SmartDrivel is the podcast that promises the drivel and hopes for the smart in every episode. Listeners have described the podcast as funny, quirky, and secretly educational. Join co-hosts Kurt Schneider and Jon Ellenthal as they dig into a wide range of topics drawn from pop culture, history, word play, business, martinis, and more. If you want to impress your friends with your knowledge of the origin of popular phrases, fun facts about pretty much everything, what a contronym is, how beer saved the world, great nicknames, products that accidentally found a market, and pet peeves, then SmartDrivel is the...
Listen in the Podli app 🎧
Follow your favourite podcasts, listen offline and in the car with CarPlay and Android Auto, and always pick up where you left off. Free to try.
Sep 28, 2026 · 32:54
What does finding out which country has Sweden in their national anthem (hint: it is not Sweden), what the name is for the little bumps on a raspberry, and discussing if we now…
Sep 14, 2026 · 36:22
From wine to modern art to the game of cricket, we humans seem to pretend we know what is going on when we generally have no idea. Can you really taste the hint of old leather…
Aug 31, 2026 · 36:19
Design is a fantastic aspect of everyday life. When it is “on”, it beautifully blends art and practicality, form and function. And yet, there are many examples of when an added…
Aug 17, 2026 · 45:11
For those of us who grew up in the ‘60s and ‘70s as part of the latch-key kid phenomenon, our parents practiced what we currently call “benign neglect” in raising us. We, as…
Aug 3, 2026 · 32:48
As Americans, we tend to be ethnocentric when we travel. We expect, stereotypically and categorically, that things “over there” will be what they are back in the States. We seem…
Jul 20, 2026 · 36:37
There we are, going through our day, doing things we feel are part of being human, or good for us, or scientifically proven to better our lives. And then we discover that all…
Jul 6, 2026 · 35:18
In this episode, Kurt puts Jon on the hot seat with a simple game: Was this famous person a Stoic...or not? Winston Churchill. Queen Elizabeth II. Napoleon Bonaparte. Amelia…
Jun 22, 2026 · 30:43
In this episode, the boys follow a trail of words that turns out to be a lot stranger than expected. Why does bankruptcy involve a broken bench? Why is malaria named after "bad…
Jun 8, 2026 · 35:23
Did you know that smells, besides being the strongest door to memories, can be trademarked? As can sounds? Jon and Kurt discuss examples of these as well as smoking tigers,…
May 25, 2026 · 28:37
Jon and Kurt go all Magellan on you this episode and discuss geographic oddities sure to blow your mind. That, and somehow Wilt Chamberlain and poutine make appearances. Oh, and…
May 11, 2026 · 35:42
Jon and Kurt are back with a new episode that explains the origins of “mayday”, delves into men’s new need to keep up a “hot style,” what it means to age, and well just some…
Apr 27, 2026 · 32:33
Jon and Kurt decided to capitalize on the fact that they recorded this episode in April and put out a topical discussion about pranks. They found historical jokes centuries old…
Apr 13, 2026 · 35:08
What do Gatorade, cows with accents, rude dry cleaners, and the moon all have in common? Well, if you like your drivel kinda smart, you’ll see how they all come together in the…
Mar 30, 2026 · 32:36
In this episode, the boys learn how The New York Times reinvented itself, get their minds blown by The Birthday Paradox, rant a little as befits their curmudgeonly state, and–oh…
Mar 16, 2026 · 37:36
Learning, Ranting, and Laughing, our idiosyncratic hosts are back for another episode in season two of Smart Drivel. They discuss gender perspective, a time without a U.S.…
Mar 2, 2026 · 35:16
The boys are back for the third episode in Season 2 of Learn, Rant, Laugh–A Smart Drivel Podcast. In this episode we learn how the term “Pan Am Smile” made it into the…
Feb 16, 2026 · 34:41
Join Jon and Kurt as they excitedly discuss what they learned, what ticked them off, and what made them laugh since the last episode. This time they get into phone etiquette,…
Feb 2, 2026 · 29:32
After 302 episodes, Smart Drivel is back with Season 2 – and a new structure. Jon and Kurt are still two allegedly grown‑up, definitely 60‑year‑old guys trying to make sense of…
Jan 19, 2026 · 25:30
The one that started it all! The very first Smart Drivel of all time. Jon and Kurt explore the world of Pie and of Pi. From ancient savory pies to American Pie by Don McClean to…
Jan 5, 2026 · 31:54
