While driving down an East Texas country road I spotted this scene. The autumn trees and the late afternoon sun made these golden bales of hay shine just a little bit more. Fortunately I had my camera with me. (c) James Q. Eddy Jr.
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Sunday Puzzle: Connect The Words

NPR

On-air Challenge: Every answer today is a word starting with SH-. I'm going to give you two words. The first one can precede the answer and the second one can follow it, in each case to complete a compound word or a familiar two-word phrase.

Ex. Jump Glass --> SHOT [jump shot, shot glass]

1. Tortoise Game
2. Milk Hands
3. Soft Polish
4. Coffee Talk
5. Talk Business
6. Window Tree
7. Space Cock
8. Meteor Stall
9. Look Shooter
10. Cold Blade

Last challenge: This week's challenge comes from listener Ed Pegg Jr. Think of something that gets people moving vertically. Remove the middle two letters, and you get something that moves people horizontally. What two things are these?

Challenge answer: Trampoline --> Tramline

Winner: Martha Hasting of St. Louis, Mo.

This week's challenge: This week's challenge comes from listener Ben Austin, of Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. Take the name of a major American city. Move one of its letters three spaces later in the alphabet. Embedded in the resulting string of letters, reading left to right, is a cardinal number. Remove that number, and the remaining letters, reading left to right, spell an ordinal number. What city is it, and what are the numbers?

Submit Your Answer

If you know the answer to next week's challenge, submit it here by Thursday, Aug. 26, at 3 p.m. ET. Listeners who submit correct answers win a chance to play the on-air puzzle. Important: Include a phone number where we can reach you.

Copyright 2025 NPR

Will Shortz
Will Shortz has been the puzzle master for NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday since the program's start in 1987.