WWDTM: Tiffany Haddish

Summary

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

Episode: Tiffany Haddish
Date: November 15, 2025
Host: Peter Sagal | Panelists: Brian Babylon, Roxanne Roberts, Paula Poundstone | Special Guest: Tiffany Haddish

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Episode Overview

This rollicking edition of NPR’s Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! blends timely news, quick-witted games, and exuberant banter from beloved comedians. The main event: Emmy and Grammy-winning comedian and actress Tiffany Haddish joins Peter Sagal and the panel to talk about her career journey, surprising first purchases, and her new show, before tackling the signature quiz segment, “Not My Job.”
Major news stories covered include Jeffrey Epstein’s emails, the Pope’s movie picks, viral TikTok shipwrecks, farty architecture, and loose saxophonists at weddings. Tiffany Haddish’s segment is a highlight, rich with humor, inspiration, and unstoppable energy.

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Key Segments & Discussion Highlights

1. Warm-Up & Quick News Quiz ([00:44]–[09:02])

Government Shutdown Humor ([00:44])

• Peter Sagal opens with relief and quips about the federal government shutdown:

  “So instead of being defunded because of an emergency, we can go back to being defunded on purpose.” ([00:44] - Peter Sagal)

Listener Contestant Sophia, LA Aerospace Engineer

• Sophia joins from LA—she works on a new space station project, sparking jokes about second space stations and Trump’s “cost-cutting.”
  • Paula Poundstone: “Trump cut a wing off of the other one.” ([01:52])

“Who’s Bill This Time?” News Quiz ([03:00])

1. Jeffrey Epstein Emails ([03:06])

• Epstein’s released emails feature derisive Trump remarks.
  • Quoted:

    “Epstein calls Trump, quote, borderline insane. So gross, a dirty businessman, and, quote, even worse in person than on tv, unquote.” ([03:18] - Peter Sagal)

  • Jokes about spam and using ChatGPT to analyze tens of thousands of emails.

2. Pope’s Favorite Movies ([04:52])

• Pope’s top films: It’s a Wonderful Life, The Sound of Music, Ordinary People, Life Is Beautiful.
  • Roxanne Roberts: “I think it’s a list that a guy who appears to be a godly person would pick—a PR list, right?” ([05:34])
  • Brian Babylon wishes Die Hard made the cut; panel debates merits of Pope as PR or plumber.

3. Viral TikTok Shipwreck: Edmund Fitzgerald ([07:07])

• 50th anniversary of the Great Lakes shipwreck is trending on TikTok, sparking panelist humor on ship names and generational fascination.
  • Roxanne Roberts: “Ask any TikTok historian. There are parallels.” ([08:47])

Quiz Result ([08:53])

• Bill Curtis: “Smart engineer there in Los Angeles. She got them all right.” ([08:53])

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2. Panel Quiz & News Oddities ([09:15]–[13:15])

London Velodrome “Farting” Sounds ([09:19])

• The Olympic bicycle velodrome in London emits noises that sound like flatulence during fireworks:
  • Peter Sagal shares an audio clip, prompting laughter and various interpretations.
  • Paula: “When I hear noises like that, I put the dog out.” ([11:21])

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3. Bluff the Listener: The Tale of Tallulah ([14:08]–[20:49])

• Listeners guess between three absurd but plausible news stories:

  • Roxanne: An OnlyFans financial influencer, Tallulah Bank, gives stock tips while covered in cash.

  • Brian: Tallulah Biallo claims to have ghost-busted in high school with Barack Obama.

  • Paula: A man post-eye surgery hallucinates a pair of running Baywatch-style breasts he names Tallulah (real answer).

  • Reveal & Notable Quote:

    • Expert Siobhan Midgley: “The hallucinations I’ve heard are usually landscapes, colors, animals. I have not heard of Giant Breasts.” ([20:05])

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4. Not My Job: Tiffany Haddish! ([20:57]–[30:42])

Career Beginnings & “Energy Producer” Gig ([21:28])

• Tiffany recounts her eclectic jobs pre-fame: sous chef, professional babysitter, bar/bat mitzvah “energy producer.”

  • Peter: “Energy producer at bar and bat mitzvahs?”
  • Tiffany:

    “My job, produce amazing.” ([22:34]) “That sound like Flavor Flav to me…No, I call it energy producer.” ([22:49])

• Demonstrates how she’d have turned Peter Sagal’s bar mitzvah into a party:

  “First, I would go to you. And I would go…‘Please take my beautiful brown hand and follow me, darling.’ And I would lead you out to the dance floor…and say ‘Do whatever I do. And smile the whole time. Side to side, step clap…hey, pump it up!’” ([23:49])

• On her own bat mitzvah:

  “I hired the same company that I used to work for. … Billy Crystal did my Aliyah. Susan Silverman officiated…” ([25:13])

Making It Big & First Big Purchase ([25:36])

• Tiffany describes buying a $359 microscope:

  “So in my mind, it was me developing my relationship with God and just seeing all the things He created. Did you know that some bacterias look just like people?” ([26:19])

Philosophy on Sharks and Life ([26:48])

• Tiffany: “Sharks don’t really like people like that...We too acidic. So as long as I keep drinking soda, girl, I’m good.” ([26:51])

“Not My Job” Quiz: Girl Strips ([27:14])

• The panel tests Tiffany on comics featuring girls, riffing on Kathy, Barbie's German comic origins, and a dark ending for Little Orphan Annie.

• Tiffany answers with her trademark wit:

  • On Barbie: “Because the way her makeup and she always had her boobs out.” ([28:58])
  • On Annie: “She got kidnapped. And that’s how they came with the movie Taken.” ([29:57])

• Bill Curtis: “Are you kidding? She rewrote the quiz.” ([30:21])

• Peter Sagal: “You have brought the energy in this little Peter.” ([30:32])

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5. Panel News Round-Up & Games ([32:24]–[44:08])

Used Lululemon & “Loose” Saxophonists ([32:42]–[36:18])

• Resale of high-end athletic gear online becomes mainstream (“not just for perverts”).
• Rise of “loose saxophonists”—professional sax players wandering wedding receptions, creating a sultry, chaotic vibe.
  • Paula: “Loose saxophonist. That’s such a...I love that phrase.” ([35:45])

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6. Listener Limericks & Quizzes ([38:00]–[42:20])

• News limericks cover:
  • Scaring away seagulls with deep voices ([38:22])
  • Taking “dark showers” for sleep ([39:52])
  • TikTok’s tip for illness: keep a raw potato in your sock ([40:51])
• Panel offers riff tracks at every turn, debating the practicality and absurdity of these viral trends.

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7. Lightning Fill in the Blank ([44:08]–[48:53])

• Panelists battle rapid-fire questions on current news:
  • Last penny minted in Philadelphia
  • “Loose saxophonists” and indie wedding trends
  • New scams, viral internet remedies, more
• Roxanne Roberts wins the game with a near-perfect lightning round.

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8. Closing Banter & Panel Predictions ([49:01]–[50:28])

Prompt: What will be the Pope’s favorite movie of 2026?

