December 27, 2024 • 20 mins
While we gear up for the new year, the Puzzler team is bringing back some of our favorite episodes from the past year of puzzling. Happy holidays, and we will see you soon for a very puzzlingly puzzling 2025!
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.
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 (00:00):
Hello puzzlers, Welcome to the Puzzler Podcast. I'm your host
aj Jacobs, and right now as we speak, we are
in the puzzle lab cooking up new puzzles for you.
We'll be back to full time daily puzzling the first
week of January. In the meantime, during this holiday season,
(00:22):
we are running some of our favorite episodes as our
puzzling gift to you. Please enjoy.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Hello, puzzlers, Welcome to the Puzzler Podcast the Bearskin Rug
in front of your puzzle fireplace. I'm your host, Ad Jacobs,
and I am here with today's guest, the amazing Jordan Carlos.
(00:53):
Oh hello, I was gonna do more more, Let me
do more. Yeah, okay. He's a hilarious comie. He's co
host of the hit podcast Adulting with Michelle Buteaux and
Jordan Carlos. That's him. Welcome, Jordan.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I interrupted your introduction.
I didn't know if you just wanted to start talking.
You're not so professional.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
It was good, You're you're you know what, You're throwing
me off my game right at the start, because you
know it's a puzzle podcast. Then 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 (01:30):
Yeah, you have a certain like there's a coolness about you.
You know what I'm saying. There seems to be like
like a certain facility around games. I mean, you're buried
in them right now but people can't see. But you
haven't buried them. I love it. We got trybond, which
I have no one idea what that is. But I'm
down to clown man. That's why I've called. You talked
me into this. AJ.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yes, I know you were a little skeptical, but I
have I have twisted your arm and here you are
truly so. Yes, let us puzzle. And today we have
a puzzle. It is a river themed puzzle. Are you
a fan of water wets? O love?
Speaker 3 (02:10):
I love a good uh artery. I love a good
artery of 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 does his.
He left there a long time ago. But we all
know that that is I'm quisite you.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Oh my god, oh my god, you are flexing some river.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Not that's it like this, that's that's all I got.
That's all I got.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
The Jordan I have to jump.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
This is this is, of course, is Greg pliska puzzle.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
I just did a road trip with my family.
Speaker 5 (02:51):
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.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
They of course had no idea.
Speaker 5 (02:58):
But they all have phones like looking him up, like, oh, Susquehanna, yeah, Monongahila.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
It's tough. 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 ends.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
Go ahead, are you I'm catching up. Are you from Pittsburgh?
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Now?
Speaker 4 (03:16):
Just a love.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
I like Pittsburgh. I think it's a great place. It's
where George Washington cut his teeth in the French Indian War,
you know, I think it it. I like it because
it's it's like my hometown has a chip on his shoulder.
A lot of people will say I'm from Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania
and you're like, no, we all know there's on Pittsburgh.
It's like I say, I'm from Dallas, Texas. You don't
have to do that. People pretty much understand. But but
(03:38):
we live in the shadow of other big cities in
our state. So that that is that's basically it.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Well fun fact, not sure it's fun. I used to
work in Pittsburgh, California, at the Pittsburgh Post there without
the ahe Pittsburgh without the age. But anyway, we've gone
a little off. But let's let's get back to im.
But I'm already impressed. You've already won in my book. Uh,
(04:03):
so you're well. This was inspired before I knew 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 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. So
(04:27):
if the clue were, for instance, a large reptile from
Egypt's major river, the answer would be a Nile crocodile.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Oh, oh my gosh, I love that.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Yeah, 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. So that's the general idea.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
So we I'm screwed. All right, let's go.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
And I know you.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
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 3 (05:11):
Okay, so that that's okay, New Orleans Major River. It's
not the pearl that's that is that is right? That
goes to.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
Jackson's a Chinese river.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
That would be the Mississippi River.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Right exactly.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Okay, so you got it.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
And there are two ways to go through the fuddle.
You can get it from both ways. So you got
the Mississippi, now the wearing.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Deadhead, Mississippihippi, Mississippihippy. There we go. That's it, I see,
Jerry beautiful.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Alright, 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 (06:00):
Uh well, first, we all know that Mesopotamia means the
Middle Earth and something in between? Am I stalling? Perhaps?
Also that it's the fertile Crescent, just like youres it.
