August 5, 2025 • 19 mins
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Hello, Puzzlers! Puzzling with us today: playwright and actor Jonathan Marc Sherman!
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.
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"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.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello puzzlers. Before we start puzzling today, I wanted to
let you know we are cooking up some big plans
for the puzzler community, and in order to ensure that
it's what you want, we need your input. So we've
put together a short survey, which you can find in
the show notes. It's really quick, just three minutes, but
(00:22):
it will be a huge help in letting us know
what you want so that we can deliver just that.
Thank you, Hello puzzlers. Maybe we should start with a
little warm up puzzle. I'm going to go with a
classic brain teaser today, and it is this what ten
letter word beginning with TEA and ending with R can
(00:46):
be typed using only the top row of letters on
the keyboard. So using only the keys on that top row,
that's the qwert. Can you come up with a ten
letter word that begins with T and ends with R?
And here's a little hint. It is an appropriate word.
It relates to the fact that we're talking about keyboards
and letters. The answer and more puzzling goodness after the break,
(01:18):
Hello puzzlers, Welcome back to the Puzzler Podcast. The self
actualization level in your Maslow's hierarchy of puzzle needs. I
am you all the puzzle.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
That's a deep right there.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Come on to shelter the clothing, the love.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
We're the self actualization.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
I believe, so I am confident we're the top. I
am your host A J. Jacobs, I am here. Of course,
that was Chief Puzzle Officer Greg Pliska and Greg. Before
the break, we asked the warm up question, a classic
brains heezer. What ten letter word begins with T and
nds with our and can be spell using only the
(02:01):
top row of letters on a keyboard? And it's very appropriate.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Yes, this is an old chestnut, this one, And if
I had an old device you could hear it in
the background, actually read to them At Quigley, who was
on our show, has it orchestra made of these things?
Speaker 2 (02:15):
The answer is.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Typewriter, exactly. The word is typewriter.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
And weirdly, I'm still in that top row, sitting here
wondering if there are other ten letter words you can
make using just those letters.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Oh, I bet there are, and I want to be corrected.
I have a masochistic need to be corrected, So please
send in your other ten letter words or nine letter
whatever you want. They use only the top row of
the keyboard. But I bring up this because we have
(02:48):
a writer on the show. He's not just a typist.
He is a writer, and he's typed some brilliant plays
on his keyboard using all three rows of the keyboard,
I assume. And his works include writing the book for
the musical The Connector also the book for Bob and Carolyn,
Ted and Alice. He has, He's written so many wonderful plays.
(03:12):
He's worked with great people like Ethan Hawke, Duncan Sheik,
Peter Dinklic. His name is Jonathan Mark Sherman. Welcome Jonathan,
thank you so much. How are you a touch taper
or a hunt and Pecker?
Speaker 4 (03:27):
I taught myself, so I am sort of a combination
of the two. I'm somewhere in a gray area between
the two. And I actually got sent to the principal's office.
Speaker 5 (03:38):
We had to take typing as a class.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
I did.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
Yeah, So it was junior high school and we had
a type in test. I was the fastest and most
accurate in the class. But I didn't get an A.
And I said why didn't I get an A? And
she said, well, because you didn't use my system. And
you're a maverick typer. I unfortunately, or fortunately, I'm sort
(04:05):
of happy looking back on it, because it's such a
smart alec answer. I said, well, if I was the
fastest at the test and got was the most accurate results,
perhaps my system is.
Speaker 5 (04:18):
Better than.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
It was.
Speaker 6 (04:24):
It was not.
Speaker 5 (04:24):
Yeah, it wasn't, Jonathan.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Do you write with the keyboard or are you a
hand writer writing with pen?
Speaker 5 (04:32):
I do both.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
I keep notebooks on me at all times. I have
I actually love red pens read and but I mean
I use both black and red. So I generally have
on me at all times both a black pen, a
red pen, and a little pocket notebook. And so I'll
write notes and do some longhand composing.
Speaker 5 (04:57):
I still do.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
If I get very stuck nostalgic, I will go to
I actually collect typewriters.
