Episodes

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 and Kurt share the current and then the original meanings of words and wonder at the journey these words have taken. It can be said that this episode is truly awful.

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. Only to find that it is made of and tastes nothing at all like what it sounds? This happens way more than you would think. Leaving folks stunned, frustrated, and a bit queasy sometimes. In this episode, Jon and Kurt identify a bunch of these menu items and unveil them for the im...

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, since you don’t know the language, you give a hearty thumbs up to your waiter. Who promptly spits in your soup because you just gave him, what amounts to in his country, the middle finger. This horror scenario happens more than you would think as different countries have differen...

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 things--as in the body. In this episode, Jon and Kurt look at how the average American has changed since 1960. Height. Weight (spoiler alert--it’s not a pretty stat). Connubial patterns. Average age. College educated. Etc. It is a shockingly fun episode to see the changes and ...

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 shark” and many, many others, we are in fact saying them all wrong. In this episode, Jon and Kurt uncover many of these erroneous expressions and provide the actual correct versions. So “hone in” and take a listen.

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 civilization has had an enduring impact on life throughout the centuries. Jon and Kurt investigate how the ancient Greeks still permeate our society. They discuss how we name our cars, household cleaners, fancy scarves, sports teams, sneakers and more after Greek gods and heroes de...

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 the stories behind some famous curses in history. Spooky. Ain’t it?

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 better understand what the hell people were thinking when they wore these oddities.

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.

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 purchases with outsized impact.

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 chat about the good, the bad, and the just plain ol’ smelly aromas out there. Take a whiff for yourself.

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 listen and pull up a chair at the Smart Drivel kitchen table as we set out to play some Monopoly, Clue, Life, Stratego, Chess...well, you get the idea.

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 things they can live without. Instead, this is an unabashed traipse through fields sprouting with their favorite stuff.

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 hosts Tabitha and Anis centering on advice they would give to their 40 year old selves. Two mid-fifties guys talking careers and life with two 30-something women is a mash-up conversation worth a listen.

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 about things they can live without. It is sure to create a desire in you to make a list of your own.

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 boys are back after a brief break to restock their drivel stores. And they certainly seemed to have stocked up for this new episode. Here they delve into the origins of expressions attached to the body. They cover idioms that include body parts, like “jump down your throat”, “drink like you have a wooden leg”, and of course, “blowing smoke up your ass.”

Ah, the 1970s. A beacon of home decor dazzlement...from shag carpets to egg chairs to wood-paneled walls, it was truly a decade to now make fun of. In this episode, Jon and Kurt are invited to a dinner party in the 1970s and they take us along for the ride.

Jon and Kurt decide to scratch their history itch by having a conversation about some of the world’s greatest unsolved history mysteries. Of course, this being Jon and Kurt, they meander a bit off topic, but do manage to come back each time to probe and theorize what the hell happened.

In this conversation, Jon and Kurt share with each other (and the world) some really interesting pieces of information. Not the kind that will get you a raise or a promotion, mind you, but the kind that will cause the person reaching for their 4th canapé on a tray with only 5 left to say, “hmmm, that is a really cool thing to learn. I like this person very much. They are super cool and smart.”

For their 70th episode, Jon and Kurt explore everyday products that got their start in the military. How did something originally developed for the battlefield end up in our everyday life? From the practical to the hysterical, the co-hosts examine a few prime examples.

Ever wonder how certain cities got their nicknames? How did Paris get so lucky to be “the city of light” or why, actually, is Denver “the mile high city” (ok, it’s because it is a mile above sea level). Jon and Kurt take a trip around the world digging into the provenance of nicknames for some best loved metropolis’.

We all know these people. The ones who sing along with the radio at the top of their lungs, yet completely botch the lyrics. Jon and Kurt laugh at some classic misunderstood lyrics. Really...how can people blow the words that are in the title of the song? Crazy. But funny.

Channeling the joys of sitting in a pub in England over a few pints of Guinness, the boys sit back and meander down a conversation river. From discussion the kosher-ness of miso soup to the rationale of naming young Humperdinck, Englebert, it is quite the chinwag.