WWDTM: Happy New Year Edition!

Summary

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! – Happy New Year Edition Summary

Introduction

In the "Happy New Year Edition" of NPR's beloved news quiz show, Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, host Peter Sagal welcomes listeners back with his characteristic wit and humor. Filmed at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago’s Fine Arts Building, the episode reflects on the lingering sentiments of 2024 while playfully anticipating the uncertainties of 2025. The show features a mix of celebrity guests, comedians, and engaging quiz segments that test their knowledge and entertain the audience with lighthearted banter.

Segment 1: Kristen Kish – From Top Chef to Host

Guest: Kristen Kish, winner of Top Chef and the new host of the series.

Discussion Highlights:

• Top Chef Journey: Kristen Kish shares her triumphant path on Top Chef, describing a pivotal moment where she had to prepare a challenging seafood dish involving the geoduck, humorously comparing it to handling a “penis” (00:53–02:17).

  Peter Sagal (00:53): “2024 is finally over, thank goodness. But we're hoping to delay finding out what 2025 has in store by staying in bed with the lights off.”

  Kristen Kish (02:17): “I'm very gay. So shocking that I knew what to do with it.”

• Transition to Host: Kristen recounts the unexpected call to take over Top Chef from Padma Lakshmi, highlighting her initial hesitation and eventual acceptance of the role while traveling internationally (03:04–04:10).

• Filming in Milwaukee: The upcoming season’s focus on Milwaukee and Wisconsin’s famed cheese curds is discussed, with Kristen humorously noting the local traditions and her experiences on set (04:10–05:20).

Notable Quotes:

• Kristen Kish (03:35): “Things started rolling.”
• Peter Sagal (04:25): “But your dairy is exceptional. Qualifies as dirty talk.”

Quiz Segment: "Top Jeff"

Kristen participates in a quiz segment focused on Jeff Bezos, answering questions about his personal philosophy and family history. Demonstrating her quick thinking under pressure, she successfully answers two out of three questions, securing a prize for her listener Heather Raine of Racine, Wisconsin (05:20–10:31).

Segment 2: Dr. Claudia Goldin and Danny Brown – Economics and Rap

Guests: Dr. Claudia Goldin, Nobel Prize-winning economist, and her husband Danny Brown, a rapper.

Discussion Highlights:

• Nobel Prize Announcement: Danny shares the amusing experience of receiving the Nobel Prize call early in the morning, leading to a humorous interaction with his husband Larry (14:03–15:23).

  Danny Brown (14:08): “The call arrived at 4:30 in the morning and I was sleeping in a bed with the person behind me.”

• Economist Humor: Dr. Goldin and Danny engage in playful banter about the economics field, including a lighthearted conversation about polyandry among economists due to the gender imbalance (16:02–17:06).

• Chatbot Prediction: Danny recounts his interaction with a chatbot that humorously suggested he pursue competitive yodeling, highlighting the limitations of AI in predicting human creativity (17:06–18:33).

• Pickleball and Midlife Crisis: Claudia discusses her newfound passion for pickleball, initially intending it as a humorous sketch but eventually embracing the sport (25:48–26:55).

Notable Quotes:

• Claudia Goldin (24:05): “Adderall.”
• Peter Sagal (25:37): “You also run. You won a lot of rap battles in. In high school, right?”

Quiz Segment: "Economy"

Dr. Goldin and her husband take on a quiz themed around Tom Stuker, the most traveled airplane passenger. They correctly answer questions about his first-class exploits, including his attempt to secure a guest spot on Seinfeld and United Airlines naming aircraft after him, winning the segment for Laurie Craig of Olympia, Washington (18:34–22:02).

Segment 3: Bill Cowher – Super Bowl Winning Coach

Guest: Bill Cowher, former head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Discussion Highlights:

• Career Reflections: Cowher reminisces about his coaching tenure, particularly the emotional experience of losing a championship game on a reunion boat cruise, leading to tension with his wife and teammates (33:07–35:02).

  Bill Cowher (33:35): “Everyone wanted tickets, like, oh, like, like, oh, now you can't talk to us anymore.”

• Coaching Philosophy: He humorously discusses the challenges of coaching interviews and maintaining composure, emphasizing control over the narrative during press interactions (35:29–35:57).

• Humorous Interactions: Peter attempts to stump Cowher with light-hearted questions, leading to playful exchanges about his coaching style and personal anecdotes (35:57–40:19).

Notable Quotes:

• Bill Cowher (36:43): “They was like, oh, did they hustle?”
• Peter Sagal (36:24): “You became a coach at a young age, so that means you had to learn quickly what I assume are the essential skills of coaching, which include doing these interviews on the field sometimes and after the game in which you managed to say nothing.”

Quiz Segment: "Meet the Cowards"

Bill Cowher engages in a quiz segment about historical figures labeled as cowards. Demonstrating his knowledge, he correctly answers questions about Robert Ford, William Castle, and Napoleon Bonaparte, earning a prize for Josh Smith of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (36:59–41:03).

Segment 4: Renee Elise Goldsberry – Broadway Star and Comedy Rapper

Guest: Renee Elise Goldsberry, actress known for her role in Hamilton and Netflix's Girls5Eva.

Discussion Highlights:

• Acting Journey: Renee discusses her transition from a working actor to a Broadway star, highlighting the sudden fame post-Hamilton and the challenges of being recognized solely for her breakout role (43:07–44:12).

• One-Hit Wonder Parody: She humorously describes her character’s background in Girls5Eva, a spoof of early 2000s girl groups, and her forgotten stint in an actual girl group, emphasizing the show's comedic take on pop culture stereotypes (44:46–46:55).

• Pickleball Adventures: Renee shares her initial struggles and eventual enjoyment of playing pickleball, inspired by her encounters with enthusiastic older players (25:48–26:55).

Notable Quotes:

• Renee Elise Goldsberry (44:12): “Never, never underestimate how invisible a middle-aged black woman can be.”
• Peter Sagal (44:29): “It's not my life all the time. I always say, never, never underestimate how invisible a middle-aged black woman can be. So, I mean, do you hear me?”

Quiz Segment: "Hey Goldsberry, Let's Look for Some Buried Goldbergs"

Renee participates in a treasure hunting-themed quiz, correctly answering questions about Kit Williams’ Masquerade, Tommy G. Thompson’s shipwreck, and the British friends’ Roman coins discovery. She wins a pirate-themed prize for Brian Holland of Southampton, Pennsylvania (46:34–49:56).

