May 12, 2025 • 14 mins
Hello, Puzzlers! Puzzling with us today: director Michael Showalter!
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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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hello, puddlers. Let's start with a quick puzzle. One of
the following is a true statement and one is a
false statement. Can you identify the true one? Statement A
and Hathaway has portrayed Judy Dench on screen or statement
B Judy Dench has portrayed and Hathaway on screen. One
(00:24):
of those is true? The answer and more puzzling goodness
after the brink, Welcome back to the Puzzler Podcast. The
hand drawn smiley face on your puzzle restaurant check. I'm
your host A J. Jacobs, and I'm here of course,
(00:45):
the chief puzzle Officer, Greg Kuliska.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Greg.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Before the break, we asked, which is a true statement
and Hathaway has portrayed Judy Dench on screen or Judy
Dench has portrayed and Hathaway on screen.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Oh, we've got our guest who we haven't even entered.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
I got it, he got it, he got it.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
We gotta let him do it now, all right, Michael,
what's the answer?
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Well, on the face of it, neither makes any sense
at all.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Correct.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Right on the surface of it, it's impossible to imagine
that either one of them would have played the other right.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
But if I think about it a little further.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
I do recall that William Shakespeare's wife is named Anne Hathaway, Yes,
which which makes me think maybe Judy Dench one day
would have played William Shakespeare's wife. So my answer is
going to be Judy Dench played the historical figure that
is Anne Hathaway in some movie, maybe in Shakespeare in Love.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Well done.
Speaker 5 (01:44):
Now wait before you tell us the answer a jake,
because I'm with Michael on that. But there is also
the possibility that twenty years in the future, in a
biopic about Judy jen Anne Hathaway will.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
So this might come true in two ways, all right,
but for now Michael is right, And that was the
movie was called All Is True. It's a Shakespeare biopic
which I haven't seen. William Shakespeare played by Kenneth Browna
and his wife Anne Hathaway played by Judy Dench. So
well done, Michael. And so that man who answered who
(02:20):
could not be constrained is Michael Showalter, and he is
incredibly prolific. But one of the many things he's done
recently was an Anne Hathaway movie, A delightful not the
Shakespeare Wife. This was the the the current day and
(02:43):
currently current Ann currently and the delightful film of the
idea of you.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Welcome Michael, hi aj and Craig.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
It's wonderful to be here.
Speaker 5 (02:55):
Thank you, Michael, thanks for being here on the puzzle.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Or thank you for saying the exactly that's right the
title drop. You just did a title drop. Uh, Michael,
did you ever discussed the other Anne Hathaway with your colleague,
the new hand Hathaway?
Speaker 4 (03:13):
Well, do you go see Broadway shows? You live in
New York every night and you go see Broadway shows
every night, but.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Not Monday night?
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Oh yeah, every night, but not.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Monday night, and probably not Sunday night.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
True Lord's Day.
Speaker 5 (03:27):
Correct, right, Also Sunday is a matinee.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Dad Sunday the Matinees, although a couple of shows do
a Sunday night show too.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
But anyway, and Juliet, do we know the music?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
I did not.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
My wife loved it. I have not seen it. Very
clever premise.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
So you asked me, do I talk to the real
Anne Hathaway about William Shakespeare's wife Anne Hathaway. Well, there's
a lot of Anne Hathaway jokes in and Juliet.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Oh, so interesting.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
There's a lot of like, are you the modern Ant
Hathway or you William Shakespeare's wife Ann Hathaway.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
So when I saw it, I texted.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
Anne Hathaway, Oh my god, have you seen and Juliet,
because you're an inside.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Joked that show.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
And did the real modern Anne Hathaway have any response?
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Oh? Yeah, she loves it. She loves all stuff.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
She's she's a great sport about all those kinds of things.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Well, Michael is directing another Anne Hathaway movie coming out
next year.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Verity.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
Yes, Verity is Colleen Hoover, the best selling author Colleen
Hoover's uh thriller It's a It's a It's a dirty
twisted thing, which.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Is kind of a puzzle by the way thrillers are.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
Indeed, it is, oh very much so.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
But you've also we know you from Wet Hot American Summer,
The Big Sick, The Dropout, The Eyes of Tammy fay.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
On, and on Stella. You're one third of Stella.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
So so impressed.