• Brian Babylon: “Are you there, God? It’s me, Leo.” ([49:57])
• Roxanne Roberts: “Dirty Dancing 3: Vatican Knights.” ([50:07])
• Paula Poundstone: “Southside Popey—the story of the Pope of the people who fixes his own car.” ([50:13])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On twerking up a mitzvah:

  “Peter, I’m gonna be real with you. I’ve seen Tiffany. She could make a dreidel spin without spinning it.” ([24:47] - Brian Babylon)

• On Tiffany’s career resilience:

  “I bought a microscope...so in my mind, it was me developing my relationship with God and just seeing all the things He created.” ([25:59] - Tiffany Haddish)

• On TikTok and shipwrecks:

  “So if you want to go and find out the specifics of what happened to the Edmund Fitzgerald, you can go on TikTok or ask literally any dad.” ([07:54] - Peter Sagal)

• On life as an “energy producer”:

  “My job, produce amazing.” ([22:34] - Tiffany Haddish)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• [00:44] – Show opening, panel introductions, quick-fire news jokes
• [03:00] – Listener contestant Sophia answers “Who’s Bill This Time?” quiz
• [09:15] – Panel quiz on London’s farting velodrome
• [14:08] – Bluff the Listener: The tale of Tallulah (real answer: breast hallucination, Paula)
• [20:57] – Not My Job: Tiffany Haddish interview & quiz
• [32:42] – Used Lululemon, “loose saxophonists” at weddings
• [38:22] – Limericks and listener quizzes
• [44:08] – Lightning Fill In The Blank
• [49:57] – Panel predictions: The Pope’s next favorite movie

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Episode Tone & Style

As always, Peter Sagal’s wry MC demeanor sets the tone—quick, silly, and packed with asides that skewer both the news and the panelists. Panelists riff relentlessly on each other’s foibles and the weirdness of the week’s events. Tiffany Haddish’s energy is infectious, radiating warmth and humor throughout her segment—she easily matches and elevates the show’s mix of wit and heart.

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Summary for Newcomers

This episode is a stellar, laugh-packed crash course in pop culture, current events, and the unpredictable genius of Tiffany Haddish. Whether riffing on TikTok shipwrecks, showing Peter Sagal the art of party-hyping, or revealing the quirky first thing she bought with her movie money, Tiffany Haddish’s appearance—along with the usual panel hilarity—makes this one of the most lively, memorable episodes in recent Wait Wait history.

Transcript

[Peter Sagal]

This message comes from Natural Resources Defense Council. Join the supporters of NRDC who focus on safeguarding the earth, its people, plants and animals. For a limited time, contributions are being matched 5 to 1 nrdc.org wait.

[Bill Curtis]

From npr@ WBEZ Chicago, this is. Wait, wait, don't tell me, the NPR News quiz warning. There's no lifeguard on duty and you're in the deep end of my voice. I'm Bill Curtis and here's your host at the Studebaker Theater at the Fine Arts Building in Chicago, Illinois, Peter Sagal.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you, Bill. Thank you, everybody. Great to see you all. We have a great show for you today. Later on, we're going to be joined by comedian and actor Tiffany Haddish. But first, we just speaking for ourselves, so excited that the federal government shutdown is over. So instead of being defunded because of an emergency, we can go back to being defunded on purpose. But somehow our phones still work. So call in to play our games. The number to call is 1-88- WAIT-WAIT. That's 1-888-924-8924. Let's welcome our first listener contestant this week. Hi. You're on. Wait, wait, don't tell me.

[Tiffany Haddish]

Hi, I'm Sophia calling from Los Angeles, California.

[Peter Sagal]

Hey, how are things in beautiful la?

[Tiffany Haddish]

A little rainy, but good.

[Roxanne Roberts]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

Well, that'll be good for you. I know. What do you do there? I'm an engineer. You're an engineer. Ooh, I love engineers. What sort of things do you engineer? I work in an aerospace company doing a new space station. Oh, no. Really? Like a totally different space station than the one we have.

[Brian Babylon]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

Wow. I didn't know we were getting a second one.

[Roxanne Roberts]

Yeah.

[Paula Poundstone]

You know what? Trump cut a wing off of the other one.

[Peter Sagal]

Money saving. Well, welcome to the show. Sophia, let me introduce you to our panel this week. First up, he's a comedian and fashion designer. You can see December 13th in Chicago at the Kimbell Art center for the birthday in Babylon extravaganza. It's the Prince of Bronzeville, Brian Babylon. Next, she's a feature writer for the Washington Post. It's Roxanne Roberts. Hello, Sophia.

[Tiffany Haddish]

Woo hoo.

[Peter Sagal]

And finally, a comedian. You can see New Year's Eve at the palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. And of course, she is the host of the weekly podcast Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone. It's Paula Poundstone. So, Sophia, welcome to the show. You're going to play who's Bill? This time? Bill Curtis is going to read you three quotations from this week's news, if you can correctly identify or explain just two of them, you will win our prize. Any voice from our show, you might choose on your voicemail. You ready to go?

[Tiffany Haddish]

Yep.

[Peter Sagal]

All right. Your first quote is from an email about President Trump that was in the news this week.

[Bill Curtis]

He is the dog that did not.

[Peter Sagal]

Bark after months of people demanding that they be released. That was one of the thousands of emails released this week from the account of.

[Tiffany Haddish]

Whom would that be? Epstein.

[Peter Sagal]

That would be Jeffrey Epstein. Yes. You can applaud for her. For her. In the emails released by the house, Epstein calls Trump, quote, borderline insane. So gross, a dirty businessman, and, quote, even worse in person than on tv, unquote. So say it with me, folks. Maybe Jeffrey Epstein wasn't so bad.

[Brian Babylon]

No, he was bad. Just honest as well.

[Peter Sagal]

I mean, it's amazing. It's this bizarre look into this guy's world and all the people he associated with. But probably the most interesting email was the one from 2019, where Epstein wrote, hey, looking forward to living long enough to implicate the President. Well, gotta go. There's a bunch of guys in my cell. Bye.

[Paula Poundstone]

Wait, how many emails were there?

[Peter Sagal]

There were 20,000 pages of emails.

[Paula Poundstone]

Wow. And over what period of time were they.

[Peter Sagal]

Years and years. Decades.

[Paula Poundstone]

Oh. Oh, my. 20,000?

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah.

[Paula Poundstone]

You know what? A lot of it's gotta be spam.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah, pretty much. Yeah, pretty much.

[Brian Babylon]

But you know what I would love to do? I would love to take all those emails and then dump them in the chatgpt and say, hey, man, what you think about this? You know, like. And that's when you get a nice.

[Peter Sagal]

Unfiltered chatgpt was like, oh, God, I can't. Sophia, here is your next quote.

[Bill Curtis]

It's a Wonderful Life, the Sound of Music, and Ordinary People.

[Peter Sagal]

That was from a list of somebody's favorite movies released before a big event with Hollywood luminaries at the Vatican this week. Whose list was it?

[Roxanne Roberts]

The Pope.

[Peter Sagal]

The Pope? Yes. This week, Pope Leo released a list of his favorite movies. It was Life is Beautiful, the Sound of Music, It's a Wonderful Life, Ordinary People, and this is weird. Anything with Sydney Sweeney?

[Paula Poundstone]

Is that true?

[Peter Sagal]

Well, actually, no. It was just the four movies.