Speaker 7 (05:06):
No way.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
I have stopped acquiring them because it's an insane thing
to collect. Like if you're if you're thinking of starting
a collection, start a typewriter. It's they're heavy, they're it's
and they're really addictive.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Way do you use all of them? Or you have
like a favorite you'll go to.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
I I generally I have a few that I'll go
to because they're really there. They're beasts their machine. You know,
you really feel like you know, you're oh wow, you're
you're sweating to get these words. But because you know,
I didn't start writing on a computer. I started writing
(05:49):
on a Sears electric typewriter when I was a teenager.
So typing is sort of the most natural to me.
But I have but I'm also not totally crazy, so
I do type most things on my laptop.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Well that is a relief because this puzzle happens to
be about keyboards, but the laptop keyboard, not the typewriter.
So I am very relieved that you are familiar with
the laptop keyboard. So let me explain how this is
going to work. The puzzle is called key words because
they are words on the keys of your computer. So
(06:33):
I'm talking about the keys on the sides in the
bottom with little words like delete or escape. So I'm
going to give you clues to phrases that include one
of these words in them. Could be any word, it
could be deleted, could be one answer, for instance, could
be fire escape, And I would clue it something like
(06:54):
a set of stairs outside an apartment building that you
need to use in case of emergency, and it would
be fire escape because you've got that escape. It's actually
the e sc key, but that's why I use it
in the intro. We're gonna start with a Mac. Are
you a Mac or a PC?
Speaker 5 (07:11):
I am a Mac?
Speaker 1 (07:12):
All right? Well, yeah, we only have a couple of PCs,
but I just threw them in there for our PC friends.
I like to be PC podcast. That's right, that's it.
And by the way, I debated this, but I'm going
to say is you are allowed to look at your
keyboard if you are on a computer to help you
orient you. But but those in a car you don't
(07:34):
need to. You will know these words, all right. So
I'm going to start with a two word phrase. This one.
I would go to the left side, far left side
of your keyboard, and that's one of the words. And
the phrase means to work the overnight hours. You're on
(07:58):
this if you're working the overnight hours.
Speaker 6 (08:00):
So I I would think what you want is the
title of the excellent Bron Howard film night Shift.
Speaker 5 (08:12):
But I hope I'm playing that correctly.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Well, that is hilarious.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
It's also Stephen King book right bookause short Stories by
Stephen King that I.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Think, well, let me just tell you, Julie. That was
Julie's answer. So I am accepting it because, you know,
but I was going for a little more macabre.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
The graveyard, the graveyard shift, sorry, which I think.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Was in the Night Shift, right, wasn't it in a mortuary?
Speaker 5 (08:42):
Yeah? Yeah, yeah, all right.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
I got another. I got a two word phrase used
to describe the pill or a condom. And you can
find this on the bottom left of your keyboard.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
I don't have no cover on the bottom left of my.
Speaker 5 (09:01):
It's true.
Speaker 4 (09:02):
What I believe you are looking for is some birth control.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
That's right. Birth control control is the little button on
the bottom of your mac all right. I got another.
This is a this is a movie. This one a
ForWord movie, and you're gonna have to go all the
way to the right side of your keyboard. And it
was the first movie in which we met the Ewoks.
Speaker 5 (09:28):
So delightful, little sorry, he's just taking a tiptoe through
the jewlip.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
You should, as I am a you know, child who
saw these these films in the theater upon their original release.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
Are you wait, but it's two words we're looking for?
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Yeah, no, no, it's just it's forwards the movie.
Speaker 4 (09:55):
Okay, so you are looking for a return of the
jet that's a return of the Jedi.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
Tractically now we know it by an eight word title
Star Wars Episode six. Just to be fully nerdy, here,
come on, we're gonna give a good one.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
All right, I got a couple more. How about go
down to the bottom left of your keyboard. And this
is a word, one of the words in this two
word phrase. This is what you get if you work
for a startup and they don't want to pay you
a salary up front.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
I have, having joined the carnival of theater folk.
Speaker 5 (10:42):
This is never.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
The idea of being offered stock options exactly. I think
would be a lovely thing.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
If it works. It doesn't that it's such a bunch
of paper.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Although in the.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
In the theater world, you might get someone to option
your script for a film.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Exactly right, Oh good one, Yeah, maybe I should have
done that would have been more appropriate.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
All right?
Speaker 1 (11:13):
What about also in that same area, I believe is
a phrase. It's what you do when you first arrive
at a bar. You know you're going to be pounding
them down, but you don't want to pay upfront.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
That would be stock options.
