Yes, WH_ _ L _F F_ RTUN_ can help you give a better talk

In 1991, David Letterman welcomed Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak to the show. Dave wasted no time in testing Pat with a penetrating question:

When is the right time to buy a vowel?

Pat gave him some great perspective on vowels. Like the fact that in 1983 (the first year that Merv Griffin launched the show), vowels cost $250.

• In 1991 they were $250, and today in 2024, you guessed it, still $250.

Outside of being a bargain, there are two reasons to buy a vowel.

1. To solve the puzzle
2. To buy time (contestants are nervous up there and buying vowels is a relatively cheap way to collect your thoughts)

As a presenter, you may (falsely) assume that your audience is hanging on every word and can "solve the puzzle" at any point in time.

Why this matters: Odds are that at least some of your audience needs some hints (and time) along the way to digest all that is thrown at them.

Kind of like a contestant named "Jeff", who Pat talked about with Letterman. It was a two-word solution and the topic was "a thing."

S T Y R O F O A M _. _. _.

And Jeff, confident in his abilities, decided not to buy a vowel. He would solve the puzzle instead.

S T Y R O F O A M H A T

Janice swooped in and stole the game...her correct guess:

S T Y R O F O A M C U P

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And for those ready for a bonus "SIP": See if you can solve the puzzle below and enter the right answer in the comments section.

• A free styrofoam hat to all who answer correctly.