[Brian Babylon]

That's a weird list, man.

[Peter Sagal]

Really? You think?

[Paula Poundstone]

I don't think so.

[Brian Babylon]

I think it's a good list. I mean, isn't he from the south side?

[Peter Sagal]

He is.

[Roxanne Roberts]

I think it's. No, I think it's a list that a guy who appears to be a godly person would pick a PR list, right?

[Brian Babylon]

If he had put Die Hard in there with the rest of those movies, I'll be okay. Like, Life is Good, Sound of Music, Die Hard, Ordinary People.

[Peter Sagal]

I'm like, no. Yeah. Or like Fast and the Furious 7. Like that. The Little Human Touch.

[Brian Babylon]

No, no, no, no. That's trash. Like, you know, a legit.

[Paula Poundstone]

I am not remotely upset, upset nor baffled by the Pope's list of movies. These are good movies.

[Peter Sagal]

What Ordinary People about?

[Brian Babylon]

What was Ordinary People about?

[Peter Sagal]

It's a family drama set here in Chicago. It's a Chicago movie. North Shore.

[Paula Poundstone]

Maybe that's why he was such a fan of it. But these are good movies. And a Pope, you know, I mean, he started out just as a priest. Right.

[Peter Sagal]

I believe, yes. That is a requirement to be Pope. Okay. It's not like, if you want to be a Pope, if that's your ambition, you pretty much have to start as a priest.

[Paula Poundstone]

I thought maybe it was like the Supreme Court, where you could just have come in.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah. There's no actual. I mean, there's no law that says the Pope has to be a priest.

[Paula Poundstone]

It could be a plumber. Right, Exactly. Or, you know, hairstylist. I used to manage an International House of Pancakes.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah.

[Paula Poundstone]

I'm just naturally good with people.

[Peter Sagal]

Also a service organization. Yeah. All right, Sophia, here is your last.

[Bill Curtis]

Quote as a Lake Ontario girlie who's worked on ship, this day is high key. My jam.

[Peter Sagal]

That was a woman on TikTok, one of many young people commemorating the 50th anniversary this week of the wreck of what, the Edmund Fitzgerald. The Edmund Fitzgerald, yes. The hottest thing on TikTok right now is a 1975 shipwreck. Young people gathered in clubs and bars on Monday to commemorate the anniversary of the tragedy on Lake Superior. As always, it just seems the two things that crosses our society across generations. The two things are, what color is this dress? And big ship go down. So if you want to know, if you don't know, and you want to go and find out the specifics of what happened to the Edmund Fitzgerald, you can go on TikTok or ask literally any.

[Roxanne Roberts]

Dad, it sank.

[Peter Sagal]

It did.

[Brian Babylon]

Was it like a six and a seven clash together in heaven or. I mean.

[Peter Sagal]

No, no. Here's the thing, though, and I love this, that I found out by virtue of these young people on TikTok and their commemorations, the company that built the ship way back when named it after their own president, Edmund Fitzgerald, even though he begged them not to. Right. And I just feel incredibly sorry for that guy because he walked around for the rest of his life just muttering. I said call it the centennial, but no.

[Paula Poundstone]

Yeah. That's how the guy who made the new Cracker Barrel logo feels.

[Brian Babylon]

Yes.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah. Two, I believe, equivalent disasters in American history, Right?

[Paula Poundstone]

Yeah, very.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, 50 years from now, they'll be commemorating that on TikTok. Or what's left of it.

[Paula Poundstone]

Yeah. Ask any TikTok historian. There are parallels.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes, it's true. Bill, how did Sophia do in our quiz?

[Bill Curtis]

Smart engineer there in Los Angeles. She got them. All right.

[Peter Sagal]

All right. Wow, Sophia, thank you so much for playing. Take care.

[Paula Poundstone]

Yeah.

[Tiffany Haddish]

Thank you.

[Peter Sagal]

Panel. Right now it is time for you to answer some questions about this week's news. Paula?

[Paula Poundstone]

Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

Residents who live in London near the Olympic velodrome that was built for the 2012 Summer Games there have noticed this odd phenomenon. The velodrome on certain occasions, emits loud sounds that sound very much like what.

[Paula Poundstone]

Skaters stuck inside.

[Peter Sagal]

No, I should also say that the velodrome was for bicycle rac.

[Paula Poundstone]

Well, that's why skaters would get stuck.

[Peter Sagal]

That's true.

[Bill Curtis]

You're right.

[Peter Sagal]

No ice. They just go right in there.

[Paula Poundstone]

Poor things. You know what? Don't just report on it. Get over there with a chainsaw and get the skaters out.

[Peter Sagal]

No, that's not the answer.

[Paula Poundstone]

It is.

[Peter Sagal]

No.

[Paula Poundstone]

Want to give me a hint?

[Peter Sagal]

I guess he who created this audio phenomenon through architectural quality quirks dealt it.

[Paula Poundstone]

Oh, my gosh. There's, like, farting sounds coming from.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes, farting noises emitting from the building.

[Paula Poundstone]

Yeah, that's the bicycle.

[Peter Sagal]

People often complain that these incredibly expensive facilities built for, like, one Olympics are useless. Once it's over. Well, no more. This one farts. So the building has this double curved roof that they call the Pringle because that's what it looks like. And people who live near it notice that during, say, fireworks displays, the loud bangs get reflected off the curves in a funny way that sound a lot like. Well, a fart. So we have the audio and the sound.

[Bill Curtis]

You.

[Peter Sagal]

We do. Brace yourselves. The sound you hear is fireworks, and then the sound reflected off the velodrome roof. Wow.

[Brian Babylon]

Wow.

[Peter Sagal]

Right.

[Brian Babylon]

Well, you know what?

[Tiffany Haddish]

That's accurate.

[Brian Babylon]

No, that could be a lot of noises. That could be frogs. No, that could be some type of duck mating.

[Paula Poundstone]

When I hear noises like that, I put the dog out.

[Peter Sagal]

Coming up, our panelists introduce you to a new friend in our bluff the listener game called 1, 8, 8. Wait, wait to play. We'll be back in a minute with more of. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Hey, it's Peter. Now, if you are anything like our typical fan, you must be an enthusiastic evangelist for our show. You tell everybody about it. You grab strangers on the street. You lean into cars with open windows and say, hey, have you ever heard about as they drive away? There's a much simpler and less dangerous way to spread the news about our show. If you're a fan, just go to the podcast site that you get this from and rate us and review us. People really dig that. So if you like, wait, wait. Remember to rate us and review us, but you know positively. This message comes from at&t. America's first network is also its fastest and most reliable based on RootMetrics. United States Root Score Report 1H 2025 tested with best commercially available smartphones on three national mobile networks across all network types. Your experiences may vary. Root metrics rankings are not an endorsement of AT&T. When you compare, there's no comparison. AT&T. This message comes from Ethos. Discover the modern way to get life insurance all online. Protect your family's future against the unexpected in minutes, not months. With Ethos, you could get up to 3 million in coverage without a medical exam. Just answer a few health questions. Some policies are as low as $2 a day billed monthly. Get your free [e-mail] wait, that's e t h o s.com wait application times may vary. Rates may vary.

