Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! - Mary Wilson

Episode Date: September 7, 2019

Mary Wilson, founding member of The Supremes, joins us along with panelists Bim Adewunmi, Amy Dickinson and Paula Poundstone.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz. Take a gulp of me and I'll give you wings. I'm Red Bill. I'm Bill Curtis, and here is your host at the Chase Bank Auditorium in downtown Chicago, filling in for Peter Sagal, Tom Papa. Thanks, Bill. Thanks, everybody. We've got a great show for you today. Mary Wilson of the Supremes will be joining us later to play our games.

But first, you may be asking yourself, why does Peter's voice sound so weird, so much cooler? asking yourself, why does Peter's voice sound so weird? So much cooler. I'm Tom Papa, and I'm filling in for Peter Sagal, who's currently volunteering with Storm Cleanup in Alabama. You may know me from my Out in America segments on Live From Here, my radio show What a Joke on SiriusXM, or as a panelist on this show. If you don't know me, don't panic.

Just close your eyes and call me Peter. I'll call you friend. That's why I'm here. You out there can call me whatever you want as long as you call me to play our games. The number is 1-888-WAIT-WAIT. That's 1-888-924-8924. Now let's welcome our first listener contestant.

Hi, you're on. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Hi, Tom. This is Ian Snyder, he, him, his, and I'm calling from Washington, D.C. Ah, our nation's capital. What do you do there in Washington? I'm a master's student in public policy and management, and I work on the equity and leadership team at the National League of Cities.

Wow. That's either a superhero or very boring. Well, thanks for being here. Ian, are you ready to play our game? Let me introduce you to our panel. First up, it's a producer of This American Life and a host of the podcast Thirst Aid Kit, which returns

on September 26th. It's Bim Adewamni. Next, the syndicated advice columnist behind Ask Amy and author of Strangers Tend to Tell Me Things, Amy Dickinson. Hey, Ian. And a comedian you can see in Los

Angeles on September 28th at the theater at the Ace Hotel, the host of the podcast Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone, it's Paula Poundstone. Hey, Ian. Well, welcome to the show ian you're going to play who's bill this time the lovable bill curtis is going to read you three quotes from this week's news if you can correctly identify or explain two of them you will win the greatest prize in all of radio the voice of anyone on our show for your voicemail. Are you ready? You bet I am. Your first

quote is from the National Weather Service. Alabama will not see any impact from Dorian. That was a tweet in response to whose incorrect weather warning? I believe it was a sharpie drawing from President Trump. Aha. That's right. President Trump.

For whatever reason, the president has been insisting Hurricane Dorian was headed for Alabama, which it wasn't, saying that he got that information from meteorologists, which he didn't. So on Wednesday, he held up a National Weather Service map showing the path of Dorian towards Alabama, but it was a Photoshop.

Actually, it wasn't even a Photoshop. It was a Sharpie shop. He drew on it with a Sharpie. He didn't even use the same color. It was like a kid changing his grade from an F to a B with a crayon. Did you all see it? It was such a bad fake. He just sharpied on this little

extra bubble at the end of it. At the end of the hurricane path. As if Florida doesn't look perverted enough. Maybe it was supposed to be a thought bubble. Or like a word. If he had finished it, it was going toabama talking like glad it's not us does anybody know why he did that i mean the only thing i can think of is he has some sort of investment in sharpie because

we've used the word sharpie so much that's very smart i think you're right because he's made a couple gaffes with the Sharpie, right? Yeah. Didn't he change his weight on his physical from 330 to 230? No. Yeah, yeah. Oh, my God. All with a Sharpie. Trump was so mad about this, on Thursday he took to Twitter calling the hurricane Sleepy Dorian. No!

And saying a lot of people are saying this is the weakest hurricane ever. No! And I personally am doing a much better job destroying American cities. Okay, Ian. Your next quote comes from England. Not a good start, Boris.

