Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! - Our panel heads to Milan and Arden Cho hunts demons

Episode Date: February 14, 2026

This week, KPop Demon Hunters' Arden Cho joins us to talk about Rumi, the World Series of Poker, and how NOT to behave when you're about to propose. Plus, the Tom Papa, Paula Poundstone, and Beth Stelling shut down El Paso's airport and confess to cheating at the Olympics. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This message comes from How to Be a Better Human, a podcast from Ted for the Self-Help Skeptic. Hear how you can laugh more in your everyday life, explained with science, insights, and hilarious stories. Listen to How to Be a Better Human, wherever you get your podcasts. From NPR and WBEC Chicago, this is, wait, wait, don't tell me, the NPR News Quiz. Hey there, Cupid, put down that arrow and let my voice pierce some hearts. I'm Bill Curtis, and here is your host at the Studebaker Theater at the Fine Arts Building in Chicago, Illinois. Nagin Farsad. ...in for Peter Sagal, who has taken the week off so he can correct all the grammar on his kids' valentines.

But don't worry, we have a great show for you today. We're going to be joined by Arden Cho, who plays Roomy in K-pop Demon Hunters. A pop culture phenomenon so big, even NPR listeners will know what I'm talking about. But first, it's your turn to show us some moves. Give us a call to play our games. The number is 1-888-wait-wait-wait. That's 1-8-88-9-24. Now let's welcome our first listener-contestant.

Hi, you're on, wait, wait, wait, don't tell me. Hi, this is Lindsay McCauley from Granville, Ohio. Hi, Lindsay. What do you do in Granville, Ohio? I am a wildlife biologist. Wow. What's your favorite wildlife? All the unhuggables, the snakes, the bats, the, I study fresh water muscles, all the creepy

crawlies. You're such a proper weirdo. Okay. Let's introduce you to our panel. First up, a comedian who will be in Barry Vermont at the Barry Opera House on Saturday, February 21st, and host of the podcast, nobody listens to Paula Poundstone. It's Paula Poundstone. Next up, he's a comedian who is currently on the Grateful Bread Tour.

Tickets available at tompapa.com. It's Tompapa. Hi, Lindsay. Hi, Tom. Finally, a comedian, you can see her in San Francisco at the Punchline, March 4th through 7th, and check out her stand-up special, The Landlord Special on YouTube. It's Beth Stelling. Lindsay.

O-H. I am. Welcome to the show, Lindsay. You're going to play Who's Bill this time? Bill Curtis is going to read you three quotes from this week's news. If you can identify two of them, you'll win our prize, which is any voice from our show on your voicemail. Are you ready?

I think so. All right, here's your first quote from Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy. The threat has been neutralized. Okay, he was talking about a threat, a threat that was shot down by a laser and that shut down Texas airspace. A threat that turned out to be what? Was it a drone? It was something else that floats in the air, but for fun it does that. A balloon. A party balloon. On Tuesday, on Tuesday, the FAA announced that El Paso Airport would be closed for 10 days, but didn't say why. Then they announced the closure was because customs and border protection had shot down a drug cartel drone with a laser.

Then we learned what they thought was a drone was actually a party balloon. The threat has been neutralized and it's a girl? Guys, it was an alien ship. That's what happens in that part of the country. And it was an alien. and they don't want to tell us, and good night, everybody. Thank you, Tom, for being the voice of reason up here today. Well, somewhere in El Paso right now,

there's like a mom thinking back to when she told her toddler, sure, honey, you can let go of the balloon. What's the worst that could happen? Didn't China attack us with a balloon a couple years ago? Yeah, yeah, and there was outrage. There was outrage. There was outrage. Yeah, but this was like, what was different about this was that they used their new laser.

They were like very excited to use their new laser. And I mean, who can blame them if they just ruin someone's bar mitzvah, you know? They're very sensitive in Texas. Like a balloon goes up, they break out the big war laser. Have they ever been to Newark Airport? The things that are flying in, around, going through security. There should be lasers. I know, wasn't the, like, weren't the drones in New Jersey going on for several weeks?