Closing Remarks

Host Peter Sagal wraps up the episode by celebrating the accomplishments of his guests and encouraging listeners to embrace the spirit of the new year with humor and optimism. He highlights upcoming segments featuring NFL and Broadway stars, ensuring that the audience departs with smiles and anticipation for future episodes.

Notable Closing Quotes:

• Peter Sagal (50:17): “That's it for us. Beat this 2025 edition. We'll see if the new year can live up to the standard set by the old one.”

Conclusion

The "Happy New Year Edition" of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! successfully combines humor, insightful conversations, and engaging quizzes to celebrate the end of 2024. With celebrity guests like Kristen Kish, Dr. Claudia Goldin, Bill Cowher, and Renee Elise Goldsberry, the episode offers a delightful blend of entertainment and informative content, making it a must-listen for fans and newcomers alike.

Highlighted Quotes with Timestamps:

• Peter Sagal (00:53): “2024 is finally over, thank goodness. But we're hoping to delay finding out what 2025 has in store by staying in bed with the lights off.”
• Kristen Kish (02:17): “I'm very gay. So shocking that I knew what to do with it.”
• Danny Brown (14:08): “The call arrived at 4:30 in the morning and I was sleeping in a bed with the person behind me.”
• Renee Elise Goldsberry (44:12): “Never, never underestimate how invisible a middle-aged black woman can be.”

Attributions:

• All quotes are attributed to their respective speakers with accurate timestamps as provided in the transcript.

Conclusion

This detailed summary encapsulates the key discussions, humorous exchanges, and notable moments from Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!'s "Happy New Year Edition." It provides a comprehensive overview for those who haven’t listened to the episode, capturing the essence and entertainment value of the show.

Transcript

[Peter Sagal]

This message comes from Carvana. Sell your car the convenient way, enter your license plate or vin, answer a few questions, and get a real offer in seconds. Go to Carvana.com today.

[Bill Curtis]

From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is Wait, wait, don't tell me, the NPR News quiz. I'm the old acquaintance that won't ever be forgot, Bill Curtis. And here's your host at the Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building in Chicago, Illinois, Peter Sagal.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you, bill. Thanks, everybody. 2024 is finally over, thank goodness. But we're hoping to delay finding out what 2025 has in store by staying in bed with the lights off.

[Bill Curtis]

And when that doesn't work, I call up my friends Jack Daniels and Jack.

[Peter Sagal]

While we try to remain blissfully unaware that a new year has even begun, we want to salvage the reputation of the last one a little by bringing you some of the highlights of our show. Let's start with Kristen Kish, who joined us in Milwaukee, where she had just filmed her first season as the new host of Top Chef.

[Bill Curtis]

Peter started by asking about her experience as a contestant on the show.

[Peter Sagal]

So let's jump right in. You won your season of Top Chef after fighting your way through a redemption round. And a big turning point for you in the show was you were all challenged to prepare this seafood specialty in Seattle, the geoduck.

[Kristen Kish]

Correct.

[Peter Sagal]

And I don't know if I will ever recover watching.

[Kristen Kish]

Okay, who knows what a geoduck is? Do you guys know? Yes. Yeah. No.

[Peter Sagal]

Does it sound like Pat Tay or something?

[Kristen Kish]

Who knows what a penis is? They look identical. It is not the thing that I wanted to cook and have like my first moment dunking the geoduck in hot water to then remove the foreskin. Yes, yes. I'll let you say that. And to slide it off. And that was my first moment. But it was the quickest thing that you could cook in 30 minutes.

[Peter Sagal]

Wait, so you moiled a. Wow. What a boy. Hey. Beautiful. Beautiful. It's a very easy procedure. You do that, you give it a fountain pen and you move on.

[Kristen Kish]

And I'm very gay. So shocking that I knew what to do with it.

[Peter Sagal]

Exactly. Well, you know, that makes sense. That makes sense, though, that you're like a penis. Dip it in boiling water. I think that's the advantage you had over the rest of the contestants. Complete emotional detachment. I don't care. I don't care. So now. So you went through one Top Chef, you hugely popular winner. You've gone on to do a lot of things, and then they Called you up and they said, padma's retiring. We want you to take over the show.

[Kristen Kish]

Well, so they didn't even say that. I saw anyone that is a fan of the show saw that on Instagram when Padma posted it, and it was like, it caught me off guard too. I was like, who's going to take over that job? Not me. No, certainly it's probably going to be one of you. You all are very funny and clever and very witty and charming.

[Peter Sagal]

I did think it was going to be me. So this is awkward.

[Kristen Kish]

And it just happened so fast. I got a call. I was flying from Thail back to New York, and I was in Dubai, and I got a call from my agent, and it just. Things started rolling.

[Peter Sagal]

And how did you find the, of course, necessary moment at the end of every episode where someone has to go home? Do you use the famous catchphrase, pack your knives and go?

[Kristen Kish]

Oh, pack your knives and go is still there. And you are. Top Chef is still there. They have been there since you didn't change it.

[Peter Sagal]

You weren't like, off.

[Kristen Kish]

Well, I did.

[Peter Sagal]

You stayed first. Did you pitch your own? Did you pitch your own?

[Kristen Kish]

The first day I was like, maybe. What if I do just say go the. But I felt like I was like, there's a lot of people I don't want to say that to. So I was like, you know, I'll be nice to everybody. So we can't tell. You know, there you are.

[Peter Sagal]

You are a very positive person. You filmed. The next season of Top Chef will take place entirely here in Milwaukee and other areas of Wisconsin. Chefs all from all over the country flew here to compete. And how many episodes. How many episodes were there are there?

[Kristen Kish]

I have no idea.

[Peter Sagal]

You know, I had a lot of episodes. No, so, like 20 episodes. How many of them are entirely about cheese curds?

[Kristen Kish]

Listen, as soon as we touched down, I had cheese curds, custard, butter, burger. And I know Wisconsin is much more than just your dairy, but your dairy is exceptional.

[Peter Sagal]

It's true.

[Kristen Kish]

So the more like.

[Peter Sagal]

And most people don't know this, but when you arrive at Mitchell Airport in Milwaukee, you are greeted with strings of cheese curds that they place around your neck as the traditional welcome here. It's very nice. Indian Wisconsin. Your dairy is exceptional. Qualifies as dirty talk. Well, Kristen Kish, we are so delighted you came back to Milwaukee to join us, and we have asked you here specifically to play our competition. And this time we are calling it Top Chef.

[Bill Curtis]

Meet the Top.

[Peter Sagal]

Jeff, you host Top Chef. So we thought we'd ask you about the world's top. Jeff. Jeff Bezos. Answer two out of three questions correctly about the founder of Amazon, and you will win our prize for one of our listeners, the voice of anyone they might choose for their voicemail. So, Bill, who is Chef Kish playing for?

