Games + Leisure

Not My Job: Three Headless Chicken Questions For Alice Cooper

editor — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:10:09 +0000

When you think about heavy metal — the costumes, the makeup, the outfits, the huge stage shows filled with effects and pyrotechnics — pretty much all of that was invented, or at least perfected, by Alice Cooper. If it weren't for him, bands like Slayer and Megadeth would be playing love songs in identical suits and bowl haircuts.

We've invited Cooper to play a game called "So what if you had bitten the head off that chicken?" We know — or at least, are willing to believe — he didn't really bite the head off a live chicken on stage.

Reports: Bug Allows Gay Marriage In Video Game; Fix Likely

Bill Chappell — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:10:00 +0000

Days after the gaming world began to buzz with reports that Nintendo's new life simulation game allows men to marry other men, it now seems that Nintendo is removing that possibility, which by all reports was unintended.

Questions arose after players of the popular new game Tomodachi Collection: New Life realized that men could marry men. They could also date, and raise children.

Two Last Names For The Price Of One

Will Shortz — Mon, 06 May 2013 15:57:33 +0000

On-air challenge: Every answer today consists of two people, either real or fictional, whose last names are anagrams of each other.

Last week's challenge: It comes from listener Matt Jones of Portland, Ore. Jones creates a weekly syndicated puzzle called the "Jonesin' Crossword," which appears in more than 50 alternative newspapers around the country. The first 12 letters of the alphabet are A to L. Think of a familiar six-word proverb that contains 11 of these 12 letters (along with additional letters from the second half of the alphabet).

Not My Job: Steve Martin Takes A Quiz About Boring People

editor — Mon, 06 May 2013 15:56:49 +0000

Steve Martin is a comedian, a playwright, an author, an art collector, an actor, a Grammy-winning banjo player, a composer and, as we all know, a "wild and crazy guy."

So we've decided to ask him three questions about the most mundane and dull guys we could find: the speakers at London's Boring Conference, which we read about in the Wall Street Journal.

As You Know, Puzzles Are A Pastime

Will Shortz — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:12:30 +0000

On-air challenge: For each given category, name something in the category where the first letter is also the first letter of the category. For example, given "Military Ranks," you would say "Major."

Last week's challenge: Name a geographical location in two words — nine letters altogether — that, when spoken aloud, sounds roughly like four letters of the alphabet.

A Brand-New Word

Will Shortz — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:01:31 +0000

On-air challenge: Every answer is a well-known commercial name that spells a regular word or name backward. Identify the brands. For example, given "laundry detergent" and "work in a magazine office," the answer would be "tide" and "edit."

Last week's challenge: Name something in four letters that you use every day. Add the letters O, H and M, and rearrange all seven letters. You will name something else you probably use every day. This seven-letter thing is usually found near the four-letter thing.

Is It Real? With New Technology Has Activision Crossed The 'Uncanny Valley'?

Eyder Peralta — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:44:48 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6R6N4Vy0nE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d1ZOYU4gpo

Finding The Answers Within

Will Shortz — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:00:28 +0000

On-air challenge: You'll be given clues for some five-letter words. In each case, the letters of the answer can be found consecutively somewhere inside the clue. For example, given "Some teenagers' language," the answer would be "slang"(hidden inside "teenagerS' LANGuage").

Last week's challenge from Tyler Hinman: Take an eight-letter word for something used in water. Phonetically remove a word for something else used in water. Squish what is left together. The result, phonetically, will be a verb describing what water does.

Angry Birds TV, Coming To A Mobile Screen Near You

Mandalit del Barco — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 18:20:16 +0000

People of all ages have been passing the time playing Angry Birds on their mobile devices. Now Rovio, the company that created the best-selling app, is offering fans a new cartoon series based on the game, which has so far been downloaded 1.7 billion times.

The concept behind Angry Birds is extremely simple: There are these colorful cartoon birds that are angry because some green pigs are after their eggs. Players of the digital game use slingshots to catapult the birds — who don't fly — to destroy structures hiding the pigs.

"At its heart, it's just fun to play.

From A To Z

Will Shortz — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:49:03 +0000

On-air challenge: Every answer is a word containing an A and a Z. Given anagrams of the remaining letters, name the word. For example, given "leg," the answer would be "glaze".

Last week's challenge: Eight people are seated at a circular table. Each person gets up and sits down again — either in the same chair or in the chair immediately to the left or right of the one they were in.

