Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

Saturday 11 AM
Hosted by: Peter Sagal and Carl Kasell

NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! takes a fast-paced, irreverent look at the news of the world—and the weird. Now in its sixth year, the show offers a modern and sometimes raucous twist on the old-time radio quiz show, mining NPR news stories for quiz questions. The host is Peter Sagal, who is an award-winning playwright and father of three in his spare time. America’s favorite newscaster, NPR’s Carl Kasell, is the show’s official judge and scorekeeper.

Each week, Sagal quizzes the panelists and listeners to determine just how closely they paid attention to the week's news. He serves up questions in all forms: lightning rounds, tape from NPR news shows, multiple choice, identify the “fake” story and fill-in-the-blank limericks.Listeners call 888-WAIT-WAIT for a chance to win the most coveted prize in all of public radio: a custom-recorded greeting by Carl Kasell for their home’s answering machine or voice mail.

Visit Wait Wait Don't Tell Me! at NPR.org

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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
2:46 pm
Fri May 11, 2012

Opening Panel Round

Originally published on Sat May 12, 2012 8:25 am

Transcript

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

We want to remind everybody they can join us here most weeks at the Chase Bank Auditorium in downtown Chicago. For tickets and more information go to wbez.org, or you can find a link at our website, waitwait.npr.org. Right now, panel, time for you to answer some questions about the week's news, of course.

Mo, interesting study this week about climate change. Some scientists are suggesting that 150 million years ago, what contributed to global warming?

MO ROCCA: Sort of gassy dinosaurs.

SAGAL: Yes, that's exactly right.

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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
2:46 pm
Fri May 11, 2012

Bluff The Listener

Originally published on Sat May 12, 2012 8:25 am

Transcript

CARL KASELL: From NPR and WBEZ-Chicago, this is WAIT WAIT...DON'T TELL ME!, the NPR News quiz. I'm Carl Kasell. We're playing his week with Mo Rocca, Tom Bodett and Amy Dickinson. And, here again is your host, at the Chase Bank Auditorium in downtown Chicago, Peter Sagal.

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

Thank you, Carl. Thank you everybody.

(SOUNDBITE OF APPLAUSE)

SAGAL: It is, of course, time again for the WAIT WAIT...DON'T TELL ME! Bluff the Listener game. Call 1-888-Wait-Wait to play our game on the air. Hi, you're on WAIT WAIT...DON'T TELL ME!

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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
2:46 pm
Fri May 11, 2012

Lightning Fill In The Blank

Originally published on Sat May 12, 2012 8:25 am

Transcript

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

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 he or she can. Each correct answer is worth two points. Carl, can you give us the scores?

CARL KASELL: Tom Bodett has the lead, Peter. He has four points. Amy Dickinson has three. Mo Rocca has two.

SAGAL: Mo, you're in third place. You're up first. The clock will start when I begin your first question. Fill in the blank.

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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
2:46 pm
Fri May 11, 2012

Prediction

Originally published on Sat May 12, 2012 8:25 am

Transcript

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

Now, panel, what surprise will Biden blow next? Tom Bodett?

TOM BODETT: He gets out over his skis on this Mother's Day thing and tells Michelle she's just going to love the necklace Barack and the girls got her for Sunday.

(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Amy Dickinson?

AMY DICKINSON: Next week at the John Edwards trial, Joe Biden will reveal that he is really the father of Rielle Hunter's child.

(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: And Mo Rocca?

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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
2:46 pm
Fri May 11, 2012

Panel Round Two

Originally published on Sat May 12, 2012 8:25 am

Transcript

CARL KASELL: From NPR and WBEZ-Chicago, this is WAIT WAIT...DON'T TELL ME!, the NPR News quiz. I'm Carl Kasell. We're playing this week with Tom Bodett, Amy Dickinson and Mo Rocca. And, here again is your host, at the Chase Bank Auditorium in downtown Chicago, Peter Sagal.

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

Thank you, Carl.

(SOUNDBITE OF APPLAUSE)

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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
2:46 pm
Fri May 11, 2012

Limericks

Originally published on Sat May 12, 2012 8:25 am

Transcript

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

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 or leave a message at 1-888-Wait-Wait. That's 1-888-924-8924, or you can click the contact us link at our website waitwait.npr.org.

There you can find out about attending our weekly live shows here at the Chase Bank Auditorium in Chicago and our upcoming shows in Cleveland, Ohio and Portland, Maine. Tickets for those shows go on sale this week. Hi, you're on WAIT WAIT...DON'T TELL ME!

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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
10:46 pm
Fri May 4, 2012

Who's Carl This Time

Originally published on Sat May 5, 2012 8:48 am

Transcript

CARL KASELL: From NPR and WBEZ-Chicago, this is WAIT WAIT...DON'T TELL ME!, the NPR news quiz. I'm Carl Kasell, and here's your host, at the Leed Center for the Performing Arts in Lincoln, Nebraska, Peter Sagal.

(SOUNDBITE OF APPLAUSE)

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

Thank you, everybody. It is great to be here in Lincoln, out here on the Nebraska plains. It happens to be tornado season here.

(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)

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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
10:46 pm
Fri May 4, 2012

Opening Panel Round

Originally published on Sat May 5, 2012 8:48 am

Transcript

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

Panel, time for you to answer some questions about the week's news. Kyrie, in an effort to curb teenage pregnancy, this week the State of Tennessee passed a law banning what among teens?

(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)

KYRIE O'CONNOR: Oh, it's like any kind of public display of affection, like hugging and...

SAGAL: Holding hands, for example.

O'CONNOR: ...holding hands, yes.

SAGAL: Yes, hugging, holding hands.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

(SOUNDBITE OF APPLAUSE)

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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
10:46 pm
Fri May 4, 2012

Bluff The Listener

Originally published on Sat May 5, 2012 8:48 am

Transcript

CARL KASELL: From NPR and WBEZ-Chicago, this is WAIT WAIT...DON'T TELL ME!, the NPR News quiz. I'm Carl Kasell. We're playing his week with Roy Blount Jr., Kyrie O'Connor and Charlie Pierce. And, here again is your host, at the Leed Center in Lincoln Nebraska, Peter Sagal.

(SOUNDBITE OF APPLAUSE)

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

Thank you, Carl. Thanks everybody. Thank you so much. Right now, it's time for the WAIT WAIT...DON'T TELL ME! Bluff the Listener Game. Call 1-888-Wait-Wait to play our game on the air. Hi, you're on WAIT WAIT...DON'T TELL ME!

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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
10:46 pm
Fri May 4, 2012

Panel Round Two

Originally published on Sat May 5, 2012 8:48 am

Transcript

CARL KASELL: From NPR and WBEZ-Chicago, this is WAIT WAIT...DON'T TELL ME!, the NPR News quiz. I'm Carl Kasell. We're playing this week with Roy Blount Jr., Kyrie O'Connor, and Charlie Pierce. And, here again is your host, at the Leed Center in Lincoln, Nebraska, Peter Sagal.

(SOUNDBITE OF APPLAUSE)

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

Thank you, Carl. In just a minute, Carl debates the virtues of a unirhymeral legislature...

(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: ...in our Listener Limerick Challenge.

(SOUNDBITE OF APPLAUSE)

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