That was a member of Britain's Labour Party reacting to whose pretty terrible week? That would be Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Very good, that's right. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had a bad, bad week. He lost four out of four votes. He lost his majority, with one member of Parliament

actually getting up and leaving his party while he was speaking. And his brother retired from government, basically saying he wanted to spend less time with his family because his family was Boris Johnson. Then on Friday, Donald Trump emailed him a map showing the Hurricane Dorian was headed right his way. But, you know, the whole... I actually was sort of glued to C-SPAN

watching some of these proceedings. It's so... No one has ever been glued to C-SPAN. I know. It was crazy. It was actually very dramatic. But, Bim, is there anything that we're missing about this? I'm in the unique position this week

of being embarrassed by the country I live in and the country I come from. And it's... It's quite a... It's a horrible place to be. It's not quite a rock and a hard place. It's, like, mud and, like, more mud. And I'm just wearing, like, flip-flops. Like, I'm already, like, a borderline,

always embarrassed to be British anyway. It's just, like, you know, it's in the blood. They give it to you at birth. But then it's been building to the point now, whenever I hear a British voice on like NPR in the mornings, I just slowly, I don't even do it quickly, I just slowly turn it down like, no, no, no, no, no. It's awful.

I don't talk anymore at the office because I can hear myself and I'm like, ah, that's too much. All right, Ian, Here's your last quote. Whee! That was Bill going down the slide. Now that adults are allowed to participate in their very own what? Recess? Playground?

That's right. Recess. According to the Wall Street Journal, cities like San Francisco, Seattle, and Greensboro, North Carolina are putting on adult recess. Oh, my God. Grown-ups play classic recess games like kickball, tetherball, and dodgeball, which are just as fun, fun, and traumatizing as they were when you were a kid. Where is this? You mean like from a break from work? You mean you take a break from work?

From work, from their adult lives. And they're like, hey, it's recess. Are you a grown up? Are you feeling... Do those bills have you down? Do you not like having to wear pants in the morning? You know, I would just go for that whole seesaw trauma all over again, where you're trying to gauge your weight and the whole thing.

Like, I can't handle it. Yeah, I feel like it's going to bring bullies back, like adult bullies. Because I know, you know, when I see people on those scooters flying down the street, I just want to hit them. My question as other is, what the hell is America? I know. Explains a lot. America's one giant dodgeball game. It's true.

That explains so much. Phil, how did Ian do? You know, Ian, congratulations. You got them all right. Hey, congratulations, Ian. Thank you. So long. Right now, panel, time for you to answer some questions about this week's news.

Paula. Yes. The Russian space program unveiled their new high-tech spacesuit this week. It's lighter, safer, and more comfortable, but astronauts are complaining they forgot to include one thing. What? A fly? That's right. A fly.

The new Russian spacesuits don't have a fly on them, which makes sense because on Earth, when you leave your fly down, it's embarrassing. But in space, your genitals literally explode. I don't know why I think that's so funny. You know why you think it's funny. I know exactly why. The removal of the fly has angered Russian astronauts who will no longer be able to carry out their ritual, and this is real, peeing on the wheel of the bus that takes them to the launch pad. The tradition started in 1961 when the first man in space peed on the bus.

It's weird that they once sent that dog into space, but it was a person that started this tradition. They peed on the bus, go round and round. Amy. Yes. The Emily Post Institute, which sets standards for manners, has just released a new book with the rules of etiquette for what? A new rule of etiquette for, I'm going to say, I was thinking pets for some animals.

No, that would be my rule book. Wait, let me think. Would you like a hint? Yeah, sure. It's a little extreme that you're supposed to send a thank you note after every hit. Oh, my gosh. Oh, the Taliban. No.

That's not it. That's not it. I love the Taliban putting out rules for etiquette. So let's thank you after every hit. Yes. After every hit. After pot smoking? Weed.

That's right. What do we? Weed. Weed. There's a whole book? Have you ever smoked weed and thought Am I doing this right? Am I being polite? Am I peeing my pants and do all my friends hate me?

Well, pick up the new Marijuana Manners handbook called Higher Etiquette It covers How to behave in dispensaries How to label the weed you provide for guests And when to use your salad joint and when to use your dessert joint. Wow.

Yeah. That is genius. Isn't it? Yeah. It's exactly the kind of purchase you would make while high. While high. Yeah. I don't know how I feel about the whole weed legal thing.

