WWDTM: Anna Kendrick, Jeff Gordon, and more!

Summary

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! - Episode Summary

Date: October 18, 2025
Host: Peter Sagal
Guests: Jeff Gordon, Anna Kendrick, Jan Jensen, Panelists Roy Blunt Jr., Faith Saley, Shantira Jackson, et al.
Location: Studebaker Theater, Chicago & featured venues (via best-of/highlights show)

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Episode Overview

In this "best of" edition, Peter Sagal and Bill Curtis revisit standout moments from earlier in the year. Episodes feature interviews and games with NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon, actor-director Anna Kendrick, and Iowa basketball coach Jan Jensen, plus classic Wait Wait... quiz fun with comedians and memorable stories from listeners. The tone remains irreverent, warm, and quick-witted, with characteristic tangents and plenty of laughs.

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Key Segments & Highlights

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1. Jeff Gordon: Retired Racing Legend and Reluctant Driving Instructor

[01:13–12:41]

• Early Start in Racing:

  • Started racing at age 5 in California with other kids the same age.
  • Step-father introduced him to racing through a barter: fixing a friend's car in exchange for a hand-me-down "quarter midget" race car.

  "I'm guessing at that point maybe they couldn't pay him. And so they said, 'Oh, I've got this old race car that my son used to drive... How about I give you that?'"
  —Jeff Gordon [01:57]

• Transition from BMX to Race Cars:

  • Brief attempt at BMX at age 4.5; found he lacked the physicality, but loved cars because "I've got an engine."

    "When I got in the car, I'm like, I don't need that. I've got an engine."
    —Jeff Gordon [03:14]

• Racetrack Radios & On-Track Distractions:

  • Reveals that drivers sometimes get distracted enough to notice fans and events in the grandstands; sometimes radios in odd comments.
  • Stresses: the radio is public—care is required in what you say.

  "There were a few times I noticed some fans or something happening up in the grandstands, and I radioed to the team and said, 'hey, did you see that?' They're like, seriously, Jeff, you're noticing things up in the grandstands?"
  —Jeff Gordon [03:48]

• Post-Racing Career & Family:

  • Co-owns teams, involves his family in driving. Feels helpless watching children learn to drive.

    "It's probably one of the scariest things I've ever done is sit in the passenger seat while somebody has zero experience driving."
    —Jeff Gordon [07:54]

• Panel Quiz: “Leave the Driving to Us”

  • Hilarity ensues as Jeff faces multiple-choice questions about odd passenger incidents (farting taxi passengers, extremely slow roller coasters, and Raiders fans drinking a plane dry).
  • Wins prize for listener after scoring 2/3.

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2. Bluff the Listener: "Don't Bring Your Kid to Work"

[14:25–20:55]

• Panelists spin wild stories about kids wreaking havoc at their parents’ workplaces.

  • Faith Saley: A 12-year-old accidentally takes adult confessions at a church.
  • Roy Blunt Jr.: A child bites a German soccer referee in the unmentionables.
  • Shantira Jackson: Girl replaces placards in NYC’s Met Museum with her own honest reviews ("skip this room. You can't even sit on any of the couches.").

• Caller & Outcome:

  • Contestant Dustin from Omaha correctly identifies Roy's German soccer bite story as true.

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3. Anna Kendrick: Hometown Hero, Director, and Awkward Introductions

[21:01–30:34]

• “This is not your first time on this stage, is it?”

  • Anna recounts memories from Portland's Merrill Auditorium as a kid (dance recitals in lion face paint; standing behind Judy Collins in choir; singing a single “Ah” in the Nutcracker).

  "I have come here to stand behind Judy Collins for one song in the choir during a Christmas special... wearing what can only be described as a Handmaid's Tale-esque robe."
  —Anna Kendrick [21:27]

• Paula Poundstone doesn’t recognize Anna Kendrick:

  • Hilarious, dry banter when Paula asks for film credits; Anna obliges, only for Paula to remain lost.

  "She wasn't just like, 'Oh, you're Anna Kendrick,' and I didn't just start going Up in the Air, End of Watch, The Accountant, Pitch Perfect, ever heard of them?"
  —Anna Kendrick [23:09]

• Legacy of Pitch Perfect:

  • Jokes (and apologizes) about inspiring college kids to join acapella groups.
  • Shares the acapella crowd's self-deprecating humor:

    "What are we doing if we're listening to a song—maybe the thing that makes the sound of a drum should be the drum..."
    —Anna Kendrick [24:49]

• Directorial Debut – "Woman of the Hour":

  • Describes her Netflix film, based on a true story of a woman on The Dating Game matched with a serial killer. The panel reacts in mock horror.

• Panel Quiz: "Pitch Perfect (Meet Female Dog Perfect)"

  • Anna answers quiz questions about show dog names and dog show mishaps, wins for her Maine listener after a two-out-of-three performance.

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4. Comedic News & Medical Bills Game

[32:34–38:35]

• License Plate Gaffe:

  • Maine’s new plate features a pine tree that looks like "flipping the bird" (i.e., a raised middle finger).
  • Smuggling candy into summer camps—parents resort to creative tactics like candy-filled tampon boxes and hollow Monopoly games.

  "They'll do anything while mom says, 'Well, you know, it's just not parents visiting day if I'm not swallowing balloons filled with Skittles first.'"
  —Peter Sagal [35:12]

• Unexpected Medical Bills Quiz:

  • Panelists guess medical emergencies leading to staggering expenses (bat in mouth, rattlesnake selfie, bitten by mouse-infested soda, helping a raccoon).

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5. Jan Jensen: Iowa Women’s Basketball and Generational Excellence

[40:05–49:15]

• Basketball Heritage:

  • Jensen’s grandmother was named Iowa’s MVP in 1921; she played in bloomers and had her own trophy.
  • Grandma’s nickname: “Lottie” (she scored “a lot”).

  "She did. It was named—she was named Lottie because she scored a lot of points."
  —Jan Jensen [40:43]

• Generational Modesty:

  • Jensen reflects on how her grandmother never boasted about her achievements, requiring coaxing to hear stories.

• Coaching Caitlin Clark:

  • Jensen describes coaching superstar Caitlin Clark as “passionate, feisty... She shoots it from the parking lot... makes a dazzling pass.”

