Puzzling The Puzzle Master on The Puzzler

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Gist – "Puzzling The Puzzle Master on The Puzzler"

Release Date: August 2, 2025
Host: Mike Pesca (The Gist)
Guest: AJ Jacobs and Greg Pliska (The Puzzler)

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Introduction and Guest Appearance

The episode kicks off with Mike Pesca introducing a special guest appearance by AJ Jacobs and Greg Pliska from The Puzzler podcast. Mike paints a warm welcome, highlighting AJ's multifaceted career, including his stint living as a Revolutionary War-era individual and his year-long experiment living biblically. Mike emphasizes AJ's passion for puzzles, setting the stage for an engaging and intellectually stimulating conversation.

Fishy and Fruity Names Challenge

[03:01] AJ Jacobs: "Today's challenge is to identify notable individuals with fishy names—first or last names that are species of fish, such as Lance Bass from NSYNC."

[04:12] Greg Pliska: "Mike Trout, the baseball player, is a prime example."

The trio delves into a lighthearted brainstorming session, citing examples like Terry Garr, Salmon P. Chase, and Ray Romano. The conversation is laced with humor and puns, reflecting their shared enthusiasm for wordplay and puzzles.

Mike Pesca’s Jeopardy Experience

Mike recounts his memorable appearance on Jeopardy:

[09:20] Mike Pesca: "I forgot my glasses during a video Daily Double, which really threw me off."

[10:07] Mike Pesca: "The final Jeopardy question was about actors who won both an Oscar and had a number one pop single. I wrote down Sinatra but second-guessed myself, missing out on other correct answers like Barbra Streisand and Jamie Foxx."

AJ and Greg chuckle over Mike's strategic errors, turning his experience into an entertaining anecdote about the pressures of live trivia competitions.

Debate on Daylight Savings Time

The conversation shifts to the contentious topic of Daylight Savings Time (DST):

[17:53] AJ Jacobs: "I heard you've taken a strong stance against DST. Can you elaborate?"

[18:02] Mike Pesca: "Absolutely. The constant shifting disrupts our natural circadian rhythms. While some advocate for standard time, I believe universal Daylight Savings Time would be a better solution to avoid the biannual clock changes."

AJ agrees, noting the broader implications of such changes on society and individual well-being.

Product Placement in Music – A Puzzling Perspective

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to a playful exploration of product placement in popular songs. AJ introduces the concept, prompting Mike and Greg to creatively integrate brands into classic song titles and lyrics.

[30:50] AJ Jacobs: "Ray Charles sang a song that plugs a fast-food franchise. What is it?"

[30:52] Mike Pesca: "Hit the Road, Jack in the Box."

The trio continues with examples like "Let It BMW" (from "Let It Be" by The Beatles) and "Sitting on the Dock of EBay" (from Otis Redding's classic). This segment showcases their quick wit and collaborative spirit, transforming well-known tunes into brand-centric renditions.

Mike’s NPR Feature on Cracker Jack

Mike shares his award-winning NPR piece:

[27:38] Mike Pesca: "I analyzed the product placement value of Cracker Jack in the song 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game.' Without its mention in the song, Cracker Jack might not have become a ballpark staple."

[28:24] AJ Jacobs: "Without that iconic mention, Cracker Jack's integration into American culture wouldn't be as prominent."

Their discussion highlights the profound impact of media and music on product popularity and consumer habits.

Engaging Puzzles and Wordplay

Throughout the episode, Mike, AJ, and Greg engage in various puzzles and wordplay challenges, fostering an environment of intellectual camaraderie. They tackle anagrams, fruit-themed phrases, and creatively reimagined song titles, keeping listeners both entertained and mentally stimulated.

Notable Quote:
[17:09] Mike Pesca: "The whole economy is based on not allowing you to think about stuff."

This quote underscores a recurring theme in their discussion about the societal constraints on creativity and free thought.

Closing Thoughts and Future Episodes

As the episode nears its conclusion, Mike thanks AJ and Greg for their participation, hinting at future collaborations and continued puzzle-solving adventures. They encourage listeners to engage with their content on social media and subscribe for more insightful and entertaining episodes.

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Key Takeaways:

• Collaboration Across Podcasts: The seamless integration of guests from The Puzzler into The Gist highlights the synergy between different podcast genres.
• The Power of Media Influence: Through Mike’s NPR feature, listeners gain insight into how media can significantly impact product popularity.
• Intellectual Entertainment: The episode masterfully blends news commentary with puzzle-solving, catering to an audience that appreciates both information and mental challenges.
• Humor and Witticism: The dynamic between Mike, AJ, and Greg infuses the episode with humor, making complex topics accessible and enjoyable.

Final Notable Quotes:

• [12:34] AJ Jacobs: "We are keeping people alive. We are heroes."
• [31:03] Mike Pesca: "Team Spirit is a type. It's a type of deodorant for teenage girls."

These quotes encapsulate the episode's blend of humor, serious discussion, and intellectual engagement.

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This episode of The Gist stands out as a testament to the enriching conversations that arise when diverse podcast communities collaborate. Listeners are treated to a blend of news analysis, personal anecdotes, and engaging puzzles, all delivered with charm and intellectual rigor.

Transcript

[T-Mobile Representative]

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[Mike Pesca]

Hi, it's Mike. It's Saturday. It's the day we do one from the best of the week or one from the best of the vault. But this week we do well, sort of one from the best of the week. I don't have to say it like that, but it wasn't my week. It was a little bit. It was the week of AJ Jacobs on the Puzzler. He has a great show called the Puzzler. Has been on our show to talk about when he lived life as a Revolutionary War guy. Before that he gained acclaim, fame, some shame for his year of living biblically. But he's always been one of these guys who loves puz and he's. He's just a lovely guy. Invited me on his show and we'll bring you 2/3 of those episodes right now. Your boy, Mike Pesk. I've never said that. I gotta apologize right now, but yours truly. Again, too formal. Somewhere in between your fella, Mike Pesca and A.J. jacobs on the Puzzler. Let's map out this week's amazing destinations and travel tips.