Of course, of course, of course I.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Was going to put that in the clue that you
got the tigers and the.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
It's not Euphrates, the Euphrates ladies.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
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 Hi mumbled no, I.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Think you meant like a tigris, as in like a
lady tiger at first, and I was like, okay, okay,
I'm listening tigers tigress.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
That is yes, that would have been a red herring.
All right, you more, You're on your way, though, you
are all right this going back to your native Texas,
Thank you, thank you. Dangerous. This is dangerous soggy soil
on the shores of one of Texas's main rivers, Peraps
soggy soil. Okay, so dangerous dangerous doggy soil you don't
(07:11):
want to step.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Okay, So I mean our biggest river is the Rio
grand So that's quick sand on the Rio grand exactly.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Oh my gosh, nailed. And by the way, I just
wanted to double check the pronunciation of Rio Grande on
the Internet and that was a whole mess. Like, you know, yeah,
I don't recommend it. It seems some Taxans are very
passionate that it's not Rio Grande, Rio Grande, it is
Rio grand.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
If you go to Eagle Pass, which is is like
it's the county that that the real grand flows through mostly,
then people will say the real Grande. You You've you've
reached another part of Texas. I'm I'm I'm thinking that
I'm kind of just like getting a certain flavor for
the kind of textion you're talking about. Who liked her,
(07:59):
who liked their Spanish words anglicized. But when I was
a kid, I used to actually paddle down the Rio
brand a lot back when things were just cooler. Man,
it was a different time. It was when Ann Richards
was governor. It's when when you know, Maxie mcgona hey
was the biggest, our biggest gross domestic product in all
his crotch energy. Like you know, people were like a
(08:20):
little more mellow in Texas back then, and you you
could go, uh paddle down the Rio brand. So I
went from Big Ben National Park, uh pretty far, not
to like not all the way out to.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
The ocean, like get a kayak and a canoe.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
And there was this one kid, I love him, Graham
Daisy Corby. You got hit in the head of the
paddle and then we convinced the most Christmas you know
it was.
Speaker 5 (08:42):
It was a different times different someone gets hurt you
pat a trickle, that's all.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely wouldn't happen to yea.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Yeah, all right, well you've got the answer. It was
not Rio Grandy Quick Sandy. It was real Grand quicksand.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
All right. I'm going to go to this one. These
are folks well you know you brought up and Richard's
so I'm gonna go with that. These are folks who
support Kamala Harris and live on the banks of London's River.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Oh my gosh, okay of London, of London.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
England, London, England, Yes, not London, Connecticut, I'm sorry, London,
England's River.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Okay, Okay, okay, okay, yes, yes that's the Thames, not
the Thames, but the Thames. So that be Thames Dems, Thames.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Exactly see now that yes, you got it. It was.
It was a little bit of a curveball.
Speaker 6 (09:40):
But uh oh.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
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 3 (09:49):
If those SAME's people the same people, so the same
wi same folks, the Thames Gems, Thames Gems, Dems, yes, ok.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Any combination there there the Tames Dems gyms. But I
was doing that because I wanted to ratchet it up
to a couple of three Partidy.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Just didn't confident. Go ahead, what do you got for it?
All right?
Speaker 2 (10:13):
This is someone who is an expert, a connoisseur of
guacamole's main ingredient, who lives on the river in the
Grand Canyons there. I'm sure there is someone lives on
the river. It's this district, well on the banks. But
maybe they have a houseboat. I don't know, experts, So
(10:34):
you got to break it down there three parts. Expert,
an expert guacamole's main ingredient, who lives on the river
in the Grand Canyon. Maybe start with the guacamole. Okay,
nice way.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
In Okay, so that would be an avocado.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Yes, you're one third of the way there, Colorado.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Yes, oh, my aficionado. Okayado coloradoado. Got it?
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Okay, exactly. I would have said Colorado avocado of ficinado.
But I'm happy that you got all three in.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Whatever it's gonna come out, however, man, it's gonna be
a grab bag dude.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Alright, I just got one more, one more trip okay, alright,
and this one. It's interesting. You brought 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 fact check.
(11:45):
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.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Wig right right right, so that would be the Delaware
right across Delaware.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
All right, hair, yes, is this is swear No no.
Speaker 5 (12:09):
No, no, no.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
That would be if he were cursed.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
If God failed to protect it. It would be the
Delaware hair swear.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
This is a plea to God.
Speaker 4 (12:20):
Plea to God.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Oh prayer, of course. Yeah, yeah, Well I'll let you
know what what I do. How I spend my time
conversing with God, uh, cursing more than listen to my bra.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Well you got it, Delaware Hair Prayer.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
Thank you so much. That feels so good.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
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? Of course?