Speaker 5 (11:29):
Again, I think right, I just saw that.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
Apparently the young, the young's, the kids aren't doing this
really the note they are closing out after each time.
But I think what you want to do is you
want to.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Start a tame, right, start a tame.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
Yes, Apparently bartenders and bar owners are saying that kids,
now you know are kids.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
It's just too we see to close a tab. Yeah,
that's an open close open clothes.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
Each drink after each round, and it's slowing down bars. Interesting,
get credit card charges for each for each round.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Oh, this is a big problem. I did not realize.
Speaker 4 (12:18):
You have to say to people, Hey, you know what,
start a tap?
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Interesting? Okay, well that's your PSA, folks, start a tab,
bring the tab back, all right? I got two more
for you. I got two more, Jonathan. This one, since
you are about my vintage. This is an eighties video game.
Two words. You shoot down oncoming rockets and you had
(12:43):
a trackball. It was the only time I used the
track ball in my video game. Do you remember what
this is?
Speaker 5 (12:52):
Football?
Speaker 4 (12:52):
So, yeah, you were talking, so you're because you know,
of course eighties video game in your mind?
Speaker 5 (12:59):
My mind.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
First space bar, Space Invaders, but that's incorrect because what you're.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
A good point.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Those are little aliens, right.
Speaker 5 (13:06):
I mean that's and there's no track bar.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
But the track bar, which was is one of the
most satisfying video game experiences from that time.
Speaker 5 (13:17):
It would be missile command.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
That's right, Missile command, which uh yeah, this this I
did mostly because I did want to make myself remember
the sense memory of going June like really hard with
the track ball. That was fun. That's very physical.
Speaker 5 (13:36):
Is it got.
Speaker 4 (13:40):
Yes, having you know, been raised for much of my
life by a single father who when the original Atari
came out, it was you know, I think he may
have been the first person in our state to.
Speaker 5 (13:53):
Purchase one because he was like, this is a babysitter.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
Smart.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
That's great.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
The missile command the different had missile command and the
home missile command.
Speaker 5 (14:05):
It was you know, very very key. And then the
track ball.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
Yeah, the track track ball. All right, I'm gonna end
you with one. It's a little more timely than the
missile command. This is a recent Brad Pitt movie where
he plays a race car driver. Oh and by the way,
this is a key, right, all there's a bunch right
at the top of your keyboard.
Speaker 4 (14:29):
I mean he's a fan of any and all of
mister Pitt's work. Uh, we're speaking about F one here,
we're talking we're looking for F one.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
We are exactly we're looking for F one function one.
Shout out to Andrea Schoenberg, senior puzzler for coming up
with that one. She thought out of the box and
going all the way to the top. I was just
looking at the sides in the bottom. Uh, well done.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Before we finished this episode, though, Jonathan, we were talking
off Mike about one of the many shows you wrote
for and it was The Connector, a wonderful off Broadway play,
and one of the songs was about a scrabble prodigy.
So can you tell us did you do any scrabble
(15:19):
research when writing that writing that book?
Speaker 4 (15:23):
I think, well as the brilliant Jason Robert Brown, who me,
you know, I had two brilliant collaborators on Daisy Prince
conceived and directed the show. Jason Robert Brown wrote the
music and the lyrics, and I wrote the book. And
Jason and myself especially are both word game addicts, so so.
Speaker 5 (15:49):
We did not need to hit the books for our scrabble.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
Good for you, Well, it was a wonderful show. Congratulations
on it. I hope it comes back in tours. By
the way, My last quick thing on scrabble. Do you
remember a foul play with Chevy Chase and Goldiehorn. Do
you remember the scrabble scene? I think about that every
time I play. It was these The joke was it
was these little old ladies and they were using the
(16:14):
nastiest words like mother ever. So anyway, and correct me
if I wrong.
Speaker 4 (16:21):
I think foul Play was the late great Colin Higgins
was behind that. Who was wrote maud and wrote and
it was nine to five as well.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Wow, those are great. I had never heard of his
name till.
Speaker 5 (16:34):
Now, so I believe so which would which would track?
Speaker 2 (16:37):
Definitely Colin Higgins, I just checked.
Speaker 4 (16:41):
Because it's also how that's Dudley Moore, you know where
He wasn't going to do the movie apparently, and then
Colin Higgins said, what if I put these two different
parts together and I make them one part?
