Hey Riddle Riddle #393: Mr. Mouse Bones

Release Date: January 28, 2026

Overview

In this characteristically chaotic and hilarious episode, hosts Adal Rifai, Erin Keif, and John Patrick Coan (JPC)—joined later by guest Sandy Weisz—tackle movie mashup riddles, banter about cinematic deep cuts, invent instant meme legends (hello, Mr. Mouse Bones), and cap it off with a whirlwind of global idioms. The show offers the usual blend of riffing improvisation, trivia, and riddle-solving, but as always, the riddles are just the backdrop for the gang’s quick wit and infectious chemistry.

Key Discussion Points & Segments

1. Movies Only Straight Men Seem to Love (00:20–04:35)

• Snatch Vs. Boondock Saints
  Erin admits she's never seen Guy Ritchie’s Snatch.
  • “When you are a person who dates mostly straight men… they usually will not stop talking about movies that they love.” – Erin Keif (01:32)
• The gang jokes about the male tendency to rave about certain movies, especially Interstellar and Boondock Saints.
• They reminisce about film fads and question why some films become cultural touchstones in certain social circles and not others.

2. Uncommon Favorite Movies & Hidden Cinematic Gems (04:36–08:45)

• Each host shares a “cult favorite” film they’ve struggled to find kindred spirits for.
  • Adal: Who Framed Roger Rabbit – “It changed animation… Bump the lamp is still a phrase they use.” (04:44)
  • Erin: Empire Records – “I think it’s the one I get most excited when people love it too.” (06:05)
  • JPC: Magnolia – “You’re not going to sit through a three and a half hour movie just because you’re like, I’ll watch something today.” (08:07)
• Side-tangent introduces the concept of the “IMDB star meter” and if Santa would be more famous than Erin—cue meta-comedy.

3. Movie Mashup Riddle Game! (13:14–44:06)

Hosted by JPC/Audience Submission from Lindsay—turns of phrase and movie synopses combine for riddle-solving mayhem.

Game Mechanics: Two movie plots/titles are mashed up; hosts must guess the combined title.

Notable Riddles & Answers

• Q: Doubting boy takes train to the North Pole + troubled teen invited to alternative school
  • A: Polar Express-ious (Precious) (13:54)
• Q: Yellow Transformer haunts the recently deceased
  • A: Bumble Beetlejuice (14:31)
    • This spawns a full-on improvised sketch about a focus group for the fake film—one of the episode’s best comedic set pieces (15:13–17:06)
• Q: Bunny boy on the run for murder, must face his fears with friends
  • A: Who Framed Roger Rab-itt (Who Framed Roger Rabbit + It) (19:20)
• Q: Banker wrongly in prison, and zombie-slaying pub crawl
  • A: Shawshank Redemption of the Dead (21:24)
• Q: Santa Claus vs. Street Fighter villain
  • A: Miracle on 34th Street Fighter (21:55)
    • Results in an extended and absurd Santa-on-trial sketch (22:14–24:33)
• Q: Crew finds something terrifying on alien planet—a teenager from the past
  • A: Alien-sino Man (35:44)
    • Leads to a short “cavewoman exchange student” scene (36:14–37:45)
• Q: Oddball cop recruits + high school mean girls
  • A: Police Acade-Mean Girls (40:09)

Quotes:

• “He didn’t want to do this movie. But we found New Jersey’s third best Michael Keaton impersonator.” – Adal (17:31)

Mr. Mouse Bones Lore (29:14–31:16)

• Emerges during a Shawshank/Santa-in-prison riff.
• “As soon as I get near a vent, I can mouse bone my body underneath the grates and sneak out of prison.” – JPC as Santa, aka Mr. Mouse Bones (29:41)

Cue the birth of a new podcast meme—Mouse Bones fever!

4. Iconic Over-Acting and Cinema’s Wildest Performances (32:02–34:44)

• Debate over “most over-the-top performance in cinematic history.”
  • Daniel Craig’s accent in Knives Out (33:20)
  • Chris Tucker in The Fifth Element, Gary Oldman in multiple films (34:23)

5. Global Idioms: Literal Translations Trivia with Sandy Weisz (58:48–78:56)

Sandy joins and brings idioms from around the globe, translated literally. The hosts have to guess their meaning.

