October 28, 2024 • 18 mins
Hello, Puzzlers! Puzzling with us today: comedian Jordan Carlos!
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.
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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.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hello, puzzlers, Welcome to the Puzzler Podcast the Bearskin Rug
in front of your puzzle fireplace. I'm your host, A j. Jacobs,
and I am here with today's guest, the amazing Jordan Carlos.
He Oh, hello, I was gonna do more. Let me
(00:29):
do more. Yeah, okay. He's a hilarious comedian. He's co
host of the hit podcast Adulting with Michelle Buteau and
Jordan Carlos. That's him. Welcome, Jordan.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I interrupted your introduction.
I know, if you just wanted to start talking or
not so professional.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Oh it's good, you're you're you know what you do.
You're throwing me off my game right at the start,
because you know it's a puzzle podcast and you're trying
to rattle me. But listen, I just love having you here.
I'm not rattled. I'm not rattled. I'm excited.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Yeah, you have a certain like there's a coolness about you.
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
There seems to be like a like a certain facility
around games.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
You.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
I mean, you're buried in them right now but people
can't see, but you are buried in them.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
And I love it.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
We got tribond which I have no one idea what
that is. But I'm down to clown man. That's why
I've come. You've talked me into this a j Yes.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
I know you were a little skeptical, but I have
I have twisted your arm and here you are. So yes,
let us puzzle, and today we have a puzzle. It
is a river themed puzzle. Are you a fan of water?
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Wet? Oh? I love.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
I love a good artery. I love a good artery. Water,
I love, I love it. I love the three of us,
the Monongahela, the Susquetana and the Ohio. When they meet,
that's when football begins. That's when August Wilson does his work,
and that's when Andy warhol A does his.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
He left there a long time ago, but we all
know that that is I'm quiz you.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Oh my god, you are flexing some river.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Not that's it. Like this, that's that's all.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
That's all the three Jordan I have touge.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
This is this is of course is Greg Pliska.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
I just did a road trip in my family. The
first stop was Pittsburgh and as we drove in, I
was like, okay, kids, you got to tell me the
names of these rivers, these but they all have phones.
They're like looking him up. They're like, oh, Susquehanna, yeah, Monogahela. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
It's tough.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
It's not it's not easy, you know. And sometimes they
come and go from my memory. But today, because we're
talking rivers, I'm just sharpening my nets.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
Go ahead, are you I'm catching up? Are you from Pittsburgh.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
I like Pittsburgh.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
I think it's a great places where George Washington cut
his teeth in the French Indian War, you.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Know, I think it. I like it because it's it's
like my hometown has a chip on his shoulder.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Of people will say I'm from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and you're like, no,
we all know there's on Pittsburgh.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
It's like I say it from Dallas, Texas. You don't
have to do that.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
People pretty much understand. But but we live in the
shadow of other big cities in our state. So that
that is that's basically it.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Well fun fact not sure it's fun. I used to
work in Pittsburgh, California, at the Pittsburgh Post because it
so there without the h Pittsburgh, without the age. But Anyway,
we've gone a little off, but let's let's get back
to But I'm already impressed. You've already won in my book.
Uh so you're well. This was inspired before I knew
(03:38):
how much of an artery fan you were. This was
inspired by the fact that you were first named. Jordan
is also the name of a river, the River Jordan.
So this puzzle is called rhyme mea river, Oh my God.
And all the answers in this puzzle are two word phrases,
where one of the words is a famous river and
the other is a word that rhymes with that river.
(03:59):
So if the blue were, for instance, a large reptile
from Egypt's major river, the answer would be a nile crocodile.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Oh, oh my gosh, I love that. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
And the one for you, it's not actually that fun.
But if there were a jail keeper on the banks
of the river where Jesus was baptized, that would be
a Jordan warden. That's the general liking.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
So I'm screwed. All right, let's get and I know you.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
I mean, none of them are Susquehanna. I didn't do
Susquehannah Banana. That actually would have worked. All right, here
we go. This is a tie die wearing deadhead from
New Orleans Major River.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Okay, so that's okay, New Orleans Major River. It's not
the pearl that's that is that is right?