  "Because someone asked me, what was it like to coach Caitlin Clark, and I said, everything you think it was in a matter of a minute."
  —Jan Jensen [43:08]

• Coaching Philosophy:

  • Focus on team culture and celebration; advocates “celebrators of each other.”
  • Shares her honest motivational approach:

    "For you particularly, I would say, get your head out of your ass."
    —Jan Jensen [45:02]

• Panel Quiz: Courtship Rituals

  • Jan aces questions about bizarre historical dating customs (speak-tubes in Puritan homes, pumpkins of shame, apples in armpits).

  "Three for three. Yes. Wow. I've been stressing about this the whole day."
  —Jan Jensen [49:02]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "When I got in the car, I'm like, I don't need that. I've got an engine."
  —Jeff Gordon [03:14]

• "I'm so sorry [for all the college kids who joined acapella]. I'm into people's hyper specific interests and passions..."
  —Anna Kendrick [24:15]

• "Get your head out of your ass."
  —Jan Jensen to Peter Sagal, on coaching tough love [45:02]

• "The new Maine license plates feature a majestic pine tree. And a lot of people look at the top and say, oh, it looks like it's giving you the finger."
  —Peter Sagal [33:20]

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Timestamps for Notable Segments

• Jeff Gordon Interview and Quiz: 01:13–12:41
• Bluff the Listener ("Don't Bring Your Kid to Work"): 14:25–20:55
• Anna Kendrick Interview and Quiz: 21:01–30:34
• Comedy News and Medical Bills Game: 32:34–38:35
• Jan Jensen Interview and Quiz: 40:05–49:15

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Episode Tone & Style

• Conversational & Playful: banter, running jokes, self-deprecation, and audience engagement.
• Genuine Curiosity: Peter Sagal’s questions mix humor and respect.
• Self-Referential: Multiple callbacks to Wait Wait’s own traditions and prior gags.
• Inclusive: All guests feel comfortable ribbing each other and joining the comedy.

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This episode is packed with laughs, games, and smart conversations, making it easy to jump in even if you’ve never heard Wait Wait before. Whether you’re a news buff, dog lover, fan of motorsports, or curious about Midwestern women’s basketball—or just in need of a good chuckle—the show delivers classic NPR wit and warmth.

Transcript

[Announcer]

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[Bill Curtis]

From NPR and WBC Chicago, this is Wait, wait, don't tell me, the NPR News quiz. Hey, Starbucks, put down that PSL and pick up a ps. Bill I'm Bill Curtis and here is your host at the Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building in Chicago, Illinois, Peter Sagal.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you, Bill. Thanks, everybody. Now, last week, as I hope you heard, we did our show in Honolulu, Hawaii. And of course, our plan was to come right back here immediately to do another show for you this week. But we were worried, what if something were to happen and we couldn't get back in time?

[Bill Curtis]

You should have listened to me and booked tickets on that tramp steamer. No better way to see the world than from the inside of a cargo hold.

[Peter Sagal]

So just in case we got delayed in Hawaii somehow, we prepared this review of some of our best moments from earlier this year. For example, in June, we were joined live on stage by NASCAR legend Joe Jeff Gordon. And it turns out he started winning races when he was just five years old.

[Jeff Gordon]

Yeah, I mean, I guess I just think all professional race car drivers started racing when they were five or six years old. I mean, that was pretty common for me. I grew up in California and the kids I was racing with were basically the same age.

[Peter Sagal]

How does a five year old end up in a race car? Because my kids want one. But I say no.

[Jeff Gordon]

Yeah, exactly. Yeah, I had. So my stepfather is actually the one that introduced me to it. He was a machinist and worked on cars. And I think some friends of his would come to him to say, hey, fix my car. Can you make this piece? I'm guessing at that point maybe they couldn't pay him. And so they said, oh, I've got this old race car that my son used to drive over here in the garage. How about I give you that. It's called a quarter Midget. So it's, it's similar to a go kart, but the engines in the back has a roll cage, seat belts, maybe somewhat safer than a go kart and race on small oval tracks. And so, yeah, he came home with that and said, hey, look what's outside. And of course, I was just eager to get in and go.

[Peter Sagal]

Did everybody know? Did you know that this was something you were going to be very good at?

[Jeff Gordon]

No idea. No, I had no clue. I'd actually, my first racing experience was. Previous to that, I raced BMX bikes when I was like, four and a half years old.

[Peter Sagal]

Four and a half?

[Jeff Gordon]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

What does a four and a half year old get if they win a race? They get to skip their nap. What is the prize?

[Jeff Gordon]

Well, I didn't win a race, so I wouldn't know, because I realized then that I did not have the physicality to. To pedal a bicycle as fast as others. And when I got in the car, I'm like, I don't need that. I've got an engine.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, yeah.

[Jeff Gordon]

So it did come pretty quick. And I realized, gained confidence and said, oh, I can do this.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. This is actually another thing I'm very curious about. I know, for example, that on the track, you drivers are in radio contact at all times with your pit. What are you talking about? It's like, oh, did you see what the president just tweeted?

[Jeff Gordon]

I will say there were a few times in my career where I was fortunate enough to have a pretty big lead. Just a few times, and your mind starts to wonder. And I think there were a few times I noticed some fans or something happening up in the grandstands, and I radioed to the team and said, hey, did you see that? They're like, seriously, Jeff, you're noticing things up in the grandstands?

[Peter Sagal]

Really?

[Jeff Gordon]

We're trying to win this race. Get back to the race.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah, I'm going to win, but what are we going to have for dinner later? Peckish out here.

[Jeff Gordon]

The other thing you have to remember is that these radios are being broadcast to everyone, really. So you have to be careful of things you say, I didn't always do that well, but you try, really.

[Peter Sagal]

So let's say, and I'm sure this happened to you more than a couple times, let's say things go poorly, you spin out, maybe something catches fire. You have to be careful to say, oh, goodness, I am truly and well. Yeah, fudged.

[Jeff Gordon]

Yeah, that as well. As if somebody else caused it.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, yes.

[Jeff Gordon]

Then the choice things that you are thinking about saying, Really?

[Peter Sagal]

I find that here's the part you.

[Jeff Gordon]

Guys are gonna love, because you guys are comedians and I'm not. But in order for that to be broadcast, there's a button on the steering wheel. So in order for the driver to talk back to the team, you have to push the button. And these things are being broadcast. So you don't have to push the button. You could just say them. And in my case, 100% of the time, I wanted to make sure I pushed the button. So everybody, really.

