right, well this you did? Great, that's it. I'm
ending there so lovely, You're off to a flying star.
Where can people find more Ofira Eisenberg content?
Speaker 2 (08:59):
If you would like to follow me? How about you
follow me?
Speaker 3 (09:04):
I actually post things, people, I am at all of
the things at oh sirah E. That's O p h
I R A lots of.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Different letters because someone else had oh fira. Okay, so
you got to add on the eat.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Oh okay, we will add on the.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
E except for at venmo and venmo. I got at oira,
which I feel very proud.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
So send her money. Just start sending me now you
know where to send it.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Let's socialize a doll credit time.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
That is great, all right, So before we wrap up,
is always a clue for you puzzlers at home. This
is another audio clue. What is making this sound? An
instrument is making this sound? Puzzlers, please don't forget to
(09:57):
subscribe to the Puzzler Podcast and I'll meet you here
tomorrow for more puzzling puzzles that will puzzle you puzzlingly.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
Hi, puzzlers. Greg Pliska here with the extra credit answer
from our previous show where we were playing around with
roe palax a series of words where each word is
longer than the previous one. I was quizzing aj by
giving him three items in a set that all increase
in length, and he had to guess the fourth one
(10:31):
that was one letter longer than the previous one. So
the extra credit that we gave you were these three things, Scandal,
the Catch, and off the Map. That's a seven letter word,
an eight letter phrase, and a nine letter phrase. And
the ten letter answer is Bridgerton, which fans of Shonda
(10:55):
Rhymes will recognize. Those are all Shonda Rhymes shows and
each one is one letter longer than the previous. Congrats
to everyone who got it, and we look forward to
more puzzles next time.
Hello, puzzlers, Welcome to the Puzzler Podcast, the fabric softener
in your daily puzzle detergent. I am your host, A J. Jacobs,
and I am here with today's guest, the awesome Ofira Eisenberg, comedian, author,
(00:27):
moth storyteller, host of her own amazing podcast on iHeart
Parenting is a Joke. Welcome O Fira, Hello J.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
How's it going?
Speaker 1 (00:39):
It is good because you're here and you are a
friend of puzzles. I happen to know that for a minute.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
That is true. I've befriended the puzzle. Has the puzzle
befriended me?
Speaker 1 (00:51):
We will find out. But you're also a friend of
puzzle lurse. I mean you hosted Ask Me Another on
NPR for many years, which we consider an inspiration, a
cousin of the Puzzler. So we are delighted to have
you here. And before that, my favorite fact, before you
(01:13):
were a superstar, you were briefly a host for Watson
Adventures Scavenger Hunts, my Wife's wonderful Company.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
So true.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
I'm so grateful for that job on so many levels.
And one of those things is that I ended up.
I ended up because I was writing the puzzles and
at times, or writing the clues at times, but mostly
running hunts is that I got to learn about New
York and I got to go to all the museums
and art galleries with people and look at it from
(01:46):
a different point of view.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Like it gave me so much access edutainment.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
It was pure edutainment, right, yeah, because the scavenger hunts
are in museums often or historic neighborhoods, right.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
That's right. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
And so that's why I say people all the time
they're like, what kind of job do you recommend getting
out of college?
Speaker 2 (02:03):
I go, what do you want to know about? Get
a job in that, because you'll get to learn everything.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
I love it. Wise advice, all right, See, look look
at what you give the listeners added value. All right,
Well today's puzzle. Today's puzzle is called Galahad's Bahamas Caravan.
Uh WHOA Okay, I'm acpit sure that in this puzzle
every answer is going to be a word with a
(02:29):
lot of a's a lot of the letter A. In fact,
these words, these answers have no other vowel besides A,
and there is an a every other letter of the word. So,
for instance, whoa. Yeah, thank you for that, for that reaction.
I love that. So if I said country where Ofira
(02:52):
Eisenberg was born, you would say Canada. You would even
sing it that you don't have to say that is
not the tune of the national anthem, just so everyone else.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
That was completely independent.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
That was just a burst of Canadian joy that. Yeah, exactly,
love it all right, So you got you got the idea.
We're gonna start, ready, Jess. So you know, I'm going
to have several clues for each one, and I'm going
to start with the harder clues. So I don't want
you to get it on the first one. If you do,
(03:26):
you know, I'm impressed. Tend not to, but you can
do it. Okay, are you ready?
Speaker 2 (03:31):
I'm ready.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
You might come from this place with a banjo on
your knee.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Oh that is a well, wait a second. Okay, that's
from a song lyric.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
It is a song lyric.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
And it's an American state now as a Canadian, Wait
a second's an American state or American city. This is
excellent way to start, aj because I feel like this
is probably part of your life growing up.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
But we sang songs.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
About maple syrups and beavers and bear attacks. Okay, there
was not a lot of banjo's I grew up, so
it's going to be a little bit more interesting for
me to figure this out.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
So let's go for a hint.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
All right, Well that yeah, so we totally we screwed
you because we went American and and ignored it.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Always Katy, all right, it always gets me.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Well, you're right, it is a state. It's the home
state of Channing Tatum and Mia Hamm and our producer
Neelie Neelie Lowman.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Oh so I'm just thinking just because you said every
other letter, So let's see al Alabama works Alabama?
