WWDTM: Amber Maykut

Summary

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! – Episode Featuring Amber Makutt Release Date: February 1, 2025
Host: Peter Sagal
Guest: Amber Makutt, "Taxidermist to the Stars"

---

Introduction

Hosted by Peter Sagal at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago, NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! delivers its signature blend of humor and news quizzing. The show features a panel of comedians and a celebrity guest, providing listeners with both laughter and a test of their current event knowledge.

---

Listener Contestant: Matt from Auburn, Alabama

The episode opens with Peter welcoming Matt, a listener from Auburn, Alabama, who works at the Southeastern Center of Robotics Education. This segment sets the stage for the panelists to introduce themselves and engage with Matt in humorous banter about his job.

---

News Quiz: Key Highlights and Notable Quotes

1. Egg Prices Soar

   • Quote: “I just got approved for financing on a dozen.” (00:57)
   • Discussion: The panel humorously discusses the skyrocketing egg prices, noting an average cost of $7 per dozen and projections of a further 20% increase. Joyell Nicole Johnson quips, “I don’t relate to this because my boyfriend is a bougie egg buyer,” highlighting the absurdity of the situation.

2. Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan

   • Quote: “I put on £20 because, believe it or not, I was thinner than the.” (04:55)
   • Discussion: The panelers mock Chalamet’s weight gain for his role as Bob Dylan, navigating comedic jabs about the transformation required for the part.

3. Pxiety – Anxiety Over Missing Out

   • Quote: “51% of Americans suffer from pxiety.” (07:12)
   • Discussion: The term “pxiety” is introduced as the anxiety of missing out on enjoyable activities. The panel engages in witty exchanges about the compulsions to stay engaged, even during necessary breaks like bathroom visits.

---

Bluff the Listener: Unusual Side Hustles

Matt participates in the "Bluff the Listener" segment, where the panel presents three unconventional side hustles. The options include:

• Joyell Nicole Johnson's Story: Elaine Smalls, the "take back Queen," offers services to return unwanted items and even dishes at restaurants.
• Adam Felber's Story: Shazaili Suleiman, a "villain for hire," poses as a threat to help individuals appear more heroic on dates.
• Rekha Shankar's Story: Ellen Walkman acts as a family judge to mediate household disputes.

Outcome: Matt selects Joyell’s story, but it is revealed that Adam’s story about hiring a villain for date impresses is the truthful one, highlighting the innovative and bizarre nature of side gigs.

---

Interview: Amber Makutt, Taxidermist to the Stars

Timestamp: (21:29)

Background: Amber Makutt discusses her unique niche in anthropomorphic taxidermy, creating lifelike animal mounts with human characteristics. Her clientele includes celebrities like Drew Barrymore, Amy Sedaris, and musicians Adam Jones of Tool and the band Slayer.

Notable Quotes:

• Amber Makutt: “A lot of what I do is called anthropomorphic taxidermy. So it's kind of giving life, human characteristics or activities to the taxidermy.” (22:28)
• Peter Sagal: “I have a problem with stuffed animals because I'm one of those people who assume they’re moving when I look away.” (26:27)

Key Insights:

• Creative Process: Amber explains the meticulous process of creating her mounts, including the use of anatomically correct mannequins, glass eyes, and sculptural work to achieve lifelike representations.
• Unique Requests: She shares amusing anecdotes about customized requests, such as making a mouse look like a client's boyfriend, highlighting the playful side of her craft.

Closing Note: Amber participates in the "They’re Alive" game, successfully answering questions about live animals intruding into homes, further showcasing her expertise and engaging personality.

---

Listener Limerick Challenge

Claire from Tacoma, Washington, engages in the limerick challenge, where she successfully completes three limericks related to current events:

1. Dinosaur Puke: “Dinosaurs upchucks more rare than a comet.”
   Answer: Vomit.
   (38:12)

2. Billy Crystal's Sweater:
   Answer: “When Harry Met Sally” look.
   (39:25)

3. Speed Loafers:
   Answer: A humorous take on impractical footwear combining loafers and running shoes.
   (41:09)

Claire excels in this segment, demonstrating quick wit and a solid grasp of the limerick clues.

---

Fill in the Blank Game

The final quiz segment features Rekha Shankar and Joyell Nicole Johnson competing against Adam Felber.

Rekha Shankar’s Performance:

• Correctly answered questions about Tesla’s earnings, Starbucks reducing menu items, Ebola outbreak in Uganda, Mona Lisa in the Louvre, and a fraudulent drill order from AliExpress.
• Total Points: 10

Joyell Nicole Johnson’s Performance:

• Correctly answered questions about RFK Jr., bird flu, drone approvals in New Jersey, Athletics Australia's name change, and the Johnstown Flood Museum closure.
• Total Points: 9

Adam Felber’s Performance:

• Correctly answered questions regarding the Chinese AI platform Deep Seek, detaining migrants at Guantanamo Bay, hostages in Gaza, wildfires in California, and a bizarre highway construction around a homeowner’s house.
• Total Points: 15
• Outcome: Adam Felber wins the episode’s quiz segment with a total of 15 points.

---

Conclusion and Final Remarks

Peter Sagal wraps up the episode with final jokes about escalating breakfast trends in response to high egg prices, thanking Amber Makutt for her insightful and entertaining appearance as the first guest. The show maintains its light-hearted and humorous tone throughout, combining current events with comedic analysis, making it both informative and entertaining for listeners.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Matt’s Introduction: “Stuffed animals are not actually stuffed. No, they're just trained to stand there very still.” (00:44)
• Joyell Nicole Johnson on Bougie Egg Buyers: “I don’t relate to this because my boyfriend is a bougie egg buyer.” (03:39)
• Adam Felber on Pxiety: “But admit it, you want them more now than you used to, don’t you?” (07:26)
• Amber Makutt Explaining Anthropomorphic Taxidermy: “A lot of what I do is called anthropomorphic taxidermy.” (22:28)
• Claire’s Limerick on Dinosaur Puke: “Vomit isn’t distinguishable from any other rock.” (38:12)

---

Final Thoughts

This episode of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! provides a delightful mix of humor, current events, and unique guest insights. Amber Makutt’s feature as the taxidermist to the stars adds a fascinating layer to the show, while the panelists’ quick wit and engaging games ensure that listeners are both entertained and informed. Whether you’re a regular listener or new to the show, this episode offers a comprehensive and enjoyable experience.

Transcript

[Pemco Mutual Insurance]

This message comes from Pemco Mutual Insurance Company. Their mission is to help customers worry less and live more. So they're sharing prevention tips that empower you to prevent some of life's pitfalls before they happen. Visit pemco.com prevention.

