Good Job, Brain! – Episode 282: "Spiking It To Ya"

Released: December 11, 2024
Summary by [Podcast Summarizer]

Episode Overview

This episode dives into “spiky” things—literal and metaphorical—covering everything from wordplay and cryptic crossword clues, to famous people (and dogs!) named Spike, to spiky animals, historical railroad spikes, and even “spiking” drinks. As always, the show is a lively trivia bonanza, brimming with fun facts, rapid-fire quizzes, and plenty of playful banter from hosts Karen, Colin, and Chris (with Dana absent this week).

Main Segments & Highlights

1. Show Intro & Word of the Day – "Zeugma"

[00:15 – 04:09]

• Listener Word Submission: Karen introduces "zeugma," a rhetorical device joining literal and metaphorical uses, using the line from The Lion King song "Be Prepared":
  • “Your teeth and ambitions are bared. Be prepared.”
  • “It's a figure of speech that combines both the literal and the metaphorical use of the word together.” – Karen ([02:44])
• Historical & Etymological Fun:
  • Not in the Scrabble dictionary, but “zeugma” is acceptable.
  • The Greek origin means “yoking together.”

2. Cryptic Crossword Clue [Christopher Meloni]

[04:09 – 06:36]

• Chris presents a cryptic crossword clue:
  • “Stabler destroyed lemon in front of me. (6 letters)” ([04:32])
  • Solution: “Meloni” (anagram of "lemon" + "I"), referencing actor Christopher Meloni, who played “Stabler” in Law & Order: SVU.

3. General Trivia Segment (Trivial Pursuit & Video Games)

[06:56 – 16:01]

• Trivial Pursuit Pop Quiz:
  • Gibraltar as the British territory adjacent to Spain.
  • “Supernatural” as the paranormal TV show with a black 1967 Chevy Impala.
  • The U.S. does have a central bank—the Federal Reserve ([10:09]).
  • “Gone Girl” adaptation, sum of pentagon angles (540°), chess pieces moving diagonally.
• Video Game Lightning Round (Celebrating Chris' new Tetris game):
  • Tim Schafer’s Double Fine studio.
  • Pokémon began on the Game Boy.
  • “Stranglehold” video game sequel to “Hard Boiled.”
  • The infamous Xbox “Red Ring of Death.”
  • Names of Streets of Rage heroes; Xbox One X codename “Scorpio”.
    • “I love seeing people be competent. So.” – Karen ([14:18])

4. Spiky Things Main Topic

A. Famous "Spikes" Quiz

[17:05 – 28:36]
Chris explores cultural figures named Spike, spanning from TV, comics, animation, games, and even real life:

• Trivia Questions:
  1. Spike Spiegel in “Cowboy Bebop”
  2. William Pratt ("Spike") in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” & “Angel”
  3. Snoopy’s brother, Spike, with all of Snoopy’s siblings—“Hard living dog” ([20:17])
  4. Multiple dog “Spikes” in Looney Tunes (Chester & Spike, Tree for Two) and Tom & Jerry (Son: Tyke)
  5. Spike the dog in Rugrats, voiced by Bruce Willis in Rugrats Go Wild ([22:43])
  6. “Ape Escape” protagonist is a boy named Spike; “Dudley Boys” wrestler team.
  7. “Wrecking Crew” (Mario & Luigi) adversary: Foreman Spike.
  8. "Degrassi" series—Amanda Steptoe as Christine “Spike” Nelson.
  9. “Old Yeller” – famous 1950s dog actor Spike.
  10. Why “Spike” is a nickname: “Put it [spiked collar] on a pit bull’s neck, they call him Spike…spiky hair, they call him Spike. It’s just a nickname.” – Chris ([27:35])

B. Spiky Things Grab Bag Quiz

[28:36 – 36:45]
Karen leads a lightning round of spiky-themed general trivia:

• Hair:
  • Bleached, spiky “frosted tips” style in 2000s boy bands.
• WWII Obstacles:
  • “Czech hedgehogs” and “dragon's teeth” as anti-tank defenses; called “Toblerones” in Switzerland ([30:36]).
• Animals:
  • Porcupine spikes = “quills;” hedgehog spikes = “spines.”
  • Porcupine babies = “porcupettes;” hedgehog babies = “hoglets.”
• Helmet:
  • The “Pickelhaube”—spiky Prussian/German helmet ([33:00])
• Sports:
  • “Spiking” in volleyball; invented by William Morgan for less physical exertion than basketball. Morgan was James Naismith's student.
• Fruits:
  • Durian, jackfruit, rambutan, and pitaya (dragon fruit) have spiky exteriors.
• Fairy Tales:
  • Spindle plays big roles in Sleeping Beauty and Rumpelstiltskin.

