Good Job, Brain! – Episode 297: “To Market, To Market”
Original Airdate: October 8, 2025
Hosts: Karen, Colin, Dana, and Chris
Special Guest: Jennifer Chu (Karen’s sister)
Episode Overview
In this lively episode, the GJB team celebrates their impending 300th-episode milestone with a special guest: Karen’s sister Jennifer Chu. The episode’s main theme is “markets,” broadly interpreted—from flea markets and nursery rhymes, to global bazaars, plastic bags, and financial markets. True to form, the group delivers a fast-paced, quiz-heavy, trivia-laden episode with plenty of laughs, offbeat facts, and competitive energy. Listeners who love connecting obscure dots and playing along with challenging questions will feel right at home.
Key Segments & Discussion Highlights
1. Opening Banter & “Egg Corn” Humor (00:15–04:05)
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The crew riffs on “eggcorns”—misheard idioms, with Chris introducing “falling on death’s ear” as a creative twist on “falling on deaf ears.”
- Quote: “It is as if I am talking to...the Grim Reaper himself. My words are falling on death’s ear.” — Chris (01:13)
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Jennifer arrives, casserole in hand, bringing “big sister energy” and joining the show as a surprise guest.
2. Random Pop Quiz – Trivial Pursuit (04:11–13:18)
- Rapid-fire general knowledge.
- Notable Questions & Answers:
- Largest U.S. seafood festival named after a hairstyle?
A: Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival, Niceville, Florida – referring to the fish and the haircut. (04:43) - Kevin Spacey political drama based on British TV?
A: House of Cards. (05:42) - 19th-century detective agency, “We never sleep”?
A: Pinkerton Agency. (06:20) - Best-selling modern mystery writer (now dead)?
A: Agatha Christie. (07:11) - Online “smart home” network term?
A: Internet of Things (IoT). (07:35) - “Yorker”, “leg break”, and “sticky wicket” are terms from?
A: Cricket. (07:56)
- Largest U.S. seafood festival named after a hairstyle?
- Side conversations about siblings, trivia upbringing, and sibling rivalry.
- Notable Questions & Answers:
3. Meat of the Show: Markets and Marketplaces
a. Motivation: Flea Market Finds (13:23–14:29)
- Chris shares his passion for collecting rare video game paraphernalia at flea markets.
- Quote: “The haggling and the, you know, trying to get away with something—it’s so much fun. The hobby is acquiring video games...however I can.” — Chris (14:06)
b. Nursery Rhyme Deep Dive: “This Little Piggy Went to Market” (14:43–22:13)
- Chris traces the history and evolving meaning of the “This Little Piggy” nursery rhyme.
- Dispels a viral online claim that the pig “went to market” to be slaughtered.
- Finds earlier versions (circa 1904), suggesting it’s about virtues/chores, not death.
- Quote: “I thought the piggy was pushing a little shopping cart, but people say it meant the pig was taken to be sold. I don’t actually think that’s the case...it’s a virtues and vices poem.” — Chris (18:26-20:10)
- Touches on related rhymes, oral tradition, and a personal family anecdote.
- Fun fact: The earliest editions tie it to teaching kids about chores and consequences.
4. Major Quiz Segment: Famous World Markets (22:13–44:09)
Interactive “write down” quiz where each panelist bets coins on their answers:
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Notable Questions & Answers:
- Alsmere, Netherlands: world’s largest market for?
A: Flowers (accept tulips). (24:26) - Queen Victoria Market location (lamingtons, sausage rolls):
A: Melbourne, Australia. (25:47) - Famous Seattle market incites Ken Jennings to say “sticklers”:
A: Contestant said “Pike’s Place”; correct answer is “Pike Place Market” (not possessive). (28:07) - Arabic term for a marketplace (not “bazaar”):
A: Souk. (29:51) - Vienna’s city hall plaza: world’s largest annual market dedicated to?
A: Christmas markets. (32:32) - First Michelin star for street food; “soya chicken, rice and noodle”:
A: Singapore. (34:34) - Savile Row’s fictional secret society headquarters in a film:
A: Kingsman. (37:54) - Grand Bazaar’s location, country officially changed name in 2022:
A: Türkiye (formerly Turkey). (39:22) - Most expensive item sold at Tokyo’s fish market:
A: Bluefin tuna (up to $3.1 million). (41:37, 42:25)
- Alsmere, Netherlands: world’s largest market for?
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Memorable banter: Jennifer dominates the quiz, humorously accused of having inside help from the host (“quiz show scandal”, 30:41).
