Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me! – Taimane

NPR News Quiz Hosted by Peter Sagal
Date: October 12, 2025
Location: Blaisdell Concert Hall, Honolulu, Hawaii

Overview

This episode of NPR’s “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” is recorded live in Honolulu, Hawaii. The show features its signature blend of comedic news quiz, panel games, and interviews with guest celebrities. This week, ukulele virtuoso and Hawaiian music icon Taimane joins as the celebrity guest, sharing her passion for the ukulele and demonstrating her genre-bending approach to the instrument. The panel—Paula Poundstone, Peter Gross, and Joyell Nicole Johnson—bring the laughs, tackle recent news, and engage with listeners in the usual irreverent Wait Wait style.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Banter & Contestant Games (00:20–12:59)

• Government Shutdown Affects Airports (03:00–04:43)

  • Panel discusses recent flight delays attributed to the government shutdown, riffing on the concept of “Air Traffic Control Zero”—where pilots land planes without controllers due to staffing shortages.
  • Notable Quote: “Who knew that not paying people would make [them] not want to work?” – Peter Gross (04:15)

• Taylor Swift’s Suggestive New Song Lyric (05:23–07:16)

  • The panel jokes about Taylor Swift’s album “Lines of The Showgirl” and the pointed lyric referencing Travis Kelce.
  • Memorable Exchange:
    • Peter Sagal: “It’s wood as in, I would prefer not to hear her sing about Travis Kelce’s junk.” (05:43)
    • Joyell Nicole Johnson: “Shout out to Travis for doing his job. Okay. Because she a billionaire… and you better write a song about it, girl.” (07:01)

• Chocolate Shortage Alters Halloween Candy (07:40–09:44)

  • Due to a bad cocoa harvest, candy makers switch to non-chocolate fillings.
  • Panel jokes about odd new flavors (“day old bagel”) and their own histories with candy and butter.
  • Memorable Moment: Paula reveals she once received—and ate—an entire pound of butter for her birthday (09:32).

2. Panel Newsmaker Segment (13:27–21:00)

• PBS Auctions Bob Ross Paintings (10:28–11:40)
  • A PBS affiliate auctions off Bob Ross originals to raise funds, prompting comic speculation about what public television might auction next.
  • Funny Pitch: “A Night of Passion with Ken Burns, narrated by Sam Waterston. And it takes 12 hours.” – Peter Gross (11:40)

3. Bluff the Listener: Hallmark Havoc (15:15–21:03)

• Panelists tell invented stories about a Hallmark controversy. The real story: a Hallmark Channel romance angers the birding community due to inaccurate depictions of birds.
  • Answer Revealed by Antonia Serragito (20:24–21:00)

4. “Not My Job” Guest: Taimane—Ukulele Royalty (21:03–31:09)

• Taimane’s Background (21:33–24:04):

  • Began playing ukulele at age 5, busked in Waikiki by age 7, and was later “adopted” by Don Ho for live performances.
  • Notable Quote:
    • “My dad gave me my very first ukulele when I was five. Again, it’s just a very common instrument here in Hawaii, and it was just the instrument that I grew up learning how to express myself.” – Taimane (22:36)

• Changing Perceptions of the Ukulele (24:17–24:52)

  • Taimane discusses exceeding expectations and using stereotypes of the ukulele to her advantage.
  • “People don’t expect much. I love to go into that with that expectation, and then change that mind frame.” – Taimane (24:35)

• Live Demonstration (25:25–26:59):

  • Taimane performs part of a minor-key “Addams Family” theme and “Smoke on the Water” on the ukulele, showing the instrument’s versatility.
  • Memorable Soundbite: Peter Sagal is surprised by the choice (“Smoke on the Water”) and marvels at her skill.

• Mini-Golf Quiz (27:12–30:38):

  • Taimane nails multiple whimsical questions about the history and oddities of miniature golf, winning for listener Jim Joplin.
  • Panelist Joke: “When in doubt, go with misogyny,” on the topic of women being barred from swinging arms in Victorian Scotland (28:49).

5. Panel and Listener Games Continue (32:50–42:13)

• New Relationship Science (33:14–34:30)

  • Experts now recommend that couples do go to bed angry instead of trying to resolve every argument before sleep.
  • Series of utensil puns: “If you do go to bed angry, instead of spooning, do you knife?... You definitely don’t fork?” – Peter Sagal & panel (34:09–34:15)

• Friendship-Building with Chores (34:34–37:03)

  • Doing chores together is deemed a great way to bond with friends. Paula shares she loves trimming her 11 cats’ claws—with help.

6. Listener Limerick Challenge & News Quips (38:39–42:13)

• Senior Citizens & Cocaine Use Up (38:39–39:26)
  • Surge in “silver snorters” cited in the UK.
• Morning Coffee Raves Are a Trend (39:44–40:44)
  • Sober, daylight dance parties with espresso instead of booze.
• Recurrence of the “Nightmare Mall” Dream (40:46–41:55)
  • People share dreams of being trapped in the same sprawling mall.
  • “The you are here arrow just points to your bedroom.” – Peter Sagal (41:20)

7. Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank & Endgame (43:26–49:01)

• Fast-paced news quiz rounds with the panel, with Paula Poundstone securing a resounding victory.
• Notable fake news and zingers from real and fictional stories, including:
  • Nobel winner missing the call due to spam suspicion (44:15)
  • Horny swan terrorizes a UK town (44:46)
  • Stray dog attacks interrupt public safety theater in India (46:31)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Taylor Swift’s song:
  • "You can drive a car through it. I don't think this holds up.” – Peter Gross, on the redwood lyric metaphor (06:31)
• Paula on Butter-Eating:
  • “When I turned 4, my parents gave me a pound of butter as a present. And I just ate the sticks like candy bars. And I feel good. I had a heart attack when I was five.” (09:32–09:45)
• Taimane on expectations:
  • “I love to go into that with that expectation... and then change that mind frame.” (24:50)

Segment Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------|---------------| | Opening & Panel Intros | 00:20 | | Government Shutdown/Air Traffic | 03:00 | | Taylor Swift’s Lyric | 05:23 | | Halloween Chocolate Shortage | 07:40 | | Bob Ross PBS Auction | 10:28 | | Bluff the Listener: Hallmark Havoc | 15:15 | | “Not My Job” – Taimane Interview & Quiz | 21:03 | | Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank | 43:26 | | Closing Predictions & Farewell | 49:15 |

Conclusion

This Hawaii-set episode sinks its teeth into current events with the show’s trademark spirited humor, while showcasing the spectacular talent and infectious personality of ukulele superstar Taimane. The panel keeps the laughs coming through tales of butter birthdays, avian anger, and chocolate catastrophes. The entire episode exudes the warmth, wit, and quick turns that have made “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” a public radio classic.

For more tour dates and Taimane’s music:
taimane.com/live

To attend or participate in Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!:
www.nprpresents.org
Call 1-888-924-8924 to play.

“Thank you, Alzo Slade. Thanks also to Peter Gross, Joyell Nicole Johnson and Paula Poundstone. ... I’m Peter Sagal. We’ll see you next week!” – Peter Sagal (50:41)