[Bill Curtis]

Heather Raine of Racine, Wisconsin.

[Peter Sagal]

Did you get down to Racine while you were here? Get a Kringle.

[Kristen Kish]

I can't say anything.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, I'm sorry. You can't. It's all secret. Sorry.

[Kristen Kish]

Wait, wait, wait. But also, if I lose, does Heather still get the prize? Because this is, like, this is a lot of pressure for me. I want to do good for somebody else, and then if I don't do good and then she doesn't get the prize, I'm going to feel really bad for the rest of my life.

[Peter Sagal]

Here we go. Let's see how you do. Here's your first question. To demonstrate his personal philosophy of how one succeeds in business, Jeff Bezos once did what? A, actually stole candy from a baby, B, ate an octopus for breakfast, or C, drove his Mercedes S class the wrong way down I5 in Seattle.

[Kristen Kish]

Oh, God. See, I was really bad at quizzes, and I always did C when I didn't know the answer. But there's only.

[Peter Sagal]

So the choice.

[Kristen Kish]

Ate the octopus.

[Peter Sagal]

He ate the octopus. That's right. There you go.

[Kristen Kish]

See? You know what's crazy?

[Peter Sagal]

Get back in your head.

[Kristen Kish]

Right, right. You think you know the answer, and then you talk yourself out. Someone once asked me at a food and wine festival, side note, you know, le Creuset. Le Creuset, the cookware. Someone was like, how do you say Le Creuset? And I've been saying Le Creuset the right way my entire life. And someone goes, how do you say it? And I was like, if I've been saying it wrong. And I go, le Creusette. And they're like, no, this is what happens. I overthink the pressure.

[Peter Sagal]

So what happened was, is he ate this octopus for breakfast at breakfast with the head of a company he wanted to acquire. And then Bezos said, and I quote, you are the octopus I'm having for breakfast. When I look at the menu, you're the thing I don't understand. The thing I've never had. I must have the breakfast octopus.

[Claudia Goldin]

That was Bond villain.

[Peter Sagal]

It really was.

[Danny Brown]

Wow.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, here's your next question. Jeff Bezos is not the only famous member of his family. His biological father, Ted Jorgensen, also had a claim to fame. What? A, he was the Most beloved small independent bookstore owner in Seattle until Amazon put him out of business. B, he invented the male cosmetic buttock implant. Or C, he was an avid unicyclist who founded the world's first unicycle hockey club. Does C qualify as a claim to fame? I personally like. B, I like the thought of white men getting bbls. A, A, no. I thought I told you. The answer is always C. Wait, how.

[Kristen Kish]

Many do I have to get right?

[Peter Sagal]

Two. Or you have to get two. Okay, this is just like Top Chef. You lost too much credit card. You're not out of chances. You can come back and win it all.

[Kristen Kish]

You know how I do well under pressure. I don't do. I don't do very well. What happened in high school once.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah.

[Kristen Kish]

Is I was a really great free throw basketball person. They threw me on the team because I was tall for my age. It's not because I was actually good, but I got really good at just aiming and standing in one spot.

[Peter Sagal]

Right.

[Kristen Kish]

So then what happened is there was a game. We're playing our rivals, right? And it was tied game. Like everything that you think of. Like when you see something really sudden, suspenseful in a. In a sports game, that's what's.

[Peter Sagal]

All right. Let's have a tie game with his team rival. You're fouled. Games in the line. You're at the free throw line. Go.

[Kristen Kish]

And I go whoop. And it air balled. Oh, it was devastating. Devastating. So this is how I feel now. So go ahead, ask your question.

[Claudia Goldin]

Ask.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes.

[Claudia Goldin]

Come on.

[Kristen Kish]

Triggers.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, here's your last question. Get this right, you win.

[Kristen Kish]

I think I'm ready.

[Peter Sagal]

You get this one right, you win. So Jeff Bezos is famous for insulting his employees whenever they displease him, which apparently they do a lot. Which of these is a real insult that Jeff Bezos has been reported to shout at his underlings? A, I'm sorry, did I take my stupid pills today? B, if I hear that again, I'm gonna have to kill myself. Or C, why are you wasting my life?

[Kristen Kish]

Well, C. C. C. Yeah, C. C. You're gonna go with C. A.

[Peter Sagal]

All right. All of them. All of them.

[Bill Curtis]

What did you say?

[Kristen Kish]

All of them.

[Peter Sagal]

All of them is the correct answer. For the win. For the win. I have had a lot of wonderful people in the show. I've never been on such an emotional journey. But hey, it's. No, wait a minute. The demon has not banished until Bill says the words. Bill, how did Kristen Kish do in our show?

[Bill Curtis]

Two out of three. You won.

[Peter Sagal]

Yay.

[Kristen Kish]

Oh, my God.

[Peter Sagal]

Kristen Kish is a Top Chef winner and the show's new host. The latest season, filmed in Milwaukee, will air on Bravo this spring. Kristen Kish, thank you so much for joining me.

[Kristen Kish]

Thank you.

[Peter Sagal]

And just for fun, here's a panel question that we've never broadcast before. Joel, the movie Wicked just came out. You're excited. I saw it already. Oh, you did? I did. I'm special. Well, maybe then I bet you'll be able to figure this out quickly. The New York Times is reporting that some movie theaters have had to crack down on all the theatergoers doing what? Singing at the top of their damn lungs. Did that happen at the screening you saw? No, it didn't. But I could tell, like, the little theater kids next to me were like vibrating. Yeah. They're like, hold on. So many fans have complained about all the other fans singing at the screening is that some theaters have started posting signs saying they will have dedicated sing along screenings. So would you please shut up at this one? The singers, meanwhile, are undeterred. I think you should be allowed to sing and.

[Renee Elise Goldsberry]

Absolutely.

[Peter Sagal]

Because if you go to like a movie at a black theater, black people are going to be talking. So there should be a judge of like your tone. Like, if you're not, if you're off, I was about to say to Joel, you say you're fine with it. Wait till you hear my version of defying graphics gravity. When we come back, an economist who won a Nobel and a rapper who cannot win at pickleball. That's when we're back with more Wait, wait, don't tell me. From npr.

