Season 1
Episode 129: New Words (according to the dictionary)
Sept. 26, 2022
So, the dictionary people get together on an annual basis and vote/decide on new words to formally enter into their reference books. Jon and Kurt have a great time dissecting and laughing at these new entries. The episode? I…
Ep.128: Acronyms…RSVP required (get it?)
Sept. 19, 2022
In this episode, Jon and Kurt have fun explaining, finding, and debating interesting acronyms that are used in everyday conversation. Redux.
Ep.126: The Catharsis
Sept. 5, 2022
The boys just needed to get some stuff off their chests. They have had some new pet peeves building up and the desire to share these with their listeners was too strong to ignore any longer. From sidewalk walking etiquette t…
Ep.125: Brands Gone Wild
Aug. 29, 2022
Kleenex. Scotch Tape. Liquid Paper. Xerox. There are many products where the marketing folks did such a great job that the brand names they built came to represent the entire category. A consumer can ask for the product by t…
Ep.124: New York New York?
Aug. 22, 2022
It is the “city that never sleeps” and the biggest metropolis in America. We all think we know New York, but there are a lot of really interesting stories and facts about the Big Apple that most people don’t know. In this ep…
Ep.123: What’s In a Name?
Aug. 15, 2022
We get some amazing words from actual, real people. That’s right, real humans’ names gave us some of our most common or descriptive words as a result of their actions, sayings, or rituals. Sadism? Boycott? Saxophone? Shrapn…
Ep.122: Fatal Attraction
Aug. 8, 2022
Under the safety net of “it’s not real”, Jon and Kurt discuss famous, classic, and great fictional deaths. In movies, books, fables, (not podcasts), etc., there have been no shortage of momentous passings. Some we cheer on, …
Ep.121: Epic Failures
Aug. 1, 2022
There is an actual “Museum of Failures” which memorializes products that were massive failures. Classics like “neon green Heinz Ketchup” and “Spray on Condoms” (yes, you read that correctly) are on exhibit as are countless o…
Ep.120: Final Jeopardy
July 25, 2022
In this episode, Jon and Kurt test each other and themselves on their knowledge of esoteric facts. They take actual Final Jeopardy questions that all contestants on the show got wrong and attempt to see if their Smart Drivel…
Ep.119: Chances Are
July 18, 2022
Ever wonder what the odds are in finding a 4 leaf clover? Or dying by a shark attack? Bowling a perfect game? Being illiterate? Well, Jon and Kurt wondered the same thing and decided to dedicate an episode to a few of the mo…
Ep. 118: Copy Cats
July 11, 2022
Humans have “borrowed” from both nature and our animal friends to create some of our best technological innovations; from animals to nature, the biomimicry is widespread. From airplanes to velcro to submarines, we can thank …
Ep.117: Power Couples
July 4, 2022
Jon and Kurt have a little forum about the most amazing couples ever. Those from fiction. From wars. From the bible. From the arts. From politics. From legend. Forged in love or in greed, these couples all have a fascinating…
Ep.116: What’s Up, Doc?
