SmartDrivel

Jon and Kurt pick up the scent from an earlier episode where they discovered John Koenig’s “The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows.” Basically, he made up words to fit common feelings that deserve and need to be named. Never missing a chance to make up words (in the hopes of one day making it into the OED), Jon and Kurt hope they aren’t thrust into “joculimbo” when they try to entertain by making up wo...

Ever wanted to know what the difference is between alligators and crocodiles? Dolphins and porpoises? Further and farther? Whiskey and whisky? Plantains and bananas? You get the gist...this episode has Jon and Kurt exploring and explaining these hugely important differences.

What does a Pepsi navy have to do with telling time, reading books, or popes dying? Don’t have a proverbial pot to piss in as you think of the answer? Well, we are sure there is a cool new word that sums up your feelings. And, in this episode, Jon and Kurt bring all of this together to enlighten, enrichen, and possibly entertain. 

Jon and Kurt can’t get enough of sharing things that makes the other say, “I didn’t know that!” They once again use the construct of each relating three little known morsels to one another. From the heights of Mt. Everest to the lows of World War I and lots in between, they give accounts of historical eerie coincidences and puzzling math party tricks and more. Set your watch to utc +1 (why? Who kn...

The boys are back at it. They are committed to teaching/relating/sharing with each other unique and oddball things previously unknown. In this episode they talk about exploding whales, dropped bombs, the oldest professions in the world, and the aforementioned weird etymology of the word “testify.” Grab a thing or two and have a listen….

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 is a wild manifestation of being human–certainly AI wouldn’t fall prey to a social current that sweeps up many in its errant tide. In this episode, our completely hum...

Jon and Kurt continue with the format of sharing fascinating, entertaining, fun things the other didn’t know. Yes, there was an Emu war. And Ikea sells a gazillion meatballs. There is a species that regenerates. Oh, and we get to hear the two oldest jokes in the world. Pull up a metaphoric stool and hear all about these and others.

Jon and Kurt seek to educate, enlighten, and entertain each other with information previously unknown–be it of the historical, technological, or linguistic bent. What happened in 1752 that no one remembers? From what common sense practical usage did everyday words come from? And what the hell do you call this cool way of cursing: $@&*#!. Come get some fun learning on….

Throughout history, dating as far back as humankind can go, there is an indomitable spirit in people that drives innovation and invention…to make our lives easier and more efficient. This manifested in a way that we kept creating new “technologies” from the umbrella to the printing press to electricity to the automobile to the internet, well you get the idea. And as great as we can say these have...

Jon and Kurt were intrigued by the history, impact, and power of seemingly innocuous everyday items. In this episode they try to make the cast that the utilitarian fork isn’t just about eating, it is representative of the history of humanity. And then they discuss chewing gum and its role in society. You’ll never grab a utensil or chew the same way again…

You might think the common brew/brewski/suds/etc. is just a proletariat beverage more suited to frat brothers than aristocracy. But you would be wrong. Beer has been revered for over 10,000 years as both a nutritious drink and a social elixir. Jon and Kurt follow beer’s impact over the centuries from ancient Egypt to Medieval Europe to the landing of the Mayflower. Grab a cold one and have a liste...

Jon and Kurt seek to answer that age-old question: why are things shaped as they are? Is it for practical purposes? Design aesthetics? Efficiency in production? All of the above? Ok, enough questions, how about some answers. In this episode, our two hosts expound on certain well known objects and explain why they are shaped as they are. Traffic cones, champagne glasses, hockey pucks, wing nuts, et...

Proving once again that you can take the men out of boyhood but can’t take the boy out of the men (or something like that), Jon and Kurt crack themselves up by sharing a bunch of words that sound really dirty (like clatterfart) but are actually quite innocuous on the word spectrum. So don’t be pusillanimous, put on your headphones, and listen. You might find it to be quite a tittynope. 

We all go through life blithely using everyday products without knowing why they are what they are or why they have certain qualities. We just accept them for their utility value, not bothering to ask why. Well, phew, thankfully Jon and Kurt have decided to ask the question and this episode brings their answers. Why do winter hats have that pom pon on top? Why are doorknobs made of brass? Why do w...

Humanity has long searched beyond the corporeal to find answers to life’s big questions. As part of this, there has always been a place for “gods” in all civilizations. From the omnipotent Zeus to Thor the Thunder God to current "big religions’ gods" to the top pagan deities, gods have played a huge role in creating/guiding/forming life’s overall path. Yet, yet, there are also many gods...

Jon went into the fictional phone book to make a list of home addresses where TV/film/literary characters lived. And then he decided to test Kurt’s knowledge of said addresses, giving him three questions to ask to try and identify who, what, and where lived there. The big question is: can you do better than Kurt did?

Humans love their monuments…the pyramids, the Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower, the coliseum, etc. But what do we know of them except what we learn from a hard to hear guide on crowded tour when you just want to get to the restaurant for dinner or a wikipedia page that seems to jump centuries like a schoolkid jumping puddles or saying “huh, I didn’t know that” to a trivia question answer in...

Jon and Kurt find amusement (they are easily amused) in discussing words and phrases that were once popular but have now gone out of style.  Of course, this is just a launching point for some meandering musings.

Humans make mistakes. They also change their mind. Or think they can improve something. In all these cases, when written, these same humans are grateful for the invention of the eraser. Yes, the eraser. That wonderful piece of technology that gives you a “do-over,” that enables you to take chances, to go outside of your comfort zone knowing you can always take it back with a flourish of your erase...

Jon and Kurt take a deep dive into the history of the pedestrian, utilitarian, humble yet mighty toothpick. From its practical origins to its stint as a status symbol to its reign as the arbiter of cool to its “usage drift,” the toothpick has been a marker of humanity itself. Chomp on a toothpick and do your best James Dean impression and give the episode a listen. You’ll be amazed at the outsized...

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 Washington Irving had to say about them, and how the hole came to be. Expect to get a big hankering for a donut...

The lads are back with another fun episode of interesting, random, silly facts (like the aforementioned one about Saudi Arabia). How many brains does a leech have? How many words for snow does Scotland have? And how close, via DNA, are we to our fellow humans? What about Bananas? 

Do you know that the longest word in the English language without a true vowel is “Rhythms”? Well, this got Jon and Kurt thinking about other really fun facts that can be used to dazzle friends and confuse enemies. What animal is really good at math? What country is the most densely populated? Whose poops are cube shaped? And why? Join the boys as they dip into a favorite Smart Drivel topic and gi...

Hitting a classic Smart Drivel theme or genre or topic (ok ok ok, we get it). Jon and Kurt spend this episode giving the back stories to some of the most classic terms from sports or games.  These are expressions we use in everyday life, yet they came from sport, and we get to learn their provenance. Does this seem to be out of left field? Would you rather we shoot point blank? Well, checkmate the...

Jon and Kurt decide to be topical (that is funny in so many ways with these two) for once and have an entire episode dedicated to bizarre, funny, and interesting stories around elections. With the U.S. election just a few weeks away, they look back at memorable moments in campaigning, curious balloting from around the world, funny nicknames for presidents, and, of course, get caught up in succotas...