[Peter Sagal]

Now you've retired. And as I said, one of the many things you do in addition to your businesses and philanthropy is you co own some racing teams. Right. And how hard is it for you to like just look at the driver or watch them and just think, just let me do it.

[Jeff Gordon]

I mean I realize things have evolved, technology's evolved, the cars drive different today. But what does happen to me? And I think of my wife every time because when I was racing, I would get out of the car that day, let's say, you know, we didn't win. And she would go, I don't understand why you didn't just past that car.

[Peter Sagal]

This is your wife?

[Jeff Gordon]

Yeah. She's like, couldn't you just push the pedal down further and go by? I'm like, honey, like it's already all the way there. Like that was as fast as I could go. So I then while I'm watching the drivers, I'm going, just pass.

[Peter Sagal]

Why can't you just pass them?

[Bill Curtis]

Right?

[Peter Sagal]

And I just, in credit to your wife, just comparing to myself, at least she knew you had a pedal. That was new to me. I enjoyed it. Really? You're like, come on, just do it, just do it, just do it. I know everybody asks you guys after you've, you know, all the racers current and retired, if you speed when you're driving your car. I'm not going to ask you that.

[Jeff Gordon]

I know you're not.

[Peter Sagal]

No, I'm not going to ask you that. Well, unless you want to tell me.

[Roy Blunt Jr.]

Do you?

[Peter Sagal]

I just understood. It was like the big cliche that all the race drivers get.

[Jeff Gordon]

Well, I mean, I'm not saying that it's that, you know, I just get in the car and say how fast can I go? But I mean I'm still human. Yeah, sure, sometimes you got to go.

[Peter Sagal]

What I really wanted to know, what I really wanted to know is if you're just driving, just doing an errand, maybe doing something to your kids, driving out of their grocery store. If you ever say, if you're just sitting there and going vroom, vroom, I.

[Anna Kendrick]

Have one more question which is that I learned how to drive on a stick shift.

[Jeff Gordon]

Nice.

[Panelist/Other Guest]

Does that improve your opinion of me?

[Peter Sagal]

Yes, 100%.

[Jeff Gordon]

I have an 18 year old, soon to be 18 year old daughter and a 14 year old son and my goal this summer is to get them to learn. Wait a minute, my son is like going through driver's ed and stuff, so maybe my daughter, I want her to learn how to drive.

[Peter Sagal]

Here's the question, Are you, Jeff Gordon, one of the greatest race car drivers who have ever lived, going to teach your children to drive?

[Jeff Gordon]

I mean, yes, reluctantly, because it's probably one of the scariest things I've ever done is sit in the passenger seat.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah.

[Jeff Gordon]

While, you know, somebody has zero experience driving is driving the vehicle. And I kind of like to be in control of the vehicle. Yeah. So that's probably the most terrified of when my daughter was learning how to drive.

[Peter Sagal]

Just imagine you turning to your daughter. She's 16 or whatever she is. You're like, why don't you just pass them?

[Jeff Gordon]

I just want her to use the brakes. When somebody's brake lights come on, I'll be happy with Chad.

[Peter Sagal]

Start there. Well, Jeff Gordon, it is such a pleasure to talk to you. We've asked you here to play a game.

[Bill Curtis]

We're calling leave the driving to us.

[Peter Sagal]

As we have discussed, you're an accomplished driver, so we thought we'd ask you three questions about passengers. Answer two out of three correctly, you'll win our prize. One of our listeners, the voice of anyone they might choose for their voicemail. Bill, who is NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon.

[Bill Curtis]

Playing for Kelsey woods of Wendell, North Carolina.

[Jeff Gordon]

All right.

[Bill Curtis]

North Carolina.

[Jeff Gordon]

North Carolina.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah.

[Jeff Gordon]

Got to take care of my Carolinians.

[Peter Sagal]

Exactly. Here's your first question. In 2017, a taxi driver in the UK was pulled over for speeding, and he laid the blame on his passengers, telling the police what A, they kept farting and it was so bad he had to get the ride over as quickly as possible. B, one of them said, follow that car. And since there wasn't any car in sight, he sped up to find one. Or C, one said, the acid we just took will kick in in 10 minutes. And whether it happens back here or at our home is up to you.

[Jeff Gordon]

Oh, my gosh, my son is going to be so proud of me for picking a.

[Peter Sagal]

Your son should be proud because you're right. Yes.

[Jeff Gordon]

Oh, nice.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah, he said. He said I had to get out of the car. They were farting so badly. There were three of them. So let's have some sympathy for him. All right. Very good. People love to ride on roller coasters, of course, as passengers, including one in Arakawa, Japan. And this roller coaster is four famous for being what? A, a nearly sure fire way to induce labor leading to long lines of pregnant women. B, it is the slowest roller coaster in the entire country, so slow some riders didn't realize once when it had derailed and stopped cold. Or C, it's the world's only one way roller coaster, meaning every ride ends in a long walk back to the start. Oh, Lord.

[Jeff Gordon]

Well, I don't do anything slow, so I'm not going with B. I'm gonna go with the one way.

[Peter Sagal]

No, it was actually me, the slow one. It is the slowest roller coaster in Japan. It is so family coaster.

[Jeff Gordon]

Remind me to never go to an amusement park next time.

[Bill Curtis]

I'm in.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, here's your last question. If you get this, you win. In 2016 on a Southwest Airlines flight from Oakland to Kansas City full of Oakland Raiders fans, the pilot actually took to the PA at the end of the flight to congratulate the passengers for what? A, they had, he felt the most creative heckles of the safety announcement he had ever heard. B, for the first time in his experience, they had drank literally all of the alcohol on board the plane or C, every passenger had boarded the plane, stowed their bags and got their seatbelt buckled in eight minutes flat.

[Jeff Gordon]

Oh, gosh. Oh my goodness. It's a crowd participation.

[Peter Sagal]

It really is.

[Jeff Gordon]

B.

[Peter Sagal]

B. Yes, it was. Of course. B. They were Oakland Raiders.

[Jeff Gordon]

F. Thank you.

[Peter Sagal]

They drank all of it during one three hour flight.

[Bill Curtis]

Bill, how did Jeff Gordon do two out of three? Checkered flag flies everywhere. There you go.

[Jeff Gordon]

Nice.

