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For This Puzzling Retrospective On 2016, You'll Need A Set Of Speakers

Sunday Puzzle.
NPR
Sunday Puzzle.

On-air challenge: Every year around this time, I do a year-end news quiz — usually on names that sprang into the news during the previous 12 months. Since 2016 broke the mold in so many ways, I decided to break the mold with my year-end quiz. Here are some notable quotes from the previous 12 months. Who said them?

  • "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters."
  • "When they go low, we go high."
  • "And love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love, cannot be killed or swept aside."
  • "Brexit means Brexit."
  • "Ms. Eisenstein, one question."
  • "Are you prepared to die? If that's OK, then you're a candidate for going."
  • "I'm not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. I'm the first ____________." [The name that goes in the blank is the person who said this.]
  • "People are always, like 'Why did you get a monkey?' If you could get a monkey, well, you would get a *BLEEPING* monkey, too! Monkeys are awesome!" [Hint: singer]
  • [Name the movie this is from:] "We have hope. Rebellions are built on hope!"
  • [For the last quote, I'll tell you who said it. You tell me what he was talking about:] "We thought the game would be popular, but it obviously struck a nerve." — John Hanke, CEO of the company Niantic.
  • Last week's challenge: This challenge comes from listener Peter Collins of Ann Arbor, Mich. Think of three words used in golf. Say them out loud one after the other. They'll sound like a group that was in the news in 2016. What group is it?

    Answer: Green Party (green + par + tee).

    Puzzle winner: Mollie Carey of Haddam, Conn.

    Next week's challenge: Take the four-letter men's names TODD, OMAR, DAVE and DREW. If you write them one under the other, they'll form a word square, spelling TODD, OMAR, DAVE and DREW reading down as well:
    TODD
    OMAR
    DAVE
    DREW

    Can you construct a word square consisting of five five-letter men's names? Any such square using relatively familiar men's names will count. I have an answer using four relatively common names and one less familiar one.

    Submit Your Answer

    If you know the answer to next week's challenge, submit it here. Listeners who submit correct answers win a chance to play the on-air puzzle. Important: Include a phone number where we can reach you Thursday, Jan. 5, at 3 p.m. ET.

    Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

    US
    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).