And people were like, it's fine. Yeah, they're like, you get used to it. So what? All right. For your next quote, we take you to the Winter Olympics in Milan. Three months ago, I made a mistake and cheated on the love of my life. That was what someone said this week, right? after he did what in Milan?

He won a medal. That's right. He won a medal in the Olympics. Now, what an Olympics it's been. We've had Lindsey Vaughn, the Quad God. The Milan Games have been full of drama, and now they're full of drama. Athlete won the bronze medal, and in the interview right after, took the opportunity to tearfully tell the world that he cheated on his girlfriend, an Olympic medal, and he, and

And two girlfriends, come on, bro, leave something for the rest of us, okay? And she doesn't take them back, right? She's not into this big public, I'm sorry. Are we sure? He's a bi-athlete. Are we sure that was... By the way, this apology was delivered with the passion and earnestness of a man whose apology in private was not accepted.

Good point. Yeah. Very clear. Huh. He's like, I just want to reiterate in front of the entire world. Why do men think that's romantic? I don't know. You know, my old friend Mark Anderson, told me a story one time about a comic proposing to his fiancé on stage.

What is romantic about that? Nothing. It delayed the show. The audience was kind of like, what are they doing? It's not any of anybody else's... I think she... You don't even know the main part of the story. She opened for him after that.

All right. Here's your last quote. A cake is rarely just a cake. That was Baker and psychologist Helen Goh talking about some new relationship advice. Under no circumstances, should you bake for your new partner. on what holiday? Valentine's Day? That's right, Valentine's Day.

Being something elaborate could show you have an oversized interest in your new partner, and it could scare them off. That's why I never bake. I keep it real chill, and I just make them a scale model of the inside of their apartment.

You know? I love putting a lot more pressure on Valentine's Day. Like, right? Like, you have someone that doesn't really like you, you show up with flowers, you really go for it, you bake them something, they're not interested in you. I've had a lot of rejection in my life. Well, okay, and that's just it, Tom.

The argument is that baking involves too much personal effort. They're kind of right. Like, it can be creepy to have someone tell you, I made this bread from the sourdough starter. I got right after our first date. I've been feeding it this whole time. Did you have to say feeding it? Do you want your husband to do anything on Valentine's Day?

I mean, I feel like as a feminist, no. Let's let that be what's on the record, off the record. I would love to be showered with flowers and chocolates and girly things. Yeah, yeah, you can't do nothing. I want something creative. Yeah. Handmade. Handmade.

You know what? Macaroni. I was going to do. Oh, he's not. I was going to give to someone special a balloon, but I was in Texas. You got away. Bill, how did Lindsay do? Lindsay's three right went straight to the heart of the Valentine.

She's a winner. There you go. Thank you. Thank you. I have some questions for you about this week's news. Paula, this week people are noticing a trend in the way young people speak. Apparently, Jen's ears are talking like

what? Sailors. Let me give you a hint. Thank you. These whippersnappers, best 23 skadoo. From the, what, 50s, 40s? You know what? I'll give it to you.

They're talking like old people. Oh. I knew about the skadoo. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I never remember my grandpa saying skibbitty toilet. Young people sound old now.

Gen Z loves saying things like Skaddle and Yap and Hell's Bells and Great Coolidge's Knickers. It's just another phase in young people's ongoing mission to confuse the hell out of grandma. But by the way, I love talking like my grandma, and by that I mean I'm really mean to my mom. How did they find this slang, though? Because this slang is really, this is old slang. Like, where did they pick it up? There's this thing called the internet. Internet, yeah.

Tom. You have to dial up, I think. And they're just going on like hot grammy.com and picking up the slang. I've never been on the internet, but I think it's a thing. I mean, like, it is actually fun to hear kids talking like grandpas until you hear them. using words for Italians no person should ever say. True.

My wife likes when I call her legs getaway sticks. I never heard that before. Where'd you get that from? Hotgrammy.com. Okay. Our panelists makes some movie magic in our bluff, the listener game. Call 1-88-Wait-Wait-to-Play.

