Filed by KOSU News in Art & Life.
February 10, 2013

On-air challenge: Every answer is a three-letter word that ends a familiar two-word phrase. You will be given the first word of the phrase. You provide the three-letter word that ends it. And the three letters in your answer will always be found, in some order, inside the first word. For example, given “Arctic,” you would say “Air.”

Last week’s challenge from listeners Mike Morton of Lyme, N.H., and Barry Hayes of Palo Alto, Calif.: Name a famous author, first and last names. Change an X in this name to a B, and rearrange all the letters. The result is how this author might address a memo to the author’s most famous character. Who is it?

Answers: Beatrix Potter; To: Peter Rabbit; or Rex Stout; To: Buster

Winner: Elizabeth Venstra of Solsberry, Ind.

Next week’s challenge: Take the last name of a former president of a foreign country, someone well-known. Change the last letter of this name to an O and rearrange the result. You’ll get the last name of someone who wanted to be president of the United States. Who are these two people?

Submit Your Answer

If you know the answer to next week’s challenge, submit it here. Listeners who submit correct answers win a chance to play the on-air puzzle. Important: Include a phone number where we can reach you Thursday at 3 p.m. Eastern. [Copyright 2013 NPR]