[Announcer]

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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. We're playing this week with Paula Poundstone, Roxanne Roberts and Brian Babylon. And here again is your host at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago, Illinois, Peter Stegal.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you, everybody. Thank you, Bill. Right now it's time for the Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me Bluff the Listener Game Call Win Triple eight. Wait, Wait. To play our game on the air. Hi, you're on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Hi, this is Noah calling from Washington, D.C. hey, Noah, how are you? I'm doing well.

[Brian Babylon]

I'm very excited to be here.

[Peter Sagal]

I'm very excited to have you. What do you do there in Washington.

[Brian Babylon]

Well, Peter, I regret almost every day moving from my beloved hometown of Chicago.

[Bill Curtis]

Oh, thank you.

[Peter Sagal]

Well, thank you for saying that. So as you sit around in Washington and just yearn for home. That is very true.

[Brian Babylon]

I miss my Chicago dogs.

[Peter Sagal]

Okay, well, I'm always up for Chicago dog too. Let's put the show on hold. We'll go get one together. It sounds like a blast. It does. Noah, it's great to have you with us. You're going to play our game in which you must try to tell truth from fiction. Bill, what's Noah's topic?

[Bill Curtis]

Her name is Tallulah.

[Peter Sagal]

This week we read about a remarkable woman named Tallulah and her story was so compelling, we just had to share it with all of you. Our panelists are going to tell you about Tallulah, who was in the news. Pick the one who's telling the truth and you'll win our prize, the wait waiter of your choice on your voicemail. Ready to play. I'm so excited. Well, we are excited to have you try. Here we go. Let's hear first from Roxanne Roberts.

[Roxanne Roberts]

You can get financial coverage from the Wall Street Journal or you can get it from only fans. Breakout star Tallulah Bank. Bank, who named herself after the spicy Hollywood star Tallulah Bankhead is a 29 year old former Goldman Sachs analyst who gives daily stock market news and advice to more than a million Wall Street Bros. And other subscribers. She's naked, but covered from neck to ankle in cash. All of this is perfectly legal.

[Tiffany Haddish]

Or is it?

[Roxanne Roberts]

The SEC has reportedly opened an investigation into bank, says the New York Post, alleging that in addition to actual tips, bank gets privileged corporate information DM'd to her. Her attorney has denied all the charges, telling the Post that his client is simply an astute observer of the stock market. Quote, the only thing Ms. Bank is guilty of is rising interest rates among her thousands of fans.

[Peter Sagal]

Tallulah Bank, a very successful influencer on OnlyFans, who gives out financial advice dressed only in currency. Your next Tallulah tidbit comes from Brian Babylon.

[Brian Babylon]

In paranormal news, 58 year old Tallulah Adelia Biallo has stepped forward, claiming that she and former President Barack Obama once ran an undercover youth ghost elimination strike force in high school. According to Biallo, the duo patrolled abandoned gymnasiums, foggy beaches, and at least one suspiciously cold broom closet at school. Their makeshift team was called the Aberration Opposition and made detailed logs of supernatural encounters, including the time they were in the band room and saw a Phantom Flute playing the song or no Ko Flo by Enya. And this was 10 years before the song was even released.

[Tiffany Haddish]

Crazy.

[Brian Babylon]

Look, I'm not saying Tallulah and I save Honolulu from ghostly chaos, Obama said. I'm just saying the broom closet wasn't cold for no reason. Biallo, meanwhile, is writing her memoir, tentatively called Specters, Senators and G G G.

[Tiffany Haddish]

G G G Ghosts.

[Brian Babylon]

My Life Haunting Ghosts with Barack.

[Peter Sagal]

Attila, who, it turns out, used to ghost bust with none other than Barack Obama in high school. And your last story of this mysterious myst comes from Paula Poundstone.

[Paula Poundstone]

After eye surgery to remove scar tissue due to retinopathy caused by type 1 diabetes, Mark Bryan was beset by visual hallucinations of a large set of Baywatch style breasts. He named the apparition Tallulah, but the breasts were the only part of her he saw in the hallucinations. He knows nothing about her brains or personality, although he may have waited some time before reporting the symptoms. Mark Bryan was later informed by his surgeon that the hallucinations were caused by a rare eye condition called Charles Bonnet Syndrome. The surgeons placed a bubble of air in Mark's eye to help it heal, and that's what caused Tallulah's breasts to move as if she was running on the beach. As news spreads of this side effect of eye surgery to remove scar tissue due to retina caused by type 1 diabetes, doctors may well be concerned about an unstoppable, unhealthy increase in sugar intake among the male population. Cinnabon may well hire Mark Bryan as their spokesperson if he is not already the new face of Little Debbie, Little Marky?

[Peter Sagal]

All right, one of these is the Tallulah we found in the week's news. Was it from Roxanne, financial influencer on onlyfans named Tallulah Bank? From Brian Babylon, a woman named Tallulah who claims accurately that she used to ghost hunt with Barack Obama in high school. Or from Paula Poundstone. Eye surgery leads to a man hallucinating a Baywatch babe he named Tallulah. Okay, which of these is the real story of Tallulah in the week's news?

[Brian Babylon]

I want to give it to Paula's.

[Peter Sagal]

Baywatch breath, but I do think it's the only fans. So you think it's Roxanne's onlyfans model, Tallulah Bank? Okay, well to bring you the real story, here's somebody who had some expertise on it. The hallucinations I've heard are usually landscapes, colors, animals.

[Tiffany Haddish]

I have not heard of Giant Breasts.

[Peter Sagal]

That was Siobhan Midgley, a vision rehabilitation teacher in the Chicagoland area, an expert on Charles Bonet Syndrome, talking about the man who really did see a woman he called Tallulah, or certain parts of her, wherever he looked for weeks at a time. I'm so sorry, Noah. You should have gone with your instinct. And you should never, ever trust Roxanne Accurate. So many men she has led to their doom with her wiles. But you won a point, however, for her, which is all she lives for. So thank you so much for calling and playing. And come back home soon. Yeah, thank you so much.

[Tiffany Haddish]

Take care.

[Peter Sagal]

Bye bye. Thank you. Bye bye.

[Brian Babylon]

Bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce.

[Peter Sagal]

And now the game we call not my job. Tiffany Haddish was a working comedian and actor for 20 years when she had her huge breakout role as Dina in the movie girls trip in 2017. Since then, she has starred in many more movies, TV shows, stand up specials. She has written two New York Times bestsellers, won an Emmy and a Grammy, and has even been bat mitzvahed. Her new show, Tiffany Haddish Goes off, premiered on Peacock this week. Tiffany Haddish, welcome to. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Thank you.

[Announcer]

Hey.

[Brian Babylon]

Hey.

[Peter Sagal]

I have a thing deep in my heart because I've known so many for actors who paid their dues. And you did, right? You were out there for many, many years, starting as a teenager doing comedy. Can you tell us about some of, like, the weird jobs you took to support yourself during the lean years? Yes.

[Tiffany Haddish]

So I did a lot of. I was a sous chef.

[Peter Sagal]

A sous chef?

[Tiffany Haddish]

Yes, sous chef. Then I was a professional babysitter. Also. I was an energy producer at bar and bot mitzvah for, like, 11 years. I was an activities coordinator at a youth center. Wait, sound work? I did camera assistant, gaffer, set deck.