We'll be back in a minute with more of Wait-Way-Don't-Tell-Me from NPR. This message. comes from Wise, the app for international people using money around the globe. You can send, spend, and receive in up to 40 currencies with only a few simple taps. Be smart, get Wise. Download the Wise app today or visit wise.com. T's and Cs apply. On NPR's Wild Card podcast, Oscar nominee Wagner Mora on keeping his values on his path to success. There were moments that are like, oh, I really need that money. Right.

You know, but I'm like, I can't do. this. I can't do that because otherwise I'll be miserable. Watch or listen to that Wildcard conversation on the NPR app or on YouTube at NPR Wildcard. From NPR, WVEZ Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz, which you can listen to and indeed follow wherever you get your podcasts. Yes, following us on your favorite podcast app allows you to get episodes of, Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, as soon as they come out. Bill Curtis, we're playing this week with Tom, Papa, Beth, Stelling, and Paula Poundstone.

And here again, as your host at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago, Illinois, McGee and Farsai. Thanks, Bill. Time for the Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, Bluff the listener game. Call 1-88-Wait-Wait-Wait to play our game on air, or check out the pinned post on our Instagram page at Wait-Wate NPR. Hi, you're on Wait-Way-Way-Don't-Me. Hi, my name's Kristen, and I'm living in Boston.

Hi, Kristen. What are you doing, Boston? Oh, my gosh. Well, it has been very cold here lately. I love to, I live right by the arboretum, and I love to take my dog out. That's one of my favorite things to do. And, you know, it doesn't sound very exciting, but because it's been so cold, I actually really love knitting. You are an NPR listener.

That's what I'm gathering. Definitely. Well, it's so nice to have you with us, Kristen. You're going to play the game where you tell the truth from fiction. What's the topic, Bill? Straight from the silver screen. Oh, the movies. They make you laugh.

They make you cry. They make you wonder, what else have I seen that guy in? Well, this week, we came across an amazing story about someone who was inspired by a movie and took action. Our panelists are going to tell you about it. Pick the one who's telling the truth, and you'll win the wait-waiter of your choice on your voice, Are you ready to play? I am definitely ready. Let's go. All right. First up, it's Tom Papa.

A Chicago man received a summons for vermin infestation and unsanitary conditions conducive to rodents when officials discovered he had smuggled a rat into a restaurant under his hat. His defense? He had been inspired by one of his favorite movies, Rat Tatooie. 34-year-old Kevin Heights claimed that he had been going to be going to be. through some tough times. His girlfriend left him. He lost his job, and he was really hungry because he didn't know how to cook. Heights explains, saying, I figured I just needed a friend like that guy Alfredo in Rat Tattooing. Anytime he was in a jam, his little rat friend pulled his hair and helped him out. But his rat wasn't as cute and clever as the movie version. Mr. Heights

suffered rat bites on his ears, rodent feces dropping down his forehead, and he scared. Heard was customers of the next table when the rat's tail dropped down around his nose. I really thought it was going to work, Heit said. But it's okay. I just watched Gremlins last night, and I have an idea. All right. Inspired by Rat Tatooie to get a pet rat from Tompapa. Your next story of a movie that moves someone comes from Beth Stelling. Terry Kleber from Romney, West Virginia, was arrested this week for a string of robberies he made with a supernostic. green disguise, the mask from the movie The Mask.

Terry has been looking for a way to spice up his life. He tried the usual stuff, Pilates, religion, getting really into Dune. But none of it really stuck until he got his mask. While scrolling Reddit one evening, he saw the 3D printing work of Alan Nuch, who makes custom costumes for nerds across the country. Terry thought that was just what he needed, a new identity. He messaged Alan saying, Make sure this magical mask contains the spirit of Norse God Loki,

needed to cover him a whole head, and included the circumference of his noggin. Alan assumed the customer was joking and recalls muttering to himself, 19 inches, that's a pretty small head. But when Terry got his mask from the mask, something came over him, and he started robbing banks.

Terry's robberies were described as chaotic, lots of spinning and shouting, smoking. After his arrest, when asked if he would do it again, he said, sure I would. Somebody stop me. All right, inspired by the movie master, Rob a Bank from Beth Stelling, your last story of the cinema comes to life from Paula Poundstone.