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Well let's let's talk turkey here. 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 nerd games word games. We love to play. Uh,
(13:23):
first you play strands right together, and then we play Connections,
and then we we end with spelling Bee and when
that's all done, she gives me huck.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
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 doing I already. I already listened
to the puzzler every morning, of course, so but I'm
(13:54):
addicted I and now I do it every morning. Absolutely, Greg,
are you a Strands?
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (14:00):
Absolutely? Yeah. Here's the problem.
Speaker 5 (14:02):
My wife and I both love doing these, but if
we're both signed into the same account, right it Like
if I do Connections before her, then it's solved when.
Speaker 4 (14:13):
She goes to it.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Yeah, I mean we have And yeah, the times.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
You're paying for two accounts, paying for.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Two accounts, that's how they do it to you. That's
how they do it.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
Because I hit the same Jordan.
Speaker 5 (14:26):
I have an eleven year old son who is into
all these puzzles too, and he just got a new phone,
his first phone.
Speaker 4 (14:33):
And I'm like, should I put the app on his phone?
Speaker 5 (14:35):
Because then if I do that, then he's going to
do it and we're all going to be fighting over
who gets, you know, the puzzle First.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
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,
(15:01):
mess up on connections in the New York on the
New York Times app. You know what I mean. They
just can't get it. Maybe they're eleven years old, maybe
they're seven years old. Right, No, flawless every time.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Wouldn't be you.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
It wouldn't be never. But if you mess up in
the 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 uht at being perfect again.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
That's a pro tem.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Our second chance is in America. That's nice.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
I wonder too.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
You know.
Speaker 5 (15:41):
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 to the internet. And I wonder
(16:02):
if we can do that with Connections and.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
The other puzzles too have This is this is this
is gold.
Speaker 5 (16:08):
People people come to the puzzler for serious puzzle advice.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Part of this you are you are hacking, You are
hacking the New York Times Kevin Mitnick of New York
Times Puzzles.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
Is that the way I have it.
Speaker 5 (16:22):
I have a further question, do you do them in
a particular order? Like is there a morning ritual? Because
I have a specific order I hit them in.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
This is how I wind down at night. So this
is I usually just do them at night. So as
as as I was saying, so, I'll do strands with
my daughter, and I'll do connections with my daughter, and
then usually we'll do a little bit of spelling bee.
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
(16:51):
with more of the guesses than I do. And then
one when I go off to loll land and you know,
like tuck in for the night, and then I'll do
those until you know that moment where 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 2 (17:09):
I actually do need genius. I will say, last thing,
and then we got to go. But the yeah, the
spelling bee. When I see like ninety to one hundred
and ten, that's my 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
(17:29):
either going to get this obscure word or I'm gonna.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Right right right right right, yeah, No, I hear you it,
I hear you yeah.
Speaker 5 (17:36):
All right.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Well, that was a delightfully nerdy conversation, and in the meantime,
I'm just going to close out with a little extra
credit 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
(18:01):
about it. And also if you do like the show,
please check out our Instagram feed at Hello Puzzlers, where
we post 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.
Speaker 6 (18:23):
Hello Puzzlers, it's your chief puzzle Officer, Greg Pliska here
with the extra credit answer from our previous episode. We
did some earbusses with the Great Tom Poppa and AJ's
final clue.
Speaker 5 (18:36):
For you was the throne, the throne that of course
is ascending the throne. Well, you have ascended the throne
of the Puzzler Podcast and we're very happy to have
you here with us. Thanks for playing along with the
(19:00):
team here at the Puzzler with Aj Jacobs. I'm Greg Pliska,
your chief Puzzle Officer. Our executive producers are Neelie Lohman
and Adam Newhouse of New House Ideas and Lindsay Hoffman
of iHeart Podcasts. The show is produced by Jody Abragan
and Brittany Brown of Roulette Productions, with production support from
Claire Bidegar Curtis our Associate producer.
Speaker 4 (19:21):
Is Andrea Schoenberg.
Speaker 5 (19:24):
The Puzzler with AJ Jacobs is a co production with
New House Ideas and is distributed by Optics.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
AD Haters, No rearrange those letters.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
It's distributed by iHeart Podcasts. If you want to know
more about puzzling puzzles, please check out the book The
Puzzler by AJ Jacobs, a history of puzzles that The
New York Times called fun and funny. It features an
original puzzle hunt by yours Truly, and is available wherever
you get your books and puzzlers. For all your puzzling needs,
(19:56):
go visit the puzzler dot com.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
See you there,
Hello puzzlers, Welcome to the Puzzler Podcast. I'm your host
aj Jacobs, and right now as we speak, we are
in the puzzle lab cooking up new puzzles for you.