5. Invention Spotlight: The Plastic Bag (47:01–56:56)
- Colin shares the invention story of the plastic shopping bag.
- Invented by Swedish engineer Sten Gustav Thulin (1959, popularized 1960s).
- Intention was to save trees (replace paper bags), envisioned as reusable.
- Rapid adoption, environmental problems, eventual bans.
- Quote: “His vision was a more environmentally friendly product…You can literally carry it in your pocket when you go shopping.” — Colin (51:39)
- California’s odd legal loopholes (and closing them in 2026).
- Discussion of environmental trade-offs: plastic vs. cotton vs. paper totes.
6. Stock Market Lightning Round (57:25–62:22)
- Quiz on companies with single-letter stock symbols:
- C (1986): Citigroup
- V (2008): Visa
- F (1956): Ford
- T (1930): AT&T
- H (2009): Hyatt
- M (2007): Macy’s
- U (2020): Unity
- W (2014): Wayfair
- Z (Current): Zillow
- Memorable Moment: Karen: “Our favorite hobby is to go on Zillow and check out what you can't buy.” (62:09)
7. The Casserole Quiz: “Connections”-Style (63:44–77:27)
- Jennifer brings her own uniquely-written “Connections” quiz (inspired by the NYT game).
- Each round features five terms; players identify the outlier and the theme.
- Sample questions and standouts:
- Disneyland cities: Paris, Las Vegas, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo
- Outlier: Las Vegas (no Disneyland; 65:36)
- Sports franchises: Dallas, Washington DC, Boston, LA, Chicago
- Outlier: Boston (no WNBA team; 67:09)
- Animals on national flags: Kangaroo, Eagle, Condor, Lion, Spiny Lobster
- Outlier: Kangaroo (not on a flag; 68:12)
- Genericized trademarks: Band-Aid, Popsicle, Ragu, Jello, Kleenex
- Outlier: Ragu (not a genericized trademark; 69:08)
- Pantone color of the year: Mocha Moose, Tangerine Tango, Rose Quartz, Moody Smoke, Greenery
- Outlier: Moody Smoke; (70:07)
- Disneyland cities: Paris, Las Vegas, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo
- Several other rounds challenge knowledge of U.S. constitutional amendments, Oscars hosting, Star Wars release years, and Eurovision winners.
- Memorable moment: “That was a good, hard quiz…I think if it were better written, it would be only one possibility.” — Jennifer (77:30)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:15 – Episode intro banter & “eggcorns”
- 04:11 – Pop Quiz, Trivial Pursuit style
- 13:23 – Chris's flea market story: segue to “market” theme
- 14:43 – Chris’s deep dive on “This Little Piggy”
- 22:13 – Marketplace World Quiz
- 47:01 – Invention Spotlight: the plastic bag
- 57:25 – Stock Market: One-letter symbols quiz
- 63:44 – Jennifer’s “Connections” quiz (casserole quiz)
- 77:55 – Episode signoff
Notable Quotes
- “It is as if I am talking to...the Grim Reaper himself. My words are falling on death’s ear.” — Chris (01:13)
- “I thought the piggy was pushing a little shopping cart, but people say it meant the pig was taken to be sold. I don’t actually think that’s the case...it’s a virtues and vices poem.” — Chris (18:26–20:10)
- “His vision was a more environmentally friendly product…You can literally carry it in your pocket when you go shopping.” — Colin (51:39)
- “Our favorite hobby is to go on Zillow and check out what you can't buy.” — Karen (62:09)
- “That was a good, hard quiz…I think if it were better written, it would be only one possibility.” — Jennifer (77:30)
Memorable & Comic Moments
- Sibling dynamic: Jennifer’s pop culture prowess and childhood trivia rivalries with Karen.
- “Quiz show scandal”: playful accusations as Jennifer dominates the coin-quiz.
- Collective agony and satisfaction at nailing obscure trivia connections, especially in Jennifer’s challenging quiz.
Episode Takeaways
- Markets aren’t just places to shop—they connect to language, history, invention, stock trading, and more.
- Nursery rhymes often have layered meanings (and don’t always hide dark secrets!).
- Simple inventions like the plastic bag can have huge and unintended worldwide impact.
- Trivia connects everything—from world geography to business to pop culture.
- Play along at home—even seasoned panelists pass sometimes, and everyone learns something new.
For More Trivia & Play-Along Fun
- Listen to this and previous episodes at goodjobbrain.com
- Engage with the team on all major podcast apps and be ready for episode 300!