June 27, 2022
Ever go into a doctor’s office and get treated for the wrong thing? Or have an embarrassing moment in front of your doctor because of your ailment, the procedure done, or the drugs that were administered? Jon and Kurt recall…
Episode 114: Feast or Famine (redux)
June 13, 2022
Jon and Kurt decide to throw another “dinner party for the ages''. This time it is to celebrate the podcast's 50th episode. So take a(nother) listen to see how they create the ultimate guest list for this exclusive affair. T…
Ep.111: Cocktails (redux)
May 23, 2022
Ahhh, cocktails. The beacon of light at the end of the day. The social equivalent of a group hug. We love our cocktails, but do we know their provenance? Ever wonder where the Bloody Mary was first concocted? How the martini…
Ep.110: Wordle, Quordle, Schmordle
May 16, 2022
The world has gone crazy for wordle. People set their alarms just to get up early enough to solve the wordle before their friends. There is a “sharing” er “competing” culture of proving one’s intelligence by getting the word…
Ep.109 Underrated Inventions (Part 2) (Redux)
May 9, 2022
Following up on last week's "Underrated Inventions Part 1" comes the expected "part 2". In this classic episode, Jon and Kurt continue waxing poetic about seemingly mundane inventions that have had outsized impact on society…
Ep. 108: The Most Underrated Inventions (Part 1) (Redux)
May 2, 2022
Dipping into the vast repository of Smart Drivel content, Jon and Kurt offer up a classic two part series. From toilet paper to Neil Diamond and lots in between, they discuss the advances in civilization we can’t live withou…
Ep.107: Fun Phrases (redux)
April 25, 2022
Tune in to another classic episode as Jon and Kurt spend a full episode discussing fun phrases and how they came to be. “Mind your Bees Wax,” “One for the road”, and “Freezing the balls off a brass monkey” are just a few say…
Ep.106: Common Misperceptions (redux)
April 18, 2022
Enjoy a classic Smart Drivel episode as Jon and Kurt set out to find the truth behind certain “givens” that we have always been told: is it safe to swim right after eating? Is the earth round? Did Vikings have horns on their…
Ep.105: Art is Everywhere
April 11, 2022
Stretching their word retrieval abilities, Jon and Kurt have fun in this episode by coming up with words that have ‘art’ embedded within them. Art means one thing on its own (the beautiful category of expressionism–be it pai…
Ep.103: Hank & Lip Balm
March 28, 2022
You are moving to a foreign country. You don’t know where. You don’t know for how long. All you are told is that you can bring 5 things with you. Jon and Kurt share what they would take along as they go far afield from home.…
Ep.102: Ideal Vacations in History (Redux)
March 21, 2022
Jon and Kurt re-release an all-time favorite as they wax poetic about places they would love to visit for vacation. However, the twist is that they can go anywhere in any time in history. They discuss being in ancient Greece…
Ep. 101: You Call That A Sport?
March 14, 2022
Throughout history, humankind’s competitive spirit has led to inventing and mastering a wide array of sports. Basketball, Soccer, Football, Baseball, Hockey, Tennis, etc. get all the air time and all the headlines, but what …
Ep.100: The 100th Episode
March 7, 2022
That’s right, a milestone in smart drivelry has been attained…Jon and Kurt have recorded their 100th episode. That means they have given listeners over 40 hours of content over which to laugh, yell, sneer, learn, and, mostly…
Ep.99: Stump me? Stump you.
Feb. 28, 2022
The boys are at it for a second week in a row…they just can’t get enough of trying to stump one another with esoteric, tantalizing, and thought provoking facts. If you ever find yourself in the midst of boring folks with not…
Ep.98: Did I Stump You?
Feb. 21, 2022
In this episode, Jon and Kurt try to stump one another with arcane, bizarre, weirdly fascinating trivia questions. Some are down right funny while others are great fodder for your next dinner conversation. Listen, remember, …
Ep.97: They Taught us What?
Feb. 14, 2022
We all did it. We all went to school with open minds, excited to learn new things. We, here in the U.S., learned a lot about our country’s history. Interestingly, with the lens of current knowledge, we now know that a lot of…
Ep.96: Check Your Rolodex
Feb. 7, 2022
Office life has changed so much in the last thirty years–we saw the coming and going of the fax machine, the thumb drive, the inter-office memo, to name just a few–and now, with remote working, the office doesn’t even have p…
Ep.95: Big Bad Ben
Jan. 31, 2022
Ben Franklin is deeply embedded in the American ethos. He was a Founding Father, an inventor, a printer, an author, a diplomat, a man about town, to name just a few of his talents. He was prolific to say the least and was a …
Ep.94: Barbers or Barbarians?
Jan. 24, 2022
Medicine and medical treatments have, thankfully, evolved over the years as these procedures and cures always aim to stay on the cutting edge. WIth the luxury of being able to look backwards in time, we can safely laugh at s…
Ep.93: Stop Playing With Your Doodlesack
Jan. 17, 2022
In the development of the English language, we have created some words that are just plain funny. A word, when heard, elicits snickers, laughter, and general bemusement. Jon and Kurt can’t contain themselves from their child…
Ep.92: Your Next Hangover
Jan. 10, 2022
We’ve all been there: you are having a really good time at the party and imbibe just a wee bit too much. Enough too much that the following morning you feel like crap. So you try all sorts of things to mitigate the pain. To …
Ep.91: You Get Paid For That?