Speaker 4 (04:53):
That goes to Jackson's Chinese River.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
That would be the Mississippi River, right exactly. Okay, so
you got it.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
And there are two ways to go through the fuddel.
You can get it from both ways. So you got
the Mississippi, now the wearing.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Deadhead, Mississippi Hippi, Mississippi Hippi. There we go. That's it,
I see, Jerry, beautiful.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
All right, See you're already on your way. You had
nothing to fear. What about a woman or women, I
should say, women plural, who live on the banks of
one of Mesopotamia's rivers, not the Tigris, but the other one.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Uh well, first, we all know.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
That Mesopotamia means the Middle Earth and something in between?
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Am I stalling? Perhaps that it's the Fertile Crescent just
like you? Yes, of course, of course, of course.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
I was going to put that in the clue. But
you got the tigers and there it's not euph the Euphrates, ladies,
the Euphrates ladies. Exactly, you got it. I think you
didn't hear when I said tigris the first time I
made him. I made have mumbled it because I like.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
A tigris, as in like a lady tiger. Okay, okay,
I'm listening tigers tigris.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
That is, yes, that would have been a red herring.
All right, you more, You're on your way though, you
all right, this going back to your native Texas dangerous.
This is dangerous soggy soil on the shores of one
of Texas's main rivers, perhaps the doggy soil. Okay, so dangerous, dangerous.
(06:43):
You don't want to you don't want to step over, Okay.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
So I mean our biggest river is the brand So
that's Quicksand on the Rio.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Grand exactly Quicksand you got it, nailed it. H And
by the way, I just wanted to double check the
pronunciation of Rio Grande on the Internet, and that was
a whole met like there, you know, yeah, I don't
recommend it. It seems some Taxans are very passionate that
it's not Rio Grande Rio Grande.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
If you go to Eagle Pass, which is is like
it's the county that that the Rio Grand flows through
mostly then people will say the Rio Grande, you you've
you've reached another part of Texas.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
I'm I'm I'm thinking that.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
I'm kind of just like getting a certain flavor for
the kind of Texan you're talking about, who liked their
who liked their their Spanish words anglicized. But when I
was a kid, I used to actually paddle down the
Rio grand a lot back when things were just cooler.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Man, it was a different time. It was when Anne
Richards was governor.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
It's when when you know, Matthew mcgonaughey was the biggest our,
biggest gross domestic product.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
In all his latch energy.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Like, you know, people were like a little more mellow
in Texas back then, and you you could go, uh,
paddle down the Rio grand So I went from Big
Ban National Park, uh pretty far not to like not out.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
To the ocean like in a kayak a Connectic.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
And there was this one kid, I love him, Graham
Deasy Core, But he got hit in the head of
the paddle and then we convinced him it was Christmas,
you know, it was.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
It was a different times. Someone gets hurt, that's all. Yeah, yeah,
absolutely wouldn't happen to love it.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Yeah, all right, well you got the answer. It was
not Rio Grandy Quick Sandy. It was real Grand quicksand yeah, absolutely,
all right, I'm going to go to this one. These
are folks, well you know you brought up and Richards,
so I'm gonna go with that. These are folks who
(08:45):
support Kamala Harris and live on the banks of London's River.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Oh my gosh, okay, of London, of London, England.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
London, England, yes, not London, Connecticut, and I'm sorry, London,
England in river.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Okay, okay, okay, okay, yes, yes, that's the Thames, not
the Thames, but the Thames.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
So that.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
Exactly see now that yes, you got it.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
It was.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
It was a little bit of a curveball. But oh
and by the way, just to throw in another what
about if those same people had diamonds and rubies? What
would those be called?
Speaker 2 (09:22):
If those same people, same people, so, same people, the
same folks, The Thames Gems, Thames Gems, Dems, yes, okay.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
Any combination there there the Thames Dems, Gems. But I
was doing that because I wanted to ratchet it up
to a couple of three parts. Because I feel you're
ready for it. You're ready for it.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
Just when I was getting confident, go ahead, what do
you go?
Speaker 1 (09:45):
All right? This is someone who is an expert, a
connoisseur okay, of guacamole's main ingredient, who lives on the
river in the Grand Canyons. There. I'm sure there is
someone lives on it's this district. Well on the banks,
I say, on the bank, but maybe they have a houseboat.