[Will]

Honestly, Will, I didn't plan any trips, but I did switch to T Mobile with their new Family Freedom offer.

[Mike Pesca]

That's not the itinerary we're following.

[Will]

Well, I'm departing from AT&T and embarking on a new journey with T Mobile. They paid off my family's four phones up to $3200 and gave us four new phones on the house.

[Mike Pesca]

Bon voyage.

[T-Mobile Representative]

Introducing Family Freedom. Our lowest cost will switch our biggest family savings all on America's largest 5G network. Visit your local T Mobile location or learn more@t mobile.com FamilyFreedom up to $800.

Per line via virtual prepaid card. Typically takes 15 days. Free phones via 24 monthly bill credits with finance agreement eg Apple iPhone 16, 128 gigabyte $829.99 Eligible trade in G iPhone 11 Pro for well qualified credits end and balance due. If you pay off early or cancel contact T Mobile.

[Amazon Music Representative]

All right, quick break. Knock knock. Who's there? Amazon Music. Amazon Music who? Amazon Music, where prime members can listen to top comedy podcasts. Ad free. No awkward interruptions, just non stop laughs from your favorite shows. It's free, it's funny, and hey, it's better than my knock knock jokes. Download the Amazon music app and let the good times roll. Or go to Amazon.com adfreecomedy that's Amazon.com to catch up on the latest episodes without the ads.

[AJ Jacobs]

Hello, puzzlers. I say we start with a quick puzzle. Today our challenge is can you come up with any notable people who have fishy names, by which I mean people whose first or last names are a species of fish, such as NSYNC singer Lance Bass. Bass is a fish. And we will accept misspellings. We're very liberal. If it sounds like a fish, like Marlon Wayans, then we'll accept it. Marlon. The person is spelled with an O, but the fish is spelled with an I. But still. Okay. In our book, the answers and more. At least some of them. And more puzzling puzzles after the break. Hello, puzzlers. Welcome back to the Puzzler podcast, the moisture wicking socks in your puzzle triathlon outfit. I'm your host, AJ Jacobs, and I'm here, of course, with Chief Puzzle Officer Greg Pliska. Greg, before the break, we asked puzzlers at home a challenge. Can you name any notable people with fishy names, such as NSYNC singer Lance Bass? Did you have any thoughts on fishing?

[Greg Pliska]

Of course, of course. Of course. There's the great baseball player, Mike Trout.

[AJ Jacobs]

Yes, yes. He is probably number one in the fishing. Yeah.

[Greg Pliska]

Actress Terry Garr, spelled differently.

[AJ Jacobs]

Good one. Yeah.

[Greg Pliska]

Gar is a fish. The great former treasury secretary, Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase. Yeah, I think who's on the. He's on like the ten thousand dollar bill or something, right? Salmon P. Chase.

[AJ Jacobs]

Love it.

[Greg Pliska]

And then there's Flounder from the movie Animal House.

[AJ Jacobs]

Nicely done. Well, well done. Yeah, There. I don't have all that many more. There's Ray. Ray. Ray Romano or Issa Rae. There's Rosamund Pike. But all of this is because it's sort of to honor our guest, but just sort of. And let me explain. Our guest is the podcaster extraordinaire, Mike Pesca, host of the Gist Podcast, the longest running daily news podcast in history. Also, he has the Gist list on Substack. Super entertaining. Welcome, Mike.

[Mike Pesca]

Thank you. For having me. And I thank you on behalf of former Scottish National Party chair Nicola Sturgeon.

[AJ Jacobs]

Well done. Well done. Yeah. I had no idea, but now I am.

[Mike Pesca]

She got smoked in an election and there she go.

[AJ Jacobs]

Well, the reason I brought up ichthyological puns is because your last name is Pesca, which sounds very fishy. It sounds like some European language for the word fish, like the word pescatarian, someone who only eats fish. But here's the twist. Here's the puzzly twist. It is not about fish. Is that correct?

[Mike Pesca]

The name in Italian, Pesca means peach. And the name of my production company because everyone thinks it means fish is Peach Fish Productions.

[AJ Jacobs]

Peach fish production. Exactly.

[Mike Pesca]

Love it.

[AJ Jacobs]

And you feel. How do you feel about being miss. I don't know whether that Miss species as a fish person instead of a fruit person?

[Mike Pesca]

How do I feel? I feel. I don't know. It'll scale. It's. Sometimes I feel filleted and sometimes. Sometimes it just. You know, I'm. I just swim along with the tide.

[AJ Jacobs]

Oh, my goodness. So much. All right, well, I'm not even going to try to get in there with my oak because I'm abandoning fish. I am cutting bait because we are moving to fruit. No more fish. All fruit because that is the true meaning of your last name. So this puzzle is called fruity Phrases. So I'm going to give you a clue and the phrase, the answer will always be a fruit filled phrase. So if. If the clue is something like a fruit filled way to say that everything is a. Okay, then in that case, the answer would be peachy Keen. Like your name. Peachy Keen.

[Mike Pesca]

Although if it were a fish, it might be Hunky Dory.

[AJ Jacobs]

Oh, unbelievable. Look at that coming fast and furious.

[Greg Pliska]

I'm just writing up the ichthyological punster contract right now.

[Mike Pesca]

Yeah, I think I nailed it. If you were. If you were on the fence, Hunky Dory really put it over the top.