[Peter Sagal]

I've done all the jobs I have to ask you. Hang on. I think you and I have the same question. An energy producer at bar and bat mitzvahs?

[Tiffany Haddish]

Yeah, I did bar, bat mitzvahs, executive parties, Christmas parties, Hanukkah parties, funerals, you name it. My job, Produce. Amazing.

[Peter Sagal]

So wait a minute.

[Bill Curtis]

So you were.

[Peter Sagal]

You were kind of a hype woman. You were like, got the crowd hyped up.

[Tiffany Haddish]

I wouldn't call that a hype woman. What I call it is an energy producer. Produce.

[Roxanne Roberts]

Amazing.

[Peter Sagal]

I got you. I got you. Yeah, I'm just. I'm just. I'm just flashing back, you call it a hype woman.

[Tiffany Haddish]

That sound like Flavor Flav to me.

[Peter Sagal]

No, no, that's not it. Okay.

[Tiffany Haddish]

Amazing energy.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, let me. Let me try.

[Tiffany Haddish]

This is my grandma. Grandpa, get up out the chair. The energy so good, they gotta start dancing.

[Peter Sagal]

All right. Yeah. So, like, I do, actually. I'm thinking back many, many years to my own bar mitzvah. This was a very long time ago, and I did not have an energy producer of any kind.

[Tiffany Haddish]

And it was a boring party, wasn't it?

[Peter Sagal]

It was pretty dull.

[Brian Babylon]

I'll be honest.

[Peter Sagal]

It was pretty dull. Peter, it's too late now. It's too late now.

[Tiffany Haddish]

It's never too late. We could throw you a 67th birthday party.

[Peter Sagal]

We can do that. And thank you for that estimate of my age. It crippled me. But first of all. So if you had been at my bar mitzvah many, how could you briefly demonstrate how you would have energized the party so it was not the drab synagogue assembly room experience that it was?

[Tiffany Haddish]

First, I would go to you. And I would go.

[Roxanne Roberts]

Young Peter.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes?

[Tiffany Haddish]

Please take my beautiful brown hand and follow me, darling. And I would lead you out to the dance floor, and I would stand you right next to me and I would say, follow my lead. Do whatever I do. Okay. And smile the whole time. No matter how it feels, just smile the whole time. And I will start with a side to side step clap. Right?

[Peter Sagal]

And you.

[Tiffany Haddish]

Side to side step clap with me, Peter. Do it. That's right, Peter. That's what I'm talking about. Here we go. Hey, pump it up.

[Peter Sagal]

Hey, hey, hey. Coming up. Hey. And then the next thing you know, the whole home is pumping it up. I am.

[Bill Curtis]

I am.

[Peter Sagal]

I. Retroactively. I am very excited and extraordinarily embarrassed. I am like. Because that's. I. That. Yeah, that.

[Brian Babylon]

Whoa.

[Peter Sagal]

That is.

[Tiffany Haddish]

That's the Jewish way.

[Peter Sagal]

It is. Well, yes. Yes.

[Brian Babylon]

Peter, I'm gonna be real with you. I've seen Tiffany. She would. She could make a dreidel spin without spinning it.

[Peter Sagal]

She's got that energy.

[Brian Babylon]

She just.

[Peter Sagal]

You recently had your own bat mitzvah, right? You turn 40.

[Tiffany Haddish]

Yeah, it was a few years ago. A few years ago.

[Peter Sagal]

Who did you hire? Because we have convinced me of the usefulness of this. Did you hire your own energy producer for your bat Mitvah or did you handle that yourself?

[Tiffany Haddish]

I hired the same company that I used to work for. I hired them, and we brought in younger, more vibrant energy producers. And then, like, Billy Crystal did my Aaliyah.

[Peter Sagal]

No kidding.

[Tiffany Haddish]

Susan Silverman's sister did she. She, you know, officiated my whole bat Mitzvah. Susan Silverman. Like, it was the most beautiful. It was beautiful.

[Peter Sagal]

I want to ask you, one of the things I also learned is that during your years of struggle, you still had ambitions. You. You knew, and you said sometimes in public that you were going to make it, you were going to be big. Now that, well, you have. You became incredibly famous with girls trip and many stuff since then. What is that, like the first, first thing you did when you started making real money?

[Tiffany Haddish]

I bought a microscope.

[Peter Sagal]

A microscope?

[Tiffany Haddish]

Yeah, I bought a $359 microscope that took pictures of bacterias, and I could upload those bacterias to Google and I could find out exactly what it is to me. Okay. So in my mind, it was me developing my relationship with God and just seeing all the things he created. And did you know that some bacterias look just like people?

[Peter Sagal]

Really? I mean, I thought they were like, they were like. Some of them were like rod shaped and some of them were squiggly. But you're saying that you look.

[Tiffany Haddish]

Yeah, some of them as ugly as. Just ugly. And I'm like, oh, God, God, I see what you was doing. This guy's a bacteria. Like this, right? Like this candida.

[Peter Sagal]

And I know that.

[Tiffany Haddish]

And I'm just curious about all this stuff God does. Like, that's why I like swimming with sharks and stuff, because you see all the plant life and animal life down there and you just like, look how creative he is. He's so creative.

[Paula Poundstone]

That could be your last thought just before one of those sharks eats you.

[Tiffany Haddish]

I know, right? See, here go the thing. Sharks don't really like people like that. That's why they bite them and spit them out because we too acidic. So as long as I keep drinking soda, girl, I'm good.

[Peter Sagal]

Tiffany Haddish, it is a joy to talk to you, but we have invited you here to play a game. And this time we are calling it girls Trip.

[Bill Curtis]

Meet girl strip.

[Peter Sagal]

You start in girls Trip. So we're going to ask you about comic strips, about girls, girl strips. Get it?

[Paula Poundstone]

Yeah.

[Bill Curtis]

Okay.

[Tiffany Haddish]

Oh, I thought it was gonna be something else.

[Peter Sagal]

I'm like, I know, I know.

[Tiffany Haddish]

I know about the boy strip club.

[Peter Sagal]

I bet you do. But no, I wanted to clarify. That's what we're doing. We're a weekend show for families. So here we go.

[Tiffany Haddish]

Okay, family show. Let's go.

[Peter Sagal]

Here we go. So answer two to three questions, right? You'll win our prize for one of our listeners. Bill, who is Tiffany Haddish playing for?

[Bill Curtis]

Liz Patterson of Atlanta, Georgia.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, here's Your first question. The most famous girl strip is, of course, Kathy. That long running strip about a single woman with issues, Kathy ended its run in 2010, but it left its mark on the comic strip industry. How? A, the strip in which she married her boyfriend Irving was so bad, the phrase marrying Irving now means ruining your comic strip forever. B, whenever a comic strip writer can't think of something for a character to say, they just say ack like Kathy did. Or C, the highest praise one comic artist can say to another is, I thought I was reading Kathy.

[Tiffany Haddish]

2.