Ian Clotten of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, fortified his three homes with booby traps in the style of the Christmas classic Home Alone to protect his illegal drug business. Clotten's fortress included homemade bombs, tripwires, crossbows, a blowtorch, and various other imitation firearms. Clotten, a 60-year-old man, actually told the police that he was trying to copy Home Alone. Kevin was a lot cuter. Some of the modified weapons authorities found at Cloughton's home looked like homemade bombs

and about 130 nearby homes were evacuated while they brought in the bomb squad, which wasn't in the movie either. Kevin's budget was limited to what was in Buzz's money jar. Clotin got seven years in prison, which could be good for two reasons. A, he might turn his life around, and two, when he gets out, he may be planning to put on a show to try to raise enough money to save his former general struggling Vermont in. So, Kristen, you've got a man inspired by Ratatoo to get a pet rat from Tom, a man inspired

by the movie Mask to rob a bank from Beth, and the man who booby-trapped his home inspired by home alone. Which one is real? I think... I think I want to go with Paula's story. All right. Which story is true? We spoke to a reporter covering the real story. He rigged his house with booby traps, where paint would have fallen onto any intruders. That was Dan Bader of BBC News,

explaining the real story of a man inspired by all the booby traps in Home Alone. Congratulations, Kristen. You got it right. And you earned a point for Paula, and you've won our pies, the voice of your choice on your voicemail. Thank you so much for playing with us today.

All right. It was a joy to be here. Take care. Have a good one. Bye. Bye. And now the game where we ask people who've built huge careers to do one more thing, we call it Not My Job.

Some people are triple threats, but today's guest, Arden Cho, is at least a quadruple threat. An actor, musician, professional poker player, and Black Belt in Taekwondo. And this year, she blew up as the voice of Rumi in K-pop Demon Hunters. That movie. That's right. That movie is Netflix's most streamed movie of all time. Art and Cho, welcome to Wait Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Hi, hello everyone.

Thanks so much for having me. Well, so I have to be honest with you. Like, I have a love-hate relationship with Rumi, voiced by you, because I have a seven-year-old daughter. Okay, okay. I see where this is going. And I hear your voice all the time. Are parents mad at you for making the most popular movie of all time? I mean, okay, I feel like they are kind of at this point a bit sick of it.

But on the flip side, I've heard that, you know, at least it's something that has a positive message and at least their kids are, you know, enjoying it together all ages. And it is very, like, family-friendly. Wait, what's your daughter's name? Rika. Okay, Rika. Well, Rumi says you better listen to Mama. Oh, my gosh. Whatever she says.

Oh, my God. That I get up on replay for the rest of her life. That's what's going to happen. It's one of those things for... It's the most commonly asked thing that I get these days is videos for kids with, like, messages from mom and dad who are like sometimes workers or, People I love and respect, and it's just wild. It's wild. I mean, I can't tell you the number of girls that were roomy for Halloween.

I'm sure you saw the roomy costumes. Do you personally have a way of tracking the numbers of how popular this is? I mean, no way. It's so impossible. I mean, we went from Critics Choice, Golden Globes, Grammys, and now we're headed to the Oscars. I feel like there's all these incredible opportunities. It's sort of like a whirlwind that keeps going, and you're like, are we slowing down or are we never slowing down? Because I think...

It's really hard to measure. I think you and I have a lot in common in this way. Okay. I have a video on my YouTube that's almost at 3 million views. Let's go. You know, I... I check the number quite frequently. And I was just wondering if we're having, you know, you and your home and me and mine.

Yeah. Are you guys the same? Yeah, when I check in the middle of the night, because I, you know, I sleep beside the laptop. And I'm wondering if, like, from now on I'll be like, Arden's checking right now. I am checking. You know what? We're exactly the same. Thank you.

I don't think we're out running the Halloween. I think we're in for another Halloween. Oh, I agree. I agree. I don't. I still another crop of girls that keep coming into it. Yes. I'm not married, but my, so I can't really call myself a stepmom, but my step, Kate,

my boyfriend's daughter was Rumi for Halloween this year. And her best friend just wanted to play the mom, which is a simple blouse with black pants. I love it. That's perfect. Rumi, I mean Rumi. Arden. Oh, Christ. Wow, you really have her.

