Up the Long Ladder
Climbing the longest ladder that's ever been is the same as climbing a short one: Just take it one step at a time. It only makes sense to take them in order, right?
Brownie King
publication date: Saturday, May 31, 2025
category: 
Sports
clue: When Bristol International Speedway opened near his birthplace at the peak of his racing career, it quickly became this Daytona legend's favorite track. Who's the king?
explanation: King was born in Johnson City, Tennessee, near what is today the Bristol Motor Speedway. more…
intended difficulty: medium
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, and Richard Slominsky
trivia: This goo concluded "Up the Long Ladder," a month-long goo theme inspired by Erik Bates's Goo Ladder from years earlier, in which the name of each goo connected to the name of the next. Scott had long wanted to make his own "ladder" like Erik's, but it never materialized until Scott had several trips planned for May 2025 and needed to prepare a month's worth of goos in advance, and decided to make a "long" ladder spanning the entire month.
Coral Browne
publication date: Friday, May 30, 2025
category: 
Theater
clue: She was a walking contradiction: An Australian famous for An Englishman Abroad, named after two different colors, who spoke like a fucking lady.
explanation: Browne was a stage and screen actress who was so widely known for swearing that she became the subject of the biographical play This Fucking Lady. She won a BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for the 1963 production of An Englishman Abroad. more…
intended difficulty: medium
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, Richard Slominsky, and LaVonne Lemler
Cat Cora
publication date: Thursday, May 29, 2025
category: 
Cuisine
clue: On her episodes of Iron Chef America, the secret ingredient wasn't cat food, but that's what the contestants produced anyway.
explanation: Restaurateur Cora is widely known for her ten-year run as an Iron Chef, tasting what the contestants made. more…
intended difficulty: easy
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, Richard Slominsky, and LaVonne Lemler
Yousef Erakat
publication date: Wednesday, May 28, 2025
category: 
Internet
clue: This fitness YouTube has been especially choosy about his boxing matches ever since a pair of TKOs left him feeling woozy, but his honesty about his mental health and Muslim upbringing has been the bigger doozy.
explanation: Erakat, nicknamed Fousey (rhymes with boozy), is an online personality who is especially prominent on YouTube under various channel names. He primarily focuses on personal fitness, and has twice sworn never to box again after losing two matches. more…
intended difficulty: medium
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, and Samir Mehta
Ramzi Yousef
publication date: Tuesday, May 27, 2025
category: 
Terrorism
clue: Eight years before his uncle succeeded in taking down a pair of buildings, his own plot to blow them up turned out to be far less lethal.
explanation: Yousef was the primary planner of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing that killed six people in a failed attempt to bring down both the north and south towers. His uncle Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was the primary planner of the 9/11 attacks on the towers eight years later. more…
intended difficulty: easy
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, and Richard Slominsky
Bella Ramsey
publication date: Monday, May 26, 2025
category: 
Television
clue: After losing a game of thrones, they might be the last of the actors you'd expect to star in a hit video-game adaptation for the same TV service.
explanation: Ramsey starred in Game of Thrones and The Last of Us. more…
intended difficulty: medium
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, and LaVonne Lemler
Alexander Graham Bell
publication date: Sunday, May 25, 2025
category: 
Inventions
clue: Mr, Watson, come here. He wants to see you.
explanation: Bell invented the telephone with his assistant Thomas Watson. The clue is a play on he first words ever spoken through a telephone, in their laboratory. more…
intended difficulty: easy
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, Richard Slominsky, and LaVonne Lemler
Lamar Alexander
publication date: Saturday, May 24, 2025
category: 
Government
clue: His walk across Tennessee in his signature flannel led to a governorship, a presidential cabinet position, a presidential candidacy, and a long tenure as a senator.
explanation: Alexander was the governor of Tennessee from 1979-1987, the secretary of education from 1991-1993, a presidential candidate in 1996 and 2000, and a senator from Tennessee from 2002-2020. more…
intended difficulty: easy
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, and Richard Slominsky
Kendrick Lamar
publication date: Friday, May 23, 2025
category: 
Music
clue: Feuding with Drake is apparently good for your career: It can lead to tying a record for Grammy wins and playing the Super Bowl halftime show.