Speaker 5 (04:58):
So one of my also one of my favorite movies
that never got the attention it deserved. Kissing Jessica Stein.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
Oh yes, I have one. I have one scene acting
in that movie. That's one of my one of my very.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Short list of values and interesting.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
I'm gonna go rewatch that fun movie.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
Don't you don't need to. It's a great movie. But
don't watch it for me. But you could watch it
for the movie.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Okay, my promise. I'll fast forward through you.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Yes, thank you.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
So anyway, we are very excited. You are the third
member of Stella. So the third and final member we
have David Wayne and Michaele Liam Black. So I want
to talk to you about puzzling.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
And your work. But first, since it is the puzzler,
I thought we could do a quick puzzle.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
I can't wait.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
All right, This puzzle is called show Walter's Show. So
it's about where all the answers are objects that you
might find in the first few letters of a famous
person's name. So if the clue were a TV series
by the director of the idea of you, that might
(06:06):
be Show Walter Show or Michael Showalter's Show. I know
you actually had Michael Showalter Showalter. Yes, I love that,
but we're just going with that.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
So I'll give you.
Speaker 5 (06:18):
Do you have one about Anne Hathaway's hat coming?
Speaker 1 (06:21):
I thought of doing Anne Hathaway's Hat and also her yoga,
which would be Anne.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Hathaway Hathaway's half of Atha exactly.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
But no, so is every answer going to be Michael
Showalter's blank.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
No, unless you want that would be a short, a
short puzzle. This different different celebrities.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
I don't give you.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
I'll give you another example. The star of Baby Girls,
Baby Goat, the star of Baby Girdles.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
I got it, Okay, I got you could say it.
I don't mind.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
Nicole Kidman's baby goat. No, no, no, no, no no,
Nicole Kidman's.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Kid, Nicoleman's kid, exactly.
Speaker 5 (07:06):
I bet she has a baby goat dough.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Well she might.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Yeah, I'm not saying these are factual. You do have
a show, but these are a lot that requires one
last thing. For some reason, I decided to go all animals.
It just seemed the way to go. So aside from you,
they're all going to be animals like the kid.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
All right, you're ready, I'm ready.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
This is where an America's got talent judge gets his
fresh milk. America's got talent judge, got he got it.
He's raising his hand. I'm calling on you.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
Yes, okay, I'm gonna go. I'm gonna say, Simon Cowell's cow.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
That's it.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
That is exactly right. A large pig owned by a
blonde professional wrestler on WWE, famous pro wrestler.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
This is a large pig he owns.
Speaker 5 (08:05):
Does it have to be large?
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Apparently according to the dictionary, over one hundred and twenty pounds.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
I did not know that.
Speaker 5 (08:12):
I didn't know that either.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Uh so this is the most problem. He also got
Gawker shut down if you remember.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
Well, I was, okay, So it's it's something to do
with oh Hulk, Hogan's hog.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Yes, Ogan's hog, Hogan's.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
OGINs hog, which we saw in that video that got
Gawker shut down.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Oh hello, hey, now.
Speaker 5 (08:37):
Wow, that wasn't the meaning of that word I thought
you were going for.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
But there we are.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
And remember it's the last name, Michael, it's the last name.
This is a long necked bird owned by the Oscar
winner for a million dollar.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Baby Hillary swanks Swan nailed it? Or is it? Swanks Swan? Like?
What's what is the most preferred answer?
Speaker 2 (09:03):
I prefer justice too, Okay, swank swank Swan? All right,
a couple more. Are you're doing great?
Speaker 1 (09:16):
This is the actor who played Morpheus. His red snapper
or his blue fin tuna. I was trying to get
a little of the red and blue for the red
blill blue pill.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Do we say fishburns fish? We do?