I'm so sorry. I literally do hear your voice way too much. Okay. So one of the really unexpected things about you is that, you know, you're not just an actor, and you're so many more things. And one of those things is a champion poker player. Like you are internationally ranked. How did that happen?

I was actually a psych major in college, and I always love the game. I've just respected it so much. And I really wasn't great. I've always been quite shy, and I'm not much of, like, a partier and quite more of an introvert, so I like these quiet settings. It's taught me to be confident and to take risks, learn to say no and to bet on myself. I'm often underestimated. I think people are just, like, not expecting anything from me.

And then they're like, oh, she's not that bad. Or maybe she's okay. I love it that you've put such a positive spin on a degenerate practice. Well, there are degenerate parts of that world for sure, but I find that there are a lot of really great parts in that world as well. I've met a lot of really cool players, people who are like, I want to like hang out with my friends, but I don't want to sit in a club. It's kind of like a nice alternative. Yeah. So, Arden, you actually had some news recently that you got engaged. Congratulations.

Thank you. And then something else happened that day right after you got engaged at the TSA pre-check line. You know, tell us what happened? Oh, my goodness. It was so funny. Well, it was actually before we got engaged. My fiance and I were flying to Hawaii. But we always, you know, get in together.

And, you know, we're flying business. And so I didn't have TSA pre-check at the time. He did. And I had clear. And all of a sudden, he's just like, I'm going to go. way into the TSA pre-check line and leave you and I was just like wait what and you were like I want to marry that man Well no no we weren't engaged yet He was he was sneaking away because he was afraid that they take out the ring and that I would see it

Because we were going for Hawaii for our friends wedding So I thought all of a sudden he was being ultra competitive and seeing we could go faster And like comparing the speed of TSA pre-check versus clear and I was He's being all weird and nervous energy. And then, of course, the next day he proposed, and I was like, oh, everything makes sense. Right, like it wasn't just being a jerk. Yeah. Well, you've had a whirlwind year, Arden, and we've asked you here to play a game that we're calling

K-pop demon hunters meet Kmart Bargan Hunter. What? Okay. That's right. We're going to ask you three questions about the late great discount store, Kmart. Answer just two of them correctly, and you'll win our prize for one of our listeners. Bill, who's Arden playing for? Gina Hoffman of Sacramento, California.

Okay, Gina, I'm going to try my hardest. I'm quite predative. I shall try. All right. Here's your first question. By the 2010s, Kmart was struggling to keep up with Walmart and Target. So they tried to do anything they could to grab people's attention. Like which of these commercials?

Was it A, an ad where a woman stripped from a parka down to her underwear to show all the different kinds of clothing that were on sale? Was it B, an ad promoting free shipping for online orders that use the phrase, I can ship my pants 11 times? Or was it C, an ad with a jingle that went, Kmart? It's KKKKmart. Well, I don't think it's the last one. Do you read? That is correct.

It was shipped my pants. They ran another ad for Kmart's with gas stations attached, talking about their big-ass savings. So they were really doing it, Kmart. All right, here we go. Here's your next question. In 2019, a man named Andrew Lippey was arrested for stealing $300 worth of goods from a...

Kmart in Florida. This came as a shock to people. Why? Was it A, because he was the manager of the Walmart across the street. B, he was a city councilman who ran on promises to fight shoplifting, or C, earlier that week, he had bought his own private island for $8 million. B! No, wrong, it is C. Oh, C, really? See, I thought it was... Wow.

Here's your last question. While Kmart is all bought gone in the U.S., there are over 300 Kmart's in Australia. But one mom in Melbourne is furious with the company because the toy lion she bought there for her son was what? A, anatomically correct. Was it B, louder than a jackhammer? Or was it C stuffed with a combination of styrofoam and gunpowder? This line... Never been so nervous in my life.

I have to pay attention to the... City of ads and nude. No, this line was clearly a male and some toy designer was definitely trying to get fired. Do yourself a favor and Google this image. It is a disturbing level of anatomical correctness. My goodness. Bill, how did Arden do on our quiz?