[AJ Jacobs]

Really nailed it.

[Greg Pliska]

You were just kind of skating along before that.

[AJ Jacobs]

Nice. Nice one. All right, Mike, I need you to change to. What is the word for fruit? The fruititarian puzzle officer. All right, you ready? You ready to go into.

[Mike Pesca]

Yes. All right.

[AJ Jacobs]

This is a fruit filled compatriot of Colonel Mustard.

[Mike Pesca]

Professor Plum. I believe Plum's a professor.

[AJ Jacobs]

Yes, he is. Professor Plum. That is. Yes. As far as we know, this is a fruit filled body part, also called the laryngeal prominence. That's the official name. The laryngeal prominence.

[Mike Pesca]

The Adam's apple.

[AJ Jacobs]

Correct.

[Greg Pliska]

That is what you what you can't see if you're listening is all of us are touching our throats right now. I think that's that.

[AJ Jacobs]

All right, how about a fruit filled song named for a children's home in Liverpool? So that's the key. The Liverpool is the key.

[Mike Pesca]

Fruit filled song.

[Greg Pliska]

Oh.

[Mike Pesca]

Oh, okay.

[AJ Jacobs]

Nothing.

[Mike Pesca]

Yeah, yeah. Straw. I. Strawberry. You got it, right?

[Greg Pliska]

You got it. Oh, that was.

[Mike Pesca]

I didn't know it was the children's home. Interesting.

[AJ Jacobs]

I didn't until Wikipedia told me about an hour ago, but yeah, it was. John Lennon spent a lot of time in a children's home, and. And there it showed up.

[Mike Pesca]

Don't listen if you didn't know it before Wikipedia. It's nothing to get hung about.

[AJ Jacobs]

Good one. By the way, quick sidebar. You. This is not your first roadie in your first game show rodeo. You've done. Wait, wait, don't tell me. You've hosted. Wait, wait, don't tell me. And you've been on Jeopardy. So how was your Jeopardy. Experience?

[Mike Pesca]

I forgot my glasses, so that really screwed me over during a video daily double. Yeah. Or maybe I'm vain. And on the final Jeopardy. Question, I re. It was bad strategy because I wrote down. It was three possible answers, and I wrote down the first one that came to mind, and then I crossed it out. And if I had not crossed it out, I'll give you the question if you want. I think that's legal after all this time. If I'd not cross it out, if I just said, all right, I'm going with it, I would have gotten it. So here's the question. And this was of the time when I was on 20 years ago, I think it was. Four people have won a. An acting Oscar and had a number one pop single named two of the four.

[AJ Jacobs]

Oh, interesting. Bradley Cooper was here with that.

[Mike Pesca]

Well, no, this was. This was. Yeah, way.

[Greg Pliska]

This was older than.

[Mike Pesca]

Yeah, but after Judy Garland, who's not an answer.

[Greg Pliska]

Oh, that's interesting.

[AJ Jacobs]

I am watching musicals with my mom, so Funny Girl. Was that one Barbara Streisand?

[Mike Pesca]

The first name I write down is Streisand. And then I'm going through in my mind what she win the Oscar for. Not nuts, not Prince of Tide. And I quite foolishly, because I forgot Funny Girl crossed out Streisand. So now I have time dwindling down and I have to come up with a couple more. And I do come up with a correct other answer. You want to. You want to try? What is it they have to have.

[Greg Pliska]

Won an acting Oscar And a. And had a hit song.

[Mike Pesca]

Yes. And I'll give you a hint on.

[AJ Jacobs]

Number one hit song.

[Mike Pesca]

Many number one hit songs. This man. This man with not only the golden throat, but a golden arm. Yeah.

[Greg Pliska]

Sinatra.

[Mike Pesca]

Right. That is a correct answer. And I write down Sinatra. And now time is running down and I have no more. I've got the bump, bump, bump in Jeopardy. Theme music. And I just scroll down. Smith. I write Smith. And if in that moment I had enough time to write Streisand, I would have. And so the correct answers are Barbra Streisand. Or at the time, they were Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Bells of.

[Greg Pliska]

I was gonna say.

[Mike Pesca]

Yeah. And Jamie Foxx.

[AJ Jacobs]

Jamie.

[Greg Pliska]

Oh, that's a great one. I love that.

[AJ Jacobs]

Now wait, Alex.

[Mike Pesca]

And then Alex said Smith, Which Smith do you mean? And I said to myself, do I really? What if I get the wrong Smith? So I said, I don't know Will Smith, knowing he hadn't won an Oscar at that point. Pre Slap.

[AJ Jacobs]

Right.

[Mike Pesca]

And I was wrong. But I was also right. Just ahead of my time.

[Greg Pliska]

Yes, exactly. Just early.

[AJ Jacobs]

Oh, that's interesting. So can you now go claim it and say, listen, I was just.

[Mike Pesca]

That's why they can't air it in repeats. Everyone will be screaming, what about Will Smith? The guy's right.

[AJ Jacobs]

Oh, my God, that is great. But you were just saying what is the most common name? Because there is a 0.1% chance that that would be. Is that your strategy?

[Mike Pesca]

Yes, I was just going for a Smith. I've never seen it work, but it could.

[AJ Jacobs]

I love it. All right, well, I think I'd written.

[Mike Pesca]

The S for Streisand and I realized rice and was not coming out of my pen, so I Smithed it up.

[Greg Pliska]

We use in. In learned league trivia, which I play all the time, they. We call it a Lucky Johnson. Oh, where you just write Johnson in as the answer. And for some reason early on, it was a bunch of. There were a bunch of Johnson's that came up were like, okay, it's a Lucky Johnson. Now you just throw it in there if you're stuck.