[Peter Sagal]

Jeff Gordon is a NASCAR legend and the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports. Jeff Gordon, thank you so much for being with us. Thank you, Jeff. Jeff Gordon, everybody. Living legend. When we come back, we got Anna Kendrick explaining to Paula Poundstone why she looks so familiar. And one more reason to never, ever have children. That's when we come back with more. Wait, wait, don't tell me. From npr, support for this podcast and the following message come from Dignity Memorial. When you think about the people you love, it's not the big things you miss the most. It's the details. What memories will your loved ones cherish when you are gone? At Dignity Memorial, the details aren't just little things. They're everything. They help families create meaningful celebrations of life with professionalism and compassion. To find a provider near you, visit dignitymemorial.com this message comes from Charles Schwab.

[Panelist/Other Guest]

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[Bill Curtis]

From npr, NWBEC Chicago, this is Wait, wait, don't tell me the NPR News quiz. I'm Bill Curtis and here is your host at the Studebaker Theater in downtown Chicago, Peter Sagal.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you, Bill. Thank you, everybody. So if you're listening to this, it means that despite our best efforts, we are still somehow stuck in Hawaii. Honestly, I am so sorry. We intended to get back to Chicago as soon as our show in Honolulu was done.

[Bill Curtis]

I even wore my Parker to the theater so I wouldn't have to waste time changing clothes once we got back.

[Peter Sagal]

So as we negotiate our escape from our island prison, we're going to keep bringing you some highlights from the past year. For example, here's a bluff game we played back in March with Roy Blunt, Faith Saley and Shantira Jackson. Hi.

[Bill Curtis]

This is Dustin Durant from Omaha, Nebraska.

[Peter Sagal]

Hey. Okay. So what do you do there in Omaha?

[Bill Curtis]

Well, my wife and I keep poison dart frogs. We have over 30 different frogs.

[Peter Sagal]

That's new. You keep poison dart frogs. Do they come when you call them?

[Bill Curtis]

They, they jump at you when you spray water at them. So you got to be careful when you open it up.

[Shantira Jackson]

You know what? Me too.

[Peter Sagal]

We've all been there. All right, Dustin. Well, welcome to the show. You are going to play our game in which you have to tell truth from from fiction. Bill, what is Dustin's topic?

[Bill Curtis]

Don't bring your kid to work.

[Peter Sagal]

You may remember the day a decade or more ago when NPR had a take your kid to work day and somebody's kid pushed a button and took NPR off the air for more than a minute. This week, somebody's kid did something even more interesting while at their parents place of work. Our panelists are gonna tell you about it. Pick the one who's telling the truth and and you will win our prize, the wait waiter of your choice for your voicemail. You ready to play?

[Bill Curtis]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

All right. Well let's start then with a story from Faith Saley.

[Anna Kendrick]

Last week, Sharon McGann had to take her 12 year old son Oscar with her to her admin job at Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Columbus, Ohio. Sharon told Oscar to keep quiet and stay out of trouble. He didn't. He ensconced himself in a confessional. When penitent parishioner Lorna McMahon came into the booth and said through the screen, bless me Father, for I have sinned. Oscar froze. Then he lowered his voice and replied.

[Jan Jensen]

Tell me all the bad stuff.

[Anna Kendrick]

My child. Oscar heard confessions for an hour until he farted and laughed so hard that his mom found him. But before she did, young fake father Oscar doled out some punishing penances, like telling one parishioner to listen to kids bop while praying the rosary. A googleplex number of times.

[Peter Sagal]

A 12 year old gets taken to church by his parent and ends up taking confessions and learning a little about the world. Your next story of a kid catastrophe comes from Roy Blunt Jr.

[Roy Blunt Jr.]

If you're a German soccer player, we learned this week, it's all very well to bring your little boy to one of your games. As long as you tell him this up front. Don't bite the referee in the balls. A match between two lower level teams was about to begin. Suddenly it was called off because the only referee was in too much pain. Let the referee tell it. A small child was doing warm up exercises alongside the players. He came closer and closer to me. Suddenly, to my complete surprise, he gave me a sharp bite in my left testicle. So give the kid a break. Maybe the thing was hanging loose. Anyway, as any parent knows, you can never think of everything you need to tell a child not to do.

[Peter Sagal]

A German soccer ref gets surprised by a player's son on the pitch. Your last story of a kiddo. Oh. Comes from Shantira Jackson, the Metropolitan Museum.

[Shantira Jackson]

Of Art in New York City. Or as his friends like to call him, the Met has a long history of displaying beautiful art pieces and welcoming children of all ages. One day, a docent brought his daughter to work, only to immediately lose her. The girl had been to the museum hundreds of times, and she decided it was time to put her own spin on the exhibits. One by one, she went around replacing the placards that give details about the art in the rooms with her own handwritten, honest reviews. The Egyptian room, originally known as the Temple of Dender, was replaced with a placard that said, this stuff in here is pretty cool, but don't forget about what happened in the mummy be chill in here. The room with the antique furniture placard changed from Renaissance revival room to skip this room. You can't even sit on any of the couches. Throughout the day, docents were finding and removing the placards display after display. When asked why she did it, the girl said that at school they were learning how the best art is honest art. And also, I just lied and said I have permission to do this.

[Peter Sagal]

So one of these stories really happened. Was it from faith Saley, a 12 year old who ended up taking confessions at a Catholic church? From Roy Blunt Jr. A kid at a German soccer pitch, well, not using his hands on the ball? Or from Shantira Jackson, a docent's daughter at the Metropolitan Museum, changing the placards on the art to more honest ones. Which of these is the real story of a kid at his parents workplace?

[Bill Curtis]

I'm gonna have to go with the soccer balls incident because the truth is stranger than fiction. And if you're gonna make it up, I don't think they go that far.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, you've chosen Roy's story of the soccer player's son who attacked the soccer referee. Well, we spoke to someone who had an opinion on this real story. I just felt so bad for the referee and for everyone involved. That was Joey Kenward. He's a soccer referee and broadcaster in Vancouver, Canada, talking with, I think, some apprehension about the boy who attacked the referee with his teeth in Germany. Congratulations. You got it right. You earned a point for Roy. You have won our prize. The voice of any one year might choose from our show in your voicemail. Congratulations and well done.

[Bill Curtis]

Thank you. Thank you. It's a pleasure being on the show.

[Peter Sagal]

Best to your frogs. Thank you.

[Bill Curtis]

Bye. In June, we went to Portland, Maine, to interview one of that city's native daughters, actor and singer Anna Kendrick, on the stage of the historic Merrill Auditorium. Peter asked her if she had been there before.