explanation: Lamar spent part of 2024 releasing a series of diss tracks alleging Drake's pedophilia. One of them, "Not Like Us," won Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the subsequent Grammys ceremony. In early 2025, he performed at the Super Bowl. more…
intended difficulty: very easy
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, and Richard Slominsky
Anna Kendrick
publication date: Thursday, May 22, 2025
category: 
Movies
clue: Her lead vocal performance in the Trolls films has been pitch-perfect, even if online trolls didn't like her acting or singing in the Pitch Perfect films.
intended difficulty: very easy
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, and Richard Slominsky
Antonio López de Santa Anna
publication date: Wednesday, May 21, 2025
category: Government
clue: He won battles at the Alamo and Goliad, but due to his corruption and incompetence, he has come to be regarded as several of Mexico's worst presidents.
explanation: Santa Anna served several distinct terms as the president of Mexico, including during the Texas Revolution and Mexican American War. more…
intended difficulty: easy
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, and Samir Mehta
Susan Anton
publication date: Tuesday, May 20, 2025
category: Movies
clue: This girl's golden breakthrough role led to a cannonball run in theaters, a series of cliffhangers on television, and a couple of white chicks on stage.
explanation: Anton starred in the films Goldengirl and Cannonball Run II, the TV series Cliffhangers, and the stage play "A Couple of White Chicks Sitting Around Talking," among many other productions. more…
intended difficulty: medium
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, and Richard Slominsky
Jacqueline Susann
publication date: Monday, May 19, 2025
category: 
Literature
clue: A quarter-century of acting gave her the life experience (and promotional connections) to write a best-selling book about a valley of drug-addicted plastic young women working in show business.
explanation: Susann's best-selling books included Valley of the Dolls. Her first career was stage and screen acting. more…
intended difficulty: medium
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, and Richard Slominsky
Andrew Jack
publication date: Sunday, May 18, 2025
category: Movies
clue: He taught Kevin Costner how to sound British, Daniel Day-Lewis how to sound Mohican, and Robert Downey Jr. how to sound silent.
explanation: Jack was a well-known dialect coach for films such as Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, The Last of the Mohicans, and Chaplin, later offered on-camera and vocal roles because of his skill at enunciation. more…
intended difficulty: medium
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, and Samir Mehta
Eric André
publication date: Saturday, May 17, 2025
category: Television
clue: The comedy in his eponymous, fake public access TV show has proven highly memeable.
explanation: Numerous memes have been spawned from The Eric Andre Show. more…
intended difficulty: hard
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, and Samir Mehta
Bo Derek
publication date: Friday, May 16, 2025
category: Movies
clue: She lost her leg to an orca and her dignity to a sharknado.
explanation: Derek co-starred in Orca: The Killer Whale in 1977 and Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! in 2015. more…
intended difficulty: hard
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, and Samir Mehta
Alisha Boe
publication date: Thursday, May 15, 2025
category: Television
clue: I can think of one reason why she's not in the Piracy category—she only played a buccaneer on TV—and I'm not going to provide twelve more.
explanation: Boe is known for the TV shows 13 Reasons Why and The Buccaneers. more…
intended difficulty: medium
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, and Samir Mehta
Mahershala Ali
publication date: Wednesday, May 14, 2025
category: Movies
clue: He's played two criminals for Marvel and true detective for HBO.
explanation: Ali played "Cottonmouth" Stokes in season 1 of Luke Cage, Prowler in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and its sequel, and Wayne Hays in season 3 of True Detective. more…
intended difficulty: medium
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, Richard Slominsky, and Bora Gursel
Adriana Lima
publication date: Tuesday, May 13, 2025
category: 
Modeling
clue: This mysterious supermodel has yet to explain how she shares a name with the capital of Peru when she's actually from Brazil.
intended difficulty: very easy
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, Richard Slominsky, and Bora Gursel
Nathan Adrian
publication date: Monday, May 12, 2025
category: Sports
clue: Having a Chinese mother did not stop him from earning gold medals for America in the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympics.
explanation: Competitive swimmer Adrian's mother immigrated from Hong Kong. Alone or as part of a relay team, he won one gold medal in 2008, and two each in 2012 and 2016. more…
intended difficulty: easy
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, Richard Slominsky, and Bora Gursel
Tonie Nathan
publication date: Sunday, May 11, 2025
category: 
Records
clue: In the 1972 presidential election, she broke a barrier for women, but not the one most widely remembered.
explanation: As the Libertarian Party's vice-presidential nominee, Nathan received one electoral vote from a faithless Republican elector, making her the first woman (and first Jew) to receive any electoral vote in a national election in the United States. The year is better remembered for Shirley Chisholm's candidacy for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, making her the first black candidate to run for president via a major party and the first female candidate to run via the Democratic Party. more…
intended difficulty: hard
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, and Bora Gursel
player landmarks: This was the first goo solved by Bora Gursel.