[Chioki Ianson]

From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is. Wait, wait, don't tell me. The NPR News quiz. I'm the voice that puts the fun in Defund Public Broadcasting Chiop I Anson. And here is your host at the Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building in Chicago, Illinois, Peter Sagal.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you, Tioki. Thank you, everybody. We got a fabulous show for you today. Later on, we are going to be talking to Amber Makutt, known as the taxidermist to the stars. Now, among the many things we have already learned from her, stuffed animals are not actually stuffed. No, they're just trained to stand there very still. We are always eager to hear your tricks of the trade. So give us a call. The number is 1-888-wait, wait. That's 1-888-924-8924. Let's welcome our first listener contestant. Hi. You're on. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Hey, this is Matt calling from Auburn, Alabama. Hey, how are things in Auburn, home, of course, of the university. Right. Well, what do you do there? I actually work at the Southeastern center of Robotics Education.

[Chioki Ianson]

It's an outreach office where we work.

[Peter Sagal]

With teachers to help them get comfortable incorporating educational robotics into their classrooms. Oh, okay. Now, I was worried because I thought that meant you taught robots and I think, frankly, they're smart enough. You are not the first person I've said that to that responded with that concern really well. Welcome to our show, Matthew. Let me introduce you to our panel this week. First, she's a standup comedian whose Peacock special, Love Joy, is Now available on JetBlue flights. It's Joyell Nicole Johnson.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Hey, Matt, do you fly JetBlue?

[Peter Sagal]

I promise I will, starting now. Yes.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

OK. Get your mentoring.

[Peter Sagal]

Next, he's a writer for Stage screen at something called Books and is also the co host of the podcast Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone. It's Adam Felber.

[Adam Felber]

Hello, Matthew.

[Peter Sagal]

Hey, Adam. And finally, making her debut on our panel this week, she's a TV writer who plays Dungeons and Dragons on Dropout. She's making a feature film even though nobody asked her to. Please welcome Rekha Shankar.

[Rekha Shankar]

Hi, Matt.

[Peter Sagal]

Hey, Rekha. So you're gonna play who's Chaoki this time? Chaoki Ayanson, filling in for Bill Curtis, is gonna read you Three quotations from the week's news. If you can correctly identify or explain just two of them, you'll win our prize. Any voice from our show you might choose on your voicemail. You ready to go? As ready as I can be. Here we go. Your first quote is somebody celebrating a supermarket purchase.

[Chioki Ianson]

I just got approved for financing on a dozen.

[Peter Sagal]

That was buzzfeed actually talking about the record high price of. What is that? Eggs. It is eggs. Eggs have hit a record high price. They're expected to rise by at least 20% more this year. This makes grocery shopping so difficult. You have to go to, like, stop and shop for everything else and then hit Sotheby's for the egg auction. This week, the average price for eggs hits $7 a dozen. Well, you know what they say. If you want to make an omelet, you need generational wealth.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

I would just like to say that this. I don't relate to this because my boyfriend is a bougie egg buyer. So we've been paying, like.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, really?

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Yes. Have you guys seen the Vital Farms eggs?

[Chioki Ianson]

Yeah.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Okay, a couple of people know what I'm talking about. You must not have kids either. So Those are at $11 now.

[Peter Sagal]

Well, what makes them worth $11?

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

It's like.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, the yolk is orange as opposed to the sad gray yolks. Exactly.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

The sad yellow yolks.

[Peter Sagal]

Prices are up because there's a big shortage. It's due to bird flu, a lot of other things. And this is true. A lot of grocery stores are limiting each customer to just two cartons of eggs. And even worse, some are just selling Lucy's.

[Rekha Shankar]

I feel like, am I nuts? Two dozen eggs per person Seems reasonable.

[Peter Sagal]

Is a little. Yeah, we were wondering. It's like people who walk in and go, just 24 eggs in one day.

[Rekha Shankar]

How am I supposed to get through till tomorrow with only 24 eggs?

[Adam Felber]

But admit it, you want them more now than you used to, don't you?

[Peter Sagal]

They're valuable.

[Adam Felber]

They're valuable. Exactly.

[Peter Sagal]

You just buy them and hold them, and I'm sure in a couple of years, they'll be worth even more. All right, your next quote, Matthew, is from Timothee Chalamet.

[Chioki Ianson]

I put on £20 because, believe it or not, I was thinner than the.

[Peter Sagal]

Guy Chalamet was talking about how he prepared for his role as what famous singer, Nobel laureate Bob Dylan. That's right, Bob Dylan. Despite appearing in the movie, a complete unknown as Dylan, with the physique best described as. When he took his shirt off, I was worried about Him. Timothy Chalamet says he gained 20 pounds to play Bob Dylan. How can that possibly be?

[Rekha Shankar]

Where is it?

[Peter Sagal]

Maybe he has, like, this amazing dump truck. He's never turned toward the camera.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Well, he's not special because I did the same thing to prepare for the role of me in the pandemic.

[Peter Sagal]

There you are. And everybody appreciated your dedication to the craft. The thing is, who thought you would have to gain weight to play young Bob Dylan? His favorite food back then was. Was cigarettes.

[Adam Felber]

Oh, you missed his fat period. Yeah, when he was singing Tangled up in Stew Like a rolling scone.

[Peter Sagal]

The pants sizes, they are a changing lay's. Lady Layze.

[Adam Felber]

Stuck inside Mobility scooter. Memphis blues again.

[Peter Sagal]

Blubber on the tracks.

[Adam Felber]

Anyway, this is the story of the Dairy Queen hurricane.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Are you freestyling right now?

[Peter Sagal]

It is, yeah.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Oh, my goodness.

[Peter Sagal]

Whether or not he did it, isn't this, like, a thing to get an award? Because isn't it true, right, that your odds of getting an Oscar are always increased if you had to make yourself either older or uglier to get the role?

[Adam Felber]

The right.

[Rekha Shankar]

Yes. Instead of hiring someone with the body type, they're like, no. Christian Bale must alone lose £4,000 in one year and then gain them back the next year.

[Peter Sagal]

Exactly right.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

And instead of hiring, they was like Charlize Theron.

[Rekha Shankar]

They're like. They're like, monster. Must be Charlize Theron.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah.

[Rekha Shankar]

Give trolls work. Come on.

[Peter Sagal]

It really, really. When you think about it, it does seem unfair to the homely community.

[Rekha Shankar]

We are thriving, and we just need work.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, here is your last quote.

[Chioki Ianson]

51% of Americans suffer from pxiety.

[Peter Sagal]

That was from a recent study that finds pxiety is a growing problem. That is the anxiety that you're going to miss something when you do what?

[Adam Felber]

When you go to the bathroom?

[Peter Sagal]

Exactly right. According to a new survey, 51% of people put off going to the bathroom for fear of missing something fun. This is why if I'm in the middle of, like, a great conversation, but I got to use the bathroom, I say, hey, everybody, let's take this to the toilet.

[Adam Felber]

Missing something fun. And is that based on experience? Like people coming back from. From the bathroom and being like, now they're having more fun. If you come back from the bathroom and people are having more fun than when you left, you're the problem.