[Peter Sagal]

This is not your first time here in the stage of the auditorium?

[Anna Kendrick]

No, no. And I'll say that everybody at the Wait, wait, don't tell me team has been so, so helpful and thoughtful. And they sent me a map and a picture of the stage door. And they told me, but don't worry, a man named Colin will escort you there. And I said, I have walked all the way down Congress street wearing lion face paint to be in a dance recital here. I have come here to stand behind Judy Collins for one song in the choir during a Christmas special that she did wearing what can only be described as a handmaid's Tale esque robe. And I have come to this stage door to wait in that balcony for 45 minutes in a white button down and black pants just to sing Ah. At the Nutcracker.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh my God. That's where I know you from. That was her.

[Anna Kendrick]

That's right.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, this is.

[Game Host/Panelist]

Oh.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, it's so exciting to see you. So not to put too fine a pint on it, but you were a thing. Theater kid.

[Panelist/Other Guest]

Oh.

[Anna Kendrick]

Can I just say that earlier, before we were recording, Paula mentioned that we. We met and that Paula did know my full name and that even though I started listing all the movies I was in, she still didn't know me. And I just wanted to say that I was only listing the movies at her specific request.

[Jan Jensen]

Oh, yeah, no, I wasn't just.

[Anna Kendrick]

She was. I was. She wasn't just like, oh, you're Anna Kendrick. And I didn't just start going, I.

[Announcer]

Up in the air.

[Anna Kendrick]

End of Watch the accountant. Pitch Perfect. Ever heard of him? That didn't happen.

[Peter Sagal]

No, no, it was.

[Jan Jensen]

I put Anna in the uncomfortable position. I said, well, where would I know you from?

[Peter Sagal]

That's a terrible thing to do. Paula kind of was, I apologize, but.

[Jan Jensen]

And then every movie she mentioned, I'm.

[Anna Kendrick]

Like, no, not that I only mentioned Paula. I would like to remind you I only mentioned one. And then I said, you know, it doesn't really matter.

[Peter Sagal]

No. And then you took out your phone and you were scrolling lies, lies. And then Paula started naming movies she.

[Game Host/Panelist]

Liked and going, were you in that one?

[Panelist/Other Guest]

Yeah.

[Jan Jensen]

Anyways, I apologize for, you know, making you feel awkward.

[Anna Kendrick]

No, I love you. And I love that we have a rivalry already.

[Peter Sagal]

That's true. When you were last here, it was a few years ago, and we talked about Pitch Perfect. And one of the things that I am aware of is that because of those movies, a lot of kids went to college and joined acapella groups.

[Jan Jensen]

Yeah.

[Anna Kendrick]

I'm so sorry.

[Peter Sagal]

Well, I was gonna ask, geez, how do you feel about that legacy?

[Anna Kendrick]

I feel okay about it. I'm into people's hyper specific interests and passions and like, it doesn't matter how dorky it is. I think it. If you're good at it and you care about it, that's amazing. I will say that over the course we made three movies and so I met a decent amount of acapella people in the course of that time. And I was very surprised how many of them said, yeah, but I mean, the original versions of the song are always better.

[Peter Sagal]

Right?

[Anna Kendrick]

What are we doing if we're listening to a song, maybe the thing that makes the sound of a drum should be the drum. So, yeah, it's a self. Self deprecating community. And that's also admirable, I think.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, really? So those jokes are being made by the acapella people.

[Announcer]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

Right.

[Anna Kendrick]

I mean, I hope, my God, I hope it wasn't just three people in the rest of the acapella community are like, well, you're dead to us now.

[Peter Sagal]

One of the things you've done since the last time we talked to you, Anna, is you directed your first film. And I heard that you did that, and I was like, oh, I'm sure. It's like the incredibly charming, sophisticated romantic comedy that I would expect from someone like yourself. It is a movie called Woman of the Hour and it is a real life story about a woman who goes on. Played by herself, who goes on the Dating Game back in the 70s when that was a thing and gets matched with a serial killer.

[Anna Kendrick]

Yes. True story.

[Peter Sagal]

True story.

[Anna Kendrick]

It's a true story, girl. Yes, Paula, you should see the film.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah, she's gonna. And go, where do I know her from?

[Anna Kendrick]

Because Paula's a very sophisticated woman of taste and that's why she doesn't know any of my films.

[Peter Sagal]

I'm just going to point out, given your vast success and fame, it's annoying that you're funnier than we are.

[Anna Kendrick]

And I'd like you to stop.

[Peter Sagal]

Well, Anna Kendrick, it is so much fun to talk to you here in your hometown. And this time, we have invited you here to play a game, what we're calling Pitch Perfect.

[Bill Curtis]

Meet female dog perfect.

[Peter Sagal]

So as we have gone over, you were in the Pitch Perfect movies.

[Anna Kendrick]

I love a joke that you have.

[Peter Sagal]

To go, oh, what? So as we were saying, you were in the Pitch Perfect movies, so we thought that we'd ask you about dog shows. Answer three questions about dog shows and you'll win our prize for one of our listeners, the voice of anyone they choose for their voicemail. Bill, who is Anna Kendrick playing for?

[Bill Curtis]

Ali Long of Biddeford, Maine.

[Roy Blunt Jr.]

All right.

[Peter Sagal]

My neighbor, Biddeford.

[Anna Kendrick]

Come on, Biddeford.

[Peter Sagal]

Here's your first question. Show dogs are registered under very elaborate names that reflect their parentage. What was the name of the winner of the 2014 Savannah Dog Show? A, Snitches get Stitches by daylight. B, Starfire's Spank Me Hard, Call Me Crazy. Or C, President Polk's Burrito of Joyful abundance.

[Anna Kendrick]

Oh, this makes me so that the fact that it's any one of them Makes me really delighted. But I. Oh, I guess I'll say A.

[Peter Sagal]

You're gonna say A. Snitches get stitches by daylight. No, I'm afraid it was Starfire. Spank me hard. Call me crazy. That's a dog's name.

[Anna Kendrick]

That is the one that I was like, well, that's definitely not it.

[Roy Blunt Jr.]

That's not it.