Speaker 2 (09:32):
You do? And you would be correct? All right?
Speaker 1 (09:35):
How about this one? This composer wanted something sweet for
a lease, so he got some honey from his favorite insect.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Oh yeah, well, is it is?
Speaker 1 (09:47):
It?
Speaker 3 (09:47):
Is it Beethoven's bees.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
It is Beethoven's be just one's.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
Beethoven's be Beethoven's be Betho.
Speaker 5 (09:56):
But I thought Beethoven's beat was a good.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Beethoven Beethove beat.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
Now now now, okay, So now I'm realizing the full
answer is contained fully within the last name.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Correct, Yes, got it?
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Got it.
Speaker 5 (10:13):
You're one of those rare, rare people, Michael, who gets
like six of the answers without even knowing how the
game is.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
Because I felt like Fishburn's Fish was sort of unimaginative.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Yes, I agree, I did it mostly for then.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
I realized that, no, but that's it isn't a cop out.
Fishburns Fish isn't a cop out Kidman's kid is all.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
They're all the same.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
Swan Because I'm thinking, it's not like Swank's ostrich right,
that's right, Yes, yes.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Well I mean fishburn.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Probably that word does come from the actual fish, right, exactly.
Speaker 5 (10:52):
Burn in the sense of a body of water or
something burn. The fishburn is where you would go to
get your.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Fish, which is also why I didn't not do Sandra
Bullock's bull because Bullock means bull.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
So but wait, I want we do have some standards here, Michael.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
I want to take this opportunity because we brought up B.
So let me let me do the B stuff right now. First,
I have two B related things. First, I love this
made me laugh out loud lol. As the kids said,
when I was reading your book, you had an about
the author section and you also had an about be
(11:32):
author Arthur section.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
So good, so puzzledly. Yes, yes, and it was just
facts about B.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
Arthur, Yes, exactly, because I loved, I loved and I
know you did too, those old books that were sort
of like that, those books that were little riddles and
funny jokes and stories and plays on words and did
and so my book was a lame attempt at that.
But yes, about author, about Arthur, wonderful.
Speaker 5 (12:02):
It makes me laugh every time.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
Mister funny pants, I believe it's called right, mister funny pant. Yes,
all right, and let's go back to the spelling bee
or the bee as you say.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
I did want to.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
Just I loved when you told someone about your daily
ritual with Jonathan Sherman, the great playwright.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
You must be friendly with John I am friendly. I
must have him. You must have him on your show.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Such a good idea. Why you must?
Speaker 3 (12:28):
He would he would be an incredible guest.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
You're right, done?
Speaker 1 (12:32):
All right, Well maybe he won't agree, but.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
Then done on this side, definitely agree.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
But you text him, you do it, and you remind
me how it goes.
Speaker 4 (12:43):
Well, Okay, So we play the spelling bee regularly, the
bee and the idea is that you obviously you have
to get to genius. And once you get to genius.
I know a lot of people show their friends, hey,
look I got to genius today, right, And.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
With with us, it's it's it's was.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
If you get to genius without a hint, then that's clean.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
If you needed a hint to get to genius, that's dirty.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Got it?
Speaker 4 (13:13):
So it's like I got to genius clean. This is
a clean genius. But I even go further to say
like I got to genius without even looking at how
many points I needed.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
To get to genius. How I call that genius blind
genius blind.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
I have an extra credit for folks at home. If
you have pointed ears and a bushy tail, you might
be this carnivorous mammal. I'm doing a little southern accent.
This is a part of a hint.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
If you have accent, let me do it again. Thanks
for clarifying. Sorry, listen, Michael's a director. You can direct me.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
If you have points and a bushy tale, you might
be this carnivorous mammal. All right, that's the hint. So
think about it, and Michael, you are fantastic. We will
see you here tomorrow. Thank you Michael, and listeners. If
you have a moment, check out our Instagram feed at
(14:19):
Hello Puzzlers, where we post original puzzles and wats of
other fun stuff and we will meet you here tomorrow
for more puzzling puzzles that will puzzle you puzzlingly.