[Peter Sagal]

That's true. And people start plying you with more drinks. Right. To make you go again.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Yeah, I have a terrible bladder. Shout out to the terrible bladder community. And yeah, okay. I feel seen. And I'm just. I hate how long movies are now. Right. Like there should be intermissions because I had to pee right before Defying gravity and wicked. No, holding your pee during that song is very terrible.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah, when she hits that high note, everything releases. That's like.

[Adam Felber]

And they stalled a good 20 minutes before that song actually got sung. So you were in pain. I'm bad.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Absolutely. Ain't that much Kegels in the world.

[Rekha Shankar]

I feel like I have the opposite of anxiety. No pxiety. P. Z. I said anxiety.

[Peter Sagal]

I'm more. You know what? I'm gonna stop. I want to hear your story. But anxiety is.

[Rekha Shankar]

It's better.

[Peter Sagal]

It's a better name.

[Rekha Shankar]

It is better.

[Adam Felber]

It is better.

[Rekha Shankar]

I feel more confident when I go to the bathroom. That's my chill zone. That's where I do my connections or my wordle. I'm like in the zone in the bathroom. I gain strength. It's a confidence pee. Confident pee fidence.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. So you're not having pee xiety. You're having like, pee yearning.

[Rekha Shankar]

Yeah, I yearn to pee.

[Peter Sagal]

You're like, this movie stinks. This party is awful. But soon I will be urinating.

[Rekha Shankar]

Yes.

[Peter Sagal]

That's how you're feeling, and that's what.

[Rekha Shankar]

I'm looking forward to.

[Peter Sagal]

I understand, I understand. And besides, you don't need to stop a conversation when you go to the bathroom. That's what FaceTime is for. All right, Jokey, how did Matthew do in our quiz?

[Chioki Ianson]

No zeros, just ones. Hey, Matthew, get all three.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. Congratulations, Matthew. Thanks so much.

[Chioki Ianson]

Thank you so much, Matthew.

[Peter Sagal]

Bye bye. Right now, panel, it's time for you to answer some questions about this week's news Joyel. Bad news for people who want to take advantage of the low fares and clean, austere aesthetic of Spirit Airlines.

[Rekha Shankar]

Ugh.

[Peter Sagal]

A new policy says they won't let you board if you appear to be too. What?

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Pretty? I don't know.

[Peter Sagal]

Close enough. I'm going to give it to you. The answer is sexy. Yes.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

That's why I don't fly Spirit people.

[Peter Sagal]

Exactly. You know.

[Rekha Shankar]

And that's why I'm on spirit all the time.

[Peter Sagal]

Spirit Airlines, this is true, has announced a. You're not leaving the airport wearing that policy. You cannot board if you have a bare midriff or exposed breasts or buttocks or are wearing see through clothes. This is unreasonable. If I could afford clothes, I wouldn't be flying Spirit.

[Adam Felber]

What's the downside? Why don't you want sexy dressed people on a plane? What happens when that happens.

[Peter Sagal]

They have not explained that, but they believe it is distracting to other passengers.

[Rekha Shankar]

What are the other passengers doing that's so important?

[Peter Sagal]

And here's the thing. You're sitting together in a tube having flown Spirit Airlines. The one thing you very much want while flying Spirit Airlines is to be distracted from the fact you're flying Spirit Airlines.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Yeah. You know who I think should be banned?

[Peter Sagal]

What?

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

People with open toe shoes on the airplane.

[Peter Sagal]

Really, dad, it's gross. By the way, you're also not allowed to have loose or vulgar tattoos on Spirit on Spirit Airlines.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Cause I've seen it on Delta.

[Peter Sagal]

I'm too sexy. Coming up, our panelists make some beer money in our Bluff the Listener game. Call one triple eight. Wait wait to play. We'll be back in a minute with more of Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me from npr. This message comes from Grammarly. The work week can be fast paced and it's hard to focus on getting everything done. Let Grammarly be your AI writing partner. It can help you write and quickly edit with suggestions wherever you write. 93% of professionals report that Grammarly helps them get more work done. Get more done with Grammarly. Download Grammarly for [e-mail] podcast that's Grammarly.com podcast. This message comes from Peloton offering what you need to keep you on track to your goals no matter what season of life you're in with a variety of classes and the ability to challenge yourself anywhere with Peloton's All Access membership. Work out at home on your bike, tread and row or take your favorite classes on the go and at the gym with the app. Find your push Find your power with [e-mail] this message comes from Schwab.

[Chioki Ianson]

At Schwab, how you invest is your choice, not theirs. That's why when it comes to managing your wealth, Schwab gives you more choices. You can invest and trade on your own. Plus get advice and more comprehensive wealth solutions to help meet your unique needs. With award winning service, low costs and transparent advice, you can manage your wealth your way at Schwab. Visit schwab.com to learn more from NPR and WBEZ Chicago. This is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz. I'm Chioki Ianson filling in for Bill Curtis. We're playing this week with Adam Felber, Rekha Shankar and Joyell Nicole Johnson. And here again is your host at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago, Illinois, Peter Sagal.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you, Chiocchi. Thank You. Everybody, right now, it's time for the Wait, wait, don't tell me. Bluff the listener game. Call 1, triple 8. Wait, wait. To play our game in the air or check out the pinned post on our instagram page@waitwaitnpr. Hi. You're in. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Hi, Peter. Hi. Who's this? Alexis from Chicago. Chicago. All right. What are the most of the amazing things to do here in Chicago? What do you like best? Oh, my favorite place is the Cultural Center. Actually, it's that Tiffany Dome that does it for me. It's fabulous. That free museum right in the middle of downtown facing Millennium Park. Art installation there. Yeah. Oh, it's fabulous. What are the many jewels of our city, for those of you who don't know?

[Adam Felber]

What is the city paying you, Peter?

[Peter Sagal]

Not enough. Well, welcome to our show, Alexis. You're gonna play the game in which you must try to tell truth from fiction. Choki, what is Alexis's topic?

[Chioki Ianson]

Every day I'm hustling. Every day I'm hustling. Every day I'm hustling.

[Peter Sagal]

It's nice to make a little extra money in your side hustle. You know, like a lemonade stand or tax evasion. Our panelists are going to tell you about a unique side gig we read about in the news. Pick the one who's telling the truth and win the weight waiter of your choice in your voicemail. Are you ready to play? Heck, yeah. Heck, yeah. Let's do it. Let's hear first from Joyell Nicole Johnson.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Elaine Smalls of Decatur, Georgia, is royalty in her social circles. She's been adept in her life at an odd talent, returning anything, an ability that has earned her the moniker the take back Queen. Now you can hire Elaine for anything from returning an old laptop that conked out past its warranty to furniture your child destroyed. She doesn't even need a receipt. Final sale isn't in her vocabulary. Her most popular service is her send back special. For $20 and the price of an Uber, she will come to the restaurant you're eating at and send the food back that you do not like. She'll even teach you how to do it yourself. Baby steps. First you learn to send back a dish because you didn't order it. After just a couple of weeks, you'll be comfortable sending back dishes based on vibes alone. None of your friends will go to dinner with you anymore, but at least you're getting what you want. Her disclaimer. I only do this for large corporations. Mom and pop stores are safe from my cordial indignation. When asked if she feels bad about taking advantage of corporations, her response? Eat the rich. They can afford it.