We'll be back to full time daily puzzling the first
week of January. In the meantime, during this holiday season,
(00:22):
we are running some of our favorite episodes as our
puzzling gift to you. Please enjoy.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Hello, puzzlers, Welcome to the Puzzler Podcast the Bearskin Rug
in front of your puzzle fireplace. I'm your host, Ad Jacobs,
and I am here with today's guest, the amazing Jordan Carlos.
(00:53):
Oh hello, I was gonna do more more, Let me
do more. Yeah, okay. He's a hilarious comie. He's co
host of the hit podcast Adulting with Michelle Buteaux and
Jordan Carlos. That's him. Welcome, Jordan.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I interrupted your introduction.
I didn't know if you just wanted to start talking.
You're not so professional.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
It was good, You're you're you know what, You're throwing
me off my game right at the start, because you
know it's a puzzle podcast. Then 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 (01:30):
Yeah, you have a certain like there's a coolness about you.
You know what I'm saying. There seems to be like
like a certain facility around games. I mean, you're buried
in them right now but people can't see. But you
haven't buried them. I love it. We got trybond, which
I have no one idea what that is. But I'm
down to clown man. That's why I've called. You talked
me into this. AJ.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yes, I know you were a little skeptical, but I
have I have twisted your arm and here you are
truly so. Yes, let us puzzle. And today we have
a puzzle. It is a river themed puzzle. Are you
a fan of water wets? O love?
Speaker 3 (02:10):
I love a good uh artery. I love a good
artery of 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 does his.
He left there a long time ago. But we all
know that that is I'm quisite you.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Oh my god, oh my god, you are flexing some river.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Not that's it like this, that's that's all I got.
That's all I got.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
The Jordan I have to jump.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
This is this is, of course, is Greg pliska puzzle.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
I just did a road trip with my family.
Speaker 5 (02:51):
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.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
They of course had no idea.
Speaker 5 (02:58):
But they all have phones like looking him up, like, oh, Susquehanna, yeah, Monongahila.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
It's tough. 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 ends.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
Go ahead, are you I'm catching up. Are you from Pittsburgh?
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Now?
Speaker 4 (03:16):
Just a love.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
I like Pittsburgh. I think it's a great place. It's
where George Washington cut his teeth in the French Indian War,
you know, I think it it. I like it because
it's it's like my hometown has a chip on his shoulder.
A lot of people will say I'm from Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania
and you're like, no, we all know there's on Pittsburgh.
It's like I say, I'm from Dallas, Texas. You don't
have to do that. People pretty much understand. But but
(03:38):
we live in the shadow of other big cities in
our state. So that that is that's basically it.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Well fun fact, not sure it's fun. I used to
work in Pittsburgh, California, at the Pittsburgh Post there without
the ahe Pittsburgh without the age. But anyway, we've gone
a little off. But let's let's get back to im.
But I'm already impressed. You've already won in my book. Uh,
(04:03):
so you're well. This was inspired before I knew 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 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. So
(04:27):
if the clue were, for instance, a large reptile from
Egypt's major river, the answer would be a Nile crocodile.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Oh, oh my gosh, I love that.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Yeah, 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. So that's the general idea.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
So we I'm screwed. All right, let's go.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
And I know you.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
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 3 (05:11):
Okay, so that that's okay, New Orleans Major River. It's
not the pearl that's that is that is right? That
goes to.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
Jackson's a Chinese river.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
That would be the Mississippi River.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Right exactly.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Okay, so you got it.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
And there are two ways to go through the fuddle.
You can get it from both ways. So you got
the Mississippi, now the wearing.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Deadhead, Mississippihippi, Mississippihippy. There we go. That's it, I see,
Jerry beautiful.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Alright, 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 (06:00):
Uh well, first, we all know that Mesopotamia means the
Middle Earth and something in between? Am I stalling? Perhaps?
Also that it's the fertile Crescent, just like youres it.
Of course, of course, of course I.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Was going to put that in the clue that you
got the tigers and the.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
It's not Euphrates, the Euphrates ladies.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
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 Hi mumbled no, I.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Think you meant like a tigris, as in like a
lady tiger at first, and I was like, okay, okay,
I'm listening tigers tigress.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
That is yes, that would have been a red herring.
