Published September 27, 2026 at 7:46 AM CDT

Every answer today is a four-letter word or name in which the first two letters are the same as the last two.

Ex. Just OK --> SO-SO

1. Toy on a string
2. Ballerina's skirt
3. Response to a joke
4. Hawaiian goose
5. "The Wizard of Oz" dog
6. Best Picture Oscar winner before "Ben-Hur"
7. Singer Lady ___
8. Nickname for Rihanna
9. Lead role in "La Bohème"
10. Humdinger
11. Thickheaded person
12. Absurdist art movement of the early 20th century
13. 2017 Pixar film set in Mexico
14. Kind of platter at a Polynesian restaurant
15. Something that's forbidden
16. Cutesy goodbye

Last week's challenge came from Alan Hochbaum, of Duluth, Ga. There are two neighboring countries whose names have anagrams that rhyme with each other. What are the countries and their anagrams?

Challenge answer: China, Nepal --> chain, plane

Kate Jakuta of Baltimore, Maryland

This week's challenge comes from Dan Moren, of Somerville, Mass. Name a well-known U.S. geographic location in six letters. Move the last letter two places earlier in the name and you'll get a regular English word. Say that word out loud. It will sound like a well-known geographic location abroad. What places are these? Here's a hint: Neither place name is a city.

If you know the answer to the challenge, submit it here by Thursday, Oct. 1 at 3 p.m. ET. Listeners whose answers are selected win a chance to play the on-air puzzle. Important: include a phone number where we can reach you.

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