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For the Birds

NPR's Puzzlemaster Will Shortz quizzes one of our listeners, and has a challenge for everyone at home.

Challenge from July 24: From listener Henry Hook: Think of a word that completes the two-word phrase "BLANK-Jump." Remove the fourth letter. The remaining letters, phonetically, make a new word that completes the phrase, "BLANK-Hop." What is it?

Answer: Bungee Jump and Bunee (Bunny) Hop

Winner: Prof. Robert Reiser, from Tallahassee, Fla.

Challenge from July 31: Think of a word with three syllables starting with the letter "A." Remove the "A" and you'll be left a new word and only one syllable. What is it? Here's a hint: The first word has three vowels, counting the A.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

NPR's Puzzlemaster Will Shortz has appeared on Weekend Edition Sunday since the program's start in 1987. He's also the crossword editor of The New York Times, the former editor of Games magazine, and the founder and director of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (since 1978).