[Peter Sagal]

You're gonna go for B. No, I'm afraid it was marrying Irving really marrying Irving, because people believe that that completely ruined. That's like the comic strip equivalent of jumping the shark. Here's your next question. The Barbie doll was in part originally inspired by a German newspaper comic strip called Lily. Who was Lily the character Lily? Was she A, the beautiful wife of an ugly bricklayer named Kenneth B, a quote, high end call girl, or C, a beauty pageant winner who became a surgeon, an astronaut, and an Olympic gymnast?

[Tiffany Haddish]

I'll go with B.

[Peter Sagal]

You're gonna go with B?

[Tiffany Haddish]

Yeah. Because the way her makeup and she always had her boobs out.

[Peter Sagal]

That's right. You have figured it out. That's what Lily was. So Lily was a. You got it right. Lily was a risque comic for adults in the 50s in Germany, and the company started making dolls of Lily. And the wife of one of the founders of Mattel was in Germany, saw one and said, hey, I can work with that. All right, here's your last question. The comic strip Little Orphan Annie ended its run in 2010. What was the adorable orphan's fate in the very last Little Orphan Annie comic strip? Was it, A, she was being held captive by an Eastern European war criminal, B, she discovered her real parents were the Romanovs, making her heir to the Russian throne? Or C, she instantly aged the 90 years that had passed since the first strip and crumbled into dust.

[Brian Babylon]

Like Thanos.

[Peter Sagal]

Very much like Thanos, yes.

[Tiffany Haddish]

What was a again?

[Peter Sagal]

A again was that she was being held captive by an Eastern European war criminal.

[Tiffany Haddish]

Then I'm gonna go with she got kidnapped. And that's how they came with the movie Taken.

[Peter Sagal]

That's exactly right.

[Announcer]

Wow.

[Peter Sagal]

In fact, I believe in the final frame of the final strip, Daddy Warbucks is saying into a phone, I have certain skills. Bill, how did Tiffany Haddish do on our quiz?

[Bill Curtis]

Are you kidding? She rewrote the quiz.

[Peter Sagal]

She's a winner in everything.

[Bill Curtis]

You have.

[Peter Sagal]

You have. You have brought the energy in this little Peter.

[Brian Babylon]

I told you.

[Peter Sagal]

You told me and you did not exaggerate. She's still going. She's still going.

[Paula Poundstone]

Brian was your advanced man.

[Peter Sagal]

Tiffany. Tiffany Haddish. Haddish is an Emmy and Grammy winner. You can see her in her new show, tiffany Haddish Goes Off. It is streaming on Peacock now. If it is a quarter as fun as talking to her in real life, it will be amazing. Tiffany Haddish, thank you so much. Thank you for being with us. You're the best. In just a minute, Bill gives you his tip for staying healthy this flu season in our listener liberk challenge. Call 1-888-WAT wait to join us at the the air. We'll be back in a minute with more. Wait, wait, don't tell me. From npr. This message comes from NPR sponsor Patagonia. As environmental progress stalls, Patagonia believes it's on businesses to step up. The company knows it isn't perfect, but it's proving businesses can make a profit without bankrupting the planet. Out now is Patagonia's 2025 work in progress report, a behind the scenes look into its impact initiatives from quitting forever chemicals and decarbonizing its supply chain to embracing fair trade. Explore [e-mail] impact this message comes from Superhuman, the AI productivity suite that gives you superpowers everywhere. You work with Grammarly, mail and coda coming together. You get proactive help across your workflow so you can outsmart the chaos experience AI that proactively helps you go from to do to done faster. Unleash your superhuman potential today. Learn [e-mail] podcast that's superhuman.com podcast.

[Bill Curtis]

From NPR at WBEZ Chicago. This is Wait, wait, don't tell Me the NPR News Quiz. I'm Bill Curtis. We're playing this week with Brian Babylon, Paula Poundstone and Roxanne Roberts. And here again is your host at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago, Illinois, Peter Sagal.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you, Bill. In just a minute, we enjoy the bounty of our annual harvest of limericks. If you'd like to play, give us a call at 188. Wait, wait. That's 1-888-924-8924. But right now, panel, we have some more questions for you from the week's news. Roxanne, Athletic gear can be very expensive. A pair of Lululemon pants, for example, can cost as much as $150. But one solution to get them cheaper is to buy them how?

[Roxanne Roberts]

Okay, I'm going to say used you're right.

[Peter Sagal]

Used workout gear becoming more and more popular online as people resell their high end Lululemon sports bras and running shorts. And this time not solely to perverts.

[Brian Babylon]

That sounds like some only fans actually.

[Peter Sagal]

It does actually. Yeah.

[Brian Babylon]

A lot of times with Eaton pants, or I like to call them yoga pants or eating pants.

[Roxanne Roberts]

Eating pants.

[Brian Babylon]

Oh, you mean eating eating like mom, get my eating pants on because I got a lot of room in them. But it's like I've noticed like a lot of times those in the thighs, they're real rubbed in. It's like they're all napped up. They get pilly, they get real peely.

[Paula Poundstone]

Okay. Peter is a runner. His thighs don't even know each other.

[Tiffany Haddish]

Wow.

[Bill Curtis]

Wow.

[Peter Sagal]

Oh, would that it were so. I would only trust this if you got with the clothes a detailed description of what the person who had owned them before did with them. Right? Oh, they just your lounge around pants. Fine. Oh, you went to hot yoga in them once. Burned them.

[Paula Poundstone]

Y' all are talking as if you're not aware that you can wash clothes.

[Brian Babylon]

But Paula, what I'm talking about, ain't no wash gonna help when your thighs rub together. You can't wash that away.

[Paula Poundstone]

No.

[Peter Sagal]

Got a question for you, Paula. Right here. Paula, there's a hot new trend in wedding receptions. In addition to a dj, an open bar, you know, the cake. Many receptions now feature somebody walking around, somebody they've hired for this purpose. Doing what?

[Brian Babylon]

Energy producing.

[Peter Sagal]

I wish.

[Paula Poundstone]

Collapsing. And they have to be revived.

[Peter Sagal]

That's not right. But what kind of energy do you think that would bring to a wedding? Oval office. Make a good point.

[Paula Poundstone]

Will you give me a hint? I'll try to get it.

[Peter Sagal]

Wow. It's like these people must have paid big bucks. They got Kenny G. Like an impressionist.

[Paula Poundstone]

Like a celebrity person?

[Peter Sagal]

No, like Kenny G. What does Kenny G do?

[Paula Poundstone]

Oh, he plays.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes, Playing the saxophone.

[Brian Babylon]

Wait, just the sax?

[Peter Sagal]

Right, Just the saxophone. If you wish your big day sounded like the loudest parts of a Bruce Springsteen song, we have the wedding service for you. More and more weddings are featuring a, quote, loose saxophonist at the reception. And by loose, we just mean, you know, wandering around without a band or anything. But yes, he will also be sleeping with your most desperate bridesmaid.

[Paula Poundstone]

A loose saxophonist.

[Peter Sagal]

A loose saxophonist.

[Paula Poundstone]

That's such a. I love that phrase.

[Peter Sagal]

As in saxophonist on the loose.

[Paula Poundstone]

Yeah, loose saxophonist.

[Peter Sagal]

Why are these couples, like asking for a saxophonist? Brides are like, I always pictured that on my wedding day there'd be somebody there both balding, but with a ponytail. And this seemed like the simplest way.