Speaker 5 (16:54):
Would you do it?
Speaker 4 (16:54):
Then he said, all right, that's kind of interesting. Sure,
and then that got him ten which then Arthur and
you think, all right, Dudley Moore is a movie star.
Doesn't really make much sense. Except he makes all the
sense in the world once he is won and.
Speaker 5 (17:13):
Was bal play.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
Wow, I love it. No, just the right amount of
Dudley Moore that I wanted to know. Well, I have
an extra credit for the folks at home, and I'm
going to switch to the PC keyboard because, as I said,
we like to be equal opportunity. This one is on
the far right of the PC keyboard and it is uh.
(17:37):
It is a several word phrase found on the gates
of Hell in Dante's Inferno. The first word to start
you off is abandon and it goes on from there
abandon And there is a PC key in there. Johnathan
Mark Sherman, we loved having you to talk about keys
and writing and Dudley Moore. We get you for one
(18:00):
more episode, which I'm very psyched and Greg will be
giving the puzzle that time. So come back tomorrow everyone,
And in the meantime, if you have thirty seconds is
what i'd estimate, you can go to your favorite podcast
platform and rate or rank us, give us some stars.
(18:22):
I like five as a suggestion and it.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
Makes a huge and if they're available, if.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
Available, and of course we'll meet you here tomorrow for
more puzzling puzzles that will puzzle you puzzlingly.
Speaker 7 (18:39):
Hey puzzlers, it's your chief puzzle Officer, Greg Pliska here
with the extra credit answer from our previous show. Jonathan
Marc Sherman joined us for a very fun three named
person game.
Speaker 8 (18:51):
Where AJ gave clues to people with three names like
Jonathan Mark Sherman, except he only gave three words. Some
of these were very trick and your extra credit was this,
once upon a I love that clue. Once upon a
It's not once upon a time in America or once
upon a mattress. It's just once upon a time the
(19:13):
fairy tale lead in, and that, of course is a
clue to Hans Christian Anderson, the creator of so many
beloved fairy tales. Thanks for being with us here on
the Puzzler. You are also beloved and we're really lucky
to have you. Catch you next time.
Hello puzzlers. Before we start puzzling today, I wanted to
let you know we are cooking up some big plans
for the puzzler community, and in order to ensure that
it's what you want, we need your input. So we've
put together a short survey, which you can find in
the show notes. It's really quick, just three minutes, but
(00:22):
it will be a huge help in letting us know
what you want so that we can deliver just that.
Thank you, Hello puzzlers. Maybe we should start with a
little warm up puzzle. I'm going to go with a
classic brain teaser today, and it is this what ten
letter word beginning with TEA and ending with R can
(00:46):
be typed using only the top row of letters on
the keyboard. So using only the keys on that top row,
that's the qwert. Can you come up with a ten
letter word that begins with T and ends with R?
And here's a little hint. It is an appropriate word.
It relates to the fact that we're talking about keyboards
and letters. The answer and more puzzling goodness after the break,
(01:18):
Hello puzzlers, Welcome back to the Puzzler Podcast. The self
actualization level in your Maslow's hierarchy of puzzle needs. I
am you all the puzzle.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
That's a deep right there.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Come on to shelter the clothing, the love.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
We're the self actualization.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
I believe, so I am confident we're the top. I
am your host A J. Jacobs, I am here. Of course,
that was Chief Puzzle Officer Greg Pliska and Greg. Before
the break, we asked the warm up question, a classic
brains heezer. What ten letter word begins with T and
nds with our and can be spell using only the
(02:01):
top row of letters on a keyboard? And it's very appropriate.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Yes, this is an old chestnut, this one, And if
I had an old device you could hear it in
the background, actually read to them At Quigley, who was
on our show, has it orchestra made of these things?
Speaker 2 (02:15):
The answer is.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Typewriter, exactly. The word is typewriter.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
And weirdly, I'm still in that top row, sitting here
wondering if there are other ten letter words you can
make using just those letters.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Oh, I bet there are, and I want to be corrected.
I have a masochistic need to be corrected, So please
send in your other ten letter words or nine letter
whatever you want. They use only the top row of
the keyboard. But I bring up this because we have
(02:48):
a writer on the show. He's not just a typist.