[AJ Jacobs]

That.

[Mike Pesca]

Is Johnson the most popular surname?

[Greg Pliska]

No, I don't. I don't know that it is. It was just. It felt in the context it was more likely to be right. There's a president named Johnson. So you got, you know.

[Mike Pesca]

Right.

[Greg Pliska]

You've doubled the president a couple Johnsons. Yeah, exactly. That may have been the origin.

[Mike Pesca]

Actually. It's.

[Greg Pliska]

If it's a president question, use the Lucky Johnson. You got a shot. You got two. I mean, Bush and Roosevelt and Adams.

[Mike Pesca]

Yeah, they're two way too many common last names.

[AJ Jacobs]

Yeah, well, that is great. All right, if you need to, you can.

[Mike Pesca]

Harrison.

[AJ Jacobs]

Harrison.

[Mike Pesca]

Also, wait a minute. We've had 45 presidents, but only, what, 38 names? This seems wrong.

[AJ Jacobs]

Well, what about the fact that James, I think it's six or seven of our presidents are James's. What about that? What do you know?

[Mike Pesca]

And I know you do, since you are the kind of guys who know that J, though the third least common consonant, is the most common first letter for a male man's name.

[Greg Pliska]

Oh, crazy.

[AJ Jacobs]

I did.

[Greg Pliska]

Thanks to, like, a handful of names. Jack and John and James.

[AJ Jacobs]

Right, Right. All right, are you ready? Are you ready for more puzzling?

[Mike Pesca]

Do it.

[Greg Pliska]

More fruity phrases.

[AJ Jacobs]

Yes, more fruit filled phrases. Some of the most famous of these fruit filled talk show people include Andy Richter, Paul Schaeffer, Guillermo Rodriguez, and Ed McMahon.

[Mike Pesca]

This would be a second banana.

[AJ Jacobs]

Second banana. A second Johnson.

[Mike Pesca]

That's right, second banana.

[AJ Jacobs]

All right, how about. See, here's some more learning for you. The scientific name for this is voiceless labiodental trill, but it is more often known as a Bronx cheer.

[Mike Pesca]

A raspberry.

[AJ Jacobs]

That's it. A blowing. A raspberry. That's it. All right, how about. Oh, thank you for that. Labiodental trill.

[Greg Pliska]

That was the voiceless labiodento trill.

[Mike Pesca]

I think that was more horse like. Think there's more winning. I think raspberry. Yeah, I think.

[Greg Pliska]

Well, that's, that's voiceless.

[Mike Pesca]

I did, right?

[Greg Pliska]

If you, if you vibrate your vocal cords. It's voiced. It's a different sound.

[Mike Pesca]

Interesting, right?

[AJ Jacobs]

Okay, I, my apologies. I, I, I've done no voiceless dental trills or voiced people, so blame the other two. All right, I've got, I've got a fruit filled yoga pants brand. Also an advertiser on the Gist podcast, so you can't make any negative comments about them.

[Mike Pesca]

Is it Lulu Mango? Lulu Lychee? No, it's Lululemon.

[AJ Jacobs]

Nicely done. All right, I got a couple more. Mark Twain prefaced this novel with the words, persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted. Huh?

[Mike Pesca]

Ah, this is a good one, pudding head. Wilson Jumping. Oh, my. Thinking too hard.

[AJ Jacobs]

You are thinking too hard.

[Greg Pliska]

Think of the most famous Mark Twain.

[AJ Jacobs]

Novel, but the Lee. One of the least famous fruits, it's not a fruit like you order.

[Mike Pesca]

Oh, is there a Huck fruit or a fin fruit? A huckleberry? A Huckleberry.

[AJ Jacobs]

There it is. The Adventures of Huckleberry.

[Mike Pesca]

I'll be your huckleberry for that one.

[AJ Jacobs]

Oh my. Nice. All right, how about. Let's stick with literature for one more. This is a fruit filled novel that features a character saying you're bound to get ideas if you go thinking about stuff. You're bound to get ideas if you go thinking about stuff. And that character was named Tom Joad.

[Mike Pesca]

Yeah. So. Right. So it is the Oklahoma Dust bowl and it's.

[AJ Jacobs]

You got it. That is exactly it.

[Mike Pesca]

Grapes of Wrath. Grapes.

[AJ Jacobs]

There it is there. To John Steinbeck's A Grapes of Wrath. And I love that quote. I think that's a very timely quote that I think that there's a lack of ideas because people are not going thinking about stuff.

[Mike Pesca]

Oh, it's definitely true. This is the whole. The whole economy is based on not allowing you to think about stuff.

[AJ Jacobs]

Right, Right. Yeah. All right. This is a boundary that goes from the North Pole to the South Pole, though it does take some detours. It curves around Alaska through the Bering Strait. You know this longitude, 180 degree longitude.

[Mike Pesca]

Right. So I'm thinking International dateline. I'm thinking not the Prime Meridian.

[AJ Jacobs]

You're done. You got it. But you're done.

[Mike Pesca]

What did I do?

[AJ Jacobs]

Well, what.

[Mike Pesca]

The International Date Line.

[AJ Jacobs]

Yeah, that's it exactly.

[Mike Pesca]

Knock it in there.

[AJ Jacobs]

That's correct.

[Mike Pesca]

Like in the fruitcake that we all return just sneaking in the day.

[AJ Jacobs]

Now, one question. I think I've heard you take a stand that Daylight savings Time, its time is up. Is that right?

[Mike Pesca]

I, I was early on this and then the Senate passed a bill and now there's a lot of scholarship that says that Daylight savings time should be the one that is rejected and standard time should be universally adopted. But I think we should have universal daylight savings time just so it doesn't become five o'clock in the winter. But the chewing and froing of the times I think is awful. Just awful.

