Patreon Preview #387: Chatterbox #35

Summary

Hey Riddle Riddle – Patreon Preview #387: Chatterbox #35

Date: August 7, 2026
Hosts: Adal Rifai, Erin Keif, JPC (John Patrick Coan), Mariah (guest)

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Episode Overview

In this bonus "Chatterbox" episode, the Hey Riddle Riddle crew—Adal, Erin, JPC, and guest Mariah—dive into a rambling, delightful conversation that spans teenage mischief, local Massachusetts attractions, rare carousels, and the enduring power of adolescent nemeses. While ostensibly about puzzles and riddles, this episode is—as fans have come to expect—more about amusing personal stories and playful banter than strict brain teasers.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Kicking Off with Party Talk

[00:03 – 01:18]

• Adal welcomes everyone to a fictional party complete with roast beef, an ice sculpture, and shots in the kitchen—tailoring the menu to each "guest":

  “Let’s see. We have roast beef in the living room. We have an ice sculpture. We can do shots off that in the kitchen.” – Adal [00:11]

• The hosts joke about Mariah’s authority to head to bed post-recording, riffing on “doctor’s orders” and responsibilities at home.
• Childhood anecdotes: Mariah suggests the classic kid’s ploy of using a “sleepover” as cover for nighttime mischief, to which Adal queries,

  "And who wrecks mailboxes?" – Adal [01:41]

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2. Small-Town Teenage Mischief & Board Games

[01:46 – 02:44]

• Erin shares about growing up in Hingham, Massachusetts, where the prime teenage entertainment was the mall, beach, or—if you’re Erin—board games with her parents:

  “If you’re Erin, you would sort of stay at home and play board games with your parents.” – Erin [01:51]

• The Hingham beach is introduced—Nantasket in Hull, MA—fondly described as beautiful, with remnants of a lost theme park:

  “There used to be a theme park there...the carousel from the theme park is still there…gorgeous old carousel, there’s mini golf, there’s ice cream. So much beachfront.” – Erin [03:10]

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3. Carousel Deep-Dive

[03:24 – 04:53]

• Adal discusses a YouTube video on rare carousel animals, especially “toads” often modeled after Mr. Toad from Wind in the Willows.
• The group debates whether the toad is rarer than a frog amid playful speculation.

  “They said some of them were frogs, but they call them toads...I don’t know what that entails.” – Adal [04:49]

• Mariah jokes, “It’s like we cannot be wading into the difference between frogs and toads.” [05:10]
• The conversation escalates into a whimsical bit about carousels, calliope music, and the inherent spookiness of old rides.

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4. Favorite Carousels & Spooky Attractions

[09:47 – 10:42]

• Erin mentions wanting to see the “sea glass carousel in Battery Park, New York,” describing it as beautiful.
• Adal brings up his favorite:
  “Have you guys ever been to House on the Rock?...It’s the world’s largest indoor carousel...a lot of the creatures...are monsters, demons, like, really hellish figures.” – Adal [10:01]
• JPC and Mariah expand on the theme, suggesting a “spooky carousel is an underserved carousel.”
• Adal adds, “I feel like calliope is a scary sounding instrument. And it’s typically calliope music.” [10:28]

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5. Bad Kids & Small-Town Trouble

[10:47 – 12:10]

• The crew reflects on the “bad kid” archetype from their respective hometowns.
• JPC tells a story about a high schooler using a firefighter’s wrench to open fire hydrants as an example of "bad kid mischief."
• Erin reveals darker tales from Hingham:

  “An issue when I was in high school where they were killing Wild Turkeys with BB guns.” – Erin [11:18]
  She describes a student who posted with a dead turkey, was suspended, and jokes about not being invited to the “bad kid parties."

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6. Naming Childhood Enemies

[12:10 – 14:19]

• The group asks Erin to name the "baddest kid" she knew, promising to beep the name:

  “And this sounds like a joke, but [NAME] was my enemy. I fucking hated him. He was Republican. He was annoying. We would like...kept putting us in history and English classes together and he like played hockey and was just the worst.” – Erin [12:31]

• Mariah and JPC riff on the "enemies-to-lovers" trope, with Mariah declaring:

  “Enemies that did have to see each other for a little while, but never, never really bridged that to lovers. They just stayed enemies.” – Mariah [13:33]

• Erin’s payoff:

  “He’s the only one that stayed the same. And I was like, I fucking knew it...You’re a bad kid. You’re a bad kid.” – Erin [14:14]

• They wrap this thread with nostalgia for high school awkwardness:

  “You reverted back to 14-year-old Erin.” – Adal [14:26]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Carousel & Party Nostalgia:

  “If you’re Erin, you would sort of stay home and play board games with your parents.” – Erin [01:51]
  “There used to be a theme park there...the carousel from the theme park is still there.” – Erin [03:10]

• On Enemies That Just Stay Enemies:

  “Enemies that did have to see each other for a little while, but never, never really bridged that to lovers. They just stayed enemies.” – Mariah [13:33]
  “He was spiritually offensive to me.” – Erin [12:56]

• Adolescent Reversion:

  “You reverted back to 14-year-old Erin.” – Adal [14:26]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:03] Opening party bit & personal intros
• [01:51] Erin describes wholesome teenage hobbies
• [03:10] Nantasket beach & carousel nostalgia
• [03:24–04:53] Carousel animal trivia and calliope music discussion
• [09:47] Carousel deep-dive resumes (New York’s sea glass, House on the Rock, spookiness)
• [10:47–11:18] Bad kids, wild turkeys, and small-town trouble
• [12:10] Erin names her nemesis, explores “enemies that just stay enemies”
• [14:26] Reflecting on teenage awkwardness

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Tone and Style

True to Hey Riddle Riddle form, the episode is informal, snappy, full of playful derailing, and self-deprecating. Despite the lack of formal riddles or puzzles, the strength is in candid, witty storytelling—a warm, comedic exploration of growing up quirky, finding community in odd places, and the oddities of memory.

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For New Listeners

This episode is a classic slice-of-life, friendly chaos—great for a laugh, perfect for fans of comedic banter and coming-of-age stories. If you like your “riddle podcasts” light on riddles and heavy on humanity and humor, this is a prime sample.

Transcript

[Adol]

Come on in, Come on in. Don't bother to wipe your feet. To leave your shoes on.

[JPC]

Oh, okay, Interesting.

[Adol]

Let's see. We have roast beef in the living room. We have a ice sculpture. We can do shots off that in the kitchen.

[JPC]

Okay.

[Adol]

Something for gpc. We have bed upstairs.

[Aaron]

Those things were for me.

[Unclear]

They.

[JPC]

Yeah.

[Adol]

You love roast beef and shots, right, Aaron?

[Aaron]

I do, yeah. That's really nice that you remembered.

[Adol]

Checks. My notebook crosses that off. Now, something for the vegetarian dead.

[JPC]

Oh, I love it when there's something

[Mariah]

for vegetarians at a party.

[Adol]

Of course, of course. And of course we'll get to all of that, stat. As soon as we answer some questions in this episode of Chatterbox.

[JPC]

You're telling me as soon as we're

[Mariah]

done with this Chatterbox, I can go to bed?

[Adol]

I think so. I would have to check with your child and your wife.

[Mariah]

Childhood wife, sure. Actually, actually, Mariah, my boss said it's off to bed with me, so.

[Aaron]

That's awesome.

[Mariah]

Coming up the stairs at 2 in the afternoon, just going, do, do, do, and see ya in 15 hours.

[Aaron]

See you tomorrow, y'. All.

[Adol]

Angry knock at the door for Mariah. Hello. Adel, can I talk to you?

[Mariah]

Oh, no, uh, doctor's orders.

[Adol]

He said I was the boss. That doesn't sound right.

[Mariah]

It's like. It's like when you're a kid and you. You tell your parents you're sleeping over at the other guy's house, and then you just go out and, you know, fucking wreck mailboxes all night or whatever kids do.

[Adol]

What was that last part?

[Mariah]

Huh?

[Adol]

And who wreck mailboxes?

[Mariah]

Wreck mailboxes, man. Come on, Aaron.

[Adol]

What are the kids in Boston or Hingham? What do they do for fun on a weekend night?

[Aaron]

Hmm, not much. In Hingham. We would go to the mall. Sometimes we'd go to the beach. The beach is sort of the option. Cause it's free and you'd go and you try to see boys. Or if you're Aaron, you would sort of stay at home and play board games with your parents.

[Adol]

Try and see boys.

[Aaron]

But that's a story for another podcast.

[JPC]

As a parent who loves board games.

[Mariah]

Oh, I hope I get an errand.

[Adol]

Yeah. Yes.

[Aaron]

Not drinking, not smoking, inviting two or three friends over and having my mom play board games with us.

[Adol]

That kind of rules.

[Mariah]

Yeah.

[Adol]

Aaron, what was the name of the beach? Was it like a fun little Boston name or something?

[Aaron]

Yeah, there's. And if you guys ever drive to Hingham, I will show it to you.

[Mariah]

You've never Been to Fuck the Yankees Beach?

[Aaron]

Yeah. You've never been to Go Socks. Fuck the Yankees Beach. It's called Nantasket and it's in Hull, Massachusetts. And it's so beautiful. It's like a long peninsula of a town and so there's water on either side and. And there used to