Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

WWDTM: Taimane

October 12, 2025

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  • The episode of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! was recorded live in Honolulu, Hawaii, featuring guest ukulele superstar Taimane, who began her career busking in Waikiki. 
  • The news quiz segment covered topics including airport delays due to a government shutdown, the controversy surrounding Taylor Swift's suggestive lyrics about Travis Kelce, and a shortage of chocolate impacting Halloween candy. 
  • Panelists and guest Taimane engaged in games covering news topics and Taimane demonstrated her skill on the ukulele, including a minor-key rendition of the Addams Family theme. 

Segments

Show Opening and Guest Introduction
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(00:00:17)
  • Key Takeaway: Alzo Slade filled in for Bill Curtis as host for the live Honolulu broadcast of Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!
  • Summary: The episode of Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! opened with Alzo Slade substituting for the regular host, Peter Sagal, who was present as the show’s host. The show was live from the Blaisdell Concert Hall in Honolulu, Hawaii. Ukulele superstar Taimane was announced as the upcoming special guest.
Listener Contestant Interview
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(00:01:13)
  • Key Takeaway: Listener Sydney from Olympia, Washington, works for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and keeps shrimp as pets.
  • Summary: Contestant Sydney shared that she enjoys swimming in the Puget Sound and cares for pet shrimp. Panelists Joyelle Nicole Johnson, Peter Grosz, and Paula Poundstone were introduced to Sydney.
Who’s Alzo This Time Quiz
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(00:03:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Airport delays were attributed to the government shutdown, leading to some airports operating under ‘air traffic control zero’ protocols.
  • Summary: The first quote concerned Nashville International Airport pilots and passengers during the government shutdown, which caused air traffic control staffing issues. The second quote referenced Taylor Swift’s new album and the suggestive lyric comparing an attribute to a ‘Redwood tree.’ The third quote related to candy makers substituting flavors due to a cocoa harvest shortage affecting Halloween candy.
Bluff the Listener Game Setup
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(00:11:46)
  • Key Takeaway: The Bluff the Listener game focused on recent controversies surrounding Hallmark Channel and its greeting card lines.
  • Summary: The game challenged the listener, Alexandra from Maui, to distinguish true news from fabricated stories related to Hallmark. The panel offered three potential controversies involving the Mahogany card line, inaccuracies in a birding romance movie, and disturbing birthday cards for 13-year-olds.
Guest Taimane Interview and Performance
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(00:20:45)
  • Key Takeaway: Ukulele player Taimane started busking at age seven in Waikiki and was discovered by Don Ho, whom she worked with for five years.
  • Summary: Taimane confirmed the correct Hawaiian pronunciation of her instrument is ‘ukulele’ and shared that she uses low audience expectations of the instrument to her advantage before performing complex music. She demonstrated her skill by attempting the minor-key theme to the Addams Family.
Mini Guitar Meet Mini Golf Game
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(00:26:52)
  • Key Takeaway: Miniature golf was invented in Scotland in the 1860s as an activity deemed proper for women who could not raise their arms above their shoulders while playing full golf.
  • Summary: Taimane correctly answered all three questions in the mini-golf trivia game, winning the prize for listener Jim Joplin of Lawton, Oklahoma. Early mini-golf courses used dyed goat hair for turf surfaces instead of modern materials. One unusual mini-golf location exists 400 feet underground in an abandoned salt mine in Transylvania.
Panel News Quiz and Score Update
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(00:32:47)
  • Key Takeaway: Experts suggest that couples should not adhere to the advice of ’never go to bed angry,’ as letting disputes wait until morning can be wiser.
  • Summary: The panel answered news questions, including one about experts advising couples that it is often better to sleep on an argument rather than resolve it immediately. Another question revealed that bonding can be deepened by doing mundane chores together, like trimming cats’ claws, which Paula Poundstone admitted to doing with friends.
Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank Round
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(00:43:13)
  • Key Takeaway: Paula Poundstone won the overall game with a perfect round in the Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank segment, achieving 16 points total.
  • Summary: Paula Poundstone achieved a perfect score in the final round, answering eight questions correctly, which propelled her into the lead with 18 points. News items covered included Israel and Hamas agreeing to a ceasefire phase, the Vatican’s new Pope’s first international trip being to Chicago, and a horny Australian black swan terrorizing other swans in a UK town.