Ira Glass

There are 12 firsts of the month each year, and Bridie and Brynn have been playing this game for roughly 25 years, so they've done hundreds of pinches and punches at this point. The thing about having such a long-running game, though, is that life happens all around it, all the good and bad. A few years ago, Bridie lost someone very close to her.

There are 12 firsts of the month each year, and Bridie and Brynn have been playing this game for roughly 25 years, so they've done hundreds of pinches and punches at this point. The thing about having such a long-running game, though, is that life happens all around it, all the good and bad. A few years ago, Bridie lost someone very close to her.

There's a lie built into the premise of Pinch and Punch. It's when they say, no returns. They say it every month. And every month, they return.

There's a lie built into the premise of Pinch and Punch. It's when they say, no returns. They say it every month. And every month, they return.

The question started right after Tobin and his husband moved to the Bay Area and got a house together. Tobin's family was pretty excited about this. They all lived within an hour. And they brought meals over for weeks. His mom bought them shades.

The question started right after Tobin and his husband moved to the Bay Area and got a house together. Tobin's family was pretty excited about this. They all lived within an hour. And they brought meals over for weeks. His mom bought them shades.

Something else there, like there was a question underneath the question that they were trying to get the answer to.

Something else there, like there was a question underneath the question that they were trying to get the answer to.

Right. You're both man. Yes. But one of you is really the man. Yes.

Right. You're both man. Yes. But one of you is really the man. Yes.

Then, when Dobin would tell them that it was his husband who was the handy one, he felt like he was just giving them ammunition to put a picture of their relationship that just bugged him. Like they were being sized up into familiar categories. Would you view as the husband? Would you view as the wife?

Then, when Dobin would tell them that it was his husband who was the handy one, he felt like he was just giving them ammunition to put a picture of their relationship that just bugged him. Like they were being sized up into familiar categories. Would you view as the husband? Would you view as the wife?

In the closet. For Tobin, that means middle school and high school.

In the closet. For Tobin, that means middle school and high school.

Yeah. Yeah, it's funny because it's like this innocent question and then really like underneath it, it's like there's a bomb waiting to go off, actually. Like there's so many feelings.

Yeah. Yeah, it's funny because it's like this innocent question and then really like underneath it, it's like there's a bomb waiting to go off, actually. Like there's so many feelings.

Yeah.

Yeah.

What a day on our program. Questions that contain other secret questions inside of them. Questions that are wolves in sheep's clothing. In all kinds of situations that we've all been in. In dating, in talking to strangers, in dealing with the saddest things that ever happened to us. And more. I'm WBEC Chicago. It's This American Life. I'm Eric Glass. Stay with us.

What a day on our program. Questions that contain other secret questions inside of them. Questions that are wolves in sheep's clothing. In all kinds of situations that we've all been in. In dating, in talking to strangers, in dealing with the saddest things that ever happened to us. And more. I'm WBEC Chicago. It's This American Life. I'm Eric Glass. Stay with us.