He is a writer, and he's typed some brilliant plays
on his keyboard using all three rows of the keyboard,
I assume. And his works include writing the book for
the musical The Connector also the book for Bob and Carolyn,
Ted and Alice. He has, He's written so many wonderful plays.
(03:12):
He's worked with great people like Ethan Hawke, Duncan Sheik,
Peter Dinklic. His name is Jonathan Mark Sherman. Welcome Jonathan,
thank you so much. How are you a touch taper
or a hunt and Pecker?
Speaker 4 (03:27):
I taught myself, so I am sort of a combination
of the two. I'm somewhere in a gray area between
the two. And I actually got sent to the principal's office.
Speaker 5 (03:38):
We had to take typing as a class.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
I did.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
Yeah, So it was junior high school and we had
a type in test. I was the fastest and most
accurate in the class. But I didn't get an A.
And I said why didn't I get an A? And
she said, well, because you didn't use my system. And
you're a maverick typer. I unfortunately, or fortunately, I'm sort
(04:05):
of happy looking back on it, because it's such a
smart alec answer. I said, well, if I was the
fastest at the test and got was the most accurate results,
perhaps my system is.
Speaker 5 (04:18):
Better than.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
It was.
Speaker 6 (04:24):
It was not.
Speaker 5 (04:24):
Yeah, it wasn't, Jonathan.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Do you write with the keyboard or are you a
hand writer writing with pen?
Speaker 5 (04:32):
I do both.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
I keep notebooks on me at all times. I have
I actually love red pens read and but I mean
I use both black and red. So I generally have
on me at all times both a black pen, a
red pen, and a little pocket notebook. And so I'll
write notes and do some longhand composing.
Speaker 5 (04:57):
I still do.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
If I get very stuck nostalgic, I will go to
I actually collect typewriters.
Speaker 7 (05:06):
No way.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
I have stopped acquiring them because it's an insane thing
to collect. Like if you're if you're thinking of starting
a collection, start a typewriter. It's they're heavy, they're it's
and they're really addictive.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Way do you use all of them? Or you have
like a favorite you'll go to.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
I I generally I have a few that I'll go
to because they're really there. They're beasts their machine. You know,
you really feel like you know, you're oh wow, you're
you're sweating to get these words. But because you know,
I didn't start writing on a computer. I started writing
(05:49):
on a Sears electric typewriter when I was a teenager.
So typing is sort of the most natural to me.
But I have but I'm also not totally crazy, so
I do type most things on my laptop.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Well that is a relief because this puzzle happens to
be about keyboards, but the laptop keyboard, not the typewriter.
So I am very relieved that you are familiar with
the laptop keyboard. So let me explain how this is
going to work. The puzzle is called key words because
they are words on the keys of your computer. So
(06:33):
I'm talking about the keys on the sides in the
bottom with little words like delete or escape. So I'm
going to give you clues to phrases that include one
of these words in them. Could be any word, it
could be deleted, could be one answer, for instance, could
be fire escape, And I would clue it something like
(06:54):
a set of stairs outside an apartment building that you
need to use in case of emergency, and it would
be fire escape because you've got that escape. It's actually
the e sc key, but that's why I use it
in the intro. We're gonna start with a Mac. Are
you a Mac or a PC?
Speaker 5 (07:11):
I am a Mac?
Speaker 1 (07:12):
All right? Well, yeah, we only have a couple of PCs,
but I just threw them in there for our PC friends.
I like to be PC podcast. That's right, that's it.
And by the way, I debated this, but I'm going
to say is you are allowed to look at your
keyboard if you are on a computer to help you
orient you. But but those in a car you don't
(07:34):
need to. You will know these words, all right. So
I'm going to start with a two word phrase. This one.
I would go to the left side, far left side
of your keyboard, and that's one of the words. And
the phrase means to work the overnight hours. You're on
(07:58):
this if you're working the overnight hours.
Speaker 6 (08:00):
So I I would think what you want is the
title of the excellent Bron Howard film night Shift.
Speaker 5 (08:12):
But I hope I'm playing that correctly.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Well, that is hilarious.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
It's also Stephen King book right bookause short Stories by
Stephen King that I.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Think, well, let me just tell you, Julie. That was
Julie's answer. So I am accepting it because, you know,
but I was going for a little more macabre.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
The graveyard, the graveyard shift, sorry, which I think.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Was in the Night Shift, right, wasn't it in a mortuary?