Rose Stone
publication date: Saturday, May 10, 2025
category: Music
clue: Every day, she sang about people like (and with) her brothers, but not in Ian Brown's band.
explanation: Stone performed in Sly and the Family Stone with her brothers Sly and Freddie, known for their hit "Everyday People." The reference to Ian Brown, frontman of the British band the Stone Roses, was a play on her name. more…
intended difficulty: hard
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, and Samir Mehta
Ruby Rose
publication date: Friday, May 9, 2025
category: Television
clue: Javicia Leslie become the new black when she took over a chiropteran role from this Aussie.
explanation: Leslie replaced Ruby as the title character in the Batwoman TV series. Rose previously appeared in Orange is the New Black. more…
intended difficulty: medium
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, and Richard Slominsky
Joe Ruby
publication date: Thursday, May 8, 2025
category: 
Cartoons
clue: With his production partner, he co-created a colorful quartet of teen-aged mystery-solvers and their snickering Great Dane.
explanation: Ruby and Ken Spears created the Scooby-Doo franchise through their production company Ruby-Spears Productions. more…
intended difficulty: easy
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, and Richard Slominsky
Isaiah Joe
publication date: Wednesday, May 7, 2025
category: Sports
clue: Sometimes, the littlest thunder can make the most noise.
explanation: Joe is the smallest player on the Oklahoma City Thunder, at 6'3" and 165 lbs. more…
intended difficulty: hard
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, and Richard Slominsky
Christian Isaiah
publication date: Tuesday, May 6, 2025
category: Television
clue: He established a bridge to the past when he played Chadwick Boseman's character as a boy, but he's best known for identifying as a member of Oasis without any sense of shame.
explanation: Isaiah played a younger version of Boseman's character in the film 21 Bridges, and played the role of Liam Gallagher on the TV series Shameless. more…
intended difficulty: hard
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, and Samir Mehta
Fletcher Christian
publication date: Monday, May 5, 2025
category: 
Crime
clue: Collecting a bounty on this mutineer would have required a voyage to Pitcairn Island.
explanation: In 1788, Christian led the famous "Mutiny on the Bounty" in which he and crewmates serving on the HMS Bounty seized control from Captain William Bligh and escaped to the Pitcairn Islands as fugitives, where Christian died in 1793. more…
intended difficulty: easy
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, Richard Slominsky, and LaVonne Lemler
Tom Fletcher
publication date: Sunday, May 4, 2025
category: Music
clue: When he's not writing songs under the pseudonym of a Back to the Future character, he's writing books about a dinosaur's gastrointestinal foreign body expulsion.
explanation: Fletcher is the lead vocalist of the band McFly. He has authored many children's books, including in the "Dinosaur that Pooped" series. more…
intended difficulty: hard
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, and Richard Slominsky
Michael Winterbottom
publication date: Saturday, May 3, 2025
category: Movies
clue: This director is frequently on the road: He's made films about trips to Sarajevo, Guantanamo, Italy, Spain, Greece, and his native England.
explanation: Winterbottom directed the films On the Road, Welcome to Sarajevo, The Road to Guantanamo, The Trip to Italy, The Trip to Spain, The Trip to Greece, and This England. more…
intended difficulty: easy
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, and Richard Slominsky
George Michael
publication date: Friday, May 2, 2025
category: Music
clue: He's never gonna dance again—not because guilty feet have no rhythm, but because he died in 2016.
explanation: The lyrics play on the chorus of Michael's hit song "Careless Whisper." more…
intended difficulty: very easy
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, and Richard Slominsky
Melissa George
publication date: Thursday, May 1, 2025
category: Television
clue: In her home country of Australia, she gained fame for starring in a long-running soap opera while still a teenager. Since moving away, she has hunted for better roles, from thieves using aliases first, to a patient in treatment for a short heartbeat, to a mother who (twice) slapped mosquitoes on a coast.
explanation: George was in the primary cast of the TV shows Home and Away, Hunted, Thieves, Alias, The First, In Treatment, the short-lived series Heartbeat, The Slap and its American remake of the same title, and The Mosquito Coast. more…
intended difficulty: medium
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, Samir Mehta, and Richard Slominsky
