Quiz Guy John Chaneski conducts a word puzzle involving musical instruments hidden in various sentences. Try this one: “My cousin is a Santa Monica zookeeper whose specialty is hummingbirds.” (Keep saying it over and over until you hear this instrument’s name.) This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Hidden Musical Instruments Quiz”
You’re listening to A Way with Words. I’m Grant Barrett.
And I’m Martha Barnette. And joining us is our quiz guy, John Chaneski. Hi, John.
Hi, Martha.
Hola, John. What’s up?
Hola. Que tal?
Well, I have a wonderful little quiz for you guys. I hope you’re ready for me to direct you in the answering of certain questions.
Oh, so you’re going to give us the answer sheet then.
That’s right. Here we go.
I’ll read a sentence to you. Hidden somewhere in the sentence is the name of a musical instrument.
Okay.
The same musical instrument every time?
You’re a good one.
No, different musical instruments every time.
You’re just listening for the sound of the name of the instrument, not the letters.
For example, if I say, my cousin is a Santa Monica zookeeper whose specialty is hummingbirds.
Did you get that one?
Santa Monica zookeeper whose specialty is hummingbirds.
He raised his eyebrows at zookeeper.
Santa Monica zookeeper.
Zoo, zoo?
Kazoo?
Ooh, yes, very good.
The answer is kazoo.
Oh, okay.
Santa Monica zoo.
I see.
Okay.
Okay, here we go with the quiz.
If the waiter doesn’t bring my Chilean sea bass soon, I think we should blow this joint.
Chilean sea bass.
If the waiter doesn’t bring this Chilean sea bass soon, I think we should blow this joint.
So it’s a wind instrument.
Chilean sea bass.
Sea bass.
Bass instead of bass?
No.
No, because you don’t blow a bass.
You’re close.
Bass, I think.
Bass, no.
Bassoon.
Oh, yes.
Oh, bassoon.
Sea bass soon.
I think we should blow this joint.
Very good.
Bassoon.
Here’s the next.
We found under the jungle canopy an overwhelming number of ivory-bearing animals.
Piano.
Canopy.
Piano.
Piano.
Piano.
Canopy and overwhelming number of ivory-bearing animals.
These are very clever.
These are very clever.
Well, I’m glad you like them.
I can never seem to get in touch with my sons, John or Phillip, but my daughter Sue is a phone call away anytime I need her.
Sue’s a phone.
Which is an incredibly rare instrument.
Yes, it is.
My daughter Sue is a phone call away.
Sue’s a phone.
It’s a phone call away.
Okay, now this next one requires a little acting on my part, so let me buckle down.
Good day, mate.
How’d you lose all that weight?
Did you reduce your caloric intake or just exercise more?
One more time?
One more time slower.
Good day, mate.
How’d you lose all that weight?
Did you reduce your caloric intake or just exercise more?
Oh, I don’t know.
Well, what kind of accent am I attempting?
Well, it’s Australian.
So didgeridoo maybe.
Oh, it is in there.
Oh, is it?
Did you reduce your caloric intake?
Just exercise more.
Very clever.
Very brilliant.
Yeah, very nice.
You know I can whistle and hum at the same time.
Nice.
That’s Martha.
Very nice.
Here’s the next.
Ladybugs are good for your garden, but an aphid will eat a thousand times its weight in rose petals.
Aphiddle.
Aphiddle.
Woo!
Yeah.
Aphid, by the way, is the only word I could find with fid at the end of it.
That was a common word, at least.
That’s great.
Yeah, hunt for the weird word, right?
Yeah, that’ll help.
Yeah.
Okay.
Though in this next one, it won’t help.
Oh, darn.
Let’s see.
In order to catch fish like that, you must cast a net so that it blocks the opening of the lagoon.
Very nice.
Yeah.
Cast a net.
Cast a net.
Yes, cast a net.
That should have been the first one.
I think that was pretty easy.
That’s so fun.
That’s great.
Okay.
I think I have one more for you, but it requires even more acting than I know if I can muster up and I’ll give it a shot.
Okay.
I just want to say, when I think cow belts are so good at holding up my pants, I just want to buy more and more of them.
That’s the worst walking impression I’ve ever heard.
And it’s cowbell.
It is cowbell, right?
Because the whole online meme about more cowbell, please.
More cowbell.
When I think cow belts are so good at holding up my pants, I just want to buy more and more of them.
Is walking the new Reagan or the new John Wayne?
I mean, everyone does their impression and they all are like, actually, they’re not imitating him.
They’re imitating other impressions of him, right?
That’s right.
There’s Walken.
There’s Schwarzenegger.
Leno.
Pretty much anybody can do a Leno.
Well, that’s my quiz for today.
I hope you guys enjoyed it.
I know I did.
That was great.
That may be one of the best quizzes I’ve ever done.
Yeah.
Thank you.
That’s nice.
I’d like to see more of those, please.
More, please.
Yes, strike up the band.
More like this.
That was terrific.
Thank you.
Thank you, John.
And if you want to talk about musical words or any other kind of language, give us a call.
The number is 1-877-929-9673.
Or send an email to words@waywordradio.org.
