Quiz Guy John Chaneski has a puzzle called “Categories”. The challenge is to find the common thread that unites seemingly unrelated things. For example, Mary-Kate and Ashley, Jack Sparrow’s crew, and cherubim all fall into which category? The answer: Twins, Pirates, and Angels are all baseball teams! This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “What’s in Common? Word Game”
You’re listening to A Way with Words. I’m Martha Barnette.
And I’m Grant Barrett, and we’re joined once again by our fabulous quiz guide, John Chaneski.
Hi, Grant. Hi, Martha.
Hi, John.
Do you have a quiz there, a puzzle, something challenging?
I do. This quiz is one of those where you have to figure out the connection between things. The difference here is that I won’t tell you the things that are connected. You’ll have to figure out the things and the connection. I’ll give you a series of clues or synonyms to a list of items. I don’t want the answers to the clues. What I want is for you to jump in when you know the commonality and tell me what it is, and then we’ll work back to the list.
For example, if I said elated, Wild West Dentist Holiday, put out, addlebrained, shy, allergic, and lethargic, you could jump in any time with what commonality, what grouping?
Jump in, Grant.
I have no idea.
Oh, oh, seven dwarfs.
Yes, the seven dwarfs. Disney’s seven dwarfs.
So Happy, Doc, and I don’t know. Put out is grumpy, right? Lethargic is sleepy.
There we go. This isn’t going to be hard.
Okay, very good. Hard or easy, it’ll take a long time. I like the difficult ones. I’ll just explain. Addlebrained for dopey, shy for bashful, allergic for sneezy, and lethargic for sleepy.
Let’s try the first one.
Okay, all right. Here we go. Raw as a recruit. Cowardly. Communist. Colors. Colors. What colors do we have so far? We have green, yellow, and red.
Here’s the next. Actor Hunter. Blank of the Jedi. Maxwell Smart’s organization. The Final Frontier. A means of getting from neutral to drive.
Oh, it’s things on a typewriter?
Yeah.
What’s a typewriter?
Whoa, dated myself there, didn’t I?
That’s right. They are on computer keyboards, too.
They are keyboard keys, right? I use dictation software. I’d forgotten. You see. Actor Hunter is?
Tab.
Tab, blank of the Jedi.
Return.
Maxwell Smart’s organization?
Option.
No. It’s next to option.
Control?
Control is right.
Okay. The final frontier?
Space.
Yes, and a means of getting from neutral to drive.
Shift.
Shift, yes.
Okay. Here’s the next.
Hooray! Notable historical period. Low, high, or neep. Opposite of lose. And the whole kitten caboodle.
Is it poker?
No.
Say this again.
Can we have it again?
Sure. Hooray! Notable historical period. Low, high, or neap. Opposite of lose. And the whole kit and caboodle.
Well, all I can get is three-letter words.
Is that?
Two of them are three-letter words, yeah.
So is the last one all?
Yes.
The one before that is win.
No. Opposite of lose is a different one.
Gain.
Gain is correct.
Gain.
Oh.
Oh, detergents.
Yes, detergent brands. Hooray is a?
Cheer.
Cheer. Notable historical period.
Era.
Era, right? Low, high, or neep?
Tide.
Tide. And you’ve got gain and all.
Nice work. That’s a toughie.
Awesome. That’s a tough one. I like the difficult ones.
Good, good. Here’s the next one.
That’s why he works with me.
Yeah, right. Here we go. Jack Sparrow and crew. Jack Sparrow and crew. That’s two separate clues, by the way. Northerners. They choose the Pope. Mary Kate and Ashley. And Cherubim.
Are these teams?
Baseball teams.
They are baseball teams, yes. Jack Sparrow and crew.
Pirates.
Pirates. Jack Sparrow and crew.
It’s harder.
They’re also mariners.
Okay, very good. Mariners, nice. Thank you. Northerners.
Yankees.
Yankees. They choose the Pope.
Cardinals.
Mary-Kate and Ashley.
Twins.
I was going to say angels.
Oh. That’s nice. That’s nice. We’ll use cherubim for angels.
Okay. That’s what the cherubim’s for. A little chubbier.
Nice work. One more. Here’s the last one.
Okay. Multiplication. Use an iron. Ball of incandescent gas. Newspaper names.
Yes, newspapers. What do we got? Multiplication is?
Times.
Use an iron.
Press.
Oh, the press. There we go. A ball of incandescent gas.
Sun.
Sun or star. Serial company.
Post.
Post is right. How about three-dimensional atlas?
Globe.
Globe and gatekeeper.
Sentry?
I’ll take Sentinel. Sentry. Or Guardian is good, too.
So that was good. That was good.
Okay. Wow. That’s a real workout.
I love it. Push-ups for your brain.
Thanks, John. I really appreciate it.
Thanks, Grant. Thanks, Martha.
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