(10:05):
I don't know. But an expert. So you got to
break it down there three parts expert, an expert, guacamole's
main ingredient who lives on the river and the Grand Canyon.
So maybe start with the guana guacamole okay, A nice way.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
In Okay, so that would be an avocado.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Yes, you're one third of the way there.
Speaker 5 (10:26):
Colorado. Yes, oh, my aficionado. Okay, that's Colorado, got it?
Speaker 1 (10:39):
Okay, exactly, I would have said Colorado avocado ficinado. But
I'm happy that you got all three.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
And whatever it's gonna come out, however, man, it's gonna
be a grab bag dude.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
All right, I just got one more, one more trouble, okay,
all right, and this one. It's interesting you've up George
Washington earlier. So this is, uh, there was a little callback.
This is when George Washington, while crossing a river to
attack the Hessians, asked God to protect his wig. Now
(11:17):
fact check. George Washington one of the few founding founders
who did not wear a wig. But for the purposes
of this puzzle, George Washington crossing a river, he asked God.
He said, God, please protect my wig right.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Right, right, so that would be the Delaware right, all
right hair?
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Yes, is this a swear? No, no, no, no, that
would be if he were cursing.
Speaker 4 (11:47):
If God failed to it would be the Delaware hair.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
This is a plea to God.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
Plea to God, of course, exactly. Yeah. Well, I'll let
you know what what I do. How I spend my
time conversing with God more than listen to my prayer.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Well you got it, Delaware hair prayer.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
Thank you so much. Down that feels so good.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
Were you were spectacular? Flawless? And by the way, yes,
I had asked you by email are you a puzzle fan?
And you said yes, yes you are, so which ones?
What do you do in addition to listening to the
puzzler every morning from now on.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
Of course, Well let's let's talk turkey here.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Now I've got first of all, I need to set
this up because I have an eleven year old tween
who's too cool. She's cooler than a polar bear's toenails.
She's cooler than the other side of the pillow. There's
no way to talk to her. She has serious cat energy.
But but we come together over the New York Times
word games. So we you know, nerd games, word games.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
We love to play. Uh, first we play Strands right.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Together, and then we play Connections, and then we end
with spelling Bee.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
And when that's all done, she gives me hugged.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
A family that puzzles together stays together. What a lovely story.
That is great. And I will say the Strands. When
it started, I was like, I do not need another one.
I just I already spelling Bee. I already I already
listened to the puzzler every morning, of course, So but
(13:27):
I'm addicted and now I do it every morning. Absolutely, Greg,
Are you a strandser?
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (13:32):
Absolutely? Yeah. Here's the problem. My wife and I both
love doing these. But if we're both signed into the
same account, right, it like if if I do Connections
before her, then it's solved when she goes to it.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Yeah, I mean we we have and yeah the Times
you're paying for two accounts, paying for two weeks. That's
how they do it to you. That's how they do it.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
Because I hit the same Jordan, I have it eleven
year old son who is into all these puzzles too,
and he just got a new phone, his first phone,
and I'm like, should I put the app on his phone?
Because then if I do that, then he's gonna do
it right, and we're all gonna be fighting over who
gets you know, the puzzle first.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
You're talking about the New York Times games app, right, Yes, okay,
the thing about the New York Times games app, I
believe at least for spelling me. And I'm not sure
if this is true for connections and or actually it
is true for connections, and I it's true for connections,
not sure about the rest. But sometimes some people, not me,
(14:34):
mess up on connections in the New York on.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
The New York Times app. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
They just can't get it. Maybe they're eleven years old,
maybe they're seven years old. Right, No, flawless every.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Time would be you never.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
But if you mess up in the new like in
the in the newspaper the Gray Lady, you can then
take your tired, terrible ass over to the New York
Times game app, and all is forgiven and you have
a second chance, uh at being perfect.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Yeah, that's a pro toe, But you know our second
chance is in America. That's nice.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
I wonder too. You know the other thing my wife
and I do with the Crossword is will each open
the crossword on our own devices and then we will
disconnect from the Internet so you can continue solving without
it populating the other person's right. And then when you're done,
you close the app up right and then reconnect the Internet.