[Bill Curtis]

Support for NPR and the following message come from Mint Mobile. If saving more and spending less is one of your top goals for 2025, switch to mint Mobile. Maximize your savings with plans starting at $15 a month. When you purchase a 3 month plan, go to mintmobile.com wait $45 upfront payment required. New customers on first 3 month plan only. Speed slower above 40gb on unlimited plan. Additional taxes, fees and restrictions apply. See Mint Mobile for details. This message comes from BetterHelp. Every January brings you 365 blank pages waiting to be filled. What do you want your 2025 story to be? Therapy can help you craft the next chapters with purpose. BetterHelp offers therapy 100% online with a diverse network of over 30,000 therapists worldwide. Visit betterhelphelp.com NPR today to get 10% off your first month.

[Peter Sagal]

This message is brought to you by NPR sponsor Leesa in collaboration with West Elm, discover the new natural hybrid mattress expertly crafted from natural latex and certified safe foams, designed with your health and the planet in mind. Visit leesa.com to learn more.

[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, Peter Sagal.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you, Bill. Thank you, everybody. Thank you all so much. We're spending the first week of the new year lost in nostalgia for the old one. Consider it a challenge. You baby year, try to beat this.

[Bill Curtis]

For example, 2025. I bet you won't be sending us a Nobel Prize winner as fun as economist Claudia golden, who appeared with us last March.

[Peter Sagal]

First of all, I guess it's not that long ago, so we can still congratulate you on the Nobel.

[Danny Brown]

Oh, thank you.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah. Now, Peter, how did you I don't know that there's a statute of limitations on congratulations on your Nobel Prize. Well, I mean, you know, it was just last year and, you know, it's still fresh. I mean, can you tell us about the experience of getting the call?

[Danny Brown]

Yes. The call arrived at 4:30 in the morning and I was sleeping in a bed with the person behind me.

[Peter Sagal]

Now we should establish, by the way, that you are speaking to us from your home and with you and is your husband, Larry. Hello.

[Danny Brown]

The great labor economist.

[Peter Sagal]

The great labor economist, that's right.

[Danny Brown]

He's also the father of my dog.

[Peter Sagal]

Wow.

[Danny Brown]

And the call came and you have to just get into action because the person at the other end of the phone says you have 90 minutes to prepare for a press conference.

[Peter Sagal]

That doesn't sound like a prize. It sounds like a threat. Hello, this is the Nobel committee. In 90 minutes there will be a press conference. And what did you do, Professor?

[Danny Brown]

I said, Larry, take the dog out.

[Peter Sagal]

Now, the Nobel Prize in Economics or the Nobel Memorial Medal in Economics is awarded separately from the other Nobel Prizes. Who has better parties, the economists or all those lame scientists?

[Danny Brown]

We share the parties.

[Peter Sagal]

You do? Really?

[Danny Brown]

Yes. We had one big party and there was dancing, music, things that you would not expect Nobel laureates to do.

[Peter Sagal]

That's right. That is I in fact, now I wanted to ask about your husband, who, again, I just want to let everybody know we have you on screen here and he is sitting directly behind your shoulder staring at us. He is also an acclaimed economist and we recently had, I know, your good friend Janet Yellen, also an economist, secretary of the Treasury. She is also married to an economist. Are all economists married to other economists?

[Danny Brown]

This is an extraordinarily good question. It's not all economists married to other economists. There are very few female economists in various age groups.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes.

[Danny Brown]

A disproportionate number of those are married to male economists.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. So the guy's.

[Danny Brown]

But the male economists can't be married to the female economist because there are too few of us.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, I see.

[Danny Brown]

There would have to be polyandry.

[Peter Sagal]

By the way, answering my question about are all economists married to other economists with a breakdown of the data of the numbers of female versus male economists and thus the different proportions of marriages, is such an economist way to answer. Now, before we get to the game, we heard that you asked a chatbot to predict what we would ask you about. And, well, what did it say?

[Danny Brown]

Yeah, so I said to the chatbot first, I said, what will Peter Sagal ask Claudia Goldin on. Wait, wait, don't tell me in the not my job segment. And the chat came back and said, I don't know what Peter is going to ask. So I changed the question. I said, what might Peter ask?

[Peter Sagal]

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

[Danny Brown]

And then it came back and it said, how do you think your career would be different if you pursued your true passion of competitive yodeling?

[Peter Sagal]

Where were you on that one, Peter? So that the chatbot fought. I would ask you about your true passion in competitive yodeling.

[Danny Brown]

Is that's what it says.

[Peter Sagal]

Is that by any chance your true passion?

[Danny Brown]

No.

[Peter Sagal]

No. Thank goodness you're safe from robot replacement. So for the moment.

[Bill Curtis]

All right.

[Peter Sagal]

Well, Claudia Goldin, we've asked you to play a game we're calling economy.

[Bill Curtis]

How about first class?

[Peter Sagal]

You know, the economy. But we're going to ask you about a guy who knows first class, Tom Stuker, who is the most traveled airplane passenger in history. And he did every one of those 23 million miles in first class. Answer two out of three questions about Mr. Stuker, you will win our prize for one of our listeners. Bill, who is professor golden playing for?

[Bill Curtis]

Laurie Craig of Olympia, Washington.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, here's the first question for the both of you. Mr. Stuker started his odyssey when he bought a lifelong pass for unlimited first class travel from United in 1990 for $290,000. As you can imagine, having flown farther than any other human being in the decades since, he has lots of advice for travelers, including which of these. A, despite what you've heard, people like it when you take off your shoes on planes. B, Always lie to the chief flight attendant that you remember them. Or C, air sickness bags make great hand puppets for the kids.

[Danny Brown]

B.

[Claudia Goldin]

B.

[Peter Sagal]

You're going to say B. Hold on. Larry, can you hear me? Do you concur in the choice of B? Yes. Yes. Big nod from Larry. You're both right. Yes. He says that when you meet the chief flight attendant as you walk onto the plane, say, oh, hi. I remember you from my last flight. You were so great. It's great to see you again. Now, they, of course, don't remember you, but they're not going to admit that. So instead, they will just treat you exceptionally well during the flight. Word of the wise. All right, two more questions. Because he has earned frequent flyer miles with every flight, he's also been able to swap those miles for all kinds of goods and services. Meaning that Mr. Tom Stuker once used frequent flyer miles to get himself a. What? A, an entirely new face from a plastic surgeon, B, a guest spot on the TV show Seinfeld, or C, a majority ownership stake in United Airlines. Whoa.

[Danny Brown]

Okay. Seinfeld.