[Peter Sagal]

But yes, it was a lovely Pomeranian, by the way, we are told. All right, you have two more chances. Not a problem. At the 2021 Westminster Dog Show, Ripple, the Boston terrier, was well on the way to winning the agility competition. You know what they're running with the obstacle course when what happened? A, her trainer tripped over his own feet and fell right on her. B, she was distracted by a spectator who pulled out a Slim Jim and left the course. Or C, she suddenly stopped reconsidering what she was doing with her brief life and just walked away.

[Anna Kendrick]

Well. Well, I really hope it's C. So I'm going to say, say, see your.

[Peter Sagal]

Hope as a sort of dramatic scene. A moment is the dogs running through. Imagine how it gaps. Little dogs. Zip, zip, zip. You've seen them go.

[Anna Kendrick]

All right, you disagree.

[Peter Sagal]

I get it.

[Anna Kendrick]

What should I say? Wonderful. Then A, they're right.

[Roy Blunt Jr.]

A. Oh, wow.

[Anna Kendrick]

Wait, have you all seen this?

[Peter Sagal]

No. This would be, by the way, a great final scene.

[Anna Kendrick]

That's the one I really didn't want it to be.

[Peter Sagal]

And yet, was the dog okay? Only answer if the answer is yes. I am proud to tell you that if you see the video, and you can, the trainer trips and falls onto her, but she is perfectly fine. And in a quite lovely moment, before continuing her course, she stops and checks on him to make sure he's fine. That's very sweet. All right, Anna, now you've got one more chance. If you get it right, you. You win it all. A dog show that was staged at a high school in Spain in 2019 had a surprise ending when. What happened? A, the winner was revealed to be a small rat with excellent makeup. B, one of the dogs busted three students for drug possession. C, the students tried to feed the dogs food from their own cafeteria, and they all refused.

[Panelist/Other Guest]

Well.

[Anna Kendrick]

I'm hearing E so clearly. Enunciation lessons for all of you.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes.

[Anna Kendrick]

I do want to say C. I'll stick with C. You're going to stick with C? Oh, my God. The way you're looking at me.

[Peter Sagal]

Fine. Yes, it's B. What is B? It is B. Oh, my gosh. It was a demonstration of police dogs, and the dogs did their job. Wow, Bill. Ultimately, how did Anna Kendrick do in our quiz?

[Bill Curtis]

2 out of 3 you won.

[Peter Sagal]

She wins again. Anna Kendrick is an Oscar Tony, an Emmy nominated actor and a proud native of Portland, Maine. She was named a director to watch by Variety for her debut, Woman of the Hour, which you can stream now on Netflix. Anna Kendrick, what an absolute joy to have you here. Give it up for your hometown girl. Coming up, either we burst in the doors of the theater, freshly tanned and out of breath, just back from Hawaii, or we'll bring you some more never before heard goodies from our show. Plus Iowa basketball legend Jan Jensen. Oh, the suspense. That's when we return with more of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me from npr.

[Panelist/Other Guest]

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[Bill Curtis]

From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR News quiz. I'm Bill Curtis, and here is your host at the Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building in downtown Chicago, Illinois, Peter Sago.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you, Bill. Thanks, everybody. Thank you so much. Well, I guess at this point I just have to admit it. We weren't able to make it back from Hawaii in time to do a new show for you this week. But I want you to know, no matter what, where we are right now and how delicious the mai tai we're drinking is, we truly wish we were here with you.

[Bill Curtis]

I'm so sad about it. I just ordered a second mai tai.

[Peter Sagal]

So to make up for it, here's some delightful fun we have with our panelists. In the last year, Maz Maine recently issued new license plates with an image of a pine Tree. But a lot of people who have received it say it actually looks like a. What? Marijuana? No. Ha. Give me a hint. I'll give you a hint. The old one, the one it replaced had a bird. This one is flipping a bird. Oh, it looks like the middle finger. It does. So they say the new main license plates feature a majestic pine tree. And a lot of people look at the top of the pine tree and they say, oh, it looks like it's giving you the finger. Now, the artist who drew that for the state says it's ridiculous. That's just a figment of your imagination. And if you need to see a real middle finger to compare it to, just drive into Maine with a Massachusetts license plate. Shane. Authorities are reporting a huge increase in the volume and the sophistication of people who are smuggling contraband. Into where?

[Announcer]

Into where?

[Peter Sagal]

Into the senate floor. Smuggling contraband into the United States? No. Smuggling contraband into public high schools?

[Panelist/Other Guest]

No.

[Peter Sagal]

Huge uptake. Can I have a hand? Sure. I mean, contraband smuggled in includes candy, snacks, and extra string for crafting friendship bracelets. Oh, to summer camps. Yes, to summer camps. How dare they? Most camps have strict bans on outside candy and snacks. But that does not stop parents of campers from trying to. This summer, they have been caught, for example, hollowing out books and loading them up with candy. One parent filled a tampon box with chocolate bars, resealed, it looked like it had never been opened. They'll do anything while mom says, well, you know, it's just not parents visiting day if I'm not swallowing balloons filled with skittles first.

[Shantira Jackson]

I think that a mom putting candy in a tampon box should be allowed. That's medicine.

[Peter Sagal]

One camper, actually, the camp counselors are like, these guys are impressive. One person bought a monopoly game, opened it up, took out all the parts in the game and put in, just packed it with candy, closed it and sealed it with a heater on cellophane to make it look like it was still store bought. Another person stuffed a soccer ball with candy. A third packed two whole sleeves of oreos into a kilo of heroin.

[Bill Curtis]

Yeah.

[Game Host/Panelist]

It's time for a new game we're calling medical bills.

[Bill Curtis]

What fun.

[Game Host/Panelist]

Every week we see a headline that says somebody racked up a huge medical bill after being treated for something. We're going to ask you about a few bills people have received. You guess what they were treated for, and then if you get yours right, you get a point. And we're gonna go quick.

[Peter Sagal]

Let's go.

[Game Host/Panelist]

Okay, okay. Okay, Roy, from this week, finish this headline from Yahoo.

[Jeff Gordon]

News.

[Game Host/Panelist]

Woman faces more than $20,000 in medical bills after what?

[Roy Blunt Jr.]

Depression?

[Game Host/Panelist]

After a bat flew into her mouth.

[Roy Blunt Jr.]

Oh, right, right. That's what I was gonna say.

[Game Host/Panelist]

She's okay. Here's the. Here's the takeaway from the story. I know what bats taste like now. It's an earthy, sweet kind of flavor. But you know, the flip side is now she's gonna start fighting crime. And that is where her life is never gonna be the same again, my friend. All right, Nagin, from CBS News. In 2017, South Dakota man accumulated $1,000 in medical bills when he became ill after drinking what?

