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Finding Fortune 500 Firms

NPR's Puzzlemaster Will Shortz quizzes one of our listeners, and has a challenge for everyone at home.

Challenge from June 19:

Take the made-up phrase, Garage Bag. The first, fifth and ninth letters are the same: G. The second, fourth, and eighth letters are the same: A. Can you name a well-known geographical location that has the same pattern? Two words, six and three letters respectively, in which the first, fifth and ninth letters are the same... and the second, fourth and eighth letters are the same. What geographical place is it?

Answer: AEGEAN SEA

Winner: Lisa Straus from Folsom, Calif.

Challenge from June 26:

This puzzle is from Erich Friedman of Orange City, Fla. An imaginary country mints coins in three denominations. Each denomination has an integral number, 1, 2, 3, etc. The amounts, 20, 23 and 29, can each be made with exactly three coins. What are the three denominations minted?

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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).