Season 1

Mustaches are having their moment. Previously the signature look of creepy dudes and ‘70s porn stars, the mustache is back, popular, and oh so au courant. Hipster millennials finally are shaving their beards leaving just the ...

Jon and Kurt have fun guessing famous slogans that were funny, had double meanings, or were just blatantly bad. From the disaster of the Chevy Nova in foreign markets to the hilarity of a Sega print ad to explaining the …

Throughout recorded time, certain foods have been elixirs and medicinal remedies for multiple ailments. As Hipocrates famously said, “let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” In this episode, Jon and Kurt dig up so...

We have all had them…these knee buckling, mind boggling big questions that we try to make sense of. Like “why are there interstate highways in Hawaii?” or “how is it possible to have a ‘civil’ war?” or “have you ever …

The Darwin Awards are catnip to any Smart Driveler. They “recognize individuals who have supposedly contributed to human evolution by selecting themselves out of the gene pool by dying or becoming sterilized via their own act...

Jon and Kurt have each found certain parts of the human existence that they feel are out of place, unwarranted, just plain wrong. They chalk these up to being some of the (very) few mistakes made by God. In their …

Upon a recommendation from a loyal listener, Jon and Kurt record another episode of fun facts with which to amaze, tantalize, and hypnotize your friends. They run the gamut from expanding landmarks to lacking the body odor ge...

Jon and Kurt recently learned of a fascinating human dynamic: there are many instances where large groups of people all swear they know a fact that is indisputable. Yet they are wrong. Their "fact" is completely made up. It i...

Jon and Kurt had so much fun discovering the greatest April Fool’s pranks that they dove in even deeper and found more incredible hoaxes. Marketers take it as manna from heaven and have had a lot of fun ginning up …

Jon and Kurt decided to capitalize on the fact that they recorded this episode the day after April First and put out a topical discussion about pranks. They found historical jokes centuries old that fooled many middle agers ...

Ever want to hang with Sam I Am and try to eat Green Eggs and Ham? Or chill with Captain Nemo as he heads 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea? Maybe you want to have tea with Emma in one of …

Like it or not, the AI revolution is coming. Heck, it is here already. Jon and Kurt wondered how unique they were and if ChatGPT had the ability to add drivel to smart. So, for this episode, they requested ChatGPT …

When Jon and Kurt were sharing befuddlement (something they often do) about the fact that a banana duct taped to a wall sold for $120,000 at auction a year ago, they decided to explore it more. In so doing, they …

Ah, the wonder of comforting childhood rhymes–such sweet innocent word play to amuse, soothe, and educate young children. At least that is what we all thought until Jon and Kurt did some digging, some intensive research, some...

People have used their final words, before passing onto the next adventure in the sky, to truly make a statement. Funny, emotional, insulting, self-deprecating, you name it. With the chance for one final opportunity to commun...

Jon and Kurt decide to get patriotic, historic, and caloric–ok, not caloric, but it did fit the rhyme scheme–as they share unique, surprising stories about our 46 U.S. Presidents. From the scientifically interesting (which is...

We have emerged out of a precedent-setting pandemic where all bets were off as to how we behaved, presented ourselves, and interacted with others. Add to this dynamic that there is now a new generation in the workspace, ther...

Our homes are veritable Swiss army knives of contraptions, inventions, and solutions. Everyday household items found in drawers, cabinets, and refrigerators can be used for solving many common issues. Jon and Kurt get in on t...

Jon and Kurt each found some random questions they wanted to ask each other to try and establish a trivia knowledge hierarchy in the Smart Drivel organization. Of course, this being Smart Drivel, the answers are never straigh...

Ever get that sneaking suspicion that there is something out there to be afraid of? In other words, do you have a phobia about phobias? Well, there is a name for that: Phobophobia is a fear of being afraid. If …

Jon and Kurt take a look through history at great business inventions. They apply their own filters as to what makes a great invention and bring in personal experiences in the business world to list, debate, admire, and laugh...

Every great movie has an iconic line that, when uttered, immediately generates a response from those in your conversation pod. “It’s all ball bearings these days.” “Play it, Sam.” “We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto.” Jon and ...

In every category, there always seems to be one product, one event, one person, one object that defines the list, that comes out on the very top and is the first listed. This element is the example of the topic …

Jon and Kurt invite you to peek in on their conversation about Homophones which will hopefully pique your interest and make you think they have reached the peak of podcasting. You guessed it, you are the guest of the episode....

We have all been there…you are on the couch flipping channels and you come across a movie that stops you in your tracks. No matter how many times you have seen it, you HAVE to watch it again. The same …

Ever get confused when you are watching an Auburn football game and they are referred to as the Tigers but then their fans all cheer for the War Eagles? Or want the backstory on the UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs? …

The 1970s saw the advent of bell bottoms, the rise of Donny Osmond, and the proliferation of new chain restaurants across the country. The affordability of these new “casual dining” experiences coupled with some of their them...

The boys were in a conversation the other day when they both started using common phrases in a nerdy “one-upsmanship” kind of way. It started innocently enough with Jon mentioning something about being “called on the carpet”...

Did you know that the words written on Twitter every single day would fill a book of ten million pages? Did you know that “buttload” is an actual measurement? Jon and Kurt have fun in this episode doling out seemingly …

In an episode that quickly diverted from the chosen topic--really stupid questions people ask-- and never returned to it (luckily, this is a weekly podcast so there is always another opportunity), Kurt discusses how he can i...

What is a contronym you ask? The definition is “a word with two opposite meanings.” Huh? You mean to tell me that you can use a word, feeling good about it, and then all of a sudden that same exact …

It happens all the time–at least to Kurt it does–there you are, sitting at a dinner regaling everyone with curious and interesting facts. Like where f.u.c.# comes from. Or the length of Twinkies half-life. Or the toilet was i...

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 …

Episode 131: The Mirror is Wrong Jon and Kurt delve back into words in this episode. Seems they are super nerds about words. Here they look at word couples that look the same, yet have different meanings. Like insensible and …

As a companion to last week’s episode on new words being added to the dictionary, this week Jon and Kurt explore the word’s that get kicked out. Yup, with new words being added, there are those few who get the …

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? It...

In this episode, Jon and Kurt have fun explaining, finding, and debating interesting acronyms that are used in everyday conversation. Redux.

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 …

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 th...

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. …

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? Shrapne...

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, o...

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 ot...

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 ...

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 …

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 o...

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 …

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 …

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. Th...

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 …