Our Quiz Guy John Chaneski went through his day planner to combine activities with the abbreviations of days and months. For example, when it’s a relief after a long week just to get in bed, you’re talking about Satin. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Day Planner Quiz”
You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and how we use it.
I’m Martha Barnette.
And I’m Grant Barrett and are joined once again by our quiz guy, John Janeski.
Hello, John.
Hello, Grant.
Hello, Martha.
John, behold.
You’ve made some quizzes for us, I hope.
I have.
I have one for you right here.
You know, I’m going through some old day planners of mine.
And of course, being a puzzle guy, the notes are kind of cryptic.
If you add an abbreviation for a day of the week to one of the words in one of my memos, you get a word related to the activity.
That’s how I keep track of things.
Oh, okay.
I think we can do this.
For example?
For example, what days did I do the following thing?
Let’s try this one.
Oh, okay.
All right.
What a lovely ceremony, lovely couple.
Too bad my car got a little ding in the party.
Wedding.
Yeah, that was on Wednesday.
It was a wed ding.
Yeah.
Thank you.
Very good.
At feeding time, I accidentally locked myself in with the baboons.
Luckily, my supervisor had his keys on hand.
Whew.
What?
Monkey.
Monkey.
Oh, monkeys.
Yes, the baboons.
Let’s try this one.
After a long day at the textile shop, it was a relief just to get in bed between some silky soft sheets.
Satin.
Satin.
Satin, yes.
Very good.
Saturday.
Nice.
Do you know what?
Let’s move on to the months.
Oh, no.
I started getting so busy I couldn’t make daily entries, so I started writing once a month.
Add an abbreviation for a month to the beginning of a word in the clue to get a related word.
Here we go.
It’s taken me weeks to perfect my greatest orchestral work ever, but this grand opus is fated to only be the theme music for a documentary on marine life.
Marine life.
Octo-something.
Oh, octopus?
No.
Octopus.
Yes.
Octopus.
How about this?
I convinced my shy, gawky Aunt Ella to join me on a camping trip.
Too bad for us both that the campground turned out to be something of a swamp.
Marsh.
Marshy.
Marshy, yes.
Very good.
Nicely done.
I was fixated on Ella.
Okay.
I know.
Tricky.
Keep thinking of that.
Keep thinking of that.
Because the governor of Alaska has been courting my shy Aunt Ella for weeks now.
He sent her flowers, candy, and eau de toilette.
Oh!
Juno!
Yes, Juno!
All of our Alaska listeners are going, toy!
Toy!
I spent the last month carefully copy-editing a short book for my shy Aunt Ella, the writer.
What month was it?
Novella.
November.
Yes, it was November for the novella.
Nicely done, Martha.
Thank you.
Finally, now that my shy Aunt Ella is gone, having the book she dedicated to me has certainly eased the pain of losing her.
Deceased. December.
Yes. Deceased. December. Nicely done.
So that’s all we’re going to go through my calendar. I’m going to just get rid of this calendar right here.
I’m going to… That’s it. You don’t need these notes anymore.
But you guys did fantastic. Nice work.
Thanks, John. I really appreciate it. We’ll talk to you next week.
Talk to you then.
Well, we’re talking about words here today, and if you want to ask us about any word, call us 877-929-9673 or send your questions and email to words@waywordradio.org.