I live in California, and it used to be, if you smelled weed, you were like, oh, I'm someplace cool. I'm at a concert. Now you're like, I'm in a nursing home visiting my grandmother. Coming up, our panelists ruin your summer, or what's left of it. It's Bluff the Listener. Call 1-888-WAIT-WAIT to play. We'll be back in two shakes of a lamb's tail with more of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me from NPR. Starting college can be overwhelming.

Everyone from almost every background has that fear that they got in here by accident. That's scary. NPR's Life Kit is here to help make your freshman year a little easier. Listen to NPR Life Kit's new guide on college. Or subscribe to Life Kit All Guides for all the episodes, all in one place. All in one place. And here again is your host at the Chase Bank Auditorium in downtown Chicago, Tom Papa. Thanks, Bill. This is very exciting.

It's time for Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, Bluff the Listener Game. Call 1-888-WAIT-WAIT to play our game on air. Hi, you're on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Hello? Hi. Hi. Hi. My name is Mike. I'm from Warwick, Rhode Island.

Nice to see you, Mike, or hear you in delay, Mike. Yes. Thanks for being here, Mike. How's Rhode Island these days? It is nice, but a little bit colder now. And what do you do there in Rhode Island? I work in front of a computer. I do online education for children in China.

I do English. Oh, that's cool. Yes, it's lots of fun. So do you, but you don't have a very strong Rhode Island Warwick accent. No, I'm not from Warwick originally. Because you could really teach them some stuff. You know what I'm saying? It's nice to have you with us, Michael.

Thank you. You're going to play our game in which you must try to tell truth from fiction. What's the topic, Bill? Four. No, Bill's not saying how many millions of dollars he makes per word. He's making a reference to golf, the worst sport in the world.

This week we heard about a way golf got even worse. Our panelists are going to tell you about it. Pick the one who's telling the truth and you'll win our prize. The weight-waiter of your choice on your voicemail. First up, it's Paula Poundstone. Viewers' interest in golf is declining for a variety of reasons. Watching golf is like watching a rich guy fill out his tax forms. Well, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am is finally bringing some excitement to golf.

The number one complaint that we get is that golf is not a sport, it's a game, says event executive vice president John Outland, which really couldn't be more true. Golf, up until now, has been basically a man, a stick, a ball, and some grass navigating a midlife crisis. We here at Pebble Beach are introducing defense into golf. Here's how it works. The rules for the player hitting the ball

remain the same, but during his turn, his opponent is free to use all means necessary to stop him from sending the ball down the fairway. One way this can be done is by what's called spotting. That is, following the trajectory of the ball, running to where the defensive player anticipates it will drop, catching it, and throwing it back at the opponent. The defensive player can also block the offensive player, which is harder because the offensive player has a club. Certain psychological forms of distraction and intimidation are also admissible strategies in the game of golf at Pebble Beach, such as the defensive player taking out their phone and threatening to cancel their opponent's dinner reservation, or to enlist the sommelier to make an inappropriate wine pairing, or simply to call the Securities and Exchange Commission.

That's defense from Paula Poundstone. Your next story... Your next story of a long walk spoiled, spoiled again, comes from Amy Dickinson. Everybody already knows that golf is the worst game in the world. Literally, the only thing the game of golf has going for it

is that sometimes the little white ball doesn't roll into the little hole. The ball not going into the hole is what lends the game its suspense and occasional outbursts of rage. And now, technology is going to ruin golf even more. Because Nissan, the car people, claim to have invented a golf ball that goes into the hole no matter what. You can chip it off the green using a cricket bat, and the ball will go in. You can drive it off the tee using a curling iron, and it will go in. Nissan released a video showing a really cute four-year-old kid demonstrating

this ball going in technology after getting a hole in one no matter where he put the ball even this pre-kindergartner looked more bored than tiger woods on a dating hiatus that's the nissan ball that always goes in the hole from amy dickinson your last story of bad news for old men who like to swing clubs comes from bim at awamni we all know that sport needs to engage younger audiences in order to stay relevant think about serena and venus williams firing up a new generation of tennis players. But youth is not the only way to modernise sport. Sometimes the landscape itself must change. For golf, that means doing away