[AJ Jacobs]

Yeah, it's ridiculous. Well, one quick question. What. What is the pro standard time versus the pro Daylight Savings time?

[Mike Pesca]

Doctors write in to me and they say, mike, you're not using your coconut. They say, you know, we have natural, natural circadian rhythms and we would be better off if we just let the sun and the tides and everything else affect our lives. But I think not. I think that having it get so dark early in winter doesn't help anyone considering we live in an electrified world.

[AJ Jacobs]

Right. Yeah. I'm, I'm always very wary of the. Of nature is right. Argument. Like, you know. Yeah, like, hemlock is natural, right? Glass, Greg is.

[Mike Pesca]

What was your stance on Covid? Like, let her rip.

[AJ Jacobs]

I was not in favor of COVID I was against.

[Mike Pesca]

I was also anti Covid.

[Greg Pliska]

That's funny about that.

[AJ Jacobs]

It's a hot take. All right, well, you did fantastic. Congratulations. As you said, you used your melon and your coconut and. And ripped through them. I do have an extra credit for the folks at home. This is a fruity synonym for fame or a focus of attention. Fun fact. It's based on the way theaters used to illuminate the stage with glowing calcium oxide. Find out what that is tomorrow. And we have one more episode with the delightful Mike Pesca. So come back for that. And in the meantime, if you want even more puzzling, check out the hello, Puzzlers Instagram feed, ellopuzzlers. And we will see you here, of course, for more puzzling puzzles that will puzzle your puzzling list.

[Greg Pliska]

Hey, puzzlers, it's Greg Pliska up from the puzzle lab with the extra credit answer from our previous show. Our show was titled, according to this document in front of me, Mike Pesca smells like Teen Spirit Airlines. Now, I don't think that's actually true, although he was on Zoom, so, you know, who knows? But in fact, this is a puzzle about product placement in famous songs. And in this case, it come back in the title. It combines the great Nirvana song Smells Like Teen Spirit with Spirit Airlines. Your extra credit clue was this a Taylor Swift song advertising a popular bug repellent. That, of course, is Shake it Off bug spray. I would have just said Shake it off with an exclamation point because that's how that's styled on the product. Shake it off bug spray. Anyway, thanks for playing with us and join us tomorrow for some more puzzling puzzles that will puzzle you puzzlingly.

[Mike Pesca]

And we'll be back with a nuzzler Puzzler with me and AJ In a minute. Let's map out this week's amazing destinations and travel tips.

[Will]

Honestly, Will, I didn't plan any trips, but I did switch to T Mobile with their new Family Freedom offer.

[Mike Pesca]

That's not the itinerary we're following.

[Will]

Well, I'm departing from ATT and embarking on a new journey with T Mobile. They paid off my family's four phones up to $3200 and gave us four new phones. On the house.

[Mike Pesca]

Bon voyage.

[T-Mobile Representative]

Introducing Family Freedom. Our lowest cost Will switch our biggest family savings all on America's largest 5G network. Visit your local T Mobile location or learn more@t mobile.com FamilyFreedom up to $800.

Per line via virtual prepaid card typically takes 15 days. Free phones via 24 monthly bill credits with finance agreement eg Apple iPhone 16128 gigabyte $829.99 Eligible trade in eg iPhone 11 Pro for well qualified credits end and balance due if you pay off early or cancel contact T Mo from.

[Oregon Recycling Representative]

The Cascades to PDX to your kitchen, we recycle like we live here. That's why governments, brands and recycling companies are all joining together to bring change to make recycling better. As in trusting that your recyclables end up in the right places to be made into new things and having brands help fund the cost of recycling. You can find the Latest updates at recycleon.org Oregon From Mount Hood to the bin under your desk. Together we can do this.

[Mike Pesca]

All right, here's the next episode of the Puzzler that I was on. I hope you enjoy. I hope you get almost as many right as I do, but a one or two less. So you don't say, why do I need Pesca? I'm better than him at puzzles. Want you to say Peska is good. I can hang with him, but he and aj they are two of my ilk.

[AJ Jacobs]

Hello puzzlers. Let's start with a quick puzzle. Today's mini puzzle is in honor of our guest, the great podcaster Mike Pesca. That is Mike, P, E, S, C, A. And Mike has one of the most anagrammable last names that I have ever seen, which is high praise from the Puzzler podcast. No less than 43 words can be made from those letters without repeating in English. Who knows in other languages, several of those words use all five letters of Pesca. P, E, S, C and A. In fact, here's a sentence with three blanks. Can you fill in the blanks using five letter anagrams of Pesca? Here we go. Superman put on not one but two of his red blanks, flew to outer blank and put the Kryptonians through their blank. Okay, once again, Superman put on not one but two of his red blanks, flew to outer blank, and put the Kryptonians through their blank using the letters P E S C A. The answer and more puzzling puzzles after the break. Hello puzzlers. Welcome back to the Puzzler Podcast. The Bernoulli Principle Keeping your puzzle airplane aloft? I am. Well, thank you for the Whoa.

[Greg Pliska]

That makes us way more important than we usually are. Usually we're like the, you know, the extra bottle of liquor in your first class serving or something. Now we're the actual principal that keeps you aloft. I like it.

[AJ Jacobs]

We are keeping people alive. We are. We are heroes. True. I am your host, AJ Jacobs. I'm here, of course, the chief puzzle officer, Greg Kliska. And Greg, before the break, we asked puzzlers at home to fill in the blanks of this sentence. Superman put on not one, but two of his red blanks, flew to outer blank, and put the Kryptonians through their blank. And the key is that all those blanks can be filled with the letters P, E, S, C, A in different arrangements. And yes, Tesco happens to be the name of our guest. Weird coincidence. Do you have any thoughts?