Notable Idioms and Their Meanings

• Dutch: “Like an angel pissing on my tongue”
  • Meaning: “Delicious” (59:24–59:56)
• Lithuanian: “Born in a trolley bus”
  • Rude; someone who doesn’t close doors (61:12–62:34)
• Lithuanian: “Hanging noodles on your ears”
  • Means: “Lying to you” (63:15–64:41)
• Tagalog: “Itchy palms”
  • Means: “Hoping to get money” (68:14–69:04)
• Arabic: “Pop your liver”
  • Means: “Someone annoys you” (69:21–69:38)
• Portuguese: “Go comb the monkeys”
  • Means: “Go away, get lost” (70:18–70:38)
• Norwegian: “Think suitcase”
  • Means: “Lustful/thinking about sex” (74:39–75:16)
• Italian: “Swallow the toad”
  • Means: “Eat your words” (75:53–76:49)
• Portuguese: “God gives nuts to those who don't have teeth”
  • Used like “youth is wasted on the young”; opportunities are wasted on those who can’t use them (77:03–78:22)

Quotes:

• “This dinner’s like an angel pissing on my tongue.” – Sandy, via his son Ezra (60:33)
• “Tell me you’ve never fucked a suitcase. You’re not living, brother.” – Adal, after learning Norwegian idioms (75:44)

Notable Running Gags & Tangents

• Mouse Bones Mania

  • “Mr. Mouse Bones” becomes an instant recurring joke, with the team speculating he’ll be a benevolent meme-cryptid haunting social media and underpasses (“I think Mr. Mousebones is going to be like Slenderman, but a more benevolent entity.” – JPC, 42:11)

• Behind the Scenes: Improvised Scenes

  • Santa’s legal woes, improv riffing on the justice system and forensics, jailhouse confessions (“If a whole family accidentally kills Santa, all of them fuse into one Santa Claus…” – JPC, 28:05)
  • “What would you say to Oprah?” “Thank you for years of whatever it is you did.” – Adal/JPC (10:29–10:37)

• Santa vs. Erin’s Fame

  • “Santa’s got to be one of the most famous characters in the world, right?” – JPC (25:38)

• Movie Silliness

  • Absurd ideas for movies (Santa running a prison, everyone in a movie acting as if they’re in a different film, Fast and the Furious: Continental Drift with Pangea as the family)

Memorable Quotes with Timestamps

• “Clip farming. At this point, you’re just saying stuff to get clipped.” – Erin (05:43)
• “Isn’t it crazy that I’m 30 minutes away from touching Oprah?” – JPC (09:29)
• “You have to leave little Mousebones by the fireplace for him to eat.” – Adal (42:55)
• “This drink’s like an angel pissing on my tongue.” – Sandy (59:38)
• “Tell me you’ve never fucked a suitcase; you’re not living, brother.” – Adal (75:44)
• “God gives nuts to those who don’t have teeth.” – Sandy (77:03)

Important Timestamps

• 00:20 – Movie bro talk: Snatch, Interstellar, Boondock Saints
• 04:36 – Favorite movies nobody else cares about
• 13:14 – Movie mashup riddles begin
• 29:15 – Mr. Mouse Bones/Mouse Bones riff origins
• 32:02 – Over-the-top film performances banter
• 44:06–58:48 – Ads (skipped)
• 58:48 – Sandy Weisz segment: Global idioms
• 77:03 – Final idiom: “God gives nuts to those who don’t have teeth”

Conclusion / Takeaways

• Riddles are an excuse for improv: True to form, the riddles and trivia are springboards for fast-paced improvisation, absurd scenarios, and comedic tangents.
• Mouse Bones enters the pantheon of in-jokes: Expect “Mr. Mouse Bones” to linger in fandom and possibly appear in future episodes/merchandise/socials.
• Global idioms are wild: Learning about language is fun—with idioms providing a look into both the logic and the nonsense underlying all cultures.
• Community & Chemistry: The hosts’ inimitable chemistry and willingness to pursue the dumbest ideas make for compelling listening, even for those “barely interested in riddles.”

Episode’s Vibe

Self-effacing, irreverent, and quick-witted, with improvisational detours and a knack for world-building inside jokes.
Even if riddles aren’t your thing, the group’s comedic energy and banter are infectious entertainment.

Note: This summary omits ad reads (44:06–58:48) and standard intros/outros. All times are approximate.