Jan. 3, 2022
If you think your job is a little bizarre sometimes, think again. There are people out there who have incredibly unique professions--human dog food taster, professional cuddler, worm collector, train pusher–-to name just a f…
Ep.90: That Was Awful
Dec. 27, 2021
Over time, words take on new meanings. Interestingly, often the new definition is the exact opposite of where the word started off. This somewhat boggling phenomenon is the subject of this week’s Smart Drivel episode. Jon an…
Ep.89: Deceptively Named Foods
Dec. 20, 2021
Ever have this happen to you…you are sitting at a beautiful table in a nice restaurant, you peruse the menu, you see something that sounds delicious even though you haven’t had it before, you feel bold, and you order it. Onl…
Ep.88: Thumbs Up or FU?
Dec. 13, 2021
You are on a great vacation. One you have saved up for and planned for years. You leave the friendly confines of the U.S. and head overseas. While in the MidEast, you wish to show your appreciation for good service and, sinc…
Ep. 87: Tale of the Tape: 1960s vs. Today
Dec. 6, 2021
The last 60 years have brought an onslaught of evolutionary and technological advances that have drastically re-shaped humanity. And speaking of re-shaping, boy these last six decades have had a huge impact on the shape of t…
Ep.86: For All Intensive Purposes
Nov. 29, 2021
Sayings have made their way into the vernacular that are just plain wrong. There are many common phrases that we mix up and mess up. When we proudly declare “that was a bold faced lie” or “it’s a doggy dog world” or “card sh…
Ep.85: It’s All Greek To Us
Nov. 22, 2021
The civilization of Ancient Greece emerged into the light of history in the 8th century BC. Normally it is regarded as coming to an end when Greece fell to the Romans, in 146 BC. What is amazing is that this long gone civili…
Ep.84: I Put a Spell on You
Nov. 15, 2021
Curses. Jinxes. Hexes. Call them what you want, it all boils down to the same thing...life is unpredictable at best, and worse when your fate is altered by forces out of your control. In this episode, Jon and Kurt look at th…
Ep.83:The Curious Case of the Dickie
Nov. 8, 2021
Bell bottoms, high heels, cod pieces, popped collars, dickies...yup, once upon a time all of these, and other like-minded trends, were all the rage. Jon and Kurt try to unravel the history of these odd bursts of fashion to b…
Ep.82: What Would You Try?
Nov. 1, 2021
If you knew you couldn’t fail, what would you do? From the existential to the mundane, Jon and Kurt examine different careers and adventures that they would try--knowing they were safe from failure.
Ep.81: Big Little Things
Oct. 25, 2021
The expensive, large purchases we make--like houses, cars, jewelry--get all the attention, but it is the little things that actually make the biggest differences. In this episode, Jon and Kurt pay tribute to those small purc…
Ep.80: Did You Smell That?
Oct. 18, 2021
Smells can put you in a great mood, can be offensive to your innards, can be meditative, and can conjure up nostalgia. How is it that this one sense impacts so much of our psyche and emotional well being? Well, Jon and Kurt …
Ep.79: Do Not Pass Go
Oct. 11, 2021
The boys struck out on a path this episode to talk about board games. The classic games found in most homes that engendered laughter, cheating, family bonding, family arguing, and all around great memories. Come have a liste…
Ep.78: Favorites
Oct. 4, 2021
Tired of beating the curmudgeon drum, Jon and Kurt decide to focus on some of their favorite things. There are no pet peeves in this episode, no discussion of the problems in society these days, and no conversations about th…
Bonus Episode: The After 30 Podcast Guest Appearance
Sept. 27, 2021
Every once in a while, Jon and Kurt like to venture out of their comfort zones and try new things. In this episode, the Smart Drivel gents are guests on The After 30 Podcast and have a fun and interesting discussion with hos…
Ep.76: Things We Can Live Without
Sept. 20, 2021
Ever look at something and you realize that you can easily, and happily, live without it? Seems society is hell bent on creating more more more...yet is it all necessary? Jon and Kurt have a funny and spirited conversation a…
Ep.75: Ten Billion Donuts
Sept. 13, 2021
Join Jon and Kurt for a rollicking, delicious, jaunt through the history of donuts and their role in pop culture. Find out why they (ok, just one of them) call donuts "the Truman Doctrine of Pastries", what Clark Gable and W…