[Peter Sagal]

A woman who is paid to return or send back things you don't want when you don't have the gumption to do it. Your next story of a little something on the side comes from Adam Felber.

[Adam Felber]

You're a nerd on a date with a woman who's way out of your league. Who knows why she swiped right on you, but here you are. Worse. As you come back from the men's room, your date is being harassed by a huge scraggly haired ruffian who is nearly twice your size. You act quickly, putting yourself between the interloper and your date. You yell at him, warn him off, make karate hands and give him a firm shove on his meaty shoulder and somehow, miraculously, he backs off. Your date looks at you with newfound admiration. You're the hero. What she doesn't know is that her harasser is a 28 year old Malaysian named Shazaili Suleiman and you hired him for exactly this moment? Yes. Shazaili is a self proclaimed villain for hire and he recently started advertising his services on Facebook with the pitch line Are you tired of your partner thinking you are weak? For a reasonable fee, I can help you prove him wrong. Although there are some obvious public disturbance risks involved, our entrepreneur insists it's all harmless. Quote it's all an act like wwe. No one gets hurt. I am the only loser.

[Peter Sagal]

A man who rents him out so you can beat him up and impress your date. Your last bit of business comes from Rekha Shankar.

[Rekha Shankar]

Every night is fight night for Ellen Walkman In Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, school teacher Ellen Walkman is channeling her skills into a nighttime gig as a family judge, someone who can come to your family's house and hang back on the walls like a chameleon until a fight breaks out. And then she will say who was right. Like many teachers, she has a rigorous preparation process before arriving to this job as a family judge, she asks the clients what color their walls are so that she can buy a shirt that blends into the walls to the point that she's unnoticeable to the family. At one recent gig, Walkman explains how Uncle Joe and Aunt Doreen were having a pig roast, but no one wanted to clean up the carcass. When it was time for her to settle the fight, she did what any good judge would do. I made them wrestle, walkman says. Her new side Gig has become quite lucrative. And outside of the odd brawl or two, she can decide any fight in 62nd. The secret, always side with the mom.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, these are your choices. Somebody has come up with a pretty lucrative side hustle, providing an unusual but it turns out, much needed service. Was it from Joel Nicole Johnson, a woman who will come to wherever you are and return the thing that you bought, but now you do not want, including restaurant dishes. From Adam Felber, a man who will show up and pretend to threaten you so you can pretend to beat him up. So your date will be very impressed with your manliness. Or womanliness, whichever. Or from Rekha Shankar, a woman who works as a family judge will be at your house. And when a fight breaks out, she will leap in to decide who is in the right. Which of these is the real story of a side hustle we found in the news? Well, choice B does just sound like dating in Chicago. And as a single person, I understand, but I think I'll have to go with Doyell. Oh, wait a minute. Okay. You thought that choice B, that was Adam's story, right? You thought, like, that sounded like dating in Chicago. Does this happen to you all the time? It sounds very plausible. Like somebody would do. Sounds like it's already a scheme. But I will have to go with Joyel. All right. You're just going to pick Joyel's story. Okay, Joyel, of course. That is the story of the woman who will come to wherever you are and return what you do not want, no matter what they say about it. Well, to bring you the correct answer, we spoke to someone who knows a lot about this real story.

[Rekha Shankar]

Most women would agree that it would be a huge turnoff, if not a deal breaker to witness their boyfriend beating someone up.

[Peter Sagal]

No way. Yes way.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

She gasped.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes way. It turns out Adam was telling the truth, as I tried to indicate.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

He didn't want me to get a point.

[Peter Sagal]

She's a Chicagoan. I was on her side, but none. I also want to like. I think your reaction to, like, the idea of, like, somebody hiring somebody to beat them up was like, oh, that's old hat. I've seen that a million times. I can't be the real. It's no big deal. Not a new thing. It's all right. Well, anyway, you have not won our prize, but you did win a story. Not only did you win a point for Joyel, but I think you have endorsed a brilliant business idea.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Yes.

[Peter Sagal]

Because as I heard you describing it, I was like, I want to hire that Woman today. Absolutely. Absolutely. Thank you so much for playing. Take care. Bye bye, Alexis. Hero. I could be your hero Fighting for your love soul. And now, the game where we ask people about things they know nothing about. We call it Not My Job. Amber Maycutt grew up as a young woman in New Jersey with an odd interest. Taxidermy. They thought she was crazy, but after years of work, she has now become, quote, the taxidermist to the stars. We're delighted she's joining us now from her not at all creepy studio. Amber Maka. Welcome to. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Hi. Hi. It's great to see you. You're appearing on our screens from your studio, surrounded by some of your work, which is very impressive. First of all, what does. We saw that you were called Taxidermist to the stars. What exactly does that mean? How did you earn that title?

[Amber Makutt]

I guess that a lot of celebrities have bought stuff from me or commissioned work for me, or I go to their houses and fix their taxidermy and hang it up for them.

[Peter Sagal]

Can you describe, without breaking any confidences, what the kind of work you've done for some of these people?

[Amber Makutt]

Let's see. So for Drew Barrymore, I did some framed butterflies to hang on the wall. And then for Amy Sedaris, I did a pheasant. And then for Adam Jones, he's the guitarist of Tool, I did a ram head with four horns on it and a goat head for the band Slayer.

[Peter Sagal]

I'm sure the goat heads are very popular with the whole heavy metal genre. Right? They all need their goat heads.

[Amber Makutt]

Yeah, definitely.

[Peter Sagal]

Could you? I mean, I think people should understand this, that when we're talking about your taxidermy, for the most part, we're not talking about what they're thinking of, which is like, I don't know, a deer head mounted above a bar or in a cabin somewhere. Could you describe your work and what makes it special?

[Amber Makutt]

Sure. A lot of what I do is called anthropomorphic taxidermy. So it's kind of giving life, human characteristics or activities to the taxidermy. So behind me here, I have, like, a raccoon cowboy. So it's a raccoon wearing a cowboy hat and a red bandana around his neck and he's doing finger guns with his paws.

[Peter Sagal]

You know, I didn't look closely before, but I'm gonna say that's exactly what that is.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Yeah, yeah.

[Amber Makutt]

And that one's actually for Justin Long and Kate Bosworth is shipping to la. And then the one next to it is actually A squirrel riding a horse, waving a cowboy hat. Cowboy theme happening here. And that one's for Maura Tierney, who's an actress from the show. Er, yes.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes.

[Amber Makutt]

So that one was actually part of her personal collection and it was an antique that was really, like, worn down and the fur falling out. So I repaired. I remounted the whole thing. So it's a fresh mount on the original horse with the original hat.

[Peter Sagal]

So I have so many questions.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

How'd you take them?