[Peter Sagal]

It's Seinfeld. Yes, that's right. That's why Kramer looked different in season seven. I know. Yeah. No, he donated his miles to a fundraiser, and the prize was a guest spot on Seinfeld. So you can see him in the episode in which George's fiance dies from licking envelopes. All right, here's your last question. Despite what you might think, United Airlines doesn't mind him costing them millions of dollars in free flights. In fact, they once did what for him. A, they let him pilot the plane part of a trip from Dallas to Hawaii, but, quote, only over the ocean. B, they let him be CEO of United for a day, which is why the airline went from giving people peanuts to the much superior stroopwafels. Or C, they named not one, but two aircraft after him.

[Danny Brown]

It's gotta be C. That's right, it.

[Peter Sagal]

Is C. Next time you see United aircraft, check to see if it says Thomas R. Stuker, customer on the fuselage. Bill, how did Dr. Claudia Goldin and her husband Larry do in our quiz?

[Bill Curtis]

Well, they both may not have won the Nobel Prize, but they certainly both won this contest. Thank you so much.

[Peter Sagal]

Dr. Claudia golden is a Nobel Prize winner and the Henry Lee professor of Economics at Harvard University. Dr. Goldin, thank you so much. We know that 2025 is already intimidated by everything we have played so far, so let's hit it when it's down. We went to Austin, Texas, last February and talked with rapper Danny Brown. Danny had moved there after revolutionizing hip hop in his hometown of Detroit.

[Bill Curtis]

Peter, ask him about his distinct style.

[Peter Sagal]

You do something that I don't think a lot of the people in your field do is that you use different voices when you rap, right?

[Claudia Goldin]

Yeah, I try to use different voices. Just whatever emotion I'm feeling or the emotion of the song. Yeah, I try to let that convey through the voice.

[Peter Sagal]

Do you have, like, names for your voices that you use? Like, these are verses that this guy's gonna do.

[Claudia Goldin]

Yeah, yeah, yes.

[Peter Sagal]

Do you know any of those names offhand?

[Claudia Goldin]

What is it called? Adderall.

[Peter Sagal]

Where did you get that name?

[Bill Curtis]

It's so fascinating.

[Peter Sagal]

That's fascinating. So we were reading about you. You grew up in Detroit, and you said that you were like. You were rhyming almost as soon as you could talk, right? You're right. Yeah, yeah.

[Claudia Goldin]

My mom used to read Dr. Seuss books to me all the time. So she said. When I first started talking, I just talked him. Ryan?

[Peter Sagal]

Really?

[Claudia Goldin]

Yeah, yeah, he was.

[Peter Sagal]

He was killing them on the playground.

[Claudia Goldin]

Green eggs and hams, you feel me?

[Peter Sagal]

You know?

[Claudia Goldin]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

You also run. You won a lot of rap battles in. In high school, right?

[Claudia Goldin]

Yeah, yeah. I lost a lot, too.

[Peter Sagal]

Did you really?

[Claudia Goldin]

Yeah, I mean, I'm. I'm the professional rapper now, so I guess I won.

[Peter Sagal]

It ain't. Yeah, I guess so. Right. I was going to ask who you lost. What kind of contract does that guy have? Did you have. Is there, like, a secret weapon during rap battles? Because I couldn't on a bet.

[Claudia Goldin]

I mean, it was always, like. I was kind of quiet in school, to be honest.

[Peter Sagal]

Really?

[Claudia Goldin]

So every time, like, some kid would rap, I'd be like, oh, it's my time to shine. That was the Adderall voice right there.

[Peter Sagal]

That was it. So you had this huge album about 10 years ago when you were about 30, called XXX or 30, right?

[Claudia Goldin]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

And you have a new album. Quaranta. Italian.

[Claudia Goldin]

Quaranta.

[Peter Sagal]

Quaranta. Excuse me.

[Claudia Goldin]

You got a road to R. See, he battling you already.

[Peter Sagal]

So you. So you album 30 when you were 30, and Italian for 40 when you're 40. Has Adele ever called to say you're stealing my bit?

[Claudia Goldin]

No, I actually met Adele once. She nice.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah.

[Claudia Goldin]

At Wembley Stadium. Yeah, she was really nice. I think I made a crude joke, and she got up out of there after that.

[Peter Sagal]

But really, for the most part, she was pretty cool. She was nice.

[Claudia Goldin]

Yeah. And it was when you all first met? Yeah, yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

It's like, first thing, like, oh, here's the deal.

[Claudia Goldin]

I didn't know it was a Dale, though.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, you didn't know. Wait a minute.

[Claudia Goldin]

I came. Cause I was actually opening for Eminem and she just was there to see Eminem, obviously. And she. You know, I just had the empty dressing room that she can hang at and she just was chilling. I just thought it was just a cool white lady back there. I was drinking a lot back then. Yeah, I'll blame the alcohol.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah.

[Bill Curtis]

Is alcohol.

[Peter Sagal]

Name of one of the other voices.

[Claudia Goldin]

Adderall.

[Peter Sagal]

There's alcohol. Speaking of which, if you don't know about your struggles with addiction and substances and drink and stuff, you can find out about it because Quaranta. Let me get that right. It has a lot of verses about your struggles and some regrets. I mean, it's like a. It's a. Forgive me. It's like an older guy's rap album, right?

[Claudia Goldin]

Yeah, it's a midlife crisis.

[Peter Sagal]

Speaking of midlife crisis, we understand. I understand that you, among your many enthusiasms these days, you're into pickleball.

[Claudia Goldin]

Yeah, I actually just started playing.

[Peter Sagal]

Really?

[Claudia Goldin]

Yeah, I actually went to an old folks home. That's not fair, bruh. No, they was whooping my. They was killing you.

[Peter Sagal]

So what inspired you to go play pickleball?

[Claudia Goldin]

I mean, it started out as a joke for me to go. It was a sketch for me to go play pickleball with all these old people. And, you know, I guess I was supposed to win, but it didn't work out like that. And I was like, man, they really moving fast out there, you know? So I fell in love with it. So I'm playing.

[Peter Sagal]

Are you planning to get good? Go back to the.

[Claudia Goldin]

Yeah, man, I'm trying to get my revenge.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah.

[Claudia Goldin]

I feel like those old folks, they pride themselves on baiting young people into the sport.

[Peter Sagal]

They did.

[Claudia Goldin]

They was like, oh, did they hustle?

[Peter Sagal]

You were like, oh, yeah, my knees are shot, young man.

[Claudia Goldin]

Oh, they was in great shape. I was like, man, it really was inspiring. I was like, I want to be like that when I get your age.

[Peter Sagal]

But when you do your 70 album, that can be all about the pickleball. Have you, in fact, like, put pickleball into a rap yet?

