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Sunday Puzzle: First and last two letters

NPR

On-air challenge

I'm going to give you the first word of a familiar two-word phrase. You tell me the second word in the phrase. Here's a hint: The first two letters of my word are the last two letters of yours.
(Ex. Electric  --> EEL)

1. Unearned
[four letter answers:]
2. Ski
3. Peace
4. Stress
5. One
6. Second
[five letters:]
7. Centrifugal
8. Chess
9. Organ
10. Antarctic
[six letters:]
11. Shoe
12. Old
13. Red
14. Saint
[longer than six:]
15. General
16. Deadly

Last week's challenge

Last week's challenge came from Andrea Carla Michaels, of San Francisco. Name a famous actress (five letters in the first name, six letters in the last name). Change the first and third letters of her first name and the first letter of her last name. The resulting letters in order from left to right will name a place where you might see this actress.

Challenge answer

Jodie Foster, movie poster.

Winner

Erin Rhode of Plymouth, Minnesota.

This week's challenge

This challenge is from Mike Reiss, who's a showrunner, writer, and producer for "The Simpsons." Think of a famous singer. Replace the last three letters of the first name with an E. Also replace the last three letters of the last name with an E. The result will be a world-famous location. What singer is this?

If you know the answer to the challenge, submit it below by Thursday, October 9 at 3 p.m. ET. Listeners whose answers are selected win a chance to play the on-air puzzle.

Copyright 2025 NPR

NPR's Puzzlemaster Will Shortz has appeared on Weekend Edition Sunday since the program's start in 1987. He's also the crossword editor of The New York Times, the former editor of Games magazine, and the founder and director of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (since 1978).