[Anna Kendrick]

Oh, elephant piss.

[Game Host/Panelist]

A can of Coca Cola that had a dead mouse in it. Here's the key takeaway. This is absolutely true. Coca Cola refused to pay the man's bills because they argued in the six weeks between bottling and when he drank it, the Coca Cola would have definitely dissolved that mouse. All Right, Brian, from CBS News, a San Diego hiker received a $153,000 medical bill after he what? After he was bitten by a tarantula.

[Peter Sagal]

So close. Come on, man. What?

[Game Host/Panelist]

Snake bite. I'm gonna give it to you. After he attempted to take a couple quote rattlesnake selfie for you, Roy from Mass. Live in 2024. Massachusetts woman gets hospital bill for $56,000 after she what?

[Roy Blunt Jr.]

She tried to buy health insurance after she got sick.

[Game Host/Panelist]

She felt sorry for a raccoon and tried to help it cross the street.

[Anna Kendrick]

Oh, my gosh.

[Game Host/Panelist]

And here's the takeaway. The raccoon did not want her help. Thanks for playing our medical bill game.

[Announcer]

This message comes from Babbel. Babbel's conversation based language technique teaches you useful words and phrases to get you speaking quickly about the things you actually talk about in the real world with lessons handcrafted by over 200 language experts and voiced by real native speakers. Start speaking with Babbel today. Get up to 55% off your Babbel subscription right now at Babbel.com NPR spelled B-A-B-B-E-L.com NPR rules and restrictions may apply. This message comes from BetterHelp. As a dad, BetterHelp President Fernando Madera relates to needing flexibility when it comes to scheduling therapy.

[Bill Curtis]

I have kids under 18, so, like, time is very limited.

[Peter Sagal]

That's why at BetterHelp, our therapists try.

[Bill Curtis]

To have sessions, sometimes at night, depending on the therapist, or during the weekend.

[Jeff Gordon]

So I think that's what we need to tell the parents.

[Bill Curtis]

You're not alone. We can help you out.

[Announcer]

If a flexible schedule would help you. Visit betterhelp.com NPR for 10% off your first month of therapy.

[Peter Sagal]

Finally, in July, we went to Des Moines, Iowa, where we got to talk to Jan Jensen, the coach of the legendary University of Iowa women's basketball team.

[Bill Curtis]

As it turns out, Jan is not only a basketball champion herself, but a descendant of gentlemen.

[Peter Sagal]

Among the many things I learned this week, Coach Jensen, is that Iowa is, in fact, more or less the birthplace of women's basketball. Is that not right?

[Jan Jensen]

It really is.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah.

[Jan Jensen]

In fact, my grandmother was the MVP of the 1921 state tournament.

[Peter Sagal]

Your grandmother? Absolutely.

[Jan Jensen]

Yeah, my grandmother.

[Peter Sagal]

And.

[Anna Kendrick]

And didn't your. Your grandmother had a great nickname?

[Jan Jensen]

She did. It was named. She was named Lottie because she scored a lot of points.

[Peter Sagal]

So an enlightened state. Not a very creative one, but that's okay.

[Jan Jensen]

You gotta take.

[Peter Sagal]

I mean, I'm sorry. I mean, I had these images in my head of what the 20s were like, especially for women. Did they have to play in bustles?

[Jan Jensen]

I mean, they played in bloomers. They played in bloomers and they had, like, a sash. I actually have her uniform.

[Peter Sagal]

No, really, I do.

[Jan Jensen]

Yes. And I have the ball of which they played with.

[Peter Sagal]

No.

[Jan Jensen]

And it's. It. It. They weren't dribbling back then. It almost looked like a leather. Like a football.

[Peter Sagal]

Right.

[Jan Jensen]

So I didn't really start talking to her about her history until I was getting recruited. And she never shared it until I pried it out of her.

[Peter Sagal]

Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Because I happen to know you were one of, like, the greatest high school basketball players in the nation.

[Jeff Gordon]

Right.

[Peter Sagal]

And you're. I read that you had, like, a national record for points scored or something like that. And. And your grandmother never mentioned during all those years. Oh, basketball, you know, funny thing. Forgot to mention. 1921 National State Champion. Slipped my mind. Being overall.

[Jan Jensen]

No, she did not. She mentioned it casually, but she didn't like, you know, it wasn't until I truly, really pried the stories out of her, I knew she played. I saw her hall of Fame trophy, of course, and it was at her. Her home. And my mother used to tell a story that when I was really little, I looked up at that trophy. I said, mom, I'm gonna get a trophy like that someday. And my mom said, I bet you will. And I did.

[Peter Sagal]

Did. I bet you did.

[Jan Jensen]

When we were talking, they did a news special, the Iowa Girls Athletic Union, and it was on Iowa public television, which is awesome.

[Peter Sagal]

So great.

[Jan Jensen]

And they also did a six on six special. Right. So they were talking about the things. But the cool thing, my grandmother, she critiqued it. She said that it was much too physical and we showed way too much skin.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, really?

[Jan Jensen]

She was very. She thought it was very risque.

[Peter Sagal]

Really? Your grandmother was like, in my day, we played in bloomers and we liked it. We showed no ankle as we.

[Jeff Gordon]

That's right.

[Peter Sagal]

Let's talk about your coaching career. You spent 23 years as an assistant coach at Iowa before becoming head coach last year. And during that time, you coached the global phenomenon, Caitlin Clark. So what was that like?

[Jan Jensen]

You know, it was. I don't think we'll fully unpack it until. Well, certainly I won't till I slow down. Right, right. Because someone asked me, what was it like to coach Caitlin Clark, and I said, everything you think it was in a matter of a minute. Because she's passionate. You know, she's, you know, fun. She's feisty. She shoots it from the parking lot. You know, she makes a dazzling pass. She challenges you. She's a jokester. And then as you're going through it, you know, building a team, to me, that's the most beautiful thing is. And, you know, this on your show, you know, you got.

[Peter Sagal]

You.

[Jan Jensen]

You're the leading score.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, I am definitely the Caitlin Clark of this organization. I'm so glad. Yes. I'm so glad to send you to the parking lot. I'm so glad that somebody has finally noticed my central.

[Jan Jensen]

I'm now your favorite guest.