5. Feature Segment: The Golden Spike – U.S. State Quarters & Railroad History

[39:17 – 56:23]
Colin takes over with nostalgic tales about pub quiz state quarters trivia, before delving deep into the history of the “Golden Spike” commemorating the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.

• Memorable Moments:

  • Utah’s quarter features two locomotives and a giant spike—the “Golden Spike,” not Utah’s natural wonders.
  • The actual Golden Spike event in 1869 at Promontory Summit:
    • Gold spike was only tapped, not hammered.
    • Leland Stanford (namesake of Stanford University) was honored to drive the spike: “He missed it. He’s standing there. He had one job.” – Colin ([53:03])
    • The telegraph operator faked the “done” signal anyway.
    • Spike was immediately removed for safekeeping; the commemorative railroad tie burned in the fire after the 1906 SF earthquake.
    • The Golden Spike survives in Stanford’s Cantor Arts Museum.
  • “It’s like one of those things, like, for me, about American history where the more you dig into it, it’s a lot of yes and no. Like, yes, there was a golden spike. No, it wasn’t really hammered into place, and it was immediately removed…” – Colin ([56:15])

• Bonus: Karen shares the “Spitting Horse Quarter” (Delaware, 1999), a mint error making the horse look like it’s spitting.

6. Lightning Round: "Spike" – Alcohol Edition

[57:04 – 66:56]
Karen quizzes the group on the main or signature ingredients of various alcoholic beverages—because “spiking” a drink.

• Sample Questions & Answers:
  • Cider: Apples
  • Mead: Honey
  • Rum: Sugarcane
  • Kirsch: Cherries
  • Calvados: Apples
  • Tequila: Blue agave
  • Tapache: Pineapple
  • Pisco: Distilled grapes
  • Eau de vie: Pears (with full pears grown in the bottle! [62:01])
  • Kefir: Milk
  • Chambord: Raspberries
  • Mirin: Rice
  • Cynar: Artichoke ([64:12])
  • Frangelico: Hazelnut
  • Malört: Wormwood (Chicago’s “grossest” spirit; “At first you taste it…then it turns bad. The only thing to do is to drink more Malört.” – Chris [65:56])
  • Crème de cassis: Blackcurrant
  • Jerkum: Plum

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "It's a big family... a word play trope with double meanings." – Karen on zeugma ([02:56])
• “I love seeing people be competent. So.” – Karen ([14:18])
• “Hard living Snoopy... hard living dog.” – Chris ([20:17, 20:41])
• “They literally look like big line of Toblerones.” – Karen, on Swiss defensive dragon teeth ([30:36])
• “Porcupines have quills. Hedgehogs have spines.” – Karen ([31:13])
• “Turns out [the Pickelhaube helmet] is terrible for warfare... High on form, low on function.” – Karen ([33:14])
• "In Switzerland they call dragon teeth, 'Toblerones.'" – Karen ([30:34])
• “If you were Leland Stanford, what’s the most embarrassing thing you could do? ...Miss.” – Karen & Colin ([53:02])
• “If it can be fermented, it has been fermented.” – Colin ([67:10])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:15 – Word of the Day: Zeugma
• 04:09 – Cryptic Crossword Clue (Christopher Meloni)
• 06:56 – General Trivia (Trivial Pursuit Card)
• 12:35 – Tetris discussion, Video Game Trivia celebration
• 16:13 – Introduction to “Spiky Things” topic
• 17:05 – Chris’s Famous “Spikes” quiz
• 28:36 – Spiky things grab-bag trivia (hair, obstacles, animals, helmets, fruits, fairy tales)
• 39:17 – Colin’s State Quarters & Golden Spike history lesson
• 56:44 – The “Spitting Horse Quarter”
• 57:04 – Lightning round: Alcohol and their base ingredients

Overall Episode Vibe

This episode typifies Good Job, Brain!’s signature blend of warmth, witty banter, deep-cut trivia, and joyful knowledge-sharing. Narrative tangents unfold into history lessons, personal stories, and mini “quiz shows,” all united by the playful theme of “spikes.” The hosts’ camaraderie and humor shine through, making even the most obscure facts engaging and memorable.

For trivia fans and the trivia-curious, “Spiking It To Ya” delivers both laughs and brain fuel, with plenty of quick quotes and facts you'll want to share at your next quiz night!