SUB Word Quiz

You’re listening to A Way with Words. I’m Martha Barnette.

And I’m Grant Barrett. And joining us now is our quiz guy, John Chaneski.

Hello, John.

Hi, Grant. Hi, Martha. How are you guys?

What are you doing over there?

What am I doing over here? I’m just emerging from my cave after a long nap, so I’m getting the sleep out of my eyes.

I hope it’s okay.

Yeah, the antelope are migrating. You feel the pull towards them.

It’s the 17-year Chaneski.

That’s me.

Rudex.

I’m a little rusty.

Let’s just work it out.

I’ve got a little quiz for you guys.

What do you say we do it?

All right.

Here it is.

I have appropriated today’s puzzle theme from a category on a popular game show. You do not have to answer it in the form of a question, by the way.

I’ll give you several clues to a word, and that word will contain the letters S-U-B in order.

Okay?

Okay.

Okay.

It’s very simple.

For example, if I said to swap one thing for another or we’d say substitute.

Substitute, right, or a stand-in for an absent teacher.

I’ll give you a couple of clues if you need it.

Okay.

Substitute.

Someone substituting for another person.

Well, that sounds easy.

Where’s the catch?

Yeah.

I’ll make up a catch halfway through, and then, boy, will we all be surprised, including me.

Okay, here we go.

You are not allowed to do this to many New York City apartments.

Sub-let.

Sub-list.

Sub-let.

Sub-let, sub-list.

That’s what I was going to say.

Both.

Sublet is correct, Martha.

Very good.

You also can submerge them, by the way.

Just in case.

Subvent?

But if you rent out a rental that you rent, you are subletting.

That’s what I meant to say.

I don’t know what I was saying.

You said subvent?

No, no, no.

I didn’t know that’s a word.

All right.

Here’s the next one.

This word is used to describe protons, neutrons, quarks, photons, or neutrinos.

Subatomic particles.

That’s two words.

Yes.

Well, no, I was subatomic would have been fine.

Oh, okay.

Got you.

But yes, they are subatomic particles.

This adjective, pizza, describes a message pizza embedded in another medium pizza designed to pass below the limits pizza of the mind’s perception pizza.

Hey, you want to go to Ray’s later?

Whoa.

So subtext or subconscious?

No, I’ll give you a further clue.

Subliminal.

That’s it, subliminal pizza.

Now, at 6 foot 5 inches, I never rent one of these.

Wait, you’re 6’5″?

I am 6’5″.

No, I’m 6’5″, so I never rent one of these.

Something that makes you taller.

A sub…

No, this is a category in which you’ll find the Toyota Yaris, the Honda Fit, the Chevy Aveo, and the subcompact.

Subcompact is correct.

Basically, they describe an automobile with between 85 and 95 cubic square feet of interior volume.

Oh, I knew that.

And I take up like, you know, like 45 square feet of interior volume myself.

45 square feet.

I’m huge.

I’m sitting here with an orca.

Just can you shove over a little bit?

Thank you.

Here’s the next one.

A perpetrator might become this through the actions of a police officer.

Or this word could describe what the decor of your bedroom might be if you use muted colors.

Oh, I see.

Subdude.

Subdude is right.

I was thinking suburban.

Yes.

A perpetrator might be suburban.

I was thinking of a bedroom.

Oh, sure, sure.

Okay.

Never mind.

This word is a direction in music, meaning immediately or suddenly.

Is it something like subito?

It is subito.

Very good.

I was going to say, where’s that Pliska guy?

I knew you were going to say that, and we didn’t need him.

Let’s let your geek flag fly.

In a 1960s cartoon theme song, this comic book character is described as an exotically neurotic and aquatic superhero.

Wow.

Submariner.

Yes, the Submariner, right.

Submariner.

I’ll tell you something though.

He just reads the scripts.

Yeah, for 15 years I thought it was Submariner.

I was saying Submariner in my head.

Luckily, I overheard someone say Submariner.

I didn’t know that it should be Submariner, but you just couldn’t help yourself.

There are people who say Submariner, right?

Sure.

I’m not alone in that, really?

No, no, no.

I don’t think so.

I was hoping our listeners would write and say, hey, yeah, me too.

I thought it was Submariner too.

He was one of the first superheroes.

He debuted in 1939.

Sure.

And the first comic book antihero.

Okay, here’s our last one.

This word describes the minimum amount of resources needed.

For example, your wages may be just enough to allow you to live.

So they are called subsistence.

That’s right.

Subsistence wages.

Well, that’s my quiz.

Well, thanks for your quiz.

You’re a man of substance.

Well, thanks as always.

I feel like we did okay on that one.

You did great.

And the next one’s going to be harder, right?

Yes, it will.

All right.

If you want to talk about words and language and how we use them or any aspect of language, call us 1-877-929-9673.

You can also email us to words@waywordradio.org.