All right, you more, You're on your way, though, you
are all right this going back to your native Texas,
Thank you, thank you. Dangerous. This is dangerous soggy soil
on the shores of one of Texas's main rivers, Peraps
soggy soil. Okay, so dangerous dangerous doggy soil you don't
(07:11):
want to step.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Okay, So I mean our biggest river is the Rio
grand So that's quick sand on the Rio grand exactly.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Oh my gosh, nailed. And by the way, I just
wanted to double check the pronunciation of Rio Grande on
the Internet and that was a whole mess. Like, you know, yeah,
I don't recommend it. It seems some Taxans are very
passionate that it's not Rio Grande, Rio Grande, it is
Rio grand.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
If you go to Eagle Pass, which is is like
it's the county that that the real grand flows through mostly,
then people will say the real Grande. You You've you've
reached another part of Texas. I'm I'm I'm thinking that
I'm kind of just like getting a certain flavor for
the kind of textion you're talking about. Who liked her,
(07:59):
who liked their Spanish words anglicized. But when I was
a kid, I used to actually paddle down the Rio
brand a lot back when things were just cooler. Man,
it was a different time. It was when Ann Richards
was governor. It's when when you know, Maxie mcgona hey
was the biggest, our biggest gross domestic product in all
his crotch energy. Like you know, people were like a
(08:20):
little more mellow in Texas back then, and you you
could go, uh paddle down the Rio brand. So I
went from Big Ben National Park, uh pretty far, not
to like not all the way out to.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
The ocean, like get a kayak and a canoe.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
And there was this one kid, I love him, Graham
Daisy Corby. You got hit in the head of the
paddle and then we convinced the most Christmas you know
it was.
Speaker 5 (08:42):
It was a different times different someone gets hurt you
pat a trickle, that's all.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely wouldn't happen to yea.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Yeah, all right, well you've got the answer. It was
not Rio Grandy Quick Sandy. It was real Grand quicksand.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
All right. I'm going to go to this one. These
are folks well you know you brought up and Richard's
so I'm gonna go with that. These are folks who
support Kamala Harris and live on the banks of London's River.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Oh my gosh, okay of London, of London.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
England, London, England, Yes, not London, Connecticut, I'm sorry, London,
England's River.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Okay, Okay, okay, okay, yes, yes that's the Thames, not
the Thames, but the Thames. So that be Thames Dems, Thames.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Exactly see now that yes, you got it. It was.
It was a little bit of a curveball.
Speaker 6 (09:40):
But uh oh.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
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 3 (09:49):
If those SAME's people the same people, so the same
wi same folks, the Thames Gems, Thames Gems, Dems, yes, ok.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Any combination there there the Tames Dems gyms. But I
was doing that because I wanted to ratchet it up
to a couple of three Partidy.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Just didn't confident. Go ahead, what do you got for it?
All right?
Speaker 2 (10:13):
This is someone who is an expert, a connoisseur of
guacamole's main ingredient, who lives on the river in the
Grand Canyons there. I'm sure there is someone lives on
the river. It's this district, well on the banks. But
maybe they have a houseboat. I don't know, experts, So
(10:34):
you got to break it down there three parts. Expert,
an expert guacamole's main ingredient, who lives on the river
in the Grand Canyon. Maybe start with the guacamole. Okay,
nice way.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
In Okay, so that would be an avocado.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Yes, you're one third of the way there, Colorado.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Yes, oh, my aficionado. Okayado coloradoado. Got it?
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Okay, exactly. I would have said Colorado avocado of ficinado.
But I'm happy that you got all three in.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Whatever it's gonna come out, however, man, it's gonna be
a grab bag dude.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Alright, I just got one more, one more trip okay, alright,
and this one. It's interesting. You brought 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 fact check.
(11:45):
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.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Wig right right right, so that would be the Delaware
right across Delaware.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
All right, hair, yes, is this is swear No no.
Speaker 5 (12:09):
No, no, no.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
That would be if he were cursed.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
If God failed to protect it. It would be the
Delaware hair swear.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
This is a plea to God.
Speaker 4 (12:20):
Plea to God.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Oh prayer, of course. Yeah, yeah, Well I'll let you
know what what I do. How I spend my time
conversing with God, uh, cursing more than listen to my bra.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Well you got it, Delaware Hair Prayer.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
Thank you so much. That feels so good.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
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? Of course?
