Sunday Puzzle: Initial Clues

On-air challenge: I'm going to give you some categories in two words. You name something in each category starting with each initial in the category. Any answer that works is fine.

Ex. Foreign Languages --> French, Lithuanian1. Zoo Animals2. Domestic Airlines3. Clue Weapons4. Fruit Trees5. American Poets6. Mixed Drinks7. African Nations8. Australian Cities9. Chess Pieces10. Card Games

Last week's challenge: From Joseph Young, of St. Cloud, Minn., who conducts the blog "Puzzleria." Take the name of a flower that has a common girl's name in consecutive letters inside it. Remove that name, and the remaining letters, in order, sound like another girl's name. What flower is it?

Challenge answer: Amaryllis — Mary, Alice

Winner: Brad Humphreys of Morgantown, W.Va.

This week's challenge: It comes from the puzzlemaker and editor Peter Gordon. Think of the word for a competitor in a particular Olympic sport. It's a compound word with a hyphen in the middle. Remove the hyphen. What remains are two words from a different Olympic sport. What words are these?

Submit Your Answer

If you know the answer to next week's challenge, submit it here by Thursday, July 29, at 3 p.m. ET. Listeners who submit correct answers win a chance to play the on-air puzzle. Important: Include a phone number where we can reach you. [Copyright 2021 NPR]