Will Shortz

Every answer is a word, name, or a familiar phrase in which the first syllable is pronounced "fair" -- in any spelling. (Ex. Locale for an exhibition --> FAIRGROUND)

On-air challenge As you probably know, the N.B.A. finals are going on right now. Game 3 between the Knicks and the Spurs is tomorrow night.

On-air challenge Every answer is the six-letter name of a world capital, in which I've changed the first and last letters. You name the capitals.

On-air challenge I'm going to give you two words starting with the letter B. You give me another word starting with B that can follow my

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe plays the puzzle with KNOW listener Dan Sadoff of St. Paul, Minnesota along with Weekend Edition Puzzlemaster Will Shortz.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe plays the puzzle with KNOW listener Dan Sadoff of St. Paul, Minnesota along with Weekend Edition Puzzlemaster Will Shortz.

On-air challenge I'm going to give you two five-letter words. Add the same two letters at the end of the first one and the start of the second one, in each case to complete a familiar seven-letter word.

Puzzlemaster Will Shortz plays the Puzzle with NPR's Ayesha Rascoe and KMUW listener Elaine Neel of Derby, Kansas.

On-air challenge Based on the clue, name two words that have the same number of letters and begin and end on the letters provided. (Ex. Rocks / five letters / S and E —> Slate, Shale)

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe plays the puzzle along with Weekend Edition Puzzlemaster Will Shortz and WVXU listener Debra Waller of Burlington, Kentucky.