Quiz Guy Greg Pliska’s word game this week is “Name Dropping.” The answer for each set of clues will be a word that has a common first name hidden somewhere in it; when that name’s removed, the remaining letters spell a new word. For example, the first clue is “one of the seven deadly sins,” the second is “the grain consumed by one-fifth of the world’s inhabitants.” Subtract the latter from the former, and you get a woman’s name. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Name Dropping Word Quiz”
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 quiz guy, Greg Poliska.
Hello, Greg.
Hello, Grant.
Hi, Greg.
Welcome to the program, Greg.
Hi, Martha.
What’s up? What do you have for us this week?
Here’s Johnny. Well, this week we’re doing a quiz that I call name dropping.
But it’s not the kind that you think.
In this quiz, the answer for each set of clues will be a word that has a common first name hidden somewhere in it.
And when that name is removed, the remaining letters spell a new word.
Oh, okay.
So, for example, I might give you a set of clues like the first clue might be a large number of dollars.
And then I would say the second word is a charged particle.
Okay.
And you want to guess at this one?
Billion.
Billion, exactly.
There’s a large number of dollars.
It’s a billion.
And the charged particle is the ion.
And the leftover letters is the common name, Bill.
Ooh, name dropping.
Okay.
Exactly.
So you’ll get a two-part clue from me, and you’re looking basically for a three-part answer.
The first word, the second word, and the name that gets dropped from one to make the other.
Okay, let’s try it.
So here’s your first one.
The big word is a tie-dyed handkerchief.
The smaller word is a group of musicians.
Okay, how about bandana and band?
Is that right?
Yep.
Okay.
So Anna is the name.
Yeah, bandana.
Oh, very good.
Bandana, band, and Anna.
You got it.
I was starting with trio, but that didn’t go anywhere.
I mean, certainly not in that clue it doesn’t.
Here’s another one.
A certain visitor from space and a shop or store.
Okay.
A certain visitor from space.
So in crossword ease, that means you’re probably going to name him, right?
Well, it’s probably my favorite, right?
My favorite Martian.
Exactly.
A show that was made before some of us were born, I think.
Right.
Probably both of you.
And so the word for the place where you shop is a mart.
So the name is Ian or Ian.
Very good.
Very good.
You know, Martha didn’t quite understand the directions, but as soon as we started the puzzle, she’s just like reeling these off.
I’m haptic.
I learn through touch.
She learns by example.
All right.
Here’s another one.
One of the seven deadly sins and the grain that provides more than one-fifth of all calories consumed by humans.
Okay.
The name is Ava.
And sin is avarice, and then the grain is rice, right?
Very good.
Whoa.
Oh, my avarice, hey.
Very nice, Martha.
You’re kicking ass.
Thank you.
You’re flying through and taking names.
How about adjective for a seasonal laborer and a musical note?
Me.
Yeah, very good.
Me, migrant, and grant.
And grant.
Okay, I can’t wait to see what he does with Martha.
Yeah, you know, I tried to find one that worked for Martha.
There just isn’t one.
There are no words that contain Martha in them.
Martha cannot be contained.
Exactly.
Exactly.
Okay, how about…
The noble gas.
Yes?
How about L. Ron Hubbard’s religion and facial spasms?
What?
Not to say that one causes the other or anything.
Scientology and tick.
There’s another word for L. Ron Hubbard’s philosophy.
Oh, cybernetic?
Cybernetic.
Wait a minute.
Cybernetics?
It’s not cybernetics.
Dianetics.
Dianetics.
There we go.
So Diane and ticks, Dianetics.
Diane and ticks.
I haven’t met anybody named cybern.
All right.
How about an atomic particle and to vote into office?
Election.
Tron.
Electron.
Elect.
Elect ion.
Electron.
Yeah.
And elect.
And then tron.
Oh, Ron.
Ron.
Ron.
Tron.
Right.
Tron, right?
Yeah.
Tron is a name.
Electron.
Actually, this breaks into elect and Ron.
Elect Ron, which was a slogan during a certain presidential campaign.
Oh, I didn’t know that.
Well, maybe it wasn’t, but it should have been.
But it should have been.
Got time for a couple more?
Yeah, just one more.
Let’s try it.
One more.
All right.
How about a musician playing alone and a drunk?
Not Han Solo.
Okay, so Solo, right?
Soloist?
Yeah.
Soloist.
So what are the clues again?
A musician playing alone.
Soloist.
And take a name out of that to get a word for a drunk.
Oh, Lois out of the middle leaves sot.
Yes.
Oh, that was tricky.
Okay.
Yeah, I had to have one where the name was stuck in the middle there.
Well, thanks for the quiz, Greg.
It’s my pleasure.
If you’d like to talk about grammar, slang, punctuation, or words and how we use them,
Now’s the time.
And this is the place.
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