(15:34):
And I wonder if we can do that with connections and.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
The other puzzles too. We have this is this is
this is gold. People.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
People come to the Puzzler for serious puzzle advice, like you.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Are you are hacking. You are hacking the New York Times,
Kevin Mitnick of New York Times puzzles.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
That way, I have a I have a further question.
Do you do them in a particular order? Like is
there a morning? Because I have a specific order, I
hit them in this is.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
How I wind down at night. So this is how
I usually just do them at night.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
So as as as I was saying, so, I'll do
strands with my daughter, and I'll do connections with my.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Daughter, and then you usually we'll do a little bit
of spelling Bee.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
But if it's getting to like if it's like one
hundred and seventy four points, if it's two hundred points,
then it's time for bet. So it's like I love you,
you know, I let her kind of like come up
with more of the guesses than I do. And then
when when I go off to lull land and you know,
like tuck in for the night, and then I'll do those.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
Until you know that moment when you're I've gotten over myself.
I don't need genius so much anymore. I don't need genius. Okay,
I don't need it. I don't need it at I'll
you need it. You need genius, you need that that
dopamine rush.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
I actually do need genius. I will say, last thing,
and then we got to go. But the yeah, the
spelling bee, when I say like ninety to one hundred
and ten, that's my strong spot. Two hundred two fifty.
I'm like I don't have time. I don't have time,
and then like forty three or something. You know, it's
like I'm either going to get this obscure word or
(17:04):
I'm gonna so yeah, all right, Well that was a
delightfully nerdy conversation. But Jordan, don't worry. You're coming back
for more nerdery tomorrow. Yes, And in the meantime, I'm
just going to close out with a little extra credit
(17:25):
for the folks at home. This is a barley or
rice grown on the banks of Paris's river. Barley or
rice growing on the banks of Paris's river, think about it.
And also, if you do like the show, please check
out our Instagram feed at Hello Puzzlers, where we post
(17:46):
original puzzles and other fun stuff. So add that to
your puzzle ritual and we will meet you here tomorrow
from more puzzling puzzles that will puzzle you puzzlingly
Hello, puzzlers, Welcome to the Puzzler Podcast the Bearskin Rug
in front of your puzzle fireplace. I'm your host, A j. Jacobs,
and I am here with today's guest, the amazing Jordan Carlos.
He Oh, hello, I was gonna do more. Let me
(00:29):
do more. Yeah, okay. He's a hilarious comedian. He's co
host of the hit podcast Adulting with Michelle Buteau and
Jordan Carlos. That's him. Welcome, Jordan.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I interrupted your introduction.
I know, if you just wanted to start talking or
not so professional.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Oh it's good, you're you're you know what you do.
You're throwing me off my game right at the start,
because you know it's a puzzle podcast and you're trying
to rattle me. But listen, I just love having you here.
I'm not rattled. I'm not rattled. I'm excited.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Yeah, you have a certain like there's a coolness about you.
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
There seems to be like a like a certain facility
around games.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
You.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
I mean, you're buried in them right now but people
can't see, but you are buried in them.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
And I love it.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
We got tribond which I have no one idea what
that is. But I'm down to clown man. That's why
I've come. You've talked me into this a j Yes.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
I know you were a little skeptical, but I have
I have twisted your arm and here you are. So yes,
let us puzzle, and today we have a puzzle. It
is a river themed puzzle. Are you a fan of water?
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Wet? Oh? I love.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
I love a good artery. I love a good artery. Water,
I love, I love it. I love the three of us,
the Monongahela, the Susquetana and the Ohio. When they meet,
that's when football begins. That's when August Wilson does his work,
and that's when Andy warhol A does his.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
He left there a long time ago, but we all
know that that is I'm quiz you.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Oh my god, you are flexing some river.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Not that's it. Like this, that's that's all.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
That's all the three Jordan I have touge.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
This is this is of course is Greg Pliska.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
I just did a road trip in my family. The
first stop was Pittsburgh and as we drove in, I
was like, okay, kids, you got to tell me the
names of these rivers, these but they all have phones.