[Peter Sagal]

You really are. I mean, really. I think. Let's talk more about that. So anyway, so go on.

[Jan Jensen]

Well, just the building, the team and the culture, and I think that's why a lot of people have enjoyed watching Iowa women's basketball. Way back when we were at Drake, our staff was together. At Drake is what we believe is just really playing with joy, playing hard. And I believe the best thing in life is if you can get a team, I'd like to think if you can get a society to be celebrators of each other, that's the hardest thing.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. You know, so one of your jobs is to motivate a player who's struggling. That's. That's. That's part of the deal. So let's say I, as. As you have identified the Caitlin Clark of this show. Let's say I'm. I'm not doing well. Let's say I'm not playing to my astonishing potential.

[Roy Blunt Jr.]

Right.

[Jeff Gordon]

What.

[Peter Sagal]

How would you say to me, like, you Know what would be your learned coach attempt?

[Jan Jensen]

Well, for you particularly, I would say, get your head out of your ass.

[Peter Sagal]

For you. Really.

[Jan Jensen]

But now these lovely people over here, I would say, you know what? You got it. You can do it. I believe in you. You get over here.

[Peter Sagal]

Well, Coach Jensen, we are delighted to have you. Well, I'm delighted to be here. Speaking of games, we. Speaking of games, we have invited you here to play a game that this time we're calling.

[Bill Curtis]

Let's go a courtin'.

[Peter Sagal]

You spend all your time in the basketball court, so we thought we'd ask you about the other kind of courting. Finding a spouse. So we're gonna ask you three questions about courting rituals from around the world. Get two right, you'll win a prize for one of our listeners. Bill, who is coach Jensen playing for?

[Bill Curtis]

Matthew Kodis of Des Moines, Iowa.

[Jan Jensen]

All right.

[Peter Sagal]

All right. Ready to go. Here's your first question. In the puritan communities in New England back in the 1600s, courting couples would have to sit apart in a small room with a family member there to chaperone at all times. So for privacy, these couples used what? A, a six foot long speaking tube which one person held to their ear while the other person talked into the other side. B, an elaborate code using only eye blinks and squinting. Or C, wooing leaves, which was a medicinal herb you would put in grandma's tea so she'd fall asleep and you could talk freely.

[Jan Jensen]

Oh, gosh.

[Peter Sagal]

Okay.

[Jan Jensen]

I'm feeling maybe. Are you feeling maybe one? I'm feeling one.

[Roy Blunt Jr.]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

It was the speaking to. Yes, yes. Let's go, Grandma. Grandma would sit there. I'm beginning to get a sense of your style on the courtside. Yeah. They sit there and they hold the tube and they speak.

[Jan Jensen]

Little help for my body.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah, okay. All right, all right. That was very good. Here's your second question. Pumpkins had a traditional role in courtship in medieval Ukraine. What was it?

[Roy Blunt Jr.]

A.

[Peter Sagal]

What was called love bowling. Women would roll a pumpkin down the largest hill in town, and the first man it knocked over would be her betrothed. B. If a woman turned down a marriage proposal, she would give their suitor a pumpkin as a kind of consolation prize, but everyone who saw him walking home with it would know he just got rejected. Or C. Suitors wore pumpkins over their heads to the town dance to ensure that matches were not just about physical appearance.

[Jan Jensen]

Oh, golly.

[Peter Sagal]

Sort of a medieval Ukrainian version.

[Jan Jensen]

What was that again?

[Peter Sagal]

They're yelling B. I like that. That's correct. How did you know that's right on my back. All of you. The consolation pumpkin or the pumpkin of shame. Men would only. This is true. Men would only propose at night so they wouldn't be seen carrying the pumpkin home. Here's your last question. In 19th century rural Austria, available women presented men who they liked with a challenge to prove their worth. What was it? A, she would feed a ring to a particular sheep and the man would have to first guess the sheep and then get the ring back. B, After a town dance, the woman would offer the man she fancied an apple slice that she had held in her armpit during the whole dance to see if he would eat it. Or C, she would write a particular tongue twister love poem which the man was expected to recite after drinking four beers in one hour.

[Jan Jensen]

I think it's B. Apple.

[Peter Sagal]

And it is B.

[Panelist/Other Guest]

Yes.

[Jan Jensen]

Three for three.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes. Wow.

[Jan Jensen]

I've been stressing about this the whole day.

[Peter Sagal]

I like the win.

[Jan Jensen]

Three for three.

[Peter Sagal]

Let's go, Bill. How did Coach Jensen do in our quiz?

[Bill Curtis]

What else? A perfect score.

[Jan Jensen]

It's all of you.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you. Jan Jensen is the head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball team. Coach Jan Jensen, thank you so much for being on. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Give it up for Coach Jensen. That's it for our Prisoners of Paradise edition. I can guarantee you we'll be back with a new show next week.

[Bill Curtis]

Mahalo, listeners. Mahalo.

[Peter Sagal]

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 Ga writes our limericks. Our public address announcer is Pointing Paul Friedman. And our tour manager is Shana Donald. BJ Lederman composed our theme. Our program is produced by Jennifer Mills, Miles Groenboss and Lillian King. Special thanks to Monica Hickey. Peter Gwynn was thrown into a volcano. Our visual host is Emma Choi. Technical direction is from Lorna White. Our CFO is Colin Miller. Our production manager is Robert Newhouse. Our senior producer is Ian Chillock. And the executive producer of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me is Mike Danforth. Thanks to everybody you heard on this week's show, all of our panelists, our guests, our fill in hosts and scorekeepers, and of course, Mr. Bill Curtis. Thanks to all of you for listening. I am Peter Sagal. We'll be back next week with the farmer's can of your dreams. This is npr.

[Panelist/Other Guest]

This message comes from the Council for Interior Design Qualification, interior designer and CIDQ president Siyavash Madani discusses why certified professionals know that good design is more than just how something looks.

[Announcer]

Being NCIDQ certified means you've qualified to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public in the spaces that you design. Good design is never just about aesthetics. It's about intention, safety, and impact. So an NCIDQ certified interior designer must complete a minimum of six years of specialized education and work experience and pass the three part NCIDQ exam. All three exams emphasize and focus on health, safety and welfare of the occupants. Being NCIDQ certified means that you've proven your knowledge and skills through rigorous exams and are recognized as a qualified interior design professional.

[Panelist/Other Guest]

Learn [e-mail] NPR.