[Claudia Goldin]

No, but it's coming.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah. In a weird way, the pickleball rap is coming for all of us, if you know what I mean. Yeah. Well, Danny Brown is. It is a pleasure to have you. We have, in fact, asked you here to play a game.

[Bill Curtis]

We're calling Danny Brown, meet Dan Brown.

[Peter Sagal]

So we are going to ask you, Danny Brown. Three questions about Dan Brown, the author of the Da Vinci Code and many other bestsellers. Okay. If you get two out of three right, you will win our prize for one of our listeners. Bill, who is Danny Brown playing for?

[Bill Curtis]

Heather Clark of Austin, Texas. Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

All right. Hometown, man. Hometown. Ready to do this?

[Claudia Goldin]

Yeah, I guess.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah. I'm telling you.

[Claudia Goldin]

I'm sorry, Heather.

[Peter Sagal]

No, it's all right. Ignorance is absolutely a blessing in this game. You think you know something, that's where you go into trouble. Here we go. So Dan Brown is now one of the best selling authors of all time. But before that, he tried to make it in the music business as a singer songwriter. He only sold a few thousand copies of his album, probably because it contains songs like which of these A cypher a song whose lyrics were a string of letters the listener had to decode. B, a song about pancakes called Flap My Jacks. Or C, an ode to phone sex called 976love.

[Claudia Goldin]

I'm gonna go with C. Cause that just seems cooler.

[Peter Sagal]

You're right. Actually. It's an underrated song. I should say that. I was about to say, you know, for people who don't remember 976 numbers, it was like a crude analog, only fans, it was all right, that was very good. You got that? You see? Instinct, man. That's where you go with. After he became famous, Brown's life did change in some surprising ways. Like which of these? A, when he forgot his ID at the airport, he got through security by showing them his author photo on a copy of the Da Vinci Code. B, he got so much fandel, he started using it as free bedding in his horse barn. Or C, he was gifted a lifetime supply of communion wafers from the Catholic church.

[Claudia Goldin]

I'm gonna go with A.

[Peter Sagal]

You're right again. This was around. He says he drove to Boston airport from his home in New Hampshire. He's like, oh my God, I'm in line. I don't have my license. What am I gonna do? The person in front of him, as everybody was doing at that time, had a copy of the Da Vinci Code. And he said, can I borrow that? And he picked it up and said, that's me. And it was. So he got on the plane. All right, one more question. You're doing exceptionally well here. There have been tributes to Dan Brown and his work everywhere. As in which of these? A, in 2004, Crayola Crayons unveiled the color Dan Brown. B. In 2006, a judge worked a Dan Brown style puzzle into his ruling when Dan Brown was sued for plagiarism, or C, in honor of his 2013 book Inferno, Brown University went by the name Dan Brown University for an entire semester.

[Claudia Goldin]

I guess I'll go with C. You're.

[Peter Sagal]

Gonna go with C. That Brown University called itself Dan Brown University? No, it was actually the judge. The judge. You see, if you knew Dan Brown, he's always like hiding cook in his books. It's all about cracking the codes. And the judge did rule, however, that Mr. Brown was not found guilty of plagiarism. So, Bill, how did Danny Brown do in the quiz about Dan Brown?

[Bill Curtis]

Danny won with two out of three. That's our winner.

[Peter Sagal]

Danny Brown is a rapper and host of the Danny Brown Show. His new album Quadranta is out now. Danny Brown, thank you so much for joining us on Weather County. Coming up for Austinite Danny Brown. When we come back, we continue our celebration of the year that was with two more stars, one from the NFL and one from Broadway. That's when we're back with more of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me from npr. Wait, Wait, don't tell Me Fresh Air. Up first, NPR News. Now Planet Money TED Radio hour Throughline the NPR Politics podcast Code Switch Embedded books we love Wild Card are just some of the podcasts you can enjoy. Sponsor free with NPR. Get all sorts of perks across more than 20 podcasts with the bundle option. Learn more at plus.NPR.org Consider this is a daily news podcast. And lately the news is about a big question. How much can one guy change? What will change look like for energy?

[Bill Curtis]

Drill baby, Drill schools.

[Peter Sagal]

Take the Department of Education. Close it. Health care better and less expensive. Follow coverage of a changing country. Promises made, promises kept. We're going to keep our promises on Consider this the afternoon news podcast from npr. Evergreen trees are Pacific 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 Podcast from OPB every Monday, part of the NPR Network.

[Bill Curtis]

From NPR at WBEC 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. Thank you, everybody. Thank you so much. Now, this week, we are challenging the new year to be as good as the old one, at least for us. Yes, it's a kind of tough love, but how else is it ever going to learn?

[Bill Curtis]

That's right, 2025, are you going to feature something as delightful as going to Pittsburgh to talk to that city's most beloved native son, super bowl winning coach Bill Cower? I think not.

[Peter Sagal]

Our guest today needs no introduction. In his hometown of Pittsburgh, everybody comes up to him and thanks him for his 15 years coaching the hometown team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, leading them to their first super bowl win in decades, which may be why he had to move to New York. Coach Bill Cower, welcome back to Pittsburgh and welcome to. Wait, wait, don't tell me. So I want to establish something first that. I wasn't kidding about that, that after you became the hometown hero, who took over the team, brought them back to the super bowl and won it, it kind of got hard for you to wander around town, Is that right?

[Bill Cowher]

Yeah, I mean, so. So, you know, I said when I came back here was, if I can just make three years, I can go back to my 20th high school class reunion as a head coach, my hometown team. And ironically enough, that third year, we lost in the championship game to the San Diego Chargers. And we had the reunion and it was on a boat on the side, the Gateway Clipper. And I just thought, okay, my wife says, you know, we're not going back there. She goes, we're not going back there because you're gonna sit there and just be with all your buddies. And I go, no, no, no, we'll just, we'll just stop in, we'll say hi. Right, Right. So we got on the boat and we started talking. Then the boat took off.

[Peter Sagal]

So just to set the scene, this.

[Bill Cowher]

Was like, this is like a three hour cruise. I'm like, oh, man, you are stuck.

[Peter Sagal]

On a boat with your high school classmates.

[Bill Cowher]

And my wife was getting madder and madder as the night's going on. And then the guys were getting drunker and drunker and telling me all the things I did wrong in the San Diego Charger Day. And they were asking, why all you think you're too good for us to get us tickets? So everyone wanted tickets, like, oh, like, like, oh, now you can't talk to us anymore. So I was. So I got off the boat, my wife wasn't talking to me and made half the people here mad. And it was just kind of tipping on that year because we lost the championship game to a team we should have beat. So it was kind of like, that was kind of my career.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah. I love the fact that you were yourself a professional football player. You were fearless in the field, but you couldn't handle the Steelers fans in your face.