They're like looking him up. They're like, oh, Susquehanna, yeah, Monogahela. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
It's tough.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
It's not it's not easy, you know. And sometimes they
come and go from my memory. But today, because we're
talking rivers, I'm just sharpening my nets.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
Go ahead, are you I'm catching up? Are you from Pittsburgh.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
I like Pittsburgh.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
I think it's a great places where George Washington cut
his teeth in the French Indian War, you.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Know, I think it. I like it because it's it's
like my hometown has a chip on his shoulder.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Of people will say I'm from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and you're like, no,
we all know there's on Pittsburgh.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
It's like I say it from Dallas, Texas. You don't
have to do that.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
People pretty much understand. But but we live in the
shadow of other big cities in our state. So that
that is that's basically it.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Well fun fact not sure it's fun. I used to
work in Pittsburgh, California, at the Pittsburgh Post because it
so there without the h Pittsburgh, without the age. But Anyway,
we've gone a little off, but let's let's get back
to But I'm already impressed. You've already won in my book.
Uh so you're well. This was inspired before I knew
(03:38):
how much of an artery fan you were. This was
inspired by the fact that you were first named. Jordan
is also the name of a river, the River Jordan.
So this puzzle is called rhyme mea river, Oh my God.
And all the answers in this puzzle are two word phrases,
where one of the words is a famous river and
the other is a word that rhymes with that river.
(03:59):
So if the blue were, for instance, a large reptile
from Egypt's major river, the answer would be a nile crocodile.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Oh, oh my gosh, I love that. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
And the one for you, it's not actually that fun.
But if there were a jail keeper on the banks
of the river where Jesus was baptized, that would be
a Jordan warden. That's the general liking.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
So I'm screwed. All right, let's get and I know you.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
I mean, none of them are Susquehanna. I didn't do
Susquehannah Banana. That actually would have worked. All right, here
we go. This is a tie die wearing deadhead from
New Orleans Major River.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Okay, so that's okay, New Orleans Major River. It's not
the pearl that's that is that is right?
Speaker 4 (04:53):
That goes to Jackson's Chinese River.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
That would be the Mississippi River, right exactly. Okay, so
you got it.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
And there are two ways to go through the fuddel.
You can get it from both ways. So you got
the Mississippi, now the wearing.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Deadhead, Mississippi Hippi, Mississippi Hippi. There we go. That's it,
I see, Jerry, beautiful.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
All right, See you're already on your way. You had
nothing to fear. What about a woman or women, I
should say, women plural, who live on the banks of
one of Mesopotamia's rivers, not the Tigris, but the other one.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Uh well, first, we all know.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
That Mesopotamia means the Middle Earth and something in between?
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Am I stalling? Perhaps that it's the Fertile Crescent just
like you? Yes, of course, of course, of course.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
I was going to put that in the clue. But
you got the tigers and there it's not euph the Euphrates, ladies,
the Euphrates ladies. Exactly, you got it. I think you
didn't hear when I said tigris the first time I
made him. I made have mumbled it because I like.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
A tigris, as in like a lady tiger. Okay, okay,
I'm listening tigers tigris.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
That is, yes, that would have been a red herring.
All right, you more, You're on your way though, you
all right, this going back to your native Texas dangerous.
This is dangerous soggy soil on the shores of one
of Texas's main rivers, perhaps the doggy soil. Okay, so dangerous, dangerous.