with the lush green grass of the fairway and ushering in the age of asphalt. Oh God, I'm sorry. Yes, you've heard of mini-golf. Now prepare yourself for city golf Scott Finnick CEO of city Golf International says golf has pretty much conquered the suburbs now it's time for us to take to the city his company provides golfers with clubs balls and maps that turn cities into golf courses teeing off from

locations as diverse as the supermarket, your nail salon, the bus stop, and the freezer case of the bodega. And who needs a literal water hazard when there's that stagnant pool of water on your office building's roof? Sure, there are problems, Finnick says. So far, golfers in our pilot city, Queens,

have broken 82 windows. I should mention, the company launched just three days ago. He added, we are still working on the insurance part. Challenges aside, city golf is bringing the sport to new audiences. Traditional golf, with its terrible clothes and elitist clubs, is over, says Finnick. And the players love it. Said one city golfer, I saw my city in a whole new way. And the sound it made when I banged it off that guy's window unit air conditioner was awesome.

Okay, Michael, you've got defense from Paula. The ball, it always goes in the hole by Amy. And city golf from Bim. Which one is real? I'm going to go with the self-driving ball. Okay, Mike, your choice is Amy's story. Well, to find out the correct answer, we spoke to someone familiar with the true story.

The ball has a sensor in it, and it will keep on going until it gets into the hole. The ball has a sensor in it, and it will keep on going until it gets into the hole. That was Zach Palmer, an editor at Autoblog, talking about the self-driving golf ball. Congratulations, Michael. You got it right. Thank you. You earned a point for Amy Dickinson, and you won our prize, the voice of anyone from our show, on your voicemail.

Oh, yikes. Sorry to scare you. Thanks for calling, and thanks for playing. Congratulations. Goodbye. Thank you, everybody. Bye. And now the game where we ask someone supreme about something mundane. It's called Not My Job. Mary Wilson was just 16 years old when she signed to Motown Records

with the group that would eventually become the Supremes. From there, Wilson, along with Diana Ross and Florence Ballard, turned the vocal trio into one of the most legendary musical acts of all time, with 12 number one singles and a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As if that weren't enough, she's now a best-selling author and cultural ambassador for the U.S. State Department. Mary Wilson, welcome to Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Thank you. I was given a copy of your book,

your new book that's coming out, Supreme Glamour. And the whole book, everyone, you have to see it. It's all of the costumes that the Supremes wore in their entire career. It's gorgeous. I couldn't imagine, I mean, I tour as a comedian and it's hard enough just to bring one jacket. Yeah, but see,

think about it, you're a man. Right. So Mary, so Mary, did you as a teenager and then a young woman have a lot of input into the costumes that you all wore? Oh yeah, always. Because we all grew up as girly girls,

and we loved to dress up. So we had to choose our own costumes, yes. So you were such trendsetters, because what you all wore, like, really dictated fashion, like bell bottoms and the patent leather boots and the belts, and that must have been so much fun. For me, the mini outfits much fun for me the mini outfits were best for me because i have pretty good legs so you know i have to say i really like

those too mary i read i read that some of the costumes some of the the clothes had been lost over the years how do you lose like such amazing like does it hurt? I I felt hurt I was reading the book and I was like, oh man, I want that dress. How do you what happens? How does how does the dress get lost? A lot of times we would have our gowns Store it in different places. And so that's how a lot of them disappear because we you know, never came back to really Find them all so now they're showing up We never came back to really find them all, so now they're showing up. Mary, it's such an amazing feeling when I get to hear the songs come on the radio,

and it just takes me back just in my life and just where I was. It was a time when your music was so filled with joy. When you hear your own music when you're walking through life, does it do that to you? Yes. You know, going through Starbucks or any place you know I think about the people at Motown Motown had the miracles very well the four tops the month of the Vandellas the Supremes of the temptations so it brings back all those wonderful memories of when we were all kind of younger and crazier.

A lot of times I want to say, hey, that's a booze. And I thought, I know that if people in the store, if I said that, they would probably arrest me thinking I was crazy, right? I would. You see the police pulling you off.

No, I am a Supreme. Mary, how did you become a Supreme? Well, we were in, I think, the eighth grade. And so a couple weeks later, I entered a talent show, which Florence was also on. I didn't know her. And after the show, we kind of got together and said, you know, people are starting these little groups. Let's try to see if anyone wants to put us in it. And after the show, we kind of got together and said, you know, people are starting these little groups. Let's try to see if anyone wants to put us in it. And a couple of weeks later, she came up and she said, Mary, guess what?

