Takeoffs Word Puzzle

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

And I’m Grant Barrett, and in the studio with us today is the fabulous and wonderful John Chaneski, our quiz guy.

Hi, Grant. Hi, Martha. I am in the studio today. I had no idea where I was for a little while.

Usually we make him stand on the street, but today we let him in.

But things are good. I’m so glad. Thank you.

You got a quiz?

Yes, I do. Let’s do a quiz.

You know, a very common sort of wordplay that you often find in a crossword theme is when you remove the first letter of a word and you get another word.

For example, if you take the first letter off the word bring, you get ring.

Which sounds like a bring.

Bring.

Bring.

Yeah.

Okay.

I’ll call this a takeoff since you take off the first letter.

Okay?

Okay.

So what we’ll do today is takeoffs of some common phrases or famous titles.

Now, these will be two or three or four word phrases.

Remember, I need you to give me the phrase after the letter has been taken off the front of the phrase.

Okay?

Okay.

Let’s give it a shot.

We’ll start with an easy one.

One of the most famous phrase takeoffs of all time, I think, this was the title of a 1984 Weird Al Yankovic parody of a Michael Jackson hit.

Sure.

Eat It.

Eat It, right.

It was his parody of Beat It.

Right.

Appropriately, the song title is merely a takeoff of the Jackson song title, Eat It to Beat It.

Good.

Thank you.

So that was from the album Thriller, was it?

That’s right.

It’s from Michael Jackson’s album Thriller.

Let’s move on.

This one shouldn’t be a problem.

Originally, it was the title of a boxing film starring Robert De Niro.

Now it describes a head of cattle that’s perhaps getting on in years.

Aging bull.

Aging bull.

Right.

I was thinking, Aki?

What?

Well, I like my beef aged, but not in that way.

Not that old.

Let’s move on.

Originally, this was Margaret Mitchell’s most famous novel.

Now it can describe a nirvana-like state that may be achieved by a Buddhist who likes to sail.

Margaret Mitchell.

Margaret Mitchell’s famous novel about the South.

One with the wind.

One with the wind.

One with the wind.

Isn’t that called gom with the wind?

Right.

It’s not phonetically a takeoff.

It’s just…

I get it.

Okay.

Letter-wise.

Very good.

Okay.

Originally, it was a tarot card or a very popular game show.

Now this phrase can describe a physical feature of the Greek character Achilles, especially if it had been lucky instead of unlucky.

So, Heel of Fortune?

Heel of Fortune is correct.

Very good.

And so, Anna White’s the one that turns the title.

Anna White, very good.

She’d like to buy a continent.

Moving on.

Originally, it’s a place where polite manners and etiquette are taught.

Now it describes a dojo for ninjas.

I got that one.

Oh, you do? I’m at a loss.

Charm school, turning into harm school.

Harm school is right.

Harm school to charm school, thank you, or backwards.

Here’s the next.

Yes.

Originally, it’s the title of a James Taylor song.

Now it describes the scene at Yankee Stadium last week.

Fans were pretty angry that the season opener had been postponed due to inclement weather.

I’ve seen iron, I’ve seen rain. That’s right, I’ve seen some pretty ironed Yankee fans.

Oh, man. I’ve seen sunny days that I thought would never end.

Grant, I’m eating your dust.

That was iron rain or fire and rain? Fire and rain. I do like that song, even though it’s completely overplayed, but still.

It’s a lovely song. Okay, just a few more.

Originally, it’s what you should drink when taking two aspirin.

Now this might be a way to describe a lovely Irish mermaid.

Odka?

No.

You take odka with your aspirin?

That’s how they say it.

That’s a woman’s name in Mermish, isn’t it?

Hisky.

What did you drink when you take two aspirins?

Otter.

A gulp.

Ader?

You drink.

Glass?

Cup?

Sip?

Yeah, probably water.

What are your first, the first one?

Glass.

Lass.

So.

What do you get?

Lass of water?

What?

What’s the mermaid part again?

Now, this might be a way to describe a lovely Irish mermaid.

Oh.

That is not lass of water?

It is lass of water.

Oh, okay.

Oh, lass of water.

Lass of water, glass of water.

Oh, okay.

All right.

Lass of water.

Okay, I like this one.

Originally, this referred to meeting someone in person without an intermediary, remove a letter, and let me tell you, if you play tennis against Roger Federer, you might get one of these right in the punham.

Oh, so face-to-face.

Ace-to-face.

Ace-to-face, right.

Very nice.

Face-to-face or face-to-face.

Okay.

Here’s the last one.

I think this one’s good for A Way with Words.

Here we go.

Originally, this meant adjectives, adverbs, prepositions.

With a letter removed, it means oratory, debate, projection, breath control.

Arts of speech.

Arts of speech.

And that was quite artfully done.

Very good.

It’s a bit of parts of speech.

Grant, you are amazing at taking off.

What are you…

What?

What?

I mean, he just ate…

Oh, pun.

Sorry, I had my pun glasses on.

I can’t see any pun.

Did I hear what I think I heard?

What?

Oh, my gosh.

Poor devil is shivering.

I have no idea what you’re talking about there at all.

John, it’s been highly amusing.

I had a great time, too.

And Martha is cracking herself up, so we’re all having fun.

John, that’s amazing.

Do you know how hard it is to get a pun out of this guy?

You have really warmed him up.

That’s awesome.

I’ll put it on my resume.

You know what?

Yeah.

Anyway, thanks so much, John.

This was tremendous fun.

Thank you, Grant.

Thank you, Martha.

All right.

Thank you.

And the pipeline to send us email is words@waywordradio.org.