[Greg Pliska]

Well, I think. I think everybody's got this one. It's Superman's capes going into space and putting the. Whoever you said the Kryptonians through their paces. Although I don't know that Superman can do that to the Kryptonians because they've got kryptonite and he can't make them do anything.

[AJ Jacobs]

Well, all right, I am going to. We will debate that later. I don't. Okay. I mean, Superman, he's Superman. He can do anything.

[Mike Pesca]

Except for kryptonite.

[Greg Pliska]

That's the key to Superman.

[Mike Pesca]

All right, Mike, if I may interject.

[AJ Jacobs]

Please, Mike.

[Mike Pesca]

Mike Pesca, I believe the issue isn't that they have kryptonite. It's that the sun on Krypton doesn't give him the powers that our yellow sun does. So he'd just be a regular guy. But he could put them through their paces through moral suasion, which is part of a spec script that I wrote about this exact thing. A spec also being one of the animals.

[Greg Pliska]

There we go.

[AJ Jacobs]

Look at my coming in hot now.

[Greg Pliska]

I love it.

[AJ Jacobs]

All right.

[Mike Pesca]

Yellow sun hot.

[AJ Jacobs]

Yellow sun hot. That is even better. Yes. I love moral suasion. He's got the laser eyes, he's got the extra strength, and moral suasion, the most important of his powers. Well, Mike, who you just heard there, is the host of the enormously popular podcast the Gist, which is the longest running daily news podcast in history. It has commentary news, it's got interview with guests such as Chuck D, Dan Savage, and author A.J. jacobs. That's me. And it is a delight to welcome Mike Pesca to the puzzler.

[Mike Pesca]

Thank you, A.J.

[AJ Jacobs]

Well, Mike, we have so much to talk about, but let me dive into a very important issue right up front, which is that early in Your career. You did a piece for NPR that won the Edward R. Murrow Award. And it was an in depth piece about, I know, going way back. It was about the song Take Me out to the Ball Game. And I know it's been a while, but do you. Would you remind folks what the premise was?

[Mike Pesca]

If you remember, I was listening to this song, I'm going to guess the seventh inning somewhere, and it struck me, you know, in terms of product placement, this has got to be very valuable. So I calculated the product placement value for Cracker Jack. Very important. No s and Cracker Jacks. It's a, it's a collective now. And I don't know what it was back in 2006, but I think it was hundreds of millions of dollars just to get mentioned on everyone's lips in a song that is sung in every major league ballpark. And I also have to say, and I was wondering what you and Greg would think about this without the reference in the song. Would Cracker Jack be a main, A mainstay, a staple of ballpark fair to this day? I think not.

[AJ Jacobs]

I think, I don't think it would exist. I think it would be like we wouldn't know the name Cracker Jack.

[Greg Pliska]

That's interesting, Greg, because it was in the ballpark. That's why it got into the song in the first place. Hot dogs are in the ballparks and we still eat them.

[AJ Jacobs]

Was it in the ballpark though, Mike? Because in your report you pointed out the writers of the song had never been to a ball game.

[Mike Pesca]

No, it was, it was one of those Tin Pan Alley. I think they wrote 45 songs that day and that was just the one that became part of Americana. Give me some Peanut and Cracker Jack, which, you know, as we know, the new fangled Cracker Jack is constituted with peanuts. So that maybe it was there. I don't know if the cracker jack of 19, oh, whatever had peanuts in it. Let's say it didn't. The song kind of thrust the peanuts inside the Cracker Jack. I think crack. I don't know if Cracker Jack would exist. I think a caramel coated popcorn is so delicious it would exist. Remember when Fiddle Faddle tried to give Cracker Jack for its money? I think that went nowhere. So I do think that some version of Cracker Jack would exist, but without the song, I don't know that it would.

[Greg Pliska]

My question is, have you had Cracker Jack at a ball game? Because I don't know if I ever have. I've been to Hundreds of ball games.

[Mike Pesca]

It's a sticky hand problem.

[AJ Jacobs]

I'm glad that, that we've gone into this important issue because it inspired a puzzle here at the Puzzler because it made us think there is so much.

[Mike Pesca]

As things are one to do. Exactly as everything that flits across your consciousness. Yes.

[AJ Jacobs]

For better or worse. For better or worse. Well, we realized there is so much potential for more product placements and songs than is being taken advantage of by corporate America. And we came up with a bunch of suggestions on how to seamlessly integrate products into popular songs. For instance, why didn't Nirvana do a song called Smells Like Teen Spirit Airlines? I mean, that is just staring us in the face. Why isn't the lullaby called Twinkle, Twinkle Little Starbucks? You see the idea? So, yeah, for this puzzle, I'm gonna give you part of a song title or some lyrics, and you have to tell me how it would best be turned into a product placement. So, for instance, if I gave the clue, Ray Charles sang a song that plugs a fast food franchise called oh, he's already got It.

[Mike Pesca]

Hit the Road, Jack in the Box.

[AJ Jacobs]

Oh, my God. I didn't even need to give him it. All right, I see what this is going to be like.

[Mike Pesca]

All right, well, I. I could be a real pain in the neck and go back and tell you that Smells like Teen Spirit is a product placement.

[AJ Jacobs]

Really?

[Mike Pesca]

You know that, right?

[AJ Jacobs]

No.

[Mike Pesca]

Well, Team Spirit is a type. It's a type of deodorant for teenage girls.

[AJ Jacobs]

All right.

[Mike Pesca]

That's what the Teen Spirit that it smells like.

[AJ Jacobs]

Yeah. That is so funny. Yes. Thank you for the pain.