Speaker 1 (04:39):
That is it?
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Okay?
Speaker 1 (04:40):
The Tide is Crimson. That was the next one. Excellent,
all right, you're one for one.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Tight is Crimson. That also would have been not a
great one, not for me at all.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Okay, are you ready for your next day? Words?
Speaker 4 (04:54):
Sure?
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Anne?
Speaker 4 (04:55):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Okay, you can have a party in these. You can
have a party in these.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
I'm just gonna keep going and you just stopped me.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Party in these? I love this? Okay? What would I
have a party in Martini glass? Not enough as keep going.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
The name comes from Urdu and means garment for the legs.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Ooh uh, garment for that you would have a party?
It a garment for the legs.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Okay, I take about all the tights.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
It's almost the opposite of tights. Interestingly, it is it
has appeared in the title of Adoris Day movie.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Oh oh part It's like, oh my goodness, now, I
just want to go, like underwear.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Am I in the Am I in the right world
of underwear? Pajamas?
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Exactly. I don't know is pajamas is considered underwear. I
don't know.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
That's a good So this is a good question because
I took my son for ice cream late the other
day because I was trying to bribe him to do
homework anyway, awesome parent of the year. And he was
wearing his pajamas and I said, just put a hoodie
over it and we'll pretend it's clothes.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
And he said, but it's like underwear.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
So if you ask him, okay, that is good. Well,
we've got one data point that says it is underwear,
right in with your own opinion? All right, are you ready?
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Yep?
Speaker 1 (06:21):
This is where dirty Dancing Too took place. I don't
know if you saw that dirty dancing too.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
No dirty dance. So the first one took place in
the Catskills. And everyone can get mad at me right
now because guess what movie I've never seen from beginning
to end Dirty Dancing And again what I've almost seen
every like.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Scene from it, but I've never seen it all the
way through.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Well, I feel if you've seen they don't put baby
in the corner. Yes, exactly, that's really all you need.
I think you and the main day and the Yeah, exactly,
feed el cast show to university. Okay, play right. Uh
Havannah Havanna, Havanna, Havanah, Havana.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Exactly you Havana Havanda.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Uh there it is dirty dancing too, Havana Knights. That's right,
not seen it?
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Wait a second, doesn't someone we know have a writing
credit on that?
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Are you serious?
Speaker 3 (07:19):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Andrea? Can you look up who is the writer?
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Or Peter?
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Say?
Speaker 2 (07:26):
That is correct? Out of I knew that a little
bit of trivia.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
That is, how did that happen?
Speaker 2 (07:33):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Well, we did record some episodes with him. I'm going
to get him back on and ask him. Uh, all right,
one more, maybe two, because I want it. I want
to hear you sing. But one more is it's about
three point six million square miles, which is more than
the total area of Australia. It gets about three inches
(07:54):
of rain a year.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Three That doesn't sound like enough, that's enough.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Well, I mean it is for this place, and it
is located in such countries as Egypt, Chad, Sudan and Libya.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
And so you want a name of are you thinking
like the name of a desert? Is this where we're going?
Speaker 3 (08:15):
I am the name of it, kay, I do desert name.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
And it's a big desert. It's a huge desert.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
I think the biggest.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Okay, the Sahara desert.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
There it is, I know it was in there.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
All right.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
One quick piece of trivia that I can't resist. Andrea
found that the word desert translates to Sahara, So Sahara
desert is actually desert desert.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Red Dunde.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
All right, well this you did? Great, that's it. I'm
ending there so lovely, You're off to a flying star.
Where can people find more Ofira Eisenberg content?
Speaker 2 (08:59):
If you would like to follow me? How about you
follow me?
Speaker 3 (09:04):
I actually post things, people, I am at all of
the things at oh sirah E. That's O p h
I R A lots of.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Different letters because someone else had oh fira. Okay, so
you got to add on the eat.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Oh okay, we will add on the.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
E except for at venmo and venmo. I got at oira,
which I feel very proud.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
So send her money. Just start sending me now you
know where to send it.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Let's socialize a doll credit time.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
That is great, all right, So before we wrap up,
is always a clue for you puzzlers at home. This
is another audio clue. What is making this sound? An
instrument is making this sound? Puzzlers, please don't forget to
(09:57):
subscribe to the Puzzler Podcast and I'll meet you here
tomorrow for more puzzling puzzles that will puzzle you puzzlingly.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
Hi, puzzlers. Greg Pliska here with the extra credit answer
from our previous show where we were playing around with
roe palax a series of words where each word is
longer than the previous one. I was quizzing aj by
giving him three items in a set that all increase
in length, and he had to guess the fourth one
(10:31):
that was one letter longer than the previous one. So
the extra credit that we gave you were these three things, Scandal,
the Catch, and off the Map. That's a seven letter word,
an eight letter phrase, and a nine letter phrase. And
the ten letter answer is Bridgerton, which fans of Shonda
(10:55):
Rhymes will recognize. Those are all Shonda Rhymes shows and
each one is one letter longer than the previous. Congrats
to everyone who got it, and we look forward to
more puzzles next time.
Hosts And Creators
Greg Pliska
A.J. Jacobs
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