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Sunday Puzzle: P, B And J

Sunday Puzzle
NPR
Sunday Puzzle

On-air challenge: The theme of this puzzle is P, B & J. I'm going to give you three words starting with the letters P, B and J. You give me a fourth word that can follow each of mine to complete a compound word or a familiar two-word phrase.

Example: Parking, Back, Job --> LOT (parking lot, back lot, job lot)

Starting with three-letter answers:

1. Penalty, Boom, Juke

2. Power, Buzz, Jig

3. Present, Birth, Judgment

4. Pill, Bed, Jitter

Now four-letter answers:

5. Perp, Board, Jay

6. Paddle, Basket, Jump

7. Parting, Big, Jell-O

8. Plymouth, Bed, Jailhouse

Some five-letter answers:

9. Pogo, Broom, Joy

10. Pocket, Butter, Jack

11. Passion, Bearing, Juicy

Finally a six-letter answer:

12. Pickled, Bell, Jalapeno

Last week's challenge: This challenge came from listener Tyler Lipscomb, of Augusta, Ga. Name certain fruits — in the plural. Change the second letter to an L and read the result backward. You'll name two things to drink. What are they?

Challenge answer: Avocados --> soda, cola

Winner: Steve Becker of Grantham, N.H.

This week's challenge: This week's challenge comes from listener Michael Schwartz of Florence, Ore. Name a world capital. Change one letter in it to D-Y. The result will be two words, one after the other. The first word names somebody you like to be around. The second word names somebody you don't like to be around. What city is it?

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 by Thursday, Oct. 22, at 3 p.m. ET.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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).