Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Hello, puzzlers, Welcome to the Puzzler Podcast The glide cluster
Reduction in Your Wholesome Whimsical Puzzle. I am your host,
A J. Jacobs, and I am here with Chiefs Puzzle
Officer Greg Kuliska. Welcome Greg.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
I'm baffled the glide cluster reduction in.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Your what in your wholes wholesome whimsical puzzle? I'm not
very good at the glide, okay.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
I cust cluster is a phonetic thing.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
It's how, you know, pretentious people and British people and
or British people say like, what is the deal with that?
What I'm watching far ago on one of the characters
is what and that I looked it up. It's called
a glide. It's called two things glide cluster, cluster reduction,
or better the wine wine merger. That's literally a linguistic phrase,
(01:02):
the wine wine merger, because you take the wine wine
h out and you pronounce it with just the W.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
So it's basically putting the H in front of the W.
The what wholesome well wholesome is bad wine, whine, whimsical, whimsical, whimsical.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
No, I think it's the just the traditional pretentious voicing
of the H in like when when quite terrible.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
No, but I think I think it really is articulating
an H before a W I went, you.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Know what, you've convinced me, I think right when.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Yeah, only we knew some linguists that we could invite
on the show who could tell us what we're talking about.
I swore glide cluster reduction was like some kind of
plastic surgery or.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Glide cluster is huge. I've always been there.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
I've been dying to get my glide cluster reduced since
I was a kid.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Well, we have this, We've we've definitely covered some important
territory once again. But I here a rumor that you
might actually have a puzzle for me.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
I do have a puzzle for you. I call it horseplay,
not horse play, but just horseplay. Although we could do
some glide some of the some of the well, there
are some answers in this puzzle that could have glide
cluster reduction applied to them, I suppose. So do you
watch the Kentucky Derby.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
I have the past, but it's not something I do
on our.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Really recognize it as a horse race at least. And yeah,
and there's a there's a list of horses that have
won one the Kentucky Derby. There are god, it's been
going on since what nineteen, no, eighteen? God, it goes
back to like the eighteen eighteen seventy five. There's roughly
one hundred and fifty horses that have won that race.
(02:58):
You also go to the theater.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
I do go to the theater, Yes, more often than
horse races.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Well, okay, good, good, because because this puzzle is also
also about Tony winning plays.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Oh, I like it. I'm sensing a possible this.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Or that exactly, that's exactly what we're doing. Good list,
it's it's I'm going to give you the name or
a title, and you tell me whether this is the
title of a Tony winning play or the name of
a Derby winning horse.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Oh I love it. Okay, okay. The horses can be
have some very strange names, so I know this is
not going to be easy, but I'm excited.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Right and plays you might you know, you'll recognize some
of these names, I'm sure, and you'll get it right away,
but hopefully you'll have to think about it. All Right,
here's your your first one. Is this a Derby winning
horse or a Tony Win winning play. I'll have another.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
I'll have another. Uh, I mean it could go either way.
I feel that's more of a play. Like it's sort
of a comedy Neil Simon type, so it's.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Like a British comedy. I'll have another.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Yeah, yeah, how it is?
Speaker 2 (04:13):
However, the horse that won the Kentucky Derby in twenty twelve.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Wow, okay, all right, oh for one.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
And you know, if i'd really done my research, I
could tell you why the horse has this name. Right.
Sometimes they they tell you, you know, oh, we named this
horse for the fact that the owner liked to drink
a lot or something. But I am I don't know
if we can imagine. I'll have another.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
I'll have another.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Maybe, I guess that's that's not that when Harry met
Sally Lyne. I guess that's but it's close.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
That could be. That could also be the name of horse.
I'll have what she's.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Having exactly, all right?
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Ready for my Okay, your second one that championship season.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Now, that one, I do feel is a play for
two reasons. On you already did a horse, so I'm
hoping maybe you'll give me a break and do a play.
I think all of these are going to be Neil
Simon plays.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
That's that's by default, it must be Neil Simon. No,
it's not Neil Simon, but it is a play by
Jason Miller. When that Tony in nineteen seventy three.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Do we know what that's about? Do you remember that.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Good question?
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Was it a sports a sports themed play?
