BILL KURTIS: From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is WAIT WAIT... DON'T TELL ME, the NPR News quiz. I'm Bill Kurtis. We're playing this week with Greg Proops, Luke Burbank and Amy Dickinson. And here again is your host at the Chase Bank Auditorium in downtown Chicago, Peter Sagal.
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PETER SAGAL, HOST:
Thank you. In just a minute, Bill asks you to do it to him one more rhyme. It's the Listener Limerick Challenge.
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SAGAL: If you'd like to play, give us a call at 1-888-WAITWAIT. That's 1-888-924-8924. Right now, panel, some more questions for you from the week's news. Greg, a new study completely overthrows all settled science on the matter and suggests that house cats actually are capable of what?
GREG PROOPS: Writing humorous anecdotes?
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SAGAL: No.
PROOPS: Of gaming the system?
SAGAL: Well, I don't believe this for a minute.
PROOPS: Oh, that - oh, that house cats are capable of affection and loyalty - loyalty?
SAGAL: Yes, that's right.
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SAGAL: According to the study, they're capable of affection for people. New research from Oregon State University finds cats are actually fond of you, not just those can-opening opposable thumbs.
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SAGAL: In the study, they say that when they - given the choice, cats picked human interaction over food. Really?
AMY DICKINSON: Yay.
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SAGAL: Of course, another way to interpret this result is they're thinking, why bother with that awful dry cat food when there's 150 pounds of fresh meat right there if only they can figure out how to harvest it?
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DICKINSON: So I totally believe that that's true. I've had different cats. But the cat I have now and have had for many years really, really, really prefers me. And I travel a lot. And when I'm gone, he does not eat as - like, he doesn't do as well.
SAGAL: Right.
DICKINSON: I actually had a dream about him last night. Like, I have never dreamt about my husband.
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DICKINSON: I had a dream about my cat. So I guess I'm capable of love, but yeah, seriously.
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SAGAL: Luke, this week, Bon Appetit magazine published a recipe for hand salad. What, Luke, is a hand salad?
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LUKE BURBANK: Something only white people would even think of.
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SAGAL: I'm almost tempted to give it to you because that's extraordinarily correct, but you could be more specific.
BURBANK: Can I have a hint?
SAGAL: Well, the only hint I have is what do you think it is?
BURBANK: It's either a salad that's made by hand.
SAGAL: Yeah, no. It's not that.
BURBANK: OK. Or it's made of hand.
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SAGAL: You mean like pear salad, beet salad, hand salad? No.
BURBANK: I mean, that's what it sounds like to me. What could it be?
SAGAL: I don't know. Does anybody else know? Amy, do you know?
DICKINSON: No.
PROOPS: I would think it would be a salad that you eat by hand, rather than putting it in a bowl.
SAGAL: That is exactly correct.
DICKINSON: Oh, my...
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SAGAL: A hand salad is a leaf of romaine lettuce you dip in ranch dressing and then put in your mouth.
DICKINSON: There's a recipe for that?
SAGAL: There is.
PROOPS: It's what we in Hollywood call a banquet.
SAGAL: Exactly.
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BURBANK: There's no way that Bon Appetit was recommending you dip it in ranch dressing.
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SAGAL: It was.
DICKINSON: That's true.
SAGAL: It's the creative affordable appetizer to serve the guests at your next dinner party. Just think of all the money you'll save on the forks you already own.
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SAGAL: The article featured step-by-step photos for preparing the dish.
DICKINSON: Oh, stop.
SAGAL: No wait, it was just one of those wash-your-hands placards you see in the bathroom at Wendy's.
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PROOPS: Are you sure this wasn't Bon Crappetit (ph)?
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SAGAL: The recipe, in the way that happens now, is immediately attacked by everyone on social media. But its significance cannot be overlooked. The article marks the first time the words hand salad have ever been used outside the phrase 25 bucks will only get you a hand salad.
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SAGAL: Amy, some exciting news from paleontology this week. In addition to being a fierce predator, thanks to a new discovery, we now know that the Tyrannosaurus rex was also a what?
DICKINSON: A love machine?
SAGAL: Yes.
DICKINSON: No.
SAGAL: Yes.
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SAGAL: It turns out that according to the latest paleontology, the Tyrannosaurus rex, feared killing machine, was also a generous and sensitive lover.
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SAGAL: They're - according to this discovery, their gigantic snouts were filled with these special nerve endings. Experts now believe they would gently rub their noses together, male and female Tyrannosaurus, in a, quote, "a vital part of pre-copulatory play." That's how people refer to foreplay if they've never done it.
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SAGAL: The snout-rubbing happened right before she'd say put your arms around me. And he'd look down and say not going to happen, baby.
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PROOPS: No Tyrannosaurus is going to give a hand salad, I'll tell you that.
(SOUNDBITE OF T. REX SONG, "GET IT ON") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.