[Bill Cowher]

I was one of them at one point. I know what they're about.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, yeah, they're the worst. Now, you became a coach a young age, so that means you had to learn quickly what I assume are the essential skills of coaching, which include doing these interviews on the field sometimes and after the game in which you managed to say nothing.

[Bill Cowher]

Right.

[Peter Sagal]

And so is there a secret to that?

[Bill Cowher]

Yes. Ask me a question. I know what I want to say. And your question is irrelevant, right?

[Peter Sagal]

All right, we'll try it. We'll try it. I'm going to ask you.

[Bill Cowher]

I'm going to ask you because I can. I want to control the narrative.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, all right. Okay. So I'm gonna. We're gonna test you, because I'm gonna ask you a tough question now in front of this crowd. You're gonna show me how it's done. So I understand you have lived many years now in New York City. Is New York better than Pittsburgh?

[Bill Cowher]

You know, one of the greatest things about New York City is the diversity. One of the greatest things about living in Pittsburgh is the upbringing. And when you combine the two of them, you recognize that your core values that you've learned came from the city of Pittsburgh. But yet it was able to allow you to sit there and go to this great city of diversity in New York City with multitudes of people. But it's that grounding that you had in Pittsburgh that allows you to survive.

[Peter Sagal]

How are you? So what's your takeaway? Can I try? Yes. Coach Cower, you have one of history's great jaws. Is it true that you once opened a can of tuna fish with your jaw?

[Bill Cowher]

No. But you ask me one more question, I can open up your head.

[Peter Sagal]

I'm good.

[Bill Cowher]

No, we're good.

[Peter Sagal]

Well, Coach Kauer, we are delighted to talk to you, and we've invited you here to play a game that we like to play. And this time, we are calling it.

[Bill Curtis]

Bill Cower, Meet these cowards.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, so you clearly have some guts as you have sown. So we are going to ask you, Bill Cower, three questions about people who chickened out. Get to. Right. You'll win our prize for one of our listeners, the voice of anyone they might choose for their voicemail. Bill, who is Coach Cower playing for?

[Bill Curtis]

Josh Smith of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

[Peter Sagal]

He's out there. Ready to go. Yeah. People, here's your first question. Robert Ford, or as he is known to history, the coward. Robert Ford famously shot Jesse James in The back. He was so widely condemned for that act that he spent the next few years doing what? A, finding anyone with the last name James and apologizing to them in case it was a relative, B touring the country with his brother reenacting the murder live on stage, or C, allowing people for a 5 cent fee to shoot him in the back with a BB gun. It's hard, isn't it? It is.

[Bill Cowher]

What was number two?

[Peter Sagal]

Number two was he toured the country with his brother reenacting his murder of Jesse James live on number two. You're gonna go with number two? You have number the second choice. That is correct. That's what he did. They didn't have a lot of options for entertainment back then before pro football. Alright, next question. The producer William Castle made horror movies back in the 50s and 60s. And among his many marketing gimmicks, he once offered customers refunds if his movie was too terrifying for them. So many people took advantage of the deal that Castle finally did what? A, he required people present a genuine pair of wetted pants to prove how scared they were. B, make them go to his quote refund office to get it, which he put on the top of a greased hundred foot pole. Or C, forced anyone who asked for that refund to go sit in the coward's corner where a recorded voice would yell watch the chicken. Watch him shiver in Cowards corner. So weird.

[Bill Cowher]

I'd say C. Yeah, that's right folks.

[Peter Sagal]

So not only that, not only that.

[Bill Cowher]

It'S a coward's corner.

[Peter Sagal]

No, Cowards Corner. You can have Coward's corner in the show if you want, but no, not only did he do that, but in order to get to cowards corner, you had to walk down a path with the sign cowards keep walking. And they had a quote nurse to take your blood pressure. All right, last question. You can go for perfect and win it all. Napoleon Bonaparte, French emperor, was not known for cowardice. But he did run away once. From what? A, a group of school children making fun of him for putting his hand in his jacket like that all the time. B, a horde of a thousand hungry rabbits. Or C, a bunch of taller officers who liked to rest their drinks on his head. A. A, you're gonna go for A. All right, let me try your style of coaching here.

[Kristen Kish]

A.

[Peter Sagal]

You think the answer is A. Peter's trying really hard to get you to think it's not A. Okay. B. B. It's B. Of course. Yes. That was the only rabbits.

[Bill Curtis]

So.

[Peter Sagal]

For relaxation, one day the emperor went out. What's supposed to be at one of these arrangements where they would release the rabbits. But the rabbits, who were domestic, thought they were going to get fed, so they rushed the party of hunters and Napoleon and his retinue all ran away. Bill, how did Coach Gower do in our quiz?

[Bill Curtis]

It's what the Chargers score should have been.3 right for a win.

[Peter Sagal]

Bill Cower is the super bowl winning former coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bill Cower, thank you so much for joining us. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Give it up for the coach.

[Bill Curtis]

This message comes from Grammarly. 89% of business leaders say AI is a top priority. The right choice is crucial, which is why teams at 1/3 of Fortune 500 companies use Grammarly. With top tier security credentials and 15 years of experience in responsible AI. Grammarly isn't just another AI communication assistant. It's how companies like yours increase productivity while keeping data protected and private. See why 70,000 teams trust [e-mail] Enterprise.

[Peter Sagal]

Tis the season for rich meals, twinkly lights, and New Year's resolutions at Life Kit, NPR's self help podcast. We're here to help you make those resolutions less of a December and January thing and more like a year long affair. We've got shows that'll help you draw up plans to meet your goals, whatever they are. Get the tools you need all year round with the Life Kit podcast from npr. Lately, on the NPR Politics podcast, we're talking about a big question.

[Renee Elise Goldsberry]

How much can one guy change?

[Claudia Goldin]

They want change.

[Peter Sagal]

What will change look like for energy?

[Bill Curtis]

Drill baby, drill schools.

[Peter Sagal]

Take the Department of Education. Close it. Health care better and less expensive. Follow coverage of a changing country. Promises made, promises kept. We're going to keep our promises on the NPR Politics Podcast. Finally, one of my personal highlights of the year was talking to Renee Elise Goldsberry, who I had seen on Broadway in the original cast of Hamilton.

[Bill Curtis]

She told us that after decades of being a working actor, becoming a huge star on Broadway was a little disorienting.