Hello, puddlers. Let's start with a quick puzzle. One of
the following is a true statement and one is a
false statement. Can you identify the true one? Statement A
and Hathaway has portrayed Judy Dench on screen or statement
B Judy Dench has portrayed and Hathaway on screen. One
(00:24):
of those is true? The answer and more puzzling goodness
after the brink, Welcome back to the Puzzler Podcast. The
hand drawn smiley face on your puzzle restaurant check. I'm
your host A J. Jacobs, and I'm here of course,
(00:45):
the chief puzzle Officer, Greg Kuliska.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Greg.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Before the break, we asked, which is a true statement
and Hathaway has portrayed Judy Dench on screen or Judy
Dench has portrayed and Hathaway on screen.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Oh, we've got our guest who we haven't even entered.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
I got it, he got it, he got it.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
We gotta let him do it now, all right, Michael,
what's the answer?
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Well, on the face of it, neither makes any sense
at all.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Correct.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Right on the surface of it, it's impossible to imagine
that either one of them would have played the other right.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
But if I think about it a little further.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
I do recall that William Shakespeare's wife is named Anne Hathaway, Yes,
which which makes me think maybe Judy Dench one day
would have played William Shakespeare's wife. So my answer is
going to be Judy Dench played the historical figure that
is Anne Hathaway in some movie, maybe in Shakespeare in Love.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Well done.
Speaker 5 (01:44):
Now wait before you tell us the answer a jake,
because I'm with Michael on that. But there is also
the possibility that twenty years in the future, in a
biopic about Judy jen Anne Hathaway will.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
So this might come true in two ways, all right,
but for now Michael is right, And that was the
movie was called All Is True. It's a Shakespeare biopic
which I haven't seen. William Shakespeare played by Kenneth Browna
and his wife Anne Hathaway played by Judy Dench. So
well done, Michael. And so that man who answered who
(02:20):
could not be constrained is Michael Showalter, and he is
incredibly prolific. But one of the many things he's done
recently was an Anne Hathaway movie, A delightful not the
Shakespeare Wife. This was the the the current day and
(02:43):
currently current Ann currently and the delightful film of the
idea of you.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Welcome Michael, hi aj and Craig.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
It's wonderful to be here.
Speaker 5 (02:55):
Thank you, Michael, thanks for being here on the puzzle.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Or thank you for saying the exactly that's right the
title drop. You just did a title drop. Uh, Michael,
did you ever discussed the other Anne Hathaway with your colleague,
the new hand Hathaway?
Speaker 4 (03:13):
Well, do you go see Broadway shows? You live in
New York every night and you go see Broadway shows
every night, but.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Not Monday night?
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Oh yeah, every night, but not.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Monday night, and probably not Sunday night.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
True Lord's Day.
Speaker 5 (03:27):
Correct, right, Also Sunday is a matinee.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Dad Sunday the Matinees, although a couple of shows do
a Sunday night show too.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
But anyway, and Juliet, do we know the music?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
I did not.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
My wife loved it. I have not seen it. Very
clever premise.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
So you asked me, do I talk to the real
Anne Hathaway about William Shakespeare's wife Anne Hathaway. Well, there's
a lot of Anne Hathaway jokes in and Juliet.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Oh, so interesting.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
There's a lot of like, are you the modern Ant
Hathway or you William Shakespeare's wife Ann Hathaway.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
So when I saw it, I texted.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
Anne Hathaway, Oh my god, have you seen and Juliet,
because you're an inside.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Joked that show.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
And did the real modern Anne Hathaway have any response?
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Oh? Yeah, she loves it. She loves all stuff.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
She's she's a great sport about all those kinds of things.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Well, Michael is directing another Anne Hathaway movie coming out
next year.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Verity.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
Yes, Verity is Colleen Hoover, the best selling author Colleen
Hoover's uh thriller It's a It's a It's a dirty
twisted thing, which.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Is kind of a puzzle by the way thrillers are.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
Indeed, it is, oh very much so.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
But you've also we know you from Wet Hot American Summer,
The Big Sick, The Dropout, The Eyes of Tammy fay.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
On, and on Stella. You're one third of Stella.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
So so impressed.