[Mike Pesca]

Smells like Tea Spirit Airlines would be much worse than that original deodorant.

[AJ Jacobs]

It is a low smell of that deodorant. It is a low budget airline. Yeah, depends where you're sitting in the airline.

[Mike Pesca]

And there goes that sponsor.

[AJ Jacobs]

All right, are you ready for some more? All right, this is a. A Beatles song used to advertise a German car maker. So I'll give you a little. Since people love it when I sing, I'll do a little. Unless you don't need it.

[Mike Pesca]

Go ahead, sing a little. I want to hear you sing.

[Greg Pliska]

Yeah, we gotta hear some singing.

[AJ Jacobs]

Whisper words of the ultimate.

[Mike Pesca]

Let it BMW.

[AJ Jacobs]

Let it BMW. Nicely.

[Mike Pesca]

Oh, man. I was thinking ticket to ride a Volkswagen, but no.

[Greg Pliska]

Yes.

[AJ Jacobs]

Ah, nice, nice, nice.

[Greg Pliska]

Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz?

[AJ Jacobs]

Oh, sure.

[Greg Pliska]

That's not a Beatles song.

[AJ Jacobs]

So, yeah. All right. This is an Otis Redding song in support of an online auction site.

[Mike Pesca]

Sitting on the dock of ebay.

[AJ Jacobs]

That's it. I mean, he is good. I have all these clues, and I.

[Mike Pesca]

Don'T think about me, A.J. is that I sing so poorly. We're not going to violate fair use or copyright.

[AJ Jacobs]

That is such a good point. That is. That's my excuse for singing poorly. I'm actually a wonderful singer. I'm just doing it on purpose. Thank you for that excuse. All right, I've got a three dog night song in support of a chocolate bar, so I'll give you a hint if needed.

[Mike Pesca]

So, okay, I'm too fixated on Jeremiah was a bulldog. That's Joy to the almond, Joy to the world. Very good.

[AJ Jacobs]

Look at that. Nothing. All right. No, there's no challenge for him. All right, how about this one? Cher sang a song in support of a news weekly.

[Mike Pesca]

Well, it didn't work. Given the publishing industry.

[AJ Jacobs]

They need all the help they can get. Yeah.

[Mike Pesca]

Okay. What was that big auto tune song? I'm trying to think of Cher.

[Greg Pliska]

That's Bill. If you believe.

[AJ Jacobs]

It'S not believed. It is.

[Mike Pesca]

No, I thought could turn back Time magazine.

[AJ Jacobs]

That's it.

[Mike Pesca]

Very nice.

[AJ Jacobs]

I love that you're singing it. You get extra bonus points for that. By the way. Just one of the hints was person of the year. I. I would like, as a news person, is person of the year a good thing for the world or a bad thing? I would argue just to tip my hand. Terrible thing. Why pick one person? Like, nothing is done by one person.

[Mike Pesca]

Well, they don't anymore. Now it's all a raft of 13 people. So I get all these press releases saying, why don't you interview times person of the year? Like they were times person of the year, and they is the applicable pronoun because there are always 32 time people of the year. And then again, you and I and Greg and all of us were times person of the year. And was it 2007?

[AJ Jacobs]

Oh, yes.

[Mike Pesca]

The aluminum foil on the COVID I remember you.

[AJ Jacobs]

That was. That made me. I'm like, I better buy it. I'm person of the year.

[Mike Pesca]

Yeah, yeah. It was Prussian. It was. It was. Right? It was all about. Was it about YouTube? It was about tinfoil, I think Reynolds.

[AJ Jacobs]

Now you're thinking like a corporate product placement person. I like it. All right, we got a couple more. This is an Elvis Presley song about government affiliated insurance.

[Mike Pesca]

Well, I'm thinking of Jailhouse Get a piece of the Rock, but that's not it. Oh, government affiliated. Okay. Yeah, let's go with that. And that would be. Oh, I never know which ones are the government ones?

[AJ Jacobs]

Yeah.

[Mike Pesca]

Geico. Geico.

[Greg Pliska]

No, no, it's what. Has a color in it, doesn't it?

[AJ Jacobs]

It does. Don't step on them or your premium will go up. That's. I think one of the.

[Mike Pesca]

Okay, let me think. The. Okay, so it would be blue suede shoes.

[AJ Jacobs]

Yeah.

[Mike Pesca]

Something blue. I don't know. The government. I'm. I'm deficient in my government insurance.

[AJ Jacobs]

I think it is. It's not the red blank. It's the blue.

[Mike Pesca]

Oh, so like Blue Cross suede shoes.

[AJ Jacobs]

Exactly. Blue Cross. The full title is Blue Cross Blue Shield because they want to get them both in there, but. Yes. You got it. You got it.

[Mike Pesca]

Interesting. You help me.

[AJ Jacobs]

All right, Well, I feel good because you were getting them way too fast. All right, I got it. I got a couple more, and then we actually have. I want to talk to you. You have something that you brought to us. All right, this one, since this one is actually from the last 15 years, I'm gonna go with it. This is a song by Fun. F U N lowercase. In support of one of the big four accounting companies.

[Mike Pesca]

So we are Ernst and Young.

[AJ Jacobs]

Exactly.

[Mike Pesca]

Janelle Monae. Right. Does she help them with that one? I think. I think she's in one of the fun songs.

[AJ Jacobs]

Well, yes, you didn't. You didn't fully sing it, but we give you full credit anyway. That was delightful. You just blew through them. But. But you're not done yet because apparently you have something waiting in the wings for us.