Speaker 2 (05:30):
I'm pretty sure it was. It's one of those plays
that sometimes gets done in in high school. I think, yeah,
it's about a anniversary. It's a team that won state
championship twenty years earlier and they returned to they have
a little reunion. I think their coach is dying or something.
(05:51):
It's sort of a play. I guess about how life
turned out. Right, you were the championship ball basketball team and.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Then life became incredibly depressing.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Well, unless it's a comedy. In lich CA's life became.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
Hilarious, I will have to see you figure.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
I think it's a comedy. All right, here's another one,
the real thing?
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Who the real thing? I'm gonna go with Horse. I'm
just gonna go back and forth.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
You're gonna put your money on Horse. I'm sorry, that's
a play. Tom Stopper nineteen eighty four. Oh, okay, very
funny play, very good play.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
All right, all right, well I'm glad I'm not actually
betting money on this.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Ye, don't you? What about American Pharaoh?
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Well, that one I do remember was was a horse
and maybe even a triple count crown winner.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Oh, very good. Yes, American Pharaoh won the triple Crown
in twenty fifteen. Woo.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
So yes, that one I do remember.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
I'd like that one because that sounded like it could
be a play about some historical figure. You know, it's
about Henry order J. Paul Getty, the American Pharaoh.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Or like Huey Long. I feel he was an American.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Very good, See, we got it. We could write these.
How about Sunday Silence.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
I do feel that that is a horse as well,
just because I would not go see a play called
Sunday Silence, I'd feel like, I don't you know, Quaker
meetings are lovely, but you know, if I'm going to Broadway,
I don't want to sit in silence.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
You want to hear talking, Yeah, you want to hear
something going on. It is, in fact, the name of
a horse nineteen what was it? Nineteen eighty nine. And
you know what. The other thing, the other reason I
think you remembered American Pharaoh is that the one in
twenty fifteen. And before that, the previous triple crown winner
(07:52):
was in nineteen seventy eight.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Wow, which was who not secretary?
Speaker 2 (07:57):
No secretariat was seventy three, then seventy seven was Seattle
Sleugh and seventy eight was affirmed. So there was this
little period where we had three triple crown wrinners in
six years and then this long long drought until American
Pharaoh in twenty fifteen.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Look good for American Pharaoh.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Yeah, it's a fun, fun time of year.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
The Miracle Worker, Well, isn't that the one about Helen Keller?
And I believe I think maybe it's also a horse.
Maybe it's also a horse. But it was lovely.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
It is a play about Helen Keller by William Gibson
from nineteen sixty few.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Not the sci fi cyberpunk William, Not.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
That William Gibson. Different William Gibson. Yeah, not neuro ancer and.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Yeah the impressive if he did both.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Jeohn right, one of them when he was like six
years old.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
How about Fences, Well, that one I do also think
was a play and one that I think my kids
studied in school. So I'm gonna I'm gonna say it's
a it is a Broadway play.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
You are correct, it is a Broadway play by August Wilson. Right.
August Wilson nominated nine times for Tony for Best Play.
Second only did Neil Simon, who has ten nominations. But
that's the only play that August Wilson has won for.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Oh interesting, well, I will say that is I have
two horse race horse racing related many anecdotes, and one
of them, the fences, reminded me of it because when
I was a kid, my grandfather actually invested in a
race horse that never did anything, but we as a
(09:57):
family got to try to name it, and we, uh
you had to get the name past the horse Racing Association.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
And I had I was.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
You know, I was like a little bit of a
I don't.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Know what's say, asshole, little sassy.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Little Yeah, I was young, you know. I I was
a whipper wise acre. I was a wise acre. So
I had all this whole list of things like muddy conditions,
three furlongs, win by a nose because I wanted it.
When the announcer would be like would be announcing that
(10:35):
it would be incredibly confusing for those listen listening, like
win by a nose, loses by a nose, or you
know today muddy Conditions is coming up. And so thankfully
that didn't happen. They rejected it, and I became hopefully
a little less less irritating as I grew up. But
who knows. You know, some people don't think so, so
(10:56):
that's their parrogressive.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Look you gotta puyodcast. I got a few more. We
could do this for hours, but I get a couple more.
What about Warhorse?
