Quiz Guy John Chaneski serves up a sibilant quiz about three-word phrases that have words beginning with S separated by the word and. For example, what 1970’s sitcom featured a theme song by Quincy Jones called “The Street Beater”? This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Sibilant Word 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 we’re joined on the line by John Chaneski from New York.
Hi, John.
Hey, John.
Hi, guys. How you doing?
Well, today we’re going to talk like serpents.
We’re going to work on our sibilance with phrases that take the form something and something, where the first and last words begin with S.
Now, this should be easy for all you parcel tongues out there.
Okay.
This is my nerd reference.
All right.
For example, if I asked what 1970s sitcom had a theme song by Quincy Jones called The Street Beater, it went like this.
Sanford and Son.
That’s right.
Sanford and Son.
Based on an English show called Steptoe and Son.
That’s right.
I didn’t know that.
Both of those are both good shows.
Yeah, great.
So now you go to the S and S.
We’re going to do S and S today.
Here’s how it goes.
Here we go.
This phrase, which is also the title of a Johnny Winter album, a Whitesnake album, and a Canadian hair metal band, and a few movies, refers to the moral extremes of the Catholic life.
People who are really good and people who are really not good.
Saints and sinners.
Saints and sinners is correct.
Get those right out there.
Not that I know anything about that music.
It was the Whitesnake.
It was the Whitesnake that did it for me.
It was the Catholic that did it for me.
You never know what it is.
Yeah, the Catholic.
Here’s the next one.
This company’s first publishing venture was the first ever book of crossword puzzles, which jumpstarted the crossword craze of the 1920s and made them the phenomenon they are today.
Simon and Schuster.
Simon and Schuster.
That’s right.
The book actually came with a pencil attached.
Back then, that was a huge gimmick.
Huge.
It is the principal subject of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Search and seizure?
Search and seizure is correct.
Right.
The right of the people to be secure in their persons’ houses, papers’ effects, etc., against unreasonable search and seizure.
Very good.
It is the first published work by Jane Austen and the only one that fits the theme of this puzzle.
Sense and sensibility.
Sense and sensibility.
Very good.
This phrase describes a common and convenient way for men to differentiate the teams when playing an informal game of basketball.
Shirts and skins.
Right.
Either way is fine.
Shirts and skins.
Skins and shirts.
The title of his 1962 album of standards by Old Blue Eyes would seem to suggest that it features the chairman of the board himself, accompanied by just one section of the orchestra.
Sinatra and Strings?
Yes, Sinatra and Strings.
A 1974 hit song by singer-songwriter and comedian Jim Stafford, this tune told the tale of a boy whose girl needed to remind him that she likes neither arachnids nor legless reptiles.
What do you got, Martha?
Boo-ee-boo.
Spiders and snakes.
Spiders and snakes.
I don’t like spiders and snakes.
Very good.
Finally, it’s a genre of fiction which would include the chronicles of Conan the Barbarian and features both arms and magic.
Arms and magic?
Yes.
Conan the Barbarian, swords and sorcery.
Yes, swords and sorcery is correct.
Very good.
Well, that was very short and sweet.
Yeah, that was a good one.
I was waiting for Simon and Simon to come up.
You know that show that was set here in San Diego?
I love that show.
Holding that one in reserve.
Yeah.
Maybe for next time.
John, thank you so much.
So much.
Bye-bye.
Thank you, guys.
See you later.
This is a show about language.
Give us a call, 877-929-9673, or email us, words@waywordradio.org.