Arden can stop hunting demons because she got two out of three, which is a win for us. Much for joining us. Arden Cho is the voice of Rumi in Netflix's K-pop Demon Hunters, which is nominated for Best Animated Film at this year's Oscars. Arden Joe, thanks for joining us. Bye, Arden. Hi, Arden.

Just a minute, Bill has an adorable pet for you to adopt in our listener Limerick Challenge. Just make sure you have your plague shots. Call 1-88-Wait-Wait to join us on air. We'll be back in a minute with more of Wait Wait-Way Don't Tell Me from NPR. From NPR and WBEC Chicago, this is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, the NPR News Quiz. I'm Bill Curtis. We are playing this week with Beth Stelling, Tompapa, and Paula Poundstone. And here again is your host at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago, Illinois. Again, Far Sade.

Just a minute, I hope you're hungry because we've prepared a feast for your ears. It's our listener Limerick Challenge. If you'd like to play, give us a call at 1-8-88-Wait-wait. that's 1 888-9248-924. But now, panel, I have more questions from this week's news. Tom, there's a growing debate about a certain piece of airplane etiquette,

whether or not you should close what? Oh, I can't believe I got this. If you checked my Instagram right now, you would see I am documenting all of the people, all of the moronic people who fly, who in its early morning and everything's dark and everyone closed their windows. there's one jackass with it open

and the sun coming right into my eyeball. That's me. Am I right? That's right. That is correct. The window shade. You don't. I open the window shade the second I get on the pool. Why are you doing that? Because there's a beautiful view outside that window. No, there's not. It's just white. It's just white. We're at 30,000 feet

and I just want to sleep. You can sleep if you're really tired. You'll sleep. I love to you so much. I do bring an eye mask. Yeah, I put a blanket over my head when I want to sleep. With the shade open. With the shade open. You know what?

When they used to tell you, when they used to come by, and the flight attendant would come by and ask you to lower your shade because people were watching a movie. Yeah. I'm like, really? I'm going to lower, I'm going to not look out at one of the most beautiful countries in the whole world. I'm not going to look out at that. so that somebody can watch, you know, legally blonde? No.

You can't see, you can't see a 30,000. Now I'm contemplating. I think I might have to take the window so I can close it. But the reality, yeah, the reality is whoever sits on the window side controls the window. Yeah, that's a fact. And then whoever sits on the aisle gets to control who goes to the bathroom. Those are the rules. It's all about control.

Yeah, I do ask politely. I said, do you mind? Because you want to work on your laptop and write jokes for wait, wait, don't tell me. You wrote jokes for this? Yeah. I actually love the window open. I'm just trying to be funny. All right. Moving on. Beth, a Russian tech company says they've developed a new kind of surveillance program that uses what to spy on people. The ring camera. Okay, let me give you a hint.

They're leaders in the flying rock space. Like, think more animal. Bats. Pigeons. Pigeons. Wow. I got it on the first try. Yeah, you pulled that out of the bag.

Wow. Amazing. The company says they've successfully equipped pigeons with body cameras, a little backpack with solar panels to power the camera and neural implants that'll allow operators to make the birds fly left or right. If true, this program could give Russia full access to the heads of our most classified statues. These pigeons better be getting paid in croutons. But by the way, you know that pigeons are really the right bird for espionage because the seagulls they tried were like,

I'm a spy, I'm a spy. You're just too chatty, you know. Yeah, and how much information are they going to get out of tuna fish sandwiches on the beach? The reason I would hate to be a pigeon. That's a whole book right there. That's a whole book for you. It's because every time you fly, the window's wide open. It's lightning, fill in the blank, but first, it's the game where you have to listen for the rhyme. If you want to play on air, call or leave a message at 1-8-88.

Wait, wait, wait. That's 1-88-924-8-924. You can see us most weeks here at the Studebaker Theater in downtown Chicago. And catch us on the road. We'll be in Savannah, Georgia on March 26, with more dates announced soon. For tickets and info to all of our live events, go to nprpresents.org. And if you like our show but wish it was TikTok instead, check out our TikTok at Wait, Wait, NPR. Hi, you're on Wait, Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me.