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah, How'd you do that? Let's just focus on Justin Long's raccoon with the cowboy hat and the finger guns. Yes.

[Amber Makutt]

So that one is probably one of my best sellers that went viral online. I made one once and then I put it online in my online shop that people could just click and buy it. And then I just.

[Peter Sagal]

Right, so. But. So that was, like, your idea. It's like Justin Long's like, God, he saw that he was. I must have that. So he could just stand in front of it in his own presumably palatial Hollywood home and just make little pew, pew noises, right?

[Amber Makutt]

I guess so, yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

So you came up with it. Where did that come from? Were you, like, thinking about raccoons and going, you know, what would make them even better?

[Amber Makutt]

Oh, geez, I don't know. I write down things in the middle of the night sometimes that make no sense at all. So who knows?

[Peter Sagal]

Do you have. Can I ask? Some people come to you now with commissions, right? They say, we want this.

[Amber Makutt]

Yep.

[Peter Sagal]

Can you tell us the weirdest thing you've been asked to do?

[Amber Makutt]

Oh, geez. I don't know. Nothing seems weird anymore, Right. I have to pause and wonder if I'm getting trolled or people are messing with me or if this is a serious request or not. But sometimes people will send in photos of people or be like, can you make a mouse look like my boyfriend? And, like, send photos of their boyfriend?

[Peter Sagal]

Can you make a mouse look like their boyfriend?

[Amber Makutt]

Yeah, like, make different, you know, their outfit, basically, and, like, records that they, like, they're holding.

[Rekha Shankar]

And it was Rat Boy Summer recently.

[Peter Sagal]

Is there, like, the taxidermists have, like, their own aesthetic. Like, what makes a great taxidermy. What do you. What do you even call it? A great work of taxidermy? Yeah.

[Amber Makutt]

A mount. A good mount.

[Peter Sagal]

A good mount.

[Adam Felber]

Thank you.

[Amber Makutt]

So taxidermy is. If you see, like, the mannequin behind me on the one side. So this is a Himalayan goat on one side that's mounted with the skin on already, and the one on the other Side is just a mannequin with just a form. So it's an anatomically correct mannequin to that specimen.

[Adam Felber]

How do you get anatomically correct models of animals? Or do you make them?

[Amber Makutt]

So there's taxidermy supply companies, dozens of them in the US where you can order, you know, your deer mannequin or skunk mannequin, and then you basically, it's kind of tailoring in reverse. You whittle down your mannequin or build up your mannequin to custom fit it to your skin. And then you use glass eyes that are also anatomically correct to the specimen to the millimeter, a wire for the tail. And then you do, you know, your kind of clay for musculature and sculptural work and sew it up, do your hair and makeup, do airbrushing, painting. So there's a lot. It's a lot of sculpture.

[Rekha Shankar]

Yeah, this is how I get ready in the morning, too.

[Peter Sagal]

You're just basically a polyurethane core.

[Rekha Shankar]

There's, like, tons of mold, urethane.

[Peter Sagal]

I mean, obviously, you're so deeply invested in this. I myself, growing up in a different part of New Jersey, I have a problem with stuffed animals because I'm one of those people who if, like, for example, you're in a room right now where there are a bunch mounted on the wall behind you, heads and eyes looking. Whenever I look away, I assume they're moving their heads to stare at me, and I turn and I look back, and they're immediately still again. I find it discomforting to be near all those completely still animals. It's creepy. Do you ever.

[Amber Makutt]

Thanks for having me on, then.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, you're welcome. It was an act of courage on my part. Well, Amber Maka, we have invited you here to play a game we're calling They're Alive. So, as we have been discussing, you specialize in putting deceased animals recreated in people's homes. So we thought we'd ask you about three instances of live animals getting in there. Get two out of three right, you will win our prize for one of our listeners. Are you ready to play?

[Amber Makutt]

Sure.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, Chiocchi, who is Amber Maycup playing for?

[Chioki Ianson]

Larry Gold of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, Minnesotans, here. Here's your first question. An Australian family was surprised when a koala got into their house, especially because it took them a little while to notice it. Where was it? A, on their couch next to a throw pillow with a koala printed on it. B, hanging on their Christmas tree as if pretending to be an Ornament. Or C, sitting on top of their ceiling fan until, that is, they turned the ceiling fan on. Oh, no.

[Amber Makutt]

All of the above.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah. They get around.

[Amber Makutt]

I'm gonna go with a.

[Peter Sagal]

You're gonna go with A. That was on their couch next to a koala throw pillow and they were like, oh, I guess we have two koalas. You pick it up because you're choosing B. Hanging on their Christmas tree.

[Amber Makutt]

I guess so.

[Peter Sagal]

That's right.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Oh, wow.

[Adam Felber]

Nice.

[Peter Sagal]

It was like hanging on the Christmas tree. They like trees. It makes sense. Alright, good. Alright, next question. Some people actually welcome wild animals into their homes, including some surprising people. Like, which of these? A, Britain's King Charles, who not only lets red squirrels into his Scottish estate, but leaves jackets hanging on chairs with nuts in the pockets for them to find B, Jamie Foxx, who has a deal with local animal control for them to bring any captured foxes naturally to his house, or C, Peyton Manning, who learned to imitate six different mating calls so he could attract animals to his patio.

[Amber Makutt]

I'll go with a.

[Peter Sagal]

You can go with A. Britain's King Charles. You're right.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

He loves those red squirrels. He says, sometimes when I leave my jackets on a chair with nuts in the pockets, I see them with their tails sticking out as they hunt for nuts. They're incredibly special creatures. I just thought of a great gift you could send him.

[Amber Makutt]

Nuts. Yeah, yeah, that's true.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, last question. You're doing very well. It's not just houses that can have trouble with wildlife. A high school in Little Rock had a bat infestation, but dealt with it quickly and decisively. Just by doing what? A, changing their mascot from the Running Rebels to the Fighting Bats. B, enrolling the bats as students, which allowed them access to state funds to get rid of the bats. Or C, just ceding control of the school to the bats and making all classes remote for a while. Yes, exactly right. It took them about four days to clear out the vats and clean up everything and bring the students back. Joki, how did Amber do in our quiz?

[Chioki Ianson]

Amber got three taxidermy finger guns. She is a winner.

[Peter Sagal]

That's great. Do you have. Before you go, do you have any projects you're particularly looking forward to?

[Amber Makutt]

Oh, I don't know. I'm looking. I like them all. I love them all.

[Peter Sagal]

You know, you have no favorites among your many, many animal friends. Amber May Cut is a taxidermist to the stars and the founder of Brooklyn Taxidermy. You can see her [e-mail]. i recommend it highly. Amber. Well, thank you so much for being on. Wait Wait, don't tell me. Take care.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Bye bye.

[Peter Sagal]

In just a minute, Chokey puts on a chunky cable knit sweater and steals your heart in our Listener Limerick challenge. Call 1/38 wait wait to join us in the air. We'll be back in a minute with more of Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me from npr.