Speaker 5 (04:58):
So one of my also one of my favorite movies
that never got the attention it deserved. Kissing Jessica Stein.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
Oh yes, I have one. I have one scene acting
in that movie. That's one of my one of my very.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Short list of values and interesting.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
I'm gonna go rewatch that fun movie.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
Don't you don't need to. It's a great movie. But
don't watch it for me. But you could watch it
for the movie.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Okay, my promise. I'll fast forward through you.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Yes, thank you.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
So anyway, we are very excited. You are the third
member of Stella. So the third and final member we
have David Wayne and Michaele Liam Black. So I want
to talk to you about puzzling.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
And your work. But first, since it is the puzzler,
I thought we could do a quick puzzle.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
I can't wait.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
All right, This puzzle is called show Walter's Show. So
it's about where all the answers are objects that you
might find in the first few letters of a famous
person's name. So if the clue were a TV series
by the director of the idea of you, that might
(06:06):
be Show Walter Show or Michael Showalter's Show. I know
you actually had Michael Showalter Showalter. Yes, I love that,
but we're just going with that.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
So I'll give you.
Speaker 5 (06:18):
Do you have one about Anne Hathaway's hat coming?
Speaker 1 (06:21):
I thought of doing Anne Hathaway's Hat and also her yoga,
which would be Anne.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Hathaway Hathaway's half of Atha exactly.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
But no, so is every answer going to be Michael
Showalter's blank.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
No, unless you want that would be a short, a
short puzzle. This different different celebrities.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
I don't give you.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
I'll give you another example. The star of Baby Girls,
Baby Goat, the star of Baby Girdles.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
I got it, Okay, I got you could say it.
I don't mind.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
Nicole Kidman's baby goat. No, no, no, no, no no,
Nicole Kidman's.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Kid, Nicoleman's kid, exactly.
Speaker 5 (07:06):
I bet she has a baby goat dough.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Well she might.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Yeah, I'm not saying these are factual. You do have
a show, but these are a lot that requires one
last thing. For some reason, I decided to go all animals.
It just seemed the way to go. So aside from you,
they're all going to be animals like the kid.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
All right, you're ready, I'm ready.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
This is where an America's got talent judge gets his
fresh milk. America's got talent judge, got he got it.
He's raising his hand. I'm calling on you.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
Yes, okay, I'm gonna go. I'm gonna say, Simon Cowell's cow.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
That's it.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
That is exactly right. A large pig owned by a
blonde professional wrestler on WWE, famous pro wrestler.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
This is a large pig he owns.
Speaker 5 (08:05):
Does it have to be large?
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Apparently according to the dictionary, over one hundred and twenty pounds.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
I did not know that.
Speaker 5 (08:12):
I didn't know that either.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Uh so this is the most problem. He also got
Gawker shut down if you remember.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
Well, I was, okay, So it's it's something to do
with oh Hulk, Hogan's hog.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Yes, Ogan's hog, Hogan's.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
OGINs hog, which we saw in that video that got
Gawker shut down.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Oh hello, hey, now.
Speaker 5 (08:37):
Wow, that wasn't the meaning of that word I thought
you were going for.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
But there we are.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
And remember it's the last name, Michael, it's the last name.
This is a long necked bird owned by the Oscar
winner for a million dollar.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Baby Hillary swanks Swan nailed it? Or is it? Swanks Swan? Like?
What's what is the most preferred answer?
Speaker 2 (09:03):
I prefer justice too, Okay, swank swank Swan? All right,
a couple more. Are you're doing great?
Speaker 1 (09:16):
This is the actor who played Morpheus. His red snapper
or his blue fin tuna. I was trying to get
a little of the red and blue for the red
blill blue pill.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Do we say fishburns fish? We do?
Speaker 2 (09:32):
You do? And you would be correct? All right?