(06:43):
You don't want to you don't want to step over, Okay.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
So I mean our biggest river is the brand So
that's Quicksand on the Rio.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Grand exactly Quicksand you got it, nailed it. H And
by the way, I just wanted to double check the
pronunciation of Rio Grande on the Internet, and that was
a whole met like there, you know, yeah, I don't
recommend it. It seems some Taxans are very passionate that
it's not Rio Grande Rio Grande.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
If you go to Eagle Pass, which is is like
it's the county that that the Rio Grand flows through
mostly then people will say the Rio Grande, you you've
you've reached another part of Texas.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
I'm I'm I'm thinking that.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
I'm kind of just like getting a certain flavor for
the kind of Texan you're talking about, who liked their
who liked their their Spanish words anglicized. But when I
was a kid, I used to actually paddle down the
Rio grand a lot back when things were just cooler.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Man, it was a different time. It was when Anne
Richards was governor.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
It's when when you know, Matthew mcgonaughey was the biggest our,
biggest gross domestic product.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
In all his latch energy.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Like, you know, people were like a little more mellow
in Texas back then, and you you could go, uh,
paddle down the Rio grand So I went from Big
Ban National Park, uh pretty far not to like not out.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
To the ocean like in a kayak a Connectic.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
And there was this one kid, I love him, Graham
Deasy Core, But he got hit in the head of
the paddle and then we convinced him it was Christmas,
you know, it was.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
It was a different times. Someone gets hurt, that's all. Yeah, yeah,
absolutely wouldn't happen to love it.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Yeah, all right, well you got the answer. It was
not Rio Grandy Quick Sandy. It was real Grand quicksand yeah, absolutely,
all right, I'm going to go to this one. These
are folks, well you know you brought up and Richards,
so I'm gonna go with that. These are folks who
(08:45):
support Kamala Harris and live on the banks of London's River.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Oh my gosh, okay, of London, of London, England.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
London, England, yes, not London, Connecticut, and I'm sorry, London,
England in river.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Okay, okay, okay, okay, yes, yes, that's the Thames, not
the Thames, but the Thames.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
So that.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
Exactly see now that yes, you got it.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
It was.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
It was a little bit of a curveball. But oh
and by the way, just to throw in another what
about if those same people had diamonds and rubies? What
would those be called?
Speaker 2 (09:22):
If those same people, same people, so, same people, the
same folks, The Thames Gems, Thames Gems, Dems, yes, okay.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
Any combination there there the Thames Dems, Gems. But I
was doing that because I wanted to ratchet it up
to a couple of three parts. Because I feel you're
ready for it. You're ready for it.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
Just when I was getting confident, go ahead, what do
you go?
Speaker 1 (09:45):
All right? This is someone who is an expert, a
connoisseur okay, of guacamole's main ingredient, who lives on the
river in the Grand Canyons. There. I'm sure there is
someone lives on it's this district. Well on the banks,
I say, on the bank, but maybe they have a houseboat.
(10:05):
I don't know. But an expert. So you got to
break it down there three parts expert, an expert, guacamole's
main ingredient who lives on the river and the Grand Canyon.
So maybe start with the guana guacamole okay, A nice way.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
In Okay, so that would be an avocado.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Yes, you're one third of the way there.
Speaker 5 (10:26):
Colorado. Yes, oh, my aficionado. Okay, that's Colorado, got it?
Speaker 1 (10:39):
Okay, exactly, I would have said Colorado avocado ficinado. But
I'm happy that you got all three.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
And whatever it's gonna come out, however, man, it's gonna
be a grab bag dude.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
All right, I just got one more, one more trouble, okay,
all right, and this one. It's interesting you've up George
Washington earlier. So this is, uh, there was a little callback.
This is when George Washington, while crossing a river to
attack the Hessians, asked God to protect his wig. Now
(11:17):
fact check. George Washington one of the few founding founders
who did not wear a wig. But for the purposes
of this puzzle, George Washington crossing a river, he asked God.
He said, God, please protect my wig right.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Right, right, so that would be the Delaware right, all
right hair?
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Yes, is this a swear? No, no, no, no, that
would be if he were cursing.
Speaker 4 (11:47):
If God failed to it would be the Delaware hair.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
This is a plea to God.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
Plea to God, of course, exactly. Yeah. Well, I'll let
you know what what I do. How I spend my
time conversing with God more than listen to my prayer.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Well you got it, Delaware hair prayer.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
Thank you so much. Down that feels so good.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
Were you were spectacular? Flawless? And by the way, yes,
I had asked you by email are you a puzzle fan?
And you said yes, yes you are, so which ones?
What do you do in addition to listening to the
puzzler every morning from now on.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
Of course, Well let's let's talk turkey here.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Now I've got first of all, I need to set
this up because I have an eleven year old tween
who's too cool. She's cooler than a polar bear's toenails.
She's cooler than the other side of the pillow. There's
no way to talk to her. She has serious cat energy.