Speaker 3 (13:01):
Well let's let's talk turkey here. 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 nerd games word games. We love to play. Uh,
(13:23):
first you play strands right together, and then we play Connections,
and then we we end with spelling Bee and when
that's all done, she gives me huck.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
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 doing I already. I already listened
to the puzzler every morning, of course, so but I'm
(13:54):
addicted I and now I do it every morning. Absolutely, Greg,
are you a Strands?
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (14:00):
Absolutely? Yeah. Here's the problem.
Speaker 5 (14:02):
My wife and I both love doing these, but if
we're both signed into the same account, right it Like
if I do Connections before her, then it's solved when.
Speaker 4 (14:13):
She goes to it.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Yeah, I mean we have And yeah, the times.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
You're paying for two accounts, paying for.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Two accounts, that's how they do it to you. That's
how they do it.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
Because I hit the same Jordan.
Speaker 5 (14:26):
I have an eleven year old son who is into
all these puzzles too, and he just got a new phone,
his first phone.
Speaker 4 (14:33):
And I'm like, should I put the app on his phone?
Speaker 5 (14:35):
Because then if I do that, then he's going to
do it and we're all going to be fighting over
who gets, you know, the puzzle First.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
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,
(15:01):
mess up on connections in the New York on the
New York Times app. You know what I mean. They
just can't get it. Maybe they're eleven years old, maybe
they're seven years old. Right, No, flawless every time.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Wouldn't be you.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
It wouldn't be never. But if you mess up in
the 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 uht at being perfect again.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
That's a pro tem.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Our second chance is in America. That's nice.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
I wonder too.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
You know.
Speaker 5 (15:41):
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 to the internet. And I wonder
(16:02):
if we can do that with Connections and.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
The other puzzles too have This is this is this
is gold.
Speaker 5 (16:08):
People people come to the puzzler for serious puzzle advice.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Part of this you are you are hacking, You are
hacking the New York Times Kevin Mitnick of New York
Times Puzzles.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
Is that the way I have it.
Speaker 5 (16:22):
I have a further question, do you do them in
a particular order? Like is there a morning ritual? Because
I have a specific order I hit them in.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
This is how I wind down at night. So this
is I usually just do them at night. So as
as as I was saying, so, I'll do strands with
my daughter, and I'll do connections with my daughter, and
then usually we'll do a little bit of spelling bee.
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
(16:51):
with more of the guesses than I do. And then
one when I go off to loll land and you know,
like tuck in for the night, and then I'll do
those until you know that moment where 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 2 (17:09):
I actually do need genius. I will say, last thing,
and then we got to go. But the yeah, the
spelling bee. When I see like ninety to one hundred
and ten, that's my 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
(17:29):
either going to get this obscure word or I'm gonna.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Right right right right right, yeah, No, I hear you it,
I hear you yeah.
Speaker 5 (17:36):
All right.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Well, that was a delightfully nerdy conversation, and in the meantime,
I'm just going to close out with a little extra
credit 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
(18:01):
about it. And also if you do like the show,
please check out our Instagram feed at Hello Puzzlers, where
we post 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.
Speaker 6 (18:23):
Hello Puzzlers, it's your chief puzzle Officer, Greg Pliska here
with the extra credit answer from our previous episode. We
did some earbusses with the Great Tom Poppa and AJ's
final clue.
Speaker 5 (18:36):
For you was the throne, the throne that of course
is ascending the throne. Well, you have ascended the throne
of the Puzzler Podcast and we're very happy to have
you here with us. Thanks for playing along with the
(19:00):
team here at the Puzzler with Aj Jacobs. I'm Greg Pliska,
your chief Puzzle Officer. Our executive producers are Neelie Lohman
and Adam Newhouse of New House Ideas and Lindsay Hoffman
of iHeart Podcasts. The show is produced by Jody Abragan
and Brittany Brown of Roulette Productions, with production support from
Claire Bidegar Curtis our Associate producer.
Speaker 4 (19:21):
Is Andrea Schoenberg.
Speaker 5 (19:24):
The Puzzler with AJ Jacobs is a co production with
New House Ideas and is distributed by Optics.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
AD Haters, No rearrange those letters.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
It's distributed by iHeart Podcasts. If you want to know
more about puzzling puzzles, please check out the book The
Puzzler by AJ Jacobs, a history of puzzles that The
New York Times called fun and funny. It features an
original puzzle hunt by yours Truly, and is available wherever
you get your books and puzzlers. For all your puzzling needs,
(19:56):
go visit the puzzler dot com.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
See you there,
Hosts And Creators
Greg Pliska
A.J. Jacobs
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