Sandwich Monday: Chicken And Waffles

editor — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 18:23:46 +0000

Chicken and waffles is a great dish — nobody would deny that, except for chickens. But it's not always the easiest thing to eat. You've got bones to deal with, plus sticky syrup, and worst of all, finite stomach capacity.

'Tomb Raider' Makes The Case For Old-Fashioned Console Gaming

Glenn McDonald — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 19:26:00 +0000

When Sony recently announced details on the upcoming release of the PlayStation 4, it prompted a new round of hand-wringing about the future of console gaming.

Sales of games on the PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360 have dropped precipitously in recent years as mobile gaming — on smartphones and tablets — has become more popular. Advance word is that the PS4 will integrate certain mobile and social media functions, and some are speculating whether this is the end for standalone, full-featured console systems.

But lo!

Nintendo Wii Helped Budding Surgeons Move To Head Of The Class

editor — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 18:09:00 +0000

How's this for a tough assignment?

A group of Italian researchers forced 21 surgical residents to play video games on a Nintendo Wii for an hour a day, five days a week, for four weeks. Whew!

Then the researchers had the residents perform a simulated keyhole surgery. They found that the gamers performed significantly better than another group of residents who didn't undergo this grueling video game training.

"We had a lot of fun," said Dr. Gregorio Patrizi, a professor at the University of Rome Medical School who worked on the study.

Dear Mr. President, What's Your Name?

Will Shortz — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 16:53:31 +0000

On-air challenge: In honor of Presidents Day, every answer is the last name of a U.S. president. You will be given a word or phrase that is a president's last name with two letters changed. You name the president. For example, given "Carpet," the answer would be "Carter."

Last week's challenge: Take the last name of a former president of a foreign country, someone well-known. Change the last letter of this name to an O and rearrange the result. You'll get the last name of someone who wanted to be president of the United States.

Sandwich Monday: Fish McBites

editor — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 19:24:00 +0000

The McDonald's menu is a sacred document, like the Constitution. You can't just add things willy-nilly. It took hard work and sacrifice to add the Fourth Amendment, the McRib, and the Twenty-third Amendment, the Snack Wrap. Now, a new item called Fish McBites seeks ratification.

Miles: Fish McBites — for the bottom feeder in all of us.

Ian: I can't wait to wash this down with McDonald's new Chumrock Shake.

Mike: This is great for Catholics at Easter.

Video Game Violence: Why Do We Like It, And What's It Doing To Us?

editor — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 21:11:00 +0000

Violent video games have been a small part of the national conversation about gun violence in recent weeks. The big question: Does violence in games make people more violent in the real world?

The answer is unclear, but one thing is obvious: Violence sells games. The most popular video game franchise is Call of Duty, a war game where killing is the goal.

There are more than 40 million copies of Call of Duty in the U.S.; one of them is at iStrategyLabs in Washington, D.C.

Singer Erykah Badu Plays Not My Job

editor — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 18:34:56 +0000

This week, Wait Wait comes to you from the AT&T Performing Arts Center in the Dallas Arts District. Turns out, singer Erykah Badu was a student at the high school for the performing arts directly across the street.

Sharpen Your Wits (And Your Pencils)

editor — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 15:24:12 +0000

"Shake it like a polar bear ninja!" If you suspect that these are not the correct lyrics to Outkast's "Hey Ya!", then this week's game of mondegreens (misheard lyrics) is for you. We'll also visit the world of late-night infomercials and root for our favorite gluttonous, envious, lustful basketball team--the Phoenix Sins. Plus, V.I.P. David Rees teaches us how to sharpen pencils the artisanal way.

Sandwich Monday: Grilled Cheese With Mac N' Cheese

Ian Chillag — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 20:34:00 +0000

We live in an age of great marriages: William and Kate, Kim and Kanye (oh, wait, she's still married to this guy), Kim and The Next One. Best of all, though, is "The Mac" from Cheesie's, in Chicago.

Tackle 'Yards' To Make A Touchdown

Will Shortz — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:02:20 +0000

On-air challenge: In recognition of the Super Bowl, the key word is "yards." You will be given some categories. For each one, name something in the category beginning with each of the letters Y, A, R, D and S. For example, if the category were "Girls' Names," you might say Yvonne, Alice, Rachel, Donna and Sally.

Last week's challenge from listener Jed Martinez of Margate, Fla.: Name a personal mode of transportation. Remove its first and sixth letters.