Will Shortz

  • Donald Christensen / Courtesy American Crossword Puzzle Tournament

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).

Will sold his first puzzle professionally when he was 14 — to Venture, a denominational youth magazine. At 16 he became a regular contributor to Dell puzzle publications. He is the only person in the world to hold a college degree in Enigmatology, the study of puzzles, which he earned from Indiana University in 1974.

Born in 1952 and raised on an Arabian horse farm in Indiana, Will now lives near New York City in a Tudor-style house filled with books and Arts and Crafts furniture. When he's not at work, he enjoys bicycling, movies, reading, travel, and collecting antique puzzle books and magazines.

Sunday Puzzle: Silent Anagrams

By • Mar 29, 2020

On-air challenge: I'm going to give you a word and an extra letter. Anagram everything into a new word ... in which the added letter is silent.

Example: MOW + B --> WOMB
1. GRIN + W
2. TOGS + H
3. FINE + K
4. TENS + C
5. HANS + G
6. BRIDE + S
7. NOMAD + L
8. DOTER + B
9. PEDLAR + O
10. SIMONE + T
11. RETINT + W
12. AIMING + E
13. NO SHAME + D
14. CHEAP MAN + G

Sunday Puzzle: Hinkity-Pinkity

By • Mar 22, 2020

On-air challenge: Every answer is a rhyming two-word phrase, in which each word has three syllables.

Ex. Beverage that stands out --> Notable Potable

1. How-to book that comes out once a year

2. Recollection of a university in Atlanta

3. Careful examination of a rebellion on a ship

4. Personal journal written with hot language

5. Yorkshire dog that's more jolly

6. Sweepstakes involving clayware

7. Devotion to kings and queens

8. Event sent by God involving a ball

Sunday Puzzle: You Can't Spell Consonant Without C Or T

By • Mar 15, 2020

On-air challenge: Every answer today is a word, name or phrase in which the only consonants are C and T — repeated as often as necessary. All the other letters are vowels.

Example: Understood without being stated --> Tacit

1. Room at the top of a house

2. Like an angle that's less than 90 degrees

3. Group of eight musicians

4. Desert plants with needles

5. Adorable person

6. City on the Erie Canal

7. Strategy

8. Something invisible a grade schooler doesn't want to get

Sunday Puzzle: 2-Word Phrases

By • Mar 8, 2020

On-air challenge: I'm going to give you two sets of three letters. Put the same two letters in front of each trio to complete a compound word or familiar two-word phrase.

Ex. Ite Ale --> White Whale
1. Und Bin
2. Ass Own
3. Bby Rse
4. Ste Ter
5. Dar Nge
6. Ash OOD
7. Wer Int
8. Ell Ock
9. Tor Uth
10. Own Ead
11. Ain Ack
12. Ole Eat
13. And Ill
14. Tch Ker (two answers)

Sunday Puzzle: Drop The Go

By • Mar 1, 2020

On-air challenge: I'm going to give you clues for two words. The first word ends in GO. Drop the GO, and what's left will answer the second clue.

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