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Sunday Puzzle: PB And J Time

NPR

On-air Challenge: Today's puzzle is called "P B & J." I'm going to give you three words starting with the letters P, B and J. You give me a word that can follow each of mine to complete a compound word or a familiar two-word phrase.

Example: Parking, Back, Job --> LOT (parking lot, back lot, job lot)

3-letter answers:

1. Penalty, Boom, Juke

2. Power, Buzz, Jig

3. Present, Birth, Judgment

4. Pill, Bed, Jitter

4-letter answers:

5. Paddle, Basket, Jump

6. Plymouth, Bed, Jailhouse

5-letter answers:

7. Pogo, Broom, Joy

8. Pocket, Butter, Jack

9. Pinto, Baked, Jelly

6-letter answers:

10. Pickled, Bell, Jalapeño

11. Puzzle, Brew, Jedi

Last week's challenge: This challenge came from from Joseph Young of St. Cloud, Minn. I'm looking for the names of two companies. One of them has a two-part name (5,5). The other has a three-part name (5,7,5). The last five-letter part of the two names is the same. And the first five-letter part of the first company's name is something the second company wants. What is it?

Challenge answer: Oscar Mayer / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Winner: Chris House of Annandale, Va.

This week's challenge: This week's challenge comes from listener Mark Scott, of Seattle. Think of a country with a one-word name. You can rearrange its letters to identify a member of one of our country's armed forces. Who is that, and what's the country?

Submit Your Answer

If you know the answer to next week's challenge, submit it here by Thursday, March 11, 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 2025 NPR

NPR's Puzzlemaster Will Shortz has appeared on Weekend Edition Sunday since the program's start in 1987. He's also the crossword editor of The New York Times, the former editor of Games magazine, and the founder and director of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (since 1978).
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