These three guys, the first one to put together a group, I told them about you. And they talked to this girl, Diana, across the street. And they want to meet us tomorrow at their apartment. Wow. If our moms had known about that, they would not have loved us. Yeah, really. That's amazing. I want to add one other thing is that two of the guys actually became, later on, two of the temptations.

No way! Oh, wow. So we have a long history. And you're still going. You're going to be on this season's Dancing with the Stars. Honey, I am dancing right now, and I am sore in places I never knew I was. Oh, I'm sorry. Oh, you got an audience there.

Oh, my goodness. I should have said that. They won't tell anyone. Be quiet, guys. Let me tell you, it's, you know, as a surprise, we always did lots of choreography.

Uh-huh. But trying to do these new dance, you know, some of the waltzes and the cha-cha-cha and things I've never done before. Yeah. It's different. Yeah.

I wouldn't call the waltz new, Mary. It's new for me. Oh, I hear you. It's not like doing I Would Stop In The Name Of Love. Okay. I think it's so great that you're on there.

You're probably one of the only guests they've ever had that hasn't committed a crime. Don't say that. Mary, when you're on the show, are you wearing any of your Supremes outfits? Oh, Connie,

I can't even get a leg in one of those. All right, Mary Wilson, we're delighted to have you here, and now it's time for a game we're calling... Stop in the name of anything. You're famous for stopping the name of love, but what do you know about people who can't stop?

People who run stop signs and stoplights. We're going to ask you three questions. Get just two right, and you'll win our prize for one of our listeners. Bill, who is Mary Wilson playing for? Casey Price of San Francisco, California. playing for? Casey Price of San Francisco, California. Oh, we love San Francisco. Hi, guys.

All right. Here's your first question. In 2011, an intoxicated man in England who ran a red light while driving a horse-drawn carriage blamed it on what? A, quote, the economy.

B, he blamed the economy. B, he blamed it on his horse, which he said was colorblind. C, he said he was unable to find the brake pedal on the horse. So, it could be A or B.

What would a drunk guy say? He would make up something really stupid. Like? I'd say B something really stupid. Like? I'd say B. You'd say B? That's right. That's right. Good job.

Oh, my God. Yeah. You've got one right. This is so much easier than Dancing with the Stars. I don't know about that. All right. Here's your next question. Wow. In 2016, a Florida man busted for running a stop sign blamed what?

A, his horse, which was riding in the passenger seat and gave him bad advice. B, he told police he was part shark, and so if he stopped moving, he'd die. Or C, a fly which flew into his mouth. I don't know. I'm going to just go... Okay, B. B. That one was C, a fly which flew into his mouth.

Oh, that's the one I meant. Yes, you did. flew into his mouth. Oh, that's the one I meant. Yes, he did. I thought you did. All right, here's your last question. In 2016, a Massachusetts man was busted for running a red light after what happened? A, his six-year-old son called the cops to turn him in. B, his horse made a citizen's arrest. B, his horse made a citizen's arrest?

Or C, he posted a quote, traffic violation selfie on Instagram? Okay, why are all these horses here? That's a good question. Because we have writers with a sick sense of humor. Yes. It was A. That's right.

Bill, how did Mary Wilson do on our quiz? Mary is the winner. Well, listen, I just want you to know that when I win on Dancing with the Stars, I will definitely win. Yeah, you will. That was great. All right, Mary Wilson, a music legend and one of the founding members of the Supremes. She just published a book of her costumes called Supreme Glamour, and you can see her on Dancing with the Stars on ABC this fall. We love you, Mary.

Thanks, Mary. Thank you. Thank you, Mary Thanks, Mary Thank you In just a minute, Bill gets drunk with R2-D2 in the Listener Limerick Challenge Call 1-888-WAIT-WAIT to join us on air We'll be back lickety-split with more of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me from NPR. What do all of these people have in common?

Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders. They're all running for president. And they've all sat down with us on the NPR Politics Podcast. Oh, NPR is going to drive me completely crazy. We are going out on the trail with as many of the Democratic presidential candidates as we can and are bringing you in-depth interviews with them. Come along by subscribing to the NPR Politics Podcast. 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, Amy Dickinson, and Bim Adewanmi. And here again is your host at the Chase Bank Auditorium in downtown Chicago, Tom Papa. Thanks, Bill. In just a minute, Bill becomes a ticking rhyme bomb in our listener limerick challenge game. If you'd like to play, give us a call at 1-888-WAIT-WAIT. That's 1-888-924-8924. If you don't want to play, it's fine.

It's not a reflection on you. But right now, panel, some more questions for you from the week's news. Paula. Yes? China's lunar rover has reported back an important discovery on the far side of the moon. What did it find?

Uh, tariffs. More tariffs. Here's a hint. Houston, we have some silly putty. A plastic egg? Colorful goop. A gel-like substance was discovered

on the dark side of the moon. Finally, answering the question, which side of the moon did Buzz Aldrin take a dump on? I was just gonna... I was gonna guess that. Obviously, it would be the dark side. Why would he do it in the light in front of all those people? I'm just gonna go over here. You guys stay there.

I'm gonna go check on this rock over in the dark side. The goop was discovered by the Chinese rover exploring the far reaches of the moon, and no one is sure what it is, but the Chinese rover did come back with slick back hair. Did they say how much goop there was? I think it was a goopful. Is that a moon measurement?

It was enough. It's metric. Oh, metric. So only Bim understands it. Bim understands it. Bim. Yes. This week, residents of an apartment in Tampa were forced to move out after what was discovered beneath their building. Oh, my.

I want to say iridescent goop, but I'm going to resist. What was found in their building? Tampa. Was it? A horse. It's a horse. I? It's a horse. I know it's a horse. Was it a beehive?

You might need a Ouija board to talk to your neighbor. Was it tombs? Graves? Yes. A 100-year-old cemetery. You're right. Thanks to an investigative report from the Tampa Bay Times' Old Graveyards Beat,

the residents of the Robles Park apartment complex discovered that they had all been living on top of a century-old cemetery and hadn't even realized it. You know something's wrong when your kid can't sleep because they saw a ghost

and your first question is, which one? Yeah. Isn't that the poltergeist family? That's what the problem was, don't you recall? Yes. So probably their first clue was that Carol Ann was missing. I wonder if our kids could even get sucked into a TV nowadays that they're all flat screens. Do you believe in ghosts, Bim?

I do not believe in ghosts. No? No, no. You've never been in a place and you get like a weird feeling? No, I mean, I have that, but that's usually just racism. I mean, the real... But like, ghosts? No, that's too far-fetched. Racism, that I can touch. Yeah. Coming up, it's lightning fill in the blank.

But first, it's the game where you have to listen for the rhyme. If you'd like to play on air, call 1-888- WAIT-WAIT. That's 1-888- 924-8924. Or click the Contact Us link on our website, waitwait.npr.org. There you can find info about our shows here at The Chase

and our upcoming 1,000th show, October 24th in Salt Lake City, Utah. Wow. And for all of you out there who no longer show October 24th in Salt Lake City, Utah. Wow. And for all of you out there who no longer make voice calls and talk to humans, you can play the new Wait, Wait quiz available now on your smart speaker. Just ask to play the Wait, Wait quiz and Bill and I will be there to ask you some questions and hear your answers.

It's just like the radio show, only now we're listening to you. Hi, you're on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Hi, this is Laurel Happenin. Hey, Laurel Happenin. You sound very Happenin. Where are you? Well, it'd be funny if I was in Tampa, but I'm actually in Brooklyn. How is Brooklyn these days? Does it feel like it's turning? Is it getting to that great, perfect New York fall? I actually came by way of Seattle, so it all just seems really, really hot and then really, really scary. Yeah, that's what it says in the brochure. Well, welcome to the show, Laurel. Bill Curtis is going to read you three news-related limericks with the last word or phrase missing from each.

If you can fill in that last word or phrase correctly on two limericks, you're a winner. Here's your first limerick. My joy I find hard to contain. This petri dish here will explain. Right here by the sink, it is learning to think. I have managed to grow a new... Brain. Brain it is.