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Oh well that's interesting. Okay, See that was a good
I was tempted because Man o War, I know, is
a horse, but war Horse. Then I think there was
a Steven Spielberg movie which I did not see, which
might be related to it. So I'm going to say, play.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
You are correct. Warhorses a play won the Tony in
twenty eleven by Nick Stafford, based on the Michael Moorepurgo
book that that Spielberg film is also based on. But yes,
there was Man of War as won the Triple Crown.
I think it certainly won the Derby and war Admiral
was another derby winning horse.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Oh okay, yeah, see that was the.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
I thought i'd sneak that one in there, see if I
could catch you, But you're too clever.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Well, who knows about that, but good to know.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Yeah, what do you know about God of Carnage?
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Oh, God of Carnage. That is a disturbing title. I
do have somewhere deep in my brain that that was
a play of some sort.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
You are correct. It was played by Yasmina Reza, who
won both for God of Carnage and for art I.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
Believe interesting, but it could be. I mean, that is
a that is a bold name for a horse like
I could definitely see that that would be intimidating to
the other horses.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Exactly exactly, God of Carnage. Down the stretch, it's God
of Carnage. It's God of carnage. And at the wire
and at the wire it's God of carnage. And at
the wire at the wire.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
That would be yes, thank you for a callback.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
I can do a few more of these. How about mine?
That bird? Am I an e that bird?
Speaker 1 (13:01):
Hmm? I don't know. I'm going I'm going with uh
with horse just I know there's some bird related plays
like Bird is a Bird on a Wire and.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
A Bird That was a film.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
I think, well, anyway, using terrible logic, I'm just going
to go with the play.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
No, I think you're going with a horse.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
Oh, yes, even worse logic.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
I'm I've ruled it out as a play, so I'm
going to guess play No, it's a horse, correct, Mind
that Bird two thousand and nine. I just like to
imagine what that play would be.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Mind that bird, Mine that Bird. Yeah, that is an
interesting phrase, I will say. I can give you one
other mini anecdote about my horse racing adventures, and that
was in college. Uh it was the Kentucky Derby and
my friend and I were like, oh, wouldn't it be
fun to bet on the Kentucky Derby. So at that time,
(14:01):
you know, you didn't have Google. So we called in
information for one one and said, give us the number
for off track betting please, or the address. Can we
have the number for off track betting? Which was I
don't know if it's even still around, but it was
this franchise where you would go and bettre Yeah, you
(14:21):
didn't have to go to the actual horse race, but
you can bet at this place, and so they gave
us the phone number. We called Off Track Betting and
we said, uh, what time do the polls close? And
he said, get down here right now it is. You
gotta hurry. So we jump in my friend's car. We
(14:42):
raced down there and it's Off Track Betting with two d's.
It was a mattress store and they were just messing
with us to make our lives a little less pleasant.
So there you go. Be careful that.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
We didn't think you were actually looking for a last
minute Mattress was just messing with you.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
They knew, they knew, yes, exactly what they were doing.
And that's why life was so hard before Google. So
I tell my kids that's what life was like.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Wish what was rough? You were going to mattress stores
all over the place exactly.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
That was educational and delightful. Do you have an extra
credit for the puzzlers at home?
Speaker 2 (15:25):
I do, so the extra credit is Cavalcade c A
v Alcade, And I will say there's a little bit
of a twist to this one. Not the twist you
might be expecting, but there is a little bit of
a twist. I'll leave that for our listeners. And explain
it when we do the extra come.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
Back for that, and also while you are waiting, then
please go to our Instagram feed. Hello puzzlers, we already
have original puzzles. It's very fun. I recommend it, and
we will meet you here tomorrow for more puzzling puzzles.
I will puzzle you puzzlingly.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
Hey puzzlers, it's Greg Pliska, your chief puzzle officer, here
with the extra credit answer from our previous episode. Adam
Conover joined us once again and we played a game
called Dropping the F Bomb, or actually we were re
upping the F bomb. Every answer is two words, where
an F has been added to the first word to
make the second word. Your extra credit clue was this
(16:30):
is an airplane trip with barely any luggage or cargo,
and that would of course be a light flight. May
all your flights be light, and may you come back
again and join us here on the puzzler next time