Hi. Hi, this is Dominic from Tallahassee, Florida. Oh, good. Hi, Dominic. Um, so like, what, what do you do in Tallahassee, Florida? I am a lawyer and editor at Florida Law Weekly, which is a legal research database and official court reporter for the Florida trial courts. Oh. So, Floridian.

Yeah. Is it as weird as we all think it is? Weirder. Well, welcome to the show, Dominic. 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.

When eccentrics abandoned their flat, endless scuttling noise drove neighbors, bats. Their pet rodents roam, so we'll find a new home for upwards of 400 rats. That's right. Rats. Animal Rescue League has rescued over 450 domesticated white rats from a condemned home on Long Island and are looking for loving homes to help nurse them back to health.

And I'm sorry, nurse them back to help. Normally when you have 450 rats, the goal is to get that number down to zero rats. I heard the Russians are going to fill them with computer parts. They have a whole program now where the rats spy on pigeons. Well, according to the shelter, they've already placed more than 200 of the rodents in foster and adopted homes. It'll be even easier to place the remaining 200 in homes if they just don't tell the people who live there. Like, just like throw them in New York City.

We're used to it. All right, here's your next limerick. Hard butter is baking's big flaw. Here's a softening trip from my ma. To my boobs, it stays pressed because chest heat is best. I just shove a whole stick in my bra. That's right. Sustained.

We're excited about a new method for quickly softening butter in the kitchen. Just put the butter in your bra. Don't worry if you don't wear a bra. I'm sure your butt crack works just as well. Honestly, I use my thighs, right between my thighs. My mother used to prepare all of our food this way. The Swanson's dinners just right, you know. I'm always putting butter in my wife's bra.

Even when it's not Valentine's. But also, like, you don't have to stop at butter. You can use the heat of your boobs for anything. Like, do you need to defrost some fish? You know, throw it in there. You want a suede a chicken. Go on a run. You know, make it happen.

I put fish in my wife's bra all the time. Not even on Valentine's. Sometimes I put the butter and the fish in there. Well, yes. With some capers. Yeah. So the fish doesn't stick. All right.

Here's your last. Limerick. At McDonald's, I feel like a savvy czar, because their fish row will show just how fab we are. Their Valentine's deal add some flair to their meal. They are serving McNuggets with caviar. Three in a row. You did it. That's right. Three in a row. Good job. For a special Valentine's Day promotion, McDonald's is offering up a new deluxe combo. Chicken McNuggets topped with caviar and cream. crem fresh. It's perfect if you want to do something special for your Valentine, but you know, not that special. As part of the promotion, you get a free $25 voucher for McNuggets.

Imagine the emotional roller coaster for your girlfriend when you tell her you're having caviar on Valentine's Day at McDonald's for free. Wow. Bill, how did Dominic do? Dominic did great. Three in three in. a row. That's so much for playing with us. Thank you, everybody. Bye, Dominic. Bye.

Now, on to our final game. Lightning, fill in the blank. Each player will have 60 seconds to answer as many fill-in-the-blank questions as they can. Each correct answer is worth two points. Bill, can you give us the scores? Sure can.

Beth has two. Paula has three. Tom, he's in there with one. Ouch. Ooh, okay. Tom, since you're in third place, you're up first. Okay. The clock will start when I begin your first question.

Fill in the blank. On Tuesday, six GOP representatives cross party lines to block Trump's blanks on Canada. Tariffs. Right. This week, the White House removed an LGBT pride flag from the blank monument in New York. Stonewall. Right. On Monday, a federal judge in California temporarily blocked the state's blank ban for law enforcement

officers. Face coverings? That's right. mask ban. This week, a criminal who successfully evaded Italian law enforcement for 16 years was arrested this week after he blanked. Farted. No, came back to Italy to watch the Olympics. On Monday, NASA once again had to do repairs to the rocket they planned to send to the blank. Moon.

Right. According to a new study, drinking two to three cups of blank a day will lower your risk of dementia. Coffee. Right. This week, police in Colorado asked a man to please stop blanking at busy intersections. Dancing. Please stop juggling, flaming torches while riding a unicycle. Sounds like dancing to me. The juggling act, which police called, quote, quite good and quite illegal. Shocked drivers and briefly delayed traffic, police emphasized that the street is for automobiles,

and the man agreed from now on he'll be judged. his flame torches inside a car. Bill, how did Tom do? Very well. Five rights, ten more points. Total of 11 puts him in the lead. Wow. All right. Good job, Tom.