That's right. Wow. Yes, indeed. Very good. Scientists have successfully grown viable mini brains capable of producing actual brain waves. Once they perfect the mini brains, they'll release their newest product,

frosted mini brains and... and raisin brains. They'll release their newest product, frosted mini brains, and raisin brains. Scientists have concluded that the artificial brain activity is indistinguishable from the brain of a human baby. In other words, they're really, really dumb. Little tiny brains. Creepy.

Yeah, what is the point of that? I don't know. I am afraid we're going to find out. All right, Laurel, here's your next limerick. This heat wave is worse than you think. It is driving my feet to the brink. The heat has exposed swollen ankles and toes because it's causing my footwear to... Mary Wilson would know it.

Well, if... I know. I know it a minute. If you were to pick up your footwear, what would you notice about it? Stink. They stink. They stink.

They stink. No. Oh, damn it. They shrink. Shrink. They stink. They stink. No. Oh, damn it. They shrink. Shrink. Severe heat this summer caused some plastic shoes like Crocs to shrink, making their owners unable to wear them. So I guess it's finally time to say thank you, global warming. I can't believe I gave a listener a hint that led her in the wrong direction.

Yeah, boy. That's why no one ever cheated off my paper growing up. I'm totally going to fail. I'm sitting next to Poundstone. Here's your last limerick. Here we go. Having robots in bars isn't risky. When they drink, they're not feisty or frisky.

They're here to find faults in young single malts. These robots are tasting my... Whiskey. Whiskey it is. That's right. Yes, indeed. Whiskey tasters, which is when you're an alcoholic but you get paid, are being replaced by robots.

Researchers have developed a so-called robotic tongue that can tell the difference between whiskeys with 99% accuracy. Differences like oaky, smoky, and ew. Isn't that Willie Willie Nelson song? Whiskey robot, take my mind. Isn't that the, wasn't that right? I think that's it. I can't believe they made a robot with a tongue, and that's what they're doing with it.

When you're right, you're right. I mean. Bill, how did Laurel do? Laurel, you got two out of three, and that is a winner here. So congratulations. Congratulations. Thank you, Laurel. Thank you, Laurel.

Thank you. Now on to 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 she can. Each correct answer is worth two points. Bill, can you give us the scores? Bim and Paula each have one. Amy has three. What? Honestly. Big lead. What? How does a thing like that happen? Alright, we flipped a coin and Bim

has elected to go first. Bim, fill in the blank. Rescue workers are still dealing with extreme flooding after Hurricane Dorian tore through the blanks early this week. Bahamas. Right. On Thursday, former White House Press Secretary blank announced she was writing

a memoir. Sarah Saunders Huckabee, that person. Right enough. An hours-long standoff outside of the home of a wanted felon in Utah ended peacefully after the SWAT team blanked. Vaped. Realized that the felon wasn't home.

On Thursday, social media site Blank launched their own in-app dating service. Facebook. That's right. On Wednesday, Johns Hopkins announced a new research center for the study of medicine made from blanks. Iridescent goop. Psychedelics. An animal shelter in Australia says they're having trouble finding a home

for one of their cats because her face has markings that look like blank. Hitler's mustache. A wiener. The animal rescue in Sydney says that Daisy is an adorable ragdoll cat who's great with kids and loves to cuddle. But they're still having trouble getting her adopted

because in addition to all of her wonderful traits, she also has a patch of brown fur that runs from her eyes straight down her nose that looks exactly like a man's eggplant. And if you think that's tough for Daisy, imagine how confusing it was for the vet who had to neuter her face.

Bill, how did Bim do? Bim got three right for six more points. She has a total of seven in the lead right now. Okay, Paula, you're up next. Fill in the blank. On Tuesday, a court in blank declared the state's legislative map unconstitutional. Maybe North Carolina. That's right. Evacuations were ordered on Thursday as another blank continued to rage in Southern California.

