© 2026 WRVO Public Media
NPR News for Central New York
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Sunday Puzzle: Initial Clues

NPR

On-air challenge: I'm going to give you some categories in two words. You name something in each category starting with each initial in the category. Any answer that works is fine.

Ex. Foreign Languages --> French, Lithuanian
1. Zoo Animals
2. Domestic Airlines
3. Clue Weapons
4. Fruit Trees
5. American Poets
6. Mixed Drinks
7. African Nations
8. Australian Cities
9. Chess Pieces
10. Card Games

Last week's challenge: From Joseph Young, of St. Cloud, Minn., who conducts the blog "Puzzleria." Take the name of a flower that has a common girl's name in consecutive letters inside it. Remove that name, and the remaining letters, in order, sound like another girl's name. What flower is it?

Challenge answer: Amaryllis — Mary, Alice

Winner: Brad Humphreys of Morgantown, W.Va.

This week's challenge: It comes from the puzzlemaker and editor Peter Gordon. Think of the word for a competitor in a particular Olympic sport. It's a compound word with a hyphen in the middle. Remove the hyphen. What remains are two words from a different Olympic sport. What words are these?

Submit Your Answer

If you know the answer to next week's challenge, submit it here by Thursday, July 29, at 3 p.m. ET. Listeners who submit correct answers win a chance to play the on-air puzzle. Important: Include a phone number where we can reach you.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Will Shortz has been the puzzle master for NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday since the program's start in 1987.
Recent cuts to federal funding are challenging our mission to serve central and upstate New York with trusted journalism, vital local coverage, and the diverse programming that informs and connects our communities. This is the moment to join our community of supporters and help keep journalists on the ground, asking hard questions that matter to our region.

Stand with public media and make your gift today—not just for yourself, but for all who depend on WRVO as a trusted resource and civic cornerstone in central and upstate New York.