Blaine’s Puzzle Blog: NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 15, 2026): Ian and his Friend

Q: A man said to a friend: “I’m thinking of a 9-letter word that contains my name, Ian (“I-A-N”), embedded somewhere inside it. If you replace my 3-letter name with your 4-letter name, you’ll get a familiar word in 10 letters.” What are the two words, and what is the name of Ian’s friend?

Take the even letters of the second word and rearrange to name something associated with this –> ❤️

Edit: The even letters anagram to PULSE

A: APPL(IAN)CE –> APPL(ESAU)CE