To celebrate the holidays and the start of a new “century” of episodes, Jon and Kurt are giving each other gifts. These gifts–meant to be shared via verbal transmission in bars,…
Dec 22, 2025 · 47:12
Three hundred episodes. Almost nine thousand minutes. One hundred and fifty hours. That is a buttload (an actual unit of measurement – little call back there) of drivel that has…
Dec 8, 2025 · 32:13
There is a narrative device which, when implemented, can add punch, power, and percolation to any sentence, essay, speech, play, poem. This device is called “diacope” and it is a…
Nov 24, 2025 · 41:22
Ah, siblings. No one better to complain about Mom and Dad, but no one who annoys you more. A brother or a sister can get under your skin more than anyone as they know exactly…
Nov 10, 2025 · 33:02
Ever stop to think about two words that we usually interchangeably use to mean the same thing? Well, most of the time, there is a clear difference and distinction between the two…
Oct 27, 2025 · 32:00
If tonight was your last night on earth, what would you choose for your final meal? Jon and Kurt look into famous last meals from historical figures, serial killers, and…
Oct 13, 2025 · 31:06
Anapodoton is a rhetorical device where the main clause of a sentence is omitted, and its meaning is implied by a subordinate clause that is provided, most commonly in well-known…
Sep 29, 2025 · 28:19
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…
Sep 15, 2025 · 38:56
Money. We love it. We hate it. We crave it. We spend it. Money, in all its forms, has been an integral part of all societies. Whether it was huge stones, salt, emu feathers, or…
Sep 1, 2025 · 35:28
It all started with a simple question: why are manhole covers round? And then it grew from there…why are eggs always sold in a dozen? Why do pigeons bob their heads when they…
Aug 25, 2025 · 36:10
Jon and Kurt decide to look at famous hats throughout history and fiction. That’s right. Hats. What started as a random thought turned into a fertile patch of fun, interesting,…
Aug 18, 2025 · 39:17
No matter how smart or talented you think your kids are, there are those among us who are just special. Amazing. Mind blowing. These are the child prodigies. The ones in history…
Aug 11, 2025 · 26:40
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…
Aug 4, 2025 · 25:19
Did you know Time magazine was actually an acronym? In this episode, Jon and Kurt have fun with explaining, finding, and debating fun acronyms that are used in every day…
Jul 28, 2025 · 30:12
Gin & Tonic. Salt & Pepper. Fish & Chips. Done & Dusted. Bread & Butter. Sonny & Cher. Earth Wind & Fire. Lock Stock & Barrel. Signed Sealed & Delivered. All of these examples…
Jul 21, 2025 · 26:42
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…
Jul 14, 2025 · 45:39
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. We do it all the time…giving inanimate objects human-like characteristics.…
Jul 7, 2025 · 26:53
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…
Jun 30, 2025 · 31:20
Just because you are an incredible inventor, politician, musician, actor, artist, etc. it doesn’t mean you aren’t without your quirks. In this episode, Jon and Kurt reveal some…
Jun 23, 2025 · 32:05
In searching for answers to quell fears or explain life’s quirks, humans have oft come up with some pretty bizarre beliefs. Tomatoes are poison? Witches steal a particular male…
Jun 16, 2025 · 24:39
Jon and Kurt return to a theme from the early days of Smart Drivel as they give examples and discuss sayings that just make no sense. Some, like “on cloud 9” confuse one and not…
Jun 9, 2025 · 31:44
We always worry about the large looming events that change history. Yet, often, history’s pages are changed not by some titanic event (pun intended), but by small, seemingly…
Jun 2, 2025 · 36:55
Jon and Kurt wonder at the pervasive use of animal idioms in everyday conversation. Why do we call someone a Black Sheep? Or accuse someone of crying Crocodile Tears? What is a…
May 26, 2025 · 33:34
No, dear listener, this episode is not about everything that can go wrong in a podcast episode will go wrong. It is, however, a quick dive into Named Laws of nature or corporate…
May 19, 2025 · 27:10
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…
May 12, 2025 · 26:14
Kurt and Jon explore the disorienting land defined by the Urban Dictionary and learn more than they bargained for. As it turns out, Kurt is equally at home with hors d'oeuvres as…
May 3, 2025 · 25:08
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…
Apr 28, 2025 · 33:41
It started innocently enough when Kurt drove by a parking lot full of fire trucks, lights flashing, but no fire. And it got them thinking, what % of a firefighters day is…