[Pemco Mutual Insurance]

This message comes from Pemco Mutual Insurance Company. You know that moment when things take an unexpected turn and you get that sudden sinking feeling that maybe it could have been avoided? Pemco Insurance wants to help you avoid that feeling by sharing prevention tips that empower you to prevent some of life's preventable pitfalls. Because Pemco's commitment to their customers goes beyond the moment of acclaim, it's about being with their customers every day. [e-mail] Prevention.

[Chioki Ianson]

This message is brought to you by NPR sponsor Shopify. It's 2025, and a new year means new opportunities. Maybe you're thinking about starting your own business, but you have so many questions on how do I get started? Shopify's got you get your store up and running easily with thousands of customizable templates. No coding or design skills required, just drag and drop. Go to shopify.com NPR to sign up for a $1 per month trial period today. From NPR and WBZ Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, don't tell Me the NPR News quiz. I'm Shioki Ianson filling in for Bill Curtis. We're playing this week with Rekha Shankar Joyell, Nicole Johnson and Adam Felber. And here again is your host at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago, Illinois, Peter Sagal.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you, Chiaoki. Thank you, everybody. In just a minute, we try out the hot new thing everyone is talking about, limericks. If you'd like to play, give us a call. 1-888-wait wait. That's 1-888-924-8924. Right now, panel, some more questions for you from the week's news. Adam, An Iowa lawmaker introduced legislation to protect citizens of that state. From what? Grave danger.

[Adam Felber]

Tidal waves.

[Peter Sagal]

You're close.

[Adam Felber]

It's a coastal phenomenon.

[Peter Sagal]

It is very much a coastal phenomenon. Oceanic phenomenon, usually tsunamis. No.

[Adam Felber]

Big waves?

[Peter Sagal]

No. It's something you find in the ocean, not the ocean itself. Sharks. Yes. 18 inch shark bit an employee at a private aquarium in Des Moines. So some legislators reacted by trying to make petting sharks illegal. Sounds like victim blaming to me. Maybe he's going to Arrest the shark. The new law would have made it illegal to allow a member of the public to pet a shark and also incurred steep fines for allowing your shark off leash when you're not at the shark park.

[Adam Felber]

I agree with that last part.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah, I know. I hate it when you go to, like, just a public park, regular place where kids are and people are letting their sharks just run around everywhere. Come on. Yeah.

[Rekha Shankar]

They let their shark go next to your shark without asking, is my shark friendly?

[Peter Sagal]

Exactly. Exactly.

[Adam Felber]

Because maybe my shark isn't friendly. Maybe my shark is the one that needs to be on the leash and there. Yeah, totally.

[Peter Sagal]

By the way, if you're curious, what kind of shark is only 18 inches long? It's called a fish, sir. You got bit by a fish.

[Rekha Shankar]

No, no, dude, it was a shark. It was crazy.

[Peter Sagal]

It was so big. It was like, oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Rekha. This week we learned an effective and new way to flirt that scientists claim is very effective. All you have to do is go up to someone. And do what?

[Rekha Shankar]

Give them a little wink.

[Peter Sagal]

Nobody ever thought of that before. It's a good guess, though.

[Chioki Ianson]

Ask for a hint.

[Rekha Shankar]

Wait a minute. I have a novel idea. Can I have a hint?

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, you're asking me for a hint. Are you flirting with me? Which is a hint.

[Rekha Shankar]

Okay, asking a question.

[Peter Sagal]

I'll give it to you. Asking for help. That was an evil laugh.

[Rekha Shankar]

I'm, like, imagining, like, I'm, like, fell down bleeding, and I'm like, can you help me? And they're like, you're flirting.

[Peter Sagal]

Could you get me out of this? Well, I'm married. No. Apparently they say the best way to flirt with someone to attract their attention and possibly their interest, is to ask for help. That's why they made jars so tight. People. You gotta pick the right question, though. The right request for help. There's a difference between, oh, hey, what's the way to the subway? And what's the best way to keep my two wives from finding out about each other?

[Adam Felber]

There are kinds of asking for help that probably don't work with that.

[Peter Sagal]

Like, what wouldn't work?

[Adam Felber]

Is this a rash or something else?

[Rekha Shankar]

The first thing I thought of was, like, going to a doctor's office.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Yeah. Do that at the dog park?

[Adam Felber]

Yeah, all the time at the dog park. When I'm walking my shark.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah.

[Adam Felber]

Can you help me hide this body?

[Peter Sagal]

Adam, The World Monuments Fund lists historic sites that are endangered by development or climate change, things like that. This year, they added what surprising place to their watch list?

[Adam Felber]

Mount Rushmore?

[Peter Sagal]

No, I'll give you a hint. Maybe they think it is really made of cheese and it will go moldy.

[Adam Felber]

The moon, the moon, the moon.

[Peter Sagal]

Good news, they're trying to protect the moon. Bad news, we're about to screw up the moon.

[Adam Felber]

Wait, what? Oh, is this so that we can't run little missions there and build domes and stuff?

[Peter Sagal]

Specific? Well, sort of. The idea is, yes, space tourism is getting closer and closer to reality. And it's not the World Monuments Fund is worried about the moon itself. But they want to protect the sites on the moon that memorialize human activity. You know that we left there when we landed. That includes footprints, of course. The famous footprints of the moon, the abandoned equipment we left there and even the astronauts trash. And yes, their poop. Right.

[Rekha Shankar]

We want to preserve that.

[Peter Sagal]

We do.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Is it fossilized?

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, no, it's just pretty much, I believe because of the lack of organisms and such. Exactly as we left it. Fresh as a daisy.

[Adam Felber]

Oh, wow. So if we ever need to clone. Buzz Aldrin yeah, pretty much.

[Peter Sagal]

Big moon, stay away from coming up. It's lightning. Fill in the blank. But first is the game where you have to listen for the rhyme. If you'd like to play on air, call or leave a message at 1-88-WAIT-WAIT. That's 1-888-924-8924. You can catch us most weeks here at the Studebaker Theater in downtown Chicago. And come see us on the road. We'll be at the Walt Disney Theater in Orlando, Florida on March 20th. For tickets and information to all our live shows, go to nprpresents.org hi, Jerome. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Hi, this is Claire Eijen from Tacoma, Washington. Well, how are things in beautiful Tacoma? I've been there. It's a great place. It's great. It is very cold. Oh, I'm so sorry. Yeah, but I'm seasonably dry, which is maybe okay. That's okay. Now, it's a beautiful place. I'm assuming you spend a lot of time outdoors. Everybody does there. What sort of things do you love to do?

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

I've got a one year old, so.

[Peter Sagal]

Keeping busy with him and I'm trying.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

To get back into running.

[Peter Sagal]

I see. You know what's fun to do is just give them a little head start.

