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Looking For Something To Wear? Just Scramble Some Letters

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On-air challenge: Every answer this week is the name of an article of apparel — something to wear. Name the items from the anagram given.

Example: LOOP --> POLO.

Last week's challenge: This was a variation on the old word-ladder puzzle. The object is to change WHOLE to HEART by either adding or subtracting one letter at a time, making a new, common, uncapitalized word at each step.

For example, you can change RED to ROSE in five steps. Starting with RED, you could add a U, making RUED; drop the D, leaving RUE; add an S, making RUSE; add an O, making ROUSE, and then drop the U, leaving ROSE.

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Changing or rearranging letters is not allowed, neither are plurals or verbs formed by adding -S. No word in the chain can have fewer than three letters.

How many steps are needed to change WHOLE to HEART?

Answer: Here's an example of one possible answer: WHOLE --> HOLE, HOE, HOPE, OPE, COPE, COP, COOP, COOPT, COOT, COT, COAT, CAT, CHAT, HAT, HEAT --> HEART.

The randomly selected winning answer was done in six steps. WHOLE --> HOLE, HOE, HOER, HER, HEAR --> HEART.

Winner: Melissa Goodwin of Munster, Ind.

Next week's challenge: This challenge comes from listener Sandy Weisz of Chicago, who runs The Mystery League, which conducts puzzle hunts.

This challenge isn't too hard. Name a unit of measurement. Remove two consecutive letters. The letters that remain can be rearranged to name what this measurement measures. What is it?

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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. 14, at 3 p.m. ET.

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