Speaker 5 (08:42):
Yeah? Yeah, yeah, all right.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
I got another. I got a two word phrase used
to describe the pill or a condom. And you can
find this on the bottom left of your keyboard.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
I don't have no cover on the bottom left of my.
Speaker 5 (09:01):
It's true.
Speaker 4 (09:02):
What I believe you are looking for is some birth control.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
That's right. Birth control control is the little button on
the bottom of your mac all right. I got another.
This is a this is a movie. This one a
ForWord movie, and you're gonna have to go all the
way to the right side of your keyboard. And it
was the first movie in which we met the Ewoks.
Speaker 5 (09:28):
So delightful, little sorry, he's just taking a tiptoe through
the jewlip.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
You should, as I am a you know, child who
saw these these films in the theater upon their original release.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
Are you wait, but it's two words we're looking for?
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Yeah, no, no, it's just it's forwards the movie.
Speaker 4 (09:55):
Okay, so you are looking for a return of the
jet that's a return of the Jedi.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
Tractically now we know it by an eight word title
Star Wars Episode six. Just to be fully nerdy, here,
come on, we're gonna give a good one.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
All right, I got a couple more. How about go
down to the bottom left of your keyboard. And this
is a word, one of the words in this two
word phrase. This is what you get if you work
for a startup and they don't want to pay you
a salary up front.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
I have, having joined the carnival of theater folk.
Speaker 5 (10:42):
This is never.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
The idea of being offered stock options exactly. I think
would be a lovely thing.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
If it works. It doesn't that it's such a bunch
of paper.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Although in the.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
In the theater world, you might get someone to option
your script for a film.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Exactly right, Oh good one, Yeah, maybe I should have
done that would have been more appropriate.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
All right?
Speaker 1 (11:13):
What about also in that same area, I believe is
a phrase. It's what you do when you first arrive
at a bar. You know you're going to be pounding
them down, but you don't want to pay upfront.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
That would be stock options.
Speaker 5 (11:29):
Again, I think right, I just saw that.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
Apparently the young, the young's, the kids aren't doing this
really the note they are closing out after each time.
But I think what you want to do is you
want to.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Start a tame, right, start a tame.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
Yes, Apparently bartenders and bar owners are saying that kids,
now you know are kids.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
It's just too we see to close a tab. Yeah,
that's an open close open clothes.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
Each drink after each round, and it's slowing down bars. Interesting,
get credit card charges for each for each round.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Oh, this is a big problem. I did not realize.
Speaker 4 (12:18):
You have to say to people, Hey, you know what,
start a tap?
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Interesting? Okay, well that's your PSA, folks, start a tab,
bring the tab back, all right? I got two more
for you. I got two more, Jonathan. This one, since
you are about my vintage. This is an eighties video game.
Two words. You shoot down oncoming rockets and you had
(12:43):
a trackball. It was the only time I used the
track ball in my video game. Do you remember what
this is?
Speaker 5 (12:52):
Football?
Speaker 4 (12:52):
So, yeah, you were talking, so you're because you know,
of course eighties video game in your mind?
Speaker 5 (12:59):
My mind.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
First space bar, Space Invaders, but that's incorrect because what you're.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
A good point.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Those are little aliens, right.
Speaker 5 (13:06):
I mean that's and there's no track bar.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
But the track bar, which was is one of the
most satisfying video game experiences from that time.
Speaker 5 (13:17):
It would be missile command.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
That's right, Missile command, which uh yeah, this this I
did mostly because I did want to make myself remember
the sense memory of going June like really hard with
the track ball. That was fun. That's very physical.
Speaker 5 (13:36):
Is it got.
Speaker 4 (13:40):
Yes, having you know, been raised for much of my
life by a single father who when the original Atari
came out, it was you know, I think he may
have been the first person in our state to.
Speaker 5 (13:53):
Purchase one because he was like, this is a babysitter.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
Smart.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
That's great.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
The missile command the different had missile command and the
home missile command.
Speaker 5 (14:05):
It was you know, very very key. And then the
track ball.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
Yeah, the track track ball. All right, I'm gonna end
you with one. It's a little more timely than the
missile command. This is a recent Brad Pitt movie where
he plays a race car driver. Oh and by the way,
this is a key, right, all there's a bunch right
at the top of your keyboard.