[Rekha Shankar]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

Well, Claire, welcome to the show. Chioki Janssen is going to read you three news related limericks with the last word of phrase missing from each. If you can fill in that last word of phrase correctly and two of the limericks will be a winner. You ready to play? Yep. Here is your first limerick.

[Chioki Ianson]

Dino upchucks more rare than a comet. It's so ancient we ought to embalm it. Food from the sea floor we're wretched up on the shore we have found some old dino sharks.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Vomit.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes, vomit. Museum officials in Denmark announced this week that an amateur fossil Hunter has discovered 66 million year old. Scientists say that the petrified puke dates back to the time of the dinosaurs. Most likely a freshman dinosaur during orientation. Welcome to Jurassic Barf. This fossil consisted of parts of an animal called a sea lily. And scientists were able to confirm the sample was in fact vomited out because it was found next to two other fossils. A predator and another predator that held the first one's hair.

[Rekha Shankar]

That's a good friend.

[Adam Felber]

Look, I've got two kids. I've seen a lot of vomit.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah.

[Adam Felber]

If you petrified that, I don't know how I would be able to distinguish it from any other rock.

[Peter Sagal]

They found the little parts and they were able to examine the parts and realize that those parts.

[Adam Felber]

Oh, I see.

[Peter Sagal]

Digested. There were chemicals, some of the parts. Exactly.

[Adam Felber]

The chemical signs.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah. Chemical.

[Adam Felber]

Chemical sign.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, here is your next let's.

[Chioki Ianson]

Billy Crystal seems merry and pally. Though in rom coms he'd Harry and dally, we'll channel his passion by aping his fashion.

[Peter Sagal]

The look from When Harry Met Sally. Yes, indeed. Very good. According to fashion experts, the hot new look for winter is the bulky sweater worn by Billy Crystal in the movie When Harry Met Sally. Because what says I am young and trendy like something a 76 year old man wore 37 years ago.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Okay. So I went. My friend was on SNL and she took me there to go see an episode, right?

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

I had to go to the bathroom and she comes in, she was like, you have to leave the bathroom cause Billy Crystal needs to use the bathroom. And I was like, what? And he opens the door and my pants were half down. And he was like, I'm sorry, I gotta pee. So Billy Crystal saw me one pants down.

[Peter Sagal]

Okay.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

It's your girl.

[Peter Sagal]

Yep.

[Rekha Shankar]

Now that's a way to flirt.

[Adam Felber]

Exactly. I don't think of that sweater as.

[Peter Sagal]

A good look, but apparently people do. It's come back.

[Adam Felber]

That sweater was a look of like. Okay, we're gonna have him play a romantic lead. But look at that guy.

[Rekha Shankar]

Listen, I think ugly is like in now.

[Peter Sagal]

Let's hope.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

But I'm going to tell you as a regrettable heterosexual, it is very sexy when men wear chunky sweaters.

[Peter Sagal]

Really? Really.

[Rekha Shankar]

I like a man who's practical, so I like it.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

You know, they're safe, they look warm, you know, cuddly.

[Adam Felber]

Our focus group of two agrees. Peter.

[Peter Sagal]

They're ready to go lobstering at any moment. Here is your last limerick.

[Chioki Ianson]

Though. My loafer's a trusty work steed. Its sole has more torque than I need. It's flexing its muscles. These tassels can tussle. It's made for endurance and speed.

[Peter Sagal]

Speed, yes. New Balance, Puma, and Hoka are all offering the hottest new trend in footwear. Speed loafers. Basically, the shoe is a loafer on the top, but a running shoe on the bottom. It's not athleisure, it's ATH business. It's a look that says, this guy is ready to run, but he physically can't.

[Adam Felber]

It's an oxymoron.

[Peter Sagal]

Speed loafers.

[Adam Felber]

It's an oxymoron.

[Peter Sagal]

It is.

[Adam Felber]

It's like a pillow with wheels. Why make up your mind? Are you loafing or are you moving?

[Rekha Shankar]

This is for the people with pxiety or whatever. Cause they're peeing and they're like, wait a minute, I gotta go see what's done. Great British Bake off right now. And blow them back out of their bathroom.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah. They're loafing at speed. Yes. Joki, how did Claire do in our.

[Chioki Ianson]

Quiz with all three?

[Peter Sagal]

Right.

[Chioki Ianson]

Claire has got the rhymes.

[Peter Sagal]

Congratulations. Well done.

[Adam Felber]

Yeah.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Claire, thank you.

[Peter Sagal]

Thanks so much much for playing. Take care.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Thanks so much.

[Pemco Mutual Insurance]

This message comes from Lisa. Using the highest quality materials, Lisa meticulously designs and assembles their mattresses in America. For exceptional comfort and support, go to Leesa.com NPR and get 20% off sitewide. This message comes from Pemco Mutual Insurance Company. Their mission is to help customers worry less and live more. So they're sharing prevention tips that empower you to prevent some of life's pitfalls before they happen. Visit pemco.com prevention Evergreen trees are Pacific.

[Rekha Shankar]

Northwest icons in journalism. An evergreen story isn't tied to one news cycle. It goes deep and helps you understand the world. The Evergreen is also a podcast from OPB about the Northwest. I'm Jen Chavez. Listen to the Evergreen PODC from OPD every Monday, part of the NPR Network.

[Peter Sagal]

Now onto our final game. Lightning. Fill in the blank. Each of our players left 60 seconds in which to answer as many fill in the blank questions as they can. Each correct answer now worth two points. Jyoki, can you give us the scores?

[Chioki Ianson]

Joyo and Adam have three Rekha's got two.

[Peter Sagal]

Okay, so that means, Rekha, you're in second place all by yourself. So the clock will start when you begin your first question. Fill in the blank. On Wednesday, electric car company Blank announced it fell short of earnings estimates.

[Rekha Shankar]

Tesla.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. This week, coffee giant Blank began taking steps to eliminate 30% of its menu.

[Rekha Shankar]

Folgers.

[Peter Sagal]

Starbucks.

[Rekha Shankar]

Starbucks is what I meant to say.

[Peter Sagal]

Don't take off the first one. This week, officials in Uganda confirmed an outbreak of blank in that country.

[Rekha Shankar]

Oh, bird flu?

[Peter Sagal]

No, Ebola. This week, a 71 year old man in Japan who robbed over 60 houses explained to police that he only did it because blank.

[Rekha Shankar]

He was bored.

[Peter Sagal]

I'm gonna give it to you. He wanted to look cool. According to a new study, frequent blank use affects your memory. Vape? No. Marijuana. On Monday, the Louvre announced they were creating a dedicated room for da Vinci's blank.

[Rekha Shankar]

Mona Lisa.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes. This week, a man in Georgia was trying to get a refund after he ordered a drill online and instead received blank.

[Rekha Shankar]

Um, a toaster.

[Peter Sagal]

A piece of paper with a picture of a drill printed on it.

[Rekha Shankar]

Incredible.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Yes.