[Mike Pesca]

This is. This is not. Your questions have answers. Mine are minor answers in search of questions, but it's very vague. It's not like the Jeopardy. Rules where that's all a construct. You know how in Jeopardy. They will say, oh, give me the answer in the form of a question. But if there was a real trivia contest where the answers were Jeopardy. Quote, unquote answers, and all the answers were. All right, here's a question. AJ And Greg. Who is Bruce Box? Leitner. I mean, what's the answer to that? Right.

[AJ Jacobs]

You can't sum it up.

[Mike Pesca]

It could be something like. Here. Here would be a good one. What is 5280?

[AJ Jacobs]

Right.

[Greg Pliska]

Well, that is how many.

[Mike Pesca]

Right.

[Greg Pliska]

How many feet in a mile? Yeah.

[AJ Jacobs]

Merv Griffin actually based it on that. That was the first Jeopardy. Question. Yeah.

[Mike Pesca]

Oh, really? Okay. But of course, you could come up with, you know, what is 25, 40 times two from doing a good one? Wait, no, 26, 40 times two. Yeah. So I just have answers that I think would make good Puzzler answers. It's up to you. Do it in one puzzle. Do it over the course of your lifetime. Here are some answers I think that would make good puzzler answers. Ready?

[AJ Jacobs]

Ready.

[Mike Pesca]

Cedar Sinai.

[AJ Jacobs]

Oh, well, what do you think? I have something that comes to mind immediately. Like, okay, what do you got?

[Mike Pesca]

And Oregon.

[Greg Pliska]

Well, are these all. These are not all related, Mike.

[Mike Pesca]

No, they're not related. I just come up with. The answers are Cedar Sinai, Bend, Oregon, Mayorca.

[AJ Jacobs]

Right.

[Mike Pesca]

And I think this is the best one Ray finds.

[AJ Jacobs]

Nice.

[Mike Pesca]

Well, aren't those good answers?

[AJ Jacobs]

Those are such grist for the puzzle mill. They are just waiting to be.

[Mike Pesca]

Consider it some gist grist, my friends.

[AJ Jacobs]

Wow. Nicely done.

[Greg Pliska]

Yeah, I got it.

[AJ Jacobs]

There's so many. Like, I'll. I'll go do one.

[Greg Pliska]

You got one for cedar? You have one for cedar, right?

[AJ Jacobs]

Well, I have one. I mean, may. Orca. You've got ones that words that start.

[Greg Pliska]

Start with months.

[AJ Jacobs]

Months or. Or better yet, place names like June O. June O. Alaska.

[Greg Pliska]

Yep. Although if you pronounce it my orca, it could be the whale that belongs to me.

[AJ Jacobs]

Oh, nicely. See, there's so many with it.

[Mike Pesca]

That's what we love, excessive sea creatures. Right, right, right.

[AJ Jacobs]

What were some wake. What, What? What else you got, Greg?

[Greg Pliska]

Things with possessive. So Uranus would also be on that list. Did you have one for Ralph Fiennes? Is. Is so great.

[AJ Jacobs]

We've done a few where it's a name that is also a sentence and someone actually wrote in to suggest Wade Boggs, like you wade through Boggs. But we've also done lots like. Well, we had a guest named Adam Sink and that kind of has spurred the idea. Adam sank. Right.

[Greg Pliska]

So these are the.

[Mike Pesca]

The site doing the ratings, by the way.

[Greg Pliska]

Yeah, yeah, it rose. It rose.

[Mike Pesca]

Charlie. These are the Charlie Sank.

[Greg Pliska]

The citations. The citations given to you by, you know, the famous actor. Blah, blah, blah. Rafe Red. These are the Rafe finds.

[AJ Jacobs]

Rafe finds. Way I missed it. It's over my head.

[Greg Pliska]

The citations given to you.

[AJ Jacobs]

Oh, I see. Citations in that sense. I see. Yeah. Okay. Very good. Very good. Well, that is great. Thank you.

[Mike Pesca]

On the set of wizard of Oz, why did. Why did Bert Lahr and Judy Garland have to pay penalties? Because Ray finds. Yeah, I don't know.

[Greg Pliska]

Yeah, there you go. Oh, very good.

[AJ Jacobs]

Let me end with. Actually, let me give you one more and then one more for extra credit. How about a Phil Collins song about an online site for renting homes.

[Mike Pesca]

In the Airbnb at night?

[AJ Jacobs]

That's nice. Very good.

[Mike Pesca]

Tonight.

[Greg Pliska]

Yeah, exactly. In the Airbnb tonight.

[Mike Pesca]

Yes.

[AJ Jacobs]

All right, well, I do have an extra credit for the folks at home, which is a Taylor Swift song about advertising a popular bug repellent. So a Taylor Swift song that advertises a popular bug repellent. Looks like Mike knows, but he's wisely keeping keeping quiet. We appreciate it. And we appreciate you, Mike. You are a puzzler extraordinaire. And luckily we have two more episodes with you. So we've got lots to talk about, including more Jeopardy. Gossip. I want to hear about your life on Jeopardy. And folks, so come back tomorrow to hear that. And in the meantime, if you have 30 seconds, check out our Instagram feed, Ellopuzzlers, Original puzzles, visual puzzles, all sorts of fun stuff. And listen to the gist wherever you get your podcast. Excellent daily news show right after your puzzle or before whatever. And we'll meet you here tomorrow for more puzzling puzzles that will puzzle you. Puzzling.

[Mike Pesca]

That's it for today's show. Cory Warra produces the Gist. I assembled the Gist list alongside Kathleen Sykes. I mean, not really alongside. She's in Utah. I'm here. But we collaborate, as do Astrid Green and the team. She runs our socials and Ashley Khan is our production coordinator. Who's in charge? It's Michelle Pesca. As I'll tell you, she is loathe to say oom Peru, gpru do Peru. And thanks for listening. Marketing.

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