Quiz Guy John Chaneski’s brain teaser involves puzzling out clues to words beginning with de-. For example: “Hey, how can our team play baseball when somebody has quite literally stolen second?” This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “De- Brain Teaser”
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 we’re joined by that magical quiz guy, John Chaneski.
Abracadabra, here I am.
You know, people always ask me, where do you get the ideas for your quizzes? Nobody asked me that, but if they did, I’d tell them everywhere.
The other day I was on the subway and I saw a sign for a popular service that acts as a go-between for restaurants and hungry people. It boasted that they deliver, and I thought, what good is that? When I’m hungry, I want some liver. You know, maybe with onions or, you know. I don’t want them to de-liver.
Right.
To take the liver I have away. I’ve already got liver.
Anyway, as you can see, I’m not very smart, and that makes for an interesting puzzle. In each of the following cases, I’m annoyed that something has been taken away. See if you can figure out what’s been deleted, okay?
Okay.
All right.
Hey, how can our team play baseball when someone has quite literally stolen second?
The defense.
De-based.
De-based.
D-based is what I was going for, yes.
Man, I can’t even get to sleep. Someone broke into our cabin and took our beds, top and bottom.
Debunked.
I’ve been debunked, yes.
Hey, who stole my cologne?
Teodorized.
No.
Descent?
Yes, descent.
I’ve been descented. Deodorized is too on the nose, right?
Exactly, too on the nose.
Oh, boy. I take back what I said about how funny you are, because you are funny.
Hey, I had a nice pleat in this skirt, and someone took an iron, and now it’s gone. A nice pleat in this skirt. Someone took an iron, and now it’s gone.
De-planch.
De-wrinkle.
A nice, sharp pleat.
A nice…
Crease.
I’ve been decreased.
I’ve been decreased.
Decreased.
Yes.
It’s terrible.
It is terrible.
I know.
Hey, you know, I never said I was a celebrity, but until just now, there were people all over the country who knew me and my work, and now nobody knows who I am.
Defamed.
Defamed, yes.
Well, you know, since no one knows me and no one wants to know me, I guess I can get rid of the gate and railing around my house.
Defensed.
Defensed, yes.
Man, they won’t even leave my car alone. The area around the wheel of my car is gone.
De-wheeled, de-tired, de—
Weld?
De-weld?
Defended.
Defendered.
Yes.
Defended or defender.
Defender.
And finally, as an insult to injury, they took my underwear.
De-pantsed.
No.
Debriefed.
Yes, I’ve been debriefed.
Well, thank you for answering that question. I’m not having, exactly. I’m not having a good day.
Okay, I’m out of here, guys.
Yeah, it’s all these negatives.
All right.
I don’t have anything anymore.
Sorry, John. You’ve been delightful.
Oh, it’s so sweet. It’s dark in there. Turn the switch up.
Email us words@waywordradio.org.
John, we’ll talk to you again next week.
Talk to you then.