[Roxanne Roberts]

To go because they want that slightly mournful Edmund Fitzgerald energy.

[Paula Poundstone]

Well, I mean, you're limited by the fact that they're loose. I mean, you're not gonna have a lo kettle drum player. But I think saxophones are very sexy.

[Brian Babylon]

I mean, the beginning of Careless Whisper, is that what they're doing?

[Peter Sagal]

Like, maybe.

[Brian Babylon]

I think it's the only thing I'm trying to think of, like. Like the heat is on. Like the heat is up. I'm trying to think of all the songs that demand sax energy and I can't match it up with a wedding reception. We trying to get turnt up.

[Peter Sagal]

Sex, ain't it?

[Brian Babylon]

Cocaine is.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah. Coming up. It's lightning. Fill in the blank. But first, as the gamer, you have to listen for the rhyme. If you'd like to play on air, call or leave a message at 1-888-WAIT-WAIT. That's 1-888-924-8924. You can see us most weeks right here at the Studio Baker Theater in downtown Chicago. Or catch us on the road. We'll be in Phoenix, Arizona on December 4, where Tig Notaro will be joining us again on our panel. And we all plan on doing our best show ever, just for you. Tickets and info [e-mail] and if you like our show but can't stand it for more than a few seconds at a time, check us out at TikTok A. Hi, you're on. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Hi everyone, my name is Benjamin. I'm calling in from Columbia, South Carolina. Well, Columbia is a great place. What do you do there?

[Bill Curtis]

I'm a musician.

[Peter Sagal]

I'm not a saxophone player.

[Bill Curtis]

Okay.

[Paula Poundstone]

Yeah, but are you loose?

[Peter Sagal]

It's a shame because there's some money making opportunities out there. What do you play? Yeah, I miss my calling. I'm a trumpet player and a singer. And once I figure out how to do both of those things at the same time, you will see me on YouTube. I was about to say that those are two sort of mutually exclusive musical specialties.

[Brian Babylon]

Louie Armstrong did that, right?

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah, but he didn't do it at the same time.

[Tiffany Haddish]

Yes, I did.

[Peter Sagal]

Well, Benjamin, welcome to the show. Bill Curtis is going to read you three news related limericks with the last word of phrase missing from each. If you can fill in that last word or phrase correctly and two of the limericks will be a winner. Ready to go?

[Bill Curtis]

Let's do it.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, Here is your first limerick.

[Bill Curtis]

Those Birds with long wings and a wee skull can steal food and squawk and still be dull, but sound like Bill Curtis. And they will not hurt us. A deep voice will scare off a seagull.

[Peter Sagal]

Seagull, Yeah. A recent study has discovered that talking to seagulls in a deep voice will stop them from stealing your food. But be careful. Many of us have found out the hard way that this is also how you turn them off. Get out of my chips. Pretty much. Pretty much. Paula, before. Before you ask this study, this is how they did it. They took a closed Tupperware container of french fries and they put it on the ground. And when seagulls approached, a recording either played a neutral bird song. That's the control.

[Bill Curtis]

Right.

[Peter Sagal]

Or a recording of a loud male voice playing at different volumes. Speaking made them walk away. Shouting made them fly away. Conversely, speaking to them after inhaling helium made them eat your face.

[Brian Babylon]

Because seagulls are savage. There's a video floating around where there's a seagull that flew down and took a lady's full steak.

[Peter Sagal]

Wow.

[Brian Babylon]

A steak.

[Peter Sagal]

A steak.

[Brian Babylon]

That's not a mouse, that's a full steak. So, hey, get away from my steak, seagull. I don't know if that would have worked because that seagull was dedicated.

[Bill Curtis]

That was.

[Peter Sagal]

Yeah. Here. Here is your next limerick to dreamland.

[Bill Curtis]

I'd like to embark. So this shower is hitting the mark. I'm embracing the nights. By killing the lights, I'm washing myself in the dark.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes, in the dark. Dark showering, literally. Showering in the dark apparently can calm your brain and allow for a better transition to sleep. And if you slip on something in the shower that's dark and crack your head, a much faster transition to sleep.

[Paula Poundstone]

Sounds like a safety hazard. Definitely a safety hazard.

[Peter Sagal]

No. Dark showering is very relaxing and very pleasant until you hear a voice from the darkness say, hey, can you pass the shampoo?

[Brian Babylon]

Like, I can see the geico gecko saying, that's not a good idea. Yeah.

[Peter Sagal]

He'S in there, too.

[Brian Babylon]

Yeah, but for insurance purposes, it's like your premium's going to go up. But he was in there looking, though. That was the weird part.

[Peter Sagal]

Looking up, man. I don't like it. I don't like it. All right, Benjamin, here is your last limerick.

[Bill Curtis]

Real doctors. Oh, heck.

[Peter Sagal]

What?

[Bill Curtis]

They know I will not take meds on their say so. Raw and sliced for a rash, for a cold. Cooked and mashed. I fill up my socks with.

[Peter Sagal]

I'm going to need that one again. The only thing that's coming to my brain is Drano and I'm don't put Drano in your socks. That's very important.

[Bill Curtis]

Here we do that.

[Peter Sagal]

Here we go.

[Bill Curtis]

Real doctors. Oh, heck, what do they know? I will not take meds on their say so. Raw and sliced for a rash, for a cold, cooked and mashed, I fill up my socks with. Aha.

[Peter Sagal]

Potato, Potato. Yes.

[Bill Curtis]

Good going.

[Peter Sagal]

If you get your medical advice from from TikTok, you've heard that the best way to cure a cold is to put a slice of raw potato on your sock before bed. I thought this was the dumbest thing I'd ever heard. But then someone explained you're supposed to then put the socks on your feet. The theory is that pressing a cut potato against the skin draws out toxins from the body. But according to a leading pediatrician interviewed by the Washington Post, that does not work. She said, quote, that would mean the virus would need to be drawn out of the blood, through all of the tissue and skin and into the potato. At which point the reporter muttered, I'm sorry to waste your time, and left. Bill, how did Benjamin do in our quiz?

[Bill Curtis]

Oh, boy, did he do a good job. Perfect score.

[Peter Sagal]

Well done, Benjamin. Congratulations. And good luck on finding that that that moment when you can sing and play the trumpet at the same time.

[Bill Curtis]

It'll happen. I'm confident.

[Peter Sagal]

I appreciate it.

[Bill Curtis]

You guys have a good one.

[Peter Sagal]

You too. Take care.

[Paula Poundstone]

Thank you.

[Announcer]

This message comes from NPR sponsor LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Finding the right leads can feel like an endless search for sellers. What if you could get to the right conversations faster? From finding new leads to strengthening existing relationships, LinkedIn Sales Navigator is your strategic AI powered partner. It cuts through the noise with real time data and insights backed by LinkedIn's network of over 1 billion professionals. Try it free for 60 [e-mail] wait, wait. That's LinkedIn.com waitwait terms and conditions apply.

[Peter Sagal]

This message comes from the Natural Resources Defense Council. What's one way people are working to protect the planet for future generations? 1 Answer Joining the 3 million supporters of the Natural Resources Defense Council. Their mission is to safeguard the earth and its people, plants and animals by combining science, law and public engagement to protect the natural systems that all life depends on for a limited time. Contributions are being matched five to one [e-mail] wait. Now onto our final game, Lightning Fill in the blank. Each of our players will have 60 seconds in which to answer as many fill in the blank questions as they can. Each correct answer now worth two Points. Bill, can you give us the scores?