[Renee Elise Goldsberry]

It was head spinning. And it's also crazy because people would say things to me like thank God. Like we like I thought my career was great before Hamilton, but it just encouraged people, you know, kind of like if you thought you looked good and then you lose weight and people all of a sudden tell you now you look good. I felt like a medium time actor, a really solid medium. And if anyone has watched girls 5eva, you know what I mean?

[Peter Sagal]

Yes, we can get into that because there's a moment in the finale of season one of Girls 5Ever, where somebody says to your character as they offer you some presumably great job for the rest of your life, people in sweatshirts will come up to you in restaurants and ask for a selfie. And I'm like, that's probably true. Is that, Is that like, is that your life? Can you go out?

[Renee Elise Goldsberry]

It's not my life all the time. I always say, never, never underestimate how invisible a middle aged black woman can be. So, I mean, do you hear me?

[Peter Sagal]

Do you hear me? I can hear you. I hear you and I see you. That's why I needed you to come on. You can see me. Thank you. How do you think I feel right now? All right. Girls 5 Eva is about a girl group from like the early 2000s that broke up and they're trying to get back together in the present day. And we found out you were actually in a girl group, weren't you?

[Renee Elise Goldsberry]

I was. I was. You know, it's so funny, they make fun of me because I didn't remember that I was in a girl group until we were on Fallon and we had finished shooting the entire first season. That's how long I've been throwing random things against the wall to see if they stick. I could not remember that I was actually in a girl group. And also it was easy to forget because we didn't have one hit. We had no hits, right? But we were. So when people say a one hit wonder girl group is somehow or another a failure, I'm like, really? Because they have that in.

[Peter Sagal]

What was the name? What was the.

[Renee Elise Goldsberry]

I don't remember the name of the group. I just remember the song that we had. It was yes you can, yes you can Find you a good man but.

[Peter Sagal]

When you do you gotta treat em right.

[Renee Elise Goldsberry]

Make sure your love is out of sight now. And I just had no idea how, how stereotypical it was to have a one hit that didn't even make it. That was only about how you could treat a man right. That's what we do on Girls5Eva. We really like with comedy, just spoof this idea that we are defined by how we make a man feel. And we take it to a wonderful degree. We have songs called Dream Lover, Dream girlfriend because our dads are dead and you never have to meet them. Left school. Like we just parody lyrics of that time and it feels so good.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah. Well, Renee Elise Goldsberry, we are so delighted to talk to you and we have asked you here to play a.

[Bill Curtis]

Game we're calling hey Goldsberry, let's Look for some buried Goldberg.

[Peter Sagal]

So your name obviously put us in mind of buried gold, hidden treasure. We're gonna ask you three questions about the people who search for it. If you get two right, you'll win a prize for one of our listeners. A pirate chest containing a voicemail bill. Who is Rene Elise Goldberry playing for?

[Bill Curtis]

Brian Holland of Southampton, Pennsylvania.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, here we go. In 1979, a man named Kit Williams published Masquerade, a picture book that was also a complicated puzzle concealing the location of a real golden treasure buried somewhere in Britain. Now, the treasure wasn't discovered until 1982. How did the winner find it? A, he just walked up to a random bench in a public park and checked to see if there was anything under it. B, he programmed an Apple Apple II computer to solve it and then just waited three years for it to finish. Or C, he started dating Kit Williams ex girlfriend who just told him where it was. C. Yes, that's right. So if you do want to hide a treasure in a nationwide contest, don't tell your girlfriend where it is. All right, here's your next question. Tommy G. Thompson was a treasure hunter who found the most valuable shipwreck in America. A ship that had been carrying gold from the California gold rush. He then ran away with the treasure, and authorities say they found evidence he had been planning to disappear for a while. What did they find? A, a deluxe child's disguise kit with the fake mustache and eye patch missing. B, a book titled how to To Be Invisible. Or C a series of fake IDs, each with the name of a Harry Potter character. A, A, you're going to go for the child's disguise kit with the fake mustache and eye patch. It was actually B, a book called how to Be Invisible. And it was apparently it seems so obvious it seems that way now. It was a good book because they couldn't find him for two years. And this is what interesting they found him back in like 2010 and they still haven't found where he put the gold. So if you're out there, look around. Alright, here's your last question. If you get this, you win. In 2018, two British friends using metal detectors found $250,000 worth of ancient Roman coins. But they were very disappointed when what happened after that? A, they shipped the coins home on a boat which sank. B the mayor of Rome sued to get them back because they were Roman and he won Or C, they found out the coins were actually just props from a show about friends who use metal detectors to find gold. Coins. C C. That's right.

[Kristen Kish]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

The TV show is called the Detectorists and it is apparently quite funny. Bill, how did Renee do in our quiz?

[Bill Curtis]

Two out of three. Renee, you're the winner.

[Peter Sagal]

Yay. Renee Elise Goldberry stars on Girls 5, Eva on Netflix. It's hilarious. Season three is out now. Renee Elise Goldsberry, what a pleasure. Thank you so much for joining us. And where they don't tell me. Thank you for helping me claim my name.

[Renee Elise Goldsberry]

I love it.

[Peter Sagal]

That's it for us. Beat this 2025 edition. We'll see if the new year can live up to the standard set by the old one. But before that, 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 Goedecker writes our limericks. Our public address announcer is Paul Friedman. Our tour manager is Shana Donald. BJ Lederman composed our theme. Our program is produced by Jennifer Mills, Miles Norbas and Lillian King. Special thanks to Monica Hill. Peter Gwynn is our big glittery ball descending on Times Square. Our five curator 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 Chillaga. And the executive producer of Wait, Wait, don't tell me is Mr. Michael Danforth. Thanks to everybody you heard this week, all of our panelists, our special guests, and of course, Mr. Bill Curtis. Thanks to all of you for listening. I'm Peter Sagal. We'll be back next week. This is NPR.

[Kristen Kish]

On NPR's Book of the Day podcast.

[Peter Sagal]

We hear from all sorts of writers making bold arguments, like the late President.

[Kristen Kish]

Jimmy Carter on Citizens United.

[Peter Sagal]

So I think it's completely distorted the democratic purity or legitimacy of our elections in the United States. We hear about his life as a writer and from his biographer about President Carter's complex legacy.

[Kristen Kish]

Listen to Book of the Day from npr, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Peter Sagal]

Donald Trump promised to change Washington, D.C. a place where there's an old saying that personnel is policy. That's why we have created a new podcast called Trump's Terms, where you can follow NPR's coverage of the incoming Trump administration, from his Cabinet secretaries to political advisors and top military leaders, to understand who they are, what they believe and how they'll govern. Listen to Trump's Terms from NPR.