Speaker 1 (09:35):
How about this one? This composer wanted something sweet for
a lease, so he got some honey from his favorite insect.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Oh yeah, well, is it is?
Speaker 1 (09:47):
It?
Speaker 3 (09:47):
Is it Beethoven's bees.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
It is Beethoven's be just one's.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
Beethoven's be Beethoven's be Betho.
Speaker 5 (09:56):
But I thought Beethoven's beat was a good.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Beethoven Beethove beat.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
Now now now, okay, So now I'm realizing the full
answer is contained fully within the last name.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Correct, Yes, got it?
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Got it.
Speaker 5 (10:13):
You're one of those rare, rare people, Michael, who gets
like six of the answers without even knowing how the
game is.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
Because I felt like Fishburn's Fish was sort of unimaginative.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Yes, I agree, I did it mostly for then.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
I realized that, no, but that's it isn't a cop out.
Fishburns Fish isn't a cop out Kidman's kid is all.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
They're all the same.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
Swan Because I'm thinking, it's not like Swank's ostrich right,
that's right, Yes, yes.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Well I mean fishburn.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Probably that word does come from the actual fish, right, exactly.
Speaker 5 (10:52):
Burn in the sense of a body of water or
something burn. The fishburn is where you would go to
get your.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Fish, which is also why I didn't not do Sandra
Bullock's bull because Bullock means bull.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
So but wait, I want we do have some standards here, Michael.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
I want to take this opportunity because we brought up B.
So let me let me do the B stuff right now. First,
I have two B related things. First, I love this
made me laugh out loud lol. As the kids said,
when I was reading your book, you had an about
the author section and you also had an about be
(11:32):
author Arthur section.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
So good, so puzzledly. Yes, yes, and it was just
facts about B.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
Arthur, Yes, exactly, because I loved, I loved and I
know you did too, those old books that were sort
of like that, those books that were little riddles and
funny jokes and stories and plays on words and did
and so my book was a lame attempt at that.
But yes, about author, about Arthur, wonderful.
Speaker 5 (12:02):
It makes me laugh every time.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
Mister funny pants, I believe it's called right, mister funny pant. Yes,
all right, and let's go back to the spelling bee
or the bee as you say.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
I did want to.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
Just I loved when you told someone about your daily
ritual with Jonathan Sherman, the great playwright.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
You must be friendly with John I am friendly. I
must have him. You must have him on your show.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Such a good idea. Why you must?
Speaker 3 (12:28):
He would he would be an incredible guest.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
You're right, done?
Speaker 1 (12:32):
All right, Well maybe he won't agree, but.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
Then done on this side, definitely agree.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
But you text him, you do it, and you remind
me how it goes.
Speaker 4 (12:43):
Well, Okay, So we play the spelling bee regularly, the
bee and the idea is that you obviously you have
to get to genius. And once you get to genius.
I know a lot of people show their friends, hey,
look I got to genius today, right, And.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
With with us, it's it's it's was.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
If you get to genius without a hint, then that's clean.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
If you needed a hint to get to genius, that's dirty.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Got it?
Speaker 4 (13:13):
So it's like I got to genius clean. This is
a clean genius. But I even go further to say
like I got to genius without even looking at how
many points I needed.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
To get to genius. How I call that genius blind
genius blind.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
I have an extra credit for folks at home. If
you have pointed ears and a bushy tail, you might
be this carnivorous mammal. I'm doing a little southern accent.
This is a part of a hint.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
If you have accent, let me do it again. Thanks
for clarifying. Sorry, listen, Michael's a director. You can direct me.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
If you have points and a bushy tale, you might
be this carnivorous mammal. All right, that's the hint. So
think about it, and Michael, you are fantastic. We will
see you here tomorrow. Thank you Michael, and listeners. If
you have a moment, check out our Instagram feed at
(14:19):
Hello Puzzlers, where we post original puzzles and wats of
other fun stuff and we will meet you here tomorrow
for more puzzling puzzles that will puzzle you puzzlingly.
Hosts And Creators
Greg Pliska
A.J. Jacobs
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