Fire. That's right. This week, the Trump administration announced $15 million reward for anyone able to help disrupt the finances of blank's Revolutionary Guard. Iran's. That's right. the finances of Blank's Revolutionary Guard. Iran's. That's right. On Sunday, the Pope had to be rescued by firefighters

after getting stuck in Blank at the Vatican. In an elevator. That's right. Police in Wales pulled over a motorist after officers spotted him driving with Blank strapped to the top of his car. Oh, a horse? They pulled him over when they saw him driving

with another car strapped to the top of his car. Oh, I did know that. On Thursday, Ireland announced that they'd plant 440 million trees by 2040 to help combat blank. Climate change? That's right. This week, a vegan in Australia sued her next-door neighbors, saying they're deliberately trying to provoke her by blanking. Barbecuing.

That's right. Grilling meat in their backyard. The woman says that her neighbor's constant barbecues means she can no longer enjoy her own backyard because, quote, all I can smell is fish. A lower court has already thrown out the lawsuit, so she's now trying to take it all the way to Australia's Supreme Court. If she gets her way, the woman says she's excited to once again fill her house

with the wonderful vegan scents like sprouted mung beans and tofu farts. Bill, how did Paula do? She got six right for 12 more points. She has a total of 13. And a healthy lead. Top two leads. And how many does Amy need to win? Five to tie, six to win.

Okay. All right, Amy, this is for the game. Fill in the blank. On Monday, the Pentagon confirmed millions of dollars were being diverted to pay for the blank. The wall. That's right. On Tuesday, Walmart announced it was cutting back to pay for the blank. The wall. That's right. On Tuesday, Walmart announced it was cutting back on its sale of blank. Ammunition.

Right. This week, Hong Kong's chief executive withdrew the blank bill that sparked weeks of anti-government protests. The export bill. Extradition. It's a hard word. Yeah, you got it right. On Wednesday, a jury cleared lawyer Gregory Craig of lying to special counsel blank. Robert Mueller?

That's right. A man in England was shocked when he opened a can of baked beans and discovered blank. Baked beans. It had money in it. He opened a can of beans and found only one bean and an entire can of bean sauce. On Thursday. Oh Foods announced they would soon be selling plant-based blank. Chicken. Shrimp. On Tuesday, Michigan became the first state to ban flavored blanks. Vapes. Yes, e-cigs, vapes. That's right. A man in North Carolina says he shouldn't have to pay for the adult content that was charged to his cable bill because blank.

His toddler ordered it. Close. Close. His dog, yes! Yes, because his dog is the one who ordered it. The man insists he was innocently watching TV in bed one night when his dog jumped on the remote control and accidentally subscribed to the Hustler channel.

He's trying to avoid the $70 fee, and in the man's defense, the dog did order the movie 69 Dalmatians. Either that, or he was just trying to, hoping to catch a video of that cat with the sexy face tattoo. Bill, did Amy do well enough to win? Well, she got five rights, ten more points, total of thirteen,

which Paula happens to have. It's a tie! A tie! We're going to have to do all the ribbon cuttings and all the ceremonial events together this week. Go do that. In just a minute, we'll ask our panelists, after the badly altered hurricane map,

what will be the next badly altered image in the news? But first, 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 Gedge writes our limericks, our intern,

Dariba Khan, our house manager, Gianna Capodana, our web guru is Beth Novy. BJ Letterman composed our theme. Our program is produced by Jennifer Mills, Miles Dornbos, and Lillian King. Technical direction, Lorna White. Our master of operations is Colin Miller.

Public address announcer is Paul Friedman. Our production coordinator is Robert Newhouse. Our senior producer is Ian Chilling. The executive producer of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me is Mike Danforth. Now, panel, what will be the next altered image in the news? Bim Adewamni. The Houses of Parliament drawn to show more support for Boris Johnson. Amy Dickinson.

After a disastrous week in England, bumper stickers bearing the Prime Minister's name, Boris Johnson, will be changed. The first name will be changed from Boris to Howard. Paula Poundstone. On a map, Greenland will be right. The first name will be changed from Boris to Howard. Paula Poundstone. On a map, Greenland will be right up against Alabama. And if any of that happens, we'll ask you about it on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Thank you, Bill Curtis. Thanks also to

Amy Dickinson, Bim Adewamni, and Paula Poundstone. And thanks to all of you for listening. I'm Tom Papa, in for Peter Sagal, and we'll see you next week. applause This is NPR.