Speaker 4 (14:29):
I mean he's a fan of any and all of
mister Pitt's work. Uh, we're speaking about F one here,
we're talking we're looking for F one.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
We are exactly we're looking for F one function one.
Shout out to Andrea Schoenberg, senior puzzler for coming up
with that one. She thought out of the box and
going all the way to the top. I was just
looking at the sides in the bottom. Uh, well done.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Before we finished this episode, though, Jonathan, we were talking
off Mike about one of the many shows you wrote
for and it was The Connector, a wonderful off Broadway play,
and one of the songs was about a scrabble prodigy.
So can you tell us did you do any scrabble
(15:19):
research when writing that writing that book?
Speaker 4 (15:23):
I think, well as the brilliant Jason Robert Brown, who me,
you know, I had two brilliant collaborators on Daisy Prince
conceived and directed the show. Jason Robert Brown wrote the
music and the lyrics, and I wrote the book. And
Jason and myself especially are both word game addicts, so so.
Speaker 5 (15:49):
We did not need to hit the books for our scrabble.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
Good for you, Well, it was a wonderful show. Congratulations
on it. I hope it comes back in tours. By
the way, My last quick thing on scrabble. Do you
remember a foul play with Chevy Chase and Goldiehorn. Do
you remember the scrabble scene? I think about that every
time I play. It was these The joke was it
was these little old ladies and they were using the
(16:14):
nastiest words like mother ever. So anyway, and correct me
if I wrong.
Speaker 4 (16:21):
I think foul Play was the late great Colin Higgins
was behind that. Who was wrote maud and wrote and
it was nine to five as well.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Wow, those are great. I had never heard of his
name till.
Speaker 5 (16:34):
Now, so I believe so which would which would track?
Speaker 2 (16:37):
Definitely Colin Higgins, I just checked.
Speaker 4 (16:41):
Because it's also how that's Dudley Moore, you know where
He wasn't going to do the movie apparently, and then
Colin Higgins said, what if I put these two different
parts together and I make them one part?
Speaker 5 (16:54):
Would you do it?
Speaker 4 (16:54):
Then he said, all right, that's kind of interesting. Sure,
and then that got him ten which then Arthur and
you think, all right, Dudley Moore is a movie star.
Doesn't really make much sense. Except he makes all the
sense in the world once he is won and.
Speaker 5 (17:13):
Was bal play.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
Wow, I love it. No, just the right amount of
Dudley Moore that I wanted to know. Well, I have
an extra credit for the folks at home, and I'm
going to switch to the PC keyboard because, as I said,
we like to be equal opportunity. This one is on
the far right of the PC keyboard and it is uh.
(17:37):
It is a several word phrase found on the gates
of Hell in Dante's Inferno. The first word to start
you off is abandon and it goes on from there
abandon And there is a PC key in there. Johnathan
Mark Sherman, we loved having you to talk about keys
and writing and Dudley Moore. We get you for one
(18:00):
more episode, which I'm very psyched and Greg will be
giving the puzzle that time. So come back tomorrow everyone,
And in the meantime, if you have thirty seconds is
what i'd estimate, you can go to your favorite podcast
platform and rate or rank us, give us some stars.
(18:22):
I like five as a suggestion and it.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
Makes a huge and if they're available, if.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
Available, and of course we'll meet you here tomorrow for
more puzzling puzzles that will puzzle you puzzlingly.
Speaker 7 (18:39):
Hey puzzlers, it's your chief puzzle Officer, Greg Pliska here
with the extra credit answer from our previous show. Jonathan
Marc Sherman joined us for a very fun three named
person game.
Speaker 8 (18:51):
Where AJ gave clues to people with three names like
Jonathan Mark Sherman, except he only gave three words. Some
of these were very trick and your extra credit was this,
once upon a I love that clue. Once upon a
It's not once upon a time in America or once
upon a mattress. It's just once upon a time the
(19:13):
fairy tale lead in, and that, of course is a
clue to Hans Christian Anderson, the creator of so many
beloved fairy tales. Thanks for being with us here on
the Puzzler. You are also beloved and we're really lucky
to have you. Catch you next time.
Hosts And Creators
Greg Pliska
A.J. Jacobs
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