[Peter Sagal]

The man was shocked when the drill he ordered from AliExpress arrived. And inside the box, there was just a piece of paper with a printed picture of a drill on it. And if that weren't bad enough, all the little printed pictures of the drill bits it came with were in metric. Joki, how did Rekha do? For the first time on our quiz.

[Chioki Ianson]

Rekha got four right for eight more points.

[Rekha Shankar]

Thank you so much.

[Chioki Ianson]

She now has 10 points and the lead.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Wow.

[Rekha Shankar]

With no one else going. I have the lead.

[Adam Felber]

We can end it right here.

[Rekha Shankar]

Perfect.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, I'm going to randomly pick Joyel to go next. Here we go. Joyel, fill in the blank. On Wednesday, the confirmation hearings began for Blank Trump's pick to lead the Department of Health and human services. Ugh.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

RFK Jr.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. According to officials in Massachusetts, blank flu is now widespread in the state.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Bird.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. On Tuesday, a White House spokesperson confirmed that the blanks seen over New Jersey were, in fact, normally approved by the faa.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

The diners?

[Peter Sagal]

No, the drones. But they do have diners. They have diners in New Jersey, but they're not floating yet. In what they're calling, quote, a bold new identity, Athletics Australia announced they were changing their name to Blank.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

The Koala Bears.

[Peter Sagal]

Australian Athletics.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Okay.

[Peter Sagal]

On Thursday, Fox confirmed it was charging up to $8 million for ad spots during the blank inauguration. The super Bowl. Oh. On Thursday, it was announced that Stevie Wonder and Billie Eilish had been added as performers at the Blank Awards, the Grammys. Right. This week, the Johnstown Flood Museum in Pennsylvania announced they were closing indefinitely due to blank Shark poop Flooding.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Okay.

[Peter Sagal]

A burst pipe led the Johnstown Flood Museum to announce they were closing down indefinitely. Fortunately, most of the artifacts and historical documents were unaffected by the flooding, which mainly caused damage to the carpeting and drywall. But you can learn all about that at the newly opened Johnstown Flood Museum. Flood Museum. Joki, how did Joyel do in our quiz?

[Chioki Ianson]

Joyel got three right for six more points. So with a total of nine, Rekha still leads.

[Peter Sagal]

There you go. That's crazy.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

I threw it to you for the.

[Rekha Shankar]

Thank you.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, so I know. How many then does Adam need to win? 4.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

He's going to win.

[Peter Sagal]

No. Here we go, Adam. This is for the game. On Tuesday, stocks plummeted after the release of Deep Seek, the new Chinese blank platform.

[Adam Felber]

AI.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. On Wednesday, Donald Trump announced plans to detain 30,000 migrants at blank Guantanamo Bay. Right. This week, eight hostages were released from captivity in Blank Gaza. Right. On Monday, a new lawsuit alleged that one of the wildfires in Blank was started by a spark from a utility tower.

[Adam Felber]

California.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. In Los Angeles this week, a woman in Alabama won free donuts for a year from her local Krispy Kreme. By blanking.

[Adam Felber]

Eating a dozen donuts at Krispy Kreme?

[Peter Sagal]

No, by giving birth in their parking lot. On Monday.

[Adam Felber]

That's all I gotta do.

[Peter Sagal]

That's really. That's all it'll take. On Monday, the city of Osaka in Japan announced the citywide ban on blanking, hugging, smoking. On Wednesday, NASA warned of a new blank that could hit the Earth in 2032.

[Adam Felber]

Asteroid.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. After a homeowner in China refused to sell his house so the government could build a highway, the Chinese government compromised and blanked built the highway around him. Exactly right. Yes. They just built the highway on both sides of his house. So his house is, like, on this little tiny median. Apparently, the guy wanted more money for the house, so he refused to sell, and the government said okay, and they just built the highway around him. Four lanes coming up, splitting in two, going around his house and rejoining again. It's a classic case of my way. Is the highway convenient? Jokey. Did Adam do well enough to win?

[Chioki Ianson]

Oh, yeah. He got six right for 12 more points.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

You fancy?

[Chioki Ianson]

With a total of 15, Adam is this week's winner.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Yay.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

Thank you.

[Peter Sagal]

Well done. In just a minute, we're going to ask our panelists. Now that eggs are too expensive. What will be the next surprising breakfast staple? But first, let me tell you that Wait, wait, don't tell me. Is a production of NPR and WBEZ Chicago in association with Urgent Haircut Productions. Doug Berman, Benevolent overlord Philip Gaedecker writes our limericks. Our public address announcer is Paul Friedman. Our tour manager is Shane and Donald. Thanks to the staff and crew at the Studebaker Theatre. BJ Lederman composed our theme. Our program is produced by Jennifer Mills, Miles Drombos and Lillian King. Special thanks to Blythe Roberson and Monica Hickey. Our tiny Tim is tiny Peter Gwynn. Our jolly good fellow is Hannah Anderson. Emma Choi is our vibe curator. Technical direction is from Lorna White. Our CFO is Colin Miller. Our production manager is Robert Newhouse. Our senior producer is Ian Chillog. And our executive intern is Colin Campbell. And the executive producer, Wait, wait, don't tell me. That's Michael Danforth. Okay, panel, now that the eggs are so expensive, what will be the surprising new breakfast food? Joyell Nicole Johnson.

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

It's a delicacy in our home state, Peter A knuckle sandwich when you get knocked out for thinking a billionaire cared about the price of eggs.

[Peter Sagal]

And Rekha Shankar.

[Rekha Shankar]

Yes, the new breakfast staple is Beanie Babies. People thought they were going to be worth a lot and then they were totally worthless, except now at your breakfast food. And they're proteinaceous, too.

[Peter Sagal]

And Adam Felber, I don't know how.

[Adam Felber]

It hasn't happened in this country already, but Cadbury Egg McMuffins.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes.

[Chioki Ianson]

And if any of that happens, panel, we'll ask you about it on Wait, wait, don't tell me.

[Amber Makutt]

Thank you.

[Peter Sagal]

Chokio Hansen, thanks for filling in for Bill Curtis. Thanks to Joel, Nicole Johnson, Adam Felber, and thanks direct Ashankar for a great debut. Thanks to all of you for listening. I'm Peter Saga. We'll see you next week. This is NPR.

[Pemco Mutual Insurance]

This message comes from BetterHelp. Relationships of all kinds tend to raise some tough questions. Therapy can help you find some answers. Ask the tough questions with BetterHelp online.

[Chioki Ianson]

[e-mail] NPR this message comes from Capella University. With Capella's FlexPath learning format, you can set your own deadlines and learn on your schedule. A different future is closer than you think with Capella University. Learn [e-mail].

[Joyell Nicole Johnson]

It'S a new year, and according to Pew, 79% of resolutions are about one thing, health. But there are so many fads around how to keep ourselves healthy. On it's been a minute. I'm helping you understand why some of today's biggest wellness trends are, well, trending. Like, why is there protein in everything? Join me as we uncover what's healthy and what's not on the It's Been a Minute podcast from npr.