[Bill Curtis]

Rack em up. Roxanne and Paula each have three. Brian has two.

[Peter Sagal]

Okay, so let us say then that Brian, you're gonna go first. Brian, the clock will start when I begin your first question. Fill in the blank. On Wednesday, the last blank was minted in Philadelphia. Penny. Right. On Tuesday, a federal judge ordered the release of over 600 people arrested during blank raids in Chicago.

[Announcer]

ICE.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. This week, experts warned against President Trump's suggestion of boosting home sales by offering a 50 year blank mortgage. Right. Despite the end of the government shutdown, experts, experts are still warning of potential Thanksgiving blank delays. Turkey flight delays. On Thursday, unionized baristas across the country began a strike against Blank.

[Brian Babylon]

Starbucks.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. On Tuesday, solar storms meant that the blanks were visible much further south than usual.

[Brian Babylon]

Northern lights.

[Peter Sagal]

In what is definitely not a bad omen, a blank was spotted during an oceanfront wedding in San Diego.

[Brian Babylon]

Pack of sharks.

[Peter Sagal]

No, a sinking shark. Wedding photographers caught the sinking ship out in the water while the bride and groom were reciting their vows. Feels like a bad sign, but it's going to be amazing when the couple hit their 50th wedding anniversary and a bunch of kids on TikTok discover that sinking ship for the first time. Bill, how did Brian do in our quiz?

[Bill Curtis]

Very well. He got five. Right. 10 more points. Total of 12 and the lead.

[Peter Sagal]

All right. Okay, Paula, I'm going to select you to go next. Please fill in the blank. On Wednesday, civil rights leader Blank was hospitalized in Chicago.

[Paula Poundstone]

Jesse Jackson.

[Peter Sagal]

That's right, Jesse Jackson. In response to a buildup of US ships in the Caribbean Sea, Blank announced a massive military mobilization. Venezuela. Right. This week, a new report found that 25% of American families are living blank check to blank check, paycheck to paycheck. That's right. This week, a federal judge permanently barred of the White House from sending Blank troops to Portland.

[Paula Poundstone]

Military troops.

[Peter Sagal]

Specifically National Guard. National Guard, that's right. This week, three men in New Jersey were arrested for planting a huge heist of Blank.

[Paula Poundstone]

Huge. The Louvre guys, they were going to rob from the Louvre guys a huge.

[Peter Sagal]

Heist of stuffed animals from a local amusement park. On Friday, the jackpot for the blank neared $1 billion for the lottery. Right. This week, police in Indiana had a major breakthrough in the case of a man covered in peanut butter running around a college campus because they discovered Blank.

[Paula Poundstone]

Woman running around in jelly.

[Peter Sagal]

No, that's good. That's actually like, that would be like the plot of such a great romantic comedy. They just keep missing each other. Right. They were made for each other. No. What they discovered was that the man is actually covered in sunflower butter. For weeks, people at Purdue University have been looking for who they called peanut butter man after blurry videos showed a man covered in peanut butter wandering around campus like a sticky Bigfoot. But good news. Police revealed he was a considerate sticky Bigfoot and was actually covered in hypoallergenic sunflower butter. He also identified the suspect, which was actually pretty easy. He was the one that the K9 units could not stop licking. Bill, how did Paula do in our quiz?

[Bill Curtis]

Oh, we're running so close. She got five.

[Peter Sagal]

Right.

[Bill Curtis]

10 more points. Total of 13 puts her one point in the lead.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, so how many then? How many then does Roxanne need to win?

[Bill Curtis]

5 to tie, 6 to win.

[Peter Sagal]

All right, Roxanne, here we go. This is for the game. Fill in the blank. On Monday, President Trump floated the idea of paying Americans $2,000 from the money collected for blanks tariffs. Right. On Tuesday, Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of Blank, announced he was running for Congress.

[Roxanne Roberts]

John F. Kennedy.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. This week, the National Transportation Safety Board arrived in Louisville to determine the cause of a UPS blank crash.

[Roxanne Roberts]

The plane crash.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. According to a new study, listening to music most days could help guard against a blank later in life.

[Roxanne Roberts]

Dementia.

[Peter Sagal]

Right. This week, police in Canada said that the men who stole the bus and took it on a joyride there blanked.

[Roxanne Roberts]

He made the scheduled stops.

[Peter Sagal]

Yes. He did a great job driving. Didn't dent the bus, picked up all the passengers. He was a good job. On Monday, soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo said the 2020 will be his last World Cup. Right. On Thursday, Bad Bunny performed at the Latin Blank Awards Grammy. Right. Police in Ireland searching for a possibly escaped lion instead found blank.

[Roxanne Roberts]

They found a dog with a lion haircut.

[Peter Sagal]

You're exactly right. They got reports of a lion like animal roaming the woods. So the Irish police searched for it and they found instead a very friendly dog named Mouse who had just had his fur shaved to resemble a lion. We are not sure gave it that haircut and why, but the phrase an Irish lion was actually a dog named Mouse Sounds like a mnemonic device for remembering a group of regional lakes. Bill, did Roxanne do as well as I thought she did?

[Bill Curtis]

She's off the scale. Eight rights, 16 more points, 19 wins.

[Peter Sagal]

She came, she saw, she did what she usually does. In just a minute, we're going to ask our panelists to predict what will be the Pope's favorite movie. Of 2026. But first let me tell you that Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me is a production of NPR and WBEZ Chicago in association with Urgent Haircut Productions. Doug Berman, Benevolent Overlord Philip Gicke writes our limericks. Our public address announcer is Paul Friedman. Our tour manager is Shana Donald. Thanks to the staff and crew at the Studebaker Theatre. BJ Lederman, composer our theme Our program is produced by Jennifer for Mills, Miles Drombos and Lillian in your long Shadow King. Special thanks to Mohamed Elshe and Monica Hickey. This week Tallulah will be playing the role of Peter Gwyn. Our visual host is Emma Choi. Technical directional Lorna White. Our CFO is Colin Miller. Our production manager is Robert Newhouse. Our senior producer is Ian Chillag and the executive producer of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me is Mike Cable Knit Danforth what would be the Pope's favorite movie next year?

[Brian Babylon]

Brian Babylon, are you there, God? It's me, Leo.

[Peter Sagal]

I can see why he'd like that one.

[Roxanne Roberts]

Roxanne Roberts, Dirty Dancing, three Vatican Knights.

[Paula Poundstone]

And Paula Poundstone, Southside Popey the story of the Pope, of the people who fixes his own car.

[Bill Curtis]

Well, if any of that happens, panel, we'll ask you about it on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me.

[Peter Sagal]

Thank you. Bill Curtis, thanks for listening to Brian Babylon. Tyler Bounce on Roxanne Roberts, thanks to our fabulous audience here at the Studebaker Theatre in beautiful downtown Chicago, Illinois. Thanks to all of you for listening wherever you may be. I'm Peter Sagal. We'll see you next week. This is NPR.

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