Apr 21, 2025 · 30:40
The boys decide to give in to their genetic hard-coding and spend an episode exploring what makes the male human do so many idiotic things. Throughout the ages, it seems that…
Apr 14, 2025 · 34:22
The boys are back sharing their feelings. They emote about peeves…yes, all those peeves, be they macro or micro, that get under their skin. But this time, they don’t just dwell…
Apr 7, 2025 · 32:09
Having too much fun with the topic, the boys add on to last week’s list and come up with even more new names for ordinary feelings we all have (like when you have an eyelash…
Mar 31, 2025 · 28:23
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…
Mar 24, 2025 · 27:59
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…
Mar 17, 2025 · 38:13
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…
Mar 10, 2025 · 37:56
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…
Mar 3, 2025 · 34:11
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…
Feb 24, 2025 · 29:36
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…
Feb 17, 2025 · 38:06
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.…
Feb 10, 2025 · 34:29
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…
Feb 3, 2025 · 36:59
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…
Jan 27, 2025 · 32:35
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…
Jan 20, 2025 · 25:27
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…
Jan 13, 2025 · 28:40
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?…
Jan 6, 2025 · 32:45
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…
Dec 30, 2024 · 27:14
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…
Dec 23, 2024 · 30:03
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…
Dec 16, 2024 · 34:53
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,…
Dec 9, 2024 · 38:04
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…
Dec 2, 2024 · 21:03
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…
Nov 25, 2024 · 33:16
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…
Nov 18, 2024 · 32:36
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…
Nov 11, 2024 · 25:54
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…
Nov 4, 2024 · 26:45
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…
Oct 28, 2024 · 32:45
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…
Oct 21, 2024 · 34:38
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…
Oct 14, 2024 · 34:53
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…
Oct 7, 2024 · 30:57
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…
Sep 30, 2024 · 28:34
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…
Sep 23, 2024 · 26:21
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…
Sep 16, 2024 · 31:11
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.…
Sep 9, 2024 · 26:34
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…
Sep 2, 2024 · 26:57
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…
Aug 26, 2024 · 26:27
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…
Aug 19, 2024 · 29:17
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…
Aug 12, 2024 · 29:01
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…
Aug 5, 2024 · 34:36
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…
Jul 29, 2024 · 36:29
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…
Jul 22, 2024 · 24:10
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…
Jul 15, 2024 · 33:36
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…
Jul 8, 2024 · 32:54
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…
Jul 1, 2024 · 26:10
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…
Jun 24, 2024 · 30:54
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…
Jun 17, 2024 · 33:56
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…
Jun 10, 2024 · 38:03
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…
Jun 3, 2024 · 34:16
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.…
May 27, 2024 · 27:42
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…
May 20, 2024 · 30:59
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…
May 13, 2024 · 26:57
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…
May 6, 2024 · 26:11
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…
Apr 29, 2024 · 29:38
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…
Apr 22, 2024 · 25:43
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…
Listen in the Podli app 🎧
Follow your favourite podcasts, listen offline and in the car with CarPlay and Android Auto, and always pick up where you left off. Free to try.
Your podcast? Get the Podli badge for your site