Thank you, McGeen. All right, Beth, you're up next. Fill in the blank. Following a congressional hearing, lawmakers are calling for Attorney General Blank to resign. Bondi. Right. On Monday, Galane Maxwell said she would clear

blank's name in exchange for Clemens. Trump. Oh, Epstein. Trump. Trump, right. This week, NBC said that Sunday's blank was the most watched show in the history of the network. Super Bowl. Right. On Wednesday, Gallup announced they would no longer measure blank approval ratings. Presidential. Right. Best known for his role in Dawson's Creek actor, Blank, passed away at the age of 48.

James Vanderbik. Right. A Pennsylvania couple who bought a house from an 85-year-old German man are suing because he didn't disclose that the basement had blank. Dead bodies. The basement had a bunch of Nazi symbols in the floor tiles. The couple says that the tiles were covered by rugs during all of their walkthroughs of the house, but guys, if you're buying a house

from an 85-year-old German dude who's lived there for 50 years, there's going to be some swastikas. It just proves the couple forgot the most important rule of buying a new house. Location, location, no Nazi floor tiles. Bill, how did Beth do on our quiz? Beth got five right for 10 more points for a total of 12.

Wow. Will Paula need to win? Five to win. All right, Paula, here you go. This is for the game. Fill in the blank. On Thursday, President Trump said he was ending the ice surge in blank. Minneapolis.

Right. This week, law enforcement said they'd received over 18,000 tips related to the disappearance of Blank's mother. Savannah Guthrie. Right. On Monday, the White House threatened to block the opening of a bridge between the U.S. and Blank. Canada. Right. New research shows that men who smoke are almost twice as likely as non-smokers to blank.

Be asked to leave the room. No. Twice as likely to go bald. Oh, wow. On Thursday, Ukrainian using his helmet to protest the war with blank was barred from the Olympics. Uh, Ukrainian. Russia. Right.

On Wednesday, Apple once again delayed an update to electronic assistant blank. Siri. Right. This week, a bar in Pennsylvania raised its drinking age to 25 after a teenager tried to use a fake ID with a picture of blank. With a picture of Mr. Rogers. Ben Franklin. Oh, boy. Dirty Franks in Philly has seen a huge increase in people trying to use fake IDs,

but things got really bad when some. Someone tried to use an ID that said their name was Ben Franklin, and their home address was the Liberty Bell. Still, you can't fault the guy's commitment. He went right up to the bouncer and was like, pardon me, does your bar allow kites? Bill, did Paula do well enough to win? She did. Five right, ten more points. Total of 13.

That means Paula's our winner. Woo-hoo. Congratulations. Thank you. It was a big win. It was a really big win. All right. Coming up, our panelists predict

what will be the big surprise in the final week of the Olympics. But first, let me tell you that. 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 Godica writes our limericks.

Our public address announcer is Paul Friedman. Thanks to the staff and crew at the Studebaker Theater. BJ Lederman composed our theme. Our program is produced by Jennifer Mills, Miles Dornboss, and Lillian King. Special thanks to Mohanid El Shaky and Monica Hickey. Our quad god is Peter Gwyn.

Emma Choi is our vibe curator. Technical direction, Lorna White. Our CFO is Colin Miller. Our production manager is Robert Newhouse. Our senior producer is Ian Chilag. The executive producer of Way Wait Don't Tell Me is Mike Danforth. Now panel, what will be the big surprise next week at the Olympics? Tom Papa.

The Jamaican bobsled team wins gold and immediately divorce their wives. Beth Stelling. I think we've had a lot of proposals. We've had some apologies for cheating, and I'd like to see some divorce announcements. And Paula Poundstone. Some of the cross-country skiing women give birth right there on the trail.

Well, if any of that happens, we're going to ask you about it on Wait, Wait, Don't tell me. Thank you, Bill Curtis. All of you for listening, I'm... This is NPR.