SmartDrivel

The boys are back with a new episode dedicated to all those little tasks that take no time off the clock but take a lot of time off our souls. We all have them…tiny things to do that trigger big resistance. Transferring the plates into the dishwasher? Putting on a new roll of toilet paper? You get the idea. Typing liner notes? Oh my….

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 literary forensic analysis. What they found is unsettling to say the least. Turns out, some of our most beloved nursery rhymes have morbid, lascivious, and/or creepy origins....

Finding humor, joy, and moral intrigue in select words, Jon and Kurt play a little game. One of the co-hosts comes up with a favorite or interesting word and explains the reasoning behind his choice. The other co-host then has to come up with a compelling entry of his own – but it has to start with the last letter of the other’s word. Of course, this being Smart Drivel, they seldom stay on task or...

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 the only President to hold a patent) to the physically interesting (who was the shortest President) to the curiously interesting (who was the only President to kill someone i...

The first go round with fun phrases was such a hit, Jon and Kurt decided to give it another whirl. Not wanting to "Let the Cat Out of the Bag," but proving to not be a "Flash in the Pan," they wanted to see if they could do it again. Enjoy their presentation of more fun phrases and from whence they came.

Jon and Kurt dig deep to bring you little nuggets you can use to dazzle your friends at your next dinner party. What words in the English language don’t have a rhyme? Who is the model for the NBA logo? Where did the word suede come from? Why do we have Gin & Tonics? And many more truly relevant facts.

The fanny pack. Spray on hair. Corsets. Beanie Babies. Eating placentas. Polyester leisure suits. Yes, in this episode, Jon and Kurt explore fads and trends of the past that have, thankfully, passed us by.

You are probably asking yourself right now, “solo synchronized swimming…Isn’t that an oxymoron?” And while you would be correct, it didn’t stop it from being a honest-to-god true Olympic sport in not one, but three, Olympic Games: 1984, 1988, 1992. We guess that by 1992 a dictionary or thesaurus ended up at the IOC headquarters and they quietly got rid of it. All of which leads Jon and Kurt to hav...

Part of the explanation of what makes humans on top of the food chain is our ability to govern ourselves and make communal laws. However, like all things humans touch, invariably things get out of control. In this episode, Jon and Kurt talk about some of the most ludicrous, head-scratching, obscure laws that are still on the books in cities across the globe. Whatever you do, do not have an ice cre...

What? That is toads, not rhinos, that give you warts. Well, actually, that’s not true either. For centuries, we have blindly (not like a bat) given myths to animals that we hold to be true. But here is the kicker, they are patently false. Jon and Kurt go on a debunking mission and spread the truth gospel about many cherished animal legends (spoiler alert…ostriches don’t bury their heads in the san...

Jon and Kurt decide to check the veracity of time-honored and venerated sayings/proverbs/idioms by applying science, math, logic to the idioms. Can lightning really not strike the same location twice? Can a walnut remove scratches in the floor? Can you really teach an old dog new tricks? Tune in, have a listen, and don’t take any wooden nickels.

Join Jon and Kurt in the greatest, funniest, smartest, drivelest episode ever. Yes, indeed, they reveal the biggest, oldest, smelliest, farthest “ests” of all time. Oldest piece of art? Highest IQ? Strongest animal on earth? Shortest novel ever written? Smallest country? Geeze, this is just the best.

If you knew that the etymology of the word “decide” killed off all other choices, then you might be apt to decide for yourself to listen to this latest episode. Jon and Kurt decide to continue their discussion on words in the English language–where they come from, why they exist, and some crazy fun facts about them thrown in for good measure. We’re not being sarcastic (spoiler alert), we do think...

Bowing to popular demand, Jon and Kurt are back with a whole new episode dedicated to words. Revisiting a favorite topic – fun facts about words–our two co-hosts provide a bevy of tidbits, etymologies, backstories, and really cool information about some of the most used and interesting words. Where did “mentor” the word originate and why? What word has the most definitions? Well, you get the idea....

Join the fun as Jon and Kurt take turns asking each other provocative questions that, as you would expect, span the smart and the drivel. Find out who they would switch lives with for just one day, what they loved doing when they were eight, and if they would choose being the rock or the hard place. Of course, while each co-host gets to ask, they also have to answer the questions themselves. Makes...

Join the fun as Jon and Kurt take turns asking each other provocative questions that, as you would expect, span the smart and the drivel. Find out who they would switch lives with for just one day, what they loved doing when they were eight, and if they would choose being the rock or the hard place. Of course, while each co-host gets to ask, they also have to answer the questions themselves. Makes...

It was time. Our curmudgeonly co-hosts had held out from getting annoyed by people, things, society, etc. for just so long that they couldn’t hold it in anymore. Ergo, we get another “Pet Peeves” episode with all new nuisances, annoyances, and things that just piss off Jon and Kurt. Take this test: listen and try to see how many you agree with or not. Then you could say listening to Smart Drivel i...

In part 2 of a two-part mini-series (the boys are influenced by all the streamers), Jon and Kurt continue to opine on and proffer their submissions for certain country’s best gifts to the world. They randomly chose ten countries and make a case for that nation’s greatest contribution to humankind. As you might expect, some of their suggestions are heavy with societal impact, others are delicious,...

In this two-part mini-series (the boys are influenced by all the streamers), Jon and Kurt opine on and proffer their submissions for certain country’s best gifts to the world. They randomly chose ten countries and make a case for that nation’s greatest contribution to humankind. As you might expect, some of their suggestions are heavy with societal impact, others are delicious, and others are pure...

Ever wonder what it would be like to live as a dog? To sleep most of the day, get your tummy rubbed, and give away all your emotions with a simple wag of your tail? Jon and Kurt channel their inner canines and ponder life as a dog and all things doggy. It’s a howling good time.

Jon and Kurt finally dig into today’s topic after a bit of verbal disagreements and  wandering around. The discussion was a debate about U-Turns and their pros and cons. Each co-host had to choose a side: Kurt went for the con and, going against type, he gets a bit worked up and emotional in his scathing criticism of the crutch that is the U-turn. Whereas Jon passionately defends the latitude and...

Jon and Kurt explore the root words that we all know and use often in their “negative” or “reverse” meaning. Where did these words come from? If “disgruntled” is a word, then shouldn’t “gruntled” be a word? And, if so, what does it meant? Is “kempt” the true opposite of “unkempt” or can we be “sheveled” if we are also often called “disheveled”? You get the idea. The boys try to be “ane” in their c...

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 word can be taken as the complete opposite? Holy cow, this is confusing. So, Jon and Kurt decide to dive into it head on and–buckle up–you need to fasten your seat belt, er, um or will you unfasten and–...

The Smart Drivel lads, Jon and Kurt, decide to revisit a favorite topic in this week’s all new episode…famous phrases and their origins. Previously, they have told us the backstory of “one for the road”, “turn a blind eye”, “chairman of the board” and, of course, the wildly popular “freeze the balls off a brass monkey”, and many others. Well, stop sitting on the fence and shake off the fact you wo...

Whether you call them urban legends, urban myths or old wive’s tales, there are certain stories that enter the zeitgeist. Some start with “I swear this is true” and others as “did you hear about…?” Whatever the provenance, these stories zip around pop culture faster than the Road Runner sprints to Wile E. Coyote’s attempted traps. In this episode, Jon and Kurt present some of the most bizarre, bel...