But but we come together over the New York Times
word games. So we you know, nerd games, word games.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
We love to play. Uh, first we play Strands right.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Together, and then we play Connections, and then we end
with spelling Bee.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
And when that's all done, she gives me hugged.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
A family that puzzles together stays together. What a lovely story.
That is great. And I will say the Strands. When
it started, I was like, I do not need another one.
I just I already spelling Bee. I already I already
listened to the puzzler every morning, of course, So but
(13:27):
I'm addicted and now I do it every morning. Absolutely, Greg,
Are you a strandser?
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (13:32):
Absolutely? Yeah. Here's the problem. My wife and I both
love doing these. But if we're both signed into the
same account, right, it like if if I do Connections
before her, then it's solved when she goes to it.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Yeah, I mean we we have and yeah the Times
you're paying for two accounts, paying for two weeks. That's
how they do it to you. That's how they do it.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
Because I hit the same Jordan, I have it eleven
year old son who is into all these puzzles too,
and he just got a new phone, his first phone,
and I'm like, should I put the app on his phone?
Because then if I do that, then he's gonna do
it right, and we're all gonna be fighting over who
gets you know, the puzzle first.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
You're talking about the New York Times games app, right, Yes, okay,
the thing about the New York Times games app, I
believe at least for spelling me. And I'm not sure
if this is true for connections and or actually it
is true for connections, and I it's true for connections,
not sure about the rest. But sometimes some people, not me,
(14:34):
mess up on connections in the New York on.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
The New York Times app. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
They just can't get it. Maybe they're eleven years old,
maybe they're seven years old. Right, No, flawless every.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Time would be you never.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
But if you mess up in the new like in
the in the newspaper the Gray Lady, you can then
take your tired, terrible ass over to the New York
Times game app, and all is forgiven and you have
a second chance, uh at being perfect.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Yeah, that's a pro toe, But you know our second
chance is in America. That's nice.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
I wonder too. You know the other thing my wife
and I do with the Crossword is will each open
the crossword on our own devices and then we will
disconnect from the Internet so you can continue solving without
it populating the other person's right. And then when you're done,
you close the app up right and then reconnect the Internet.
(15:34):
And I wonder if we can do that with connections and.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
The other puzzles too. We have this is this is
this is gold. People.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
People come to the Puzzler for serious puzzle advice, like you.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Are you are hacking. You are hacking the New York Times,
Kevin Mitnick of New York Times puzzles.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
That way, I have a I have a further question.
Do you do them in a particular order? Like is
there a morning? Because I have a specific order, I
hit them in this is.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
How I wind down at night. So this is how
I usually just do them at night.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
So as as as I was saying, so, I'll do
strands with my daughter, and I'll do connections with my.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Daughter, and then you usually we'll do a little bit
of spelling Bee.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
But if it's getting to like if it's like one
hundred and seventy four points, if it's two hundred points,
then it's time for bet. So it's like I love you,
you know, I let her kind of like come up
with more of the guesses than I do. And then
when when I go off to lull land and you know,
like tuck in for the night, and then I'll do those.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
Until you know that moment when you're I've gotten over myself.
I don't need genius so much anymore. I don't need genius. Okay,
I don't need it. I don't need it at I'll
you need it. You need genius, you need that that
dopamine rush.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
I actually do need genius. I will say, last thing,
and then we got to go. But the yeah, the
spelling bee, when I say like ninety to one hundred
and ten, that's my strong spot. Two hundred two fifty.
I'm like I don't have time. I don't have time,
and then like forty three or something. You know, it's
like I'm either going to get this obscure word or
(17:04):
I'm gonna so yeah, all right, Well that was a
delightfully nerdy conversation. But Jordan, don't worry. You're coming back
for more nerdery tomorrow. Yes, And in the meantime, I'm
just going to close out with a little extra credit
(17:25):
for the folks at home. This is a barley or
rice grown on the banks of Paris's river. Barley or
rice growing on the banks of Paris's river, think about it.
And also, if you do like the show, please check
out our Instagram feed at Hello Puzzlers, where we post
(17:46):
original puzzles and other fun stuff. So add that to
your puzzle ritual and we will meet you here tomorrow
from more puzzling puzzles that will puzzle you puzzlingly
Hosts And Creators
Greg Pliska
A.J. Jacobs
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