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Get 'In The' Swing of Things

NPR | By Will Shortz

Published February 19, 2006 at 9:03 AM EST

Puzzle master Will Shortz quizzes one of our listeners, and has a challenge for everyone at home.

Challenge from Feb. 12: Take the word "lore." If you insert the letter pair "ic" twice, you get "licorice." Now take the word "horn." Add an identical letter pair three times to this word, to get a familiar two-word phrase. The phrase names something good puzzle solvers have. What is it?

Answer: Horse Sense

Winner: Judy Williams of Tucson, Arizona

Challenge from Feb. 19: From Eric Berlin of Milford, Connecticut: Think of two different words meaning desire. Add the same letter in front of each of them, and you'll get two new words, each meaning "get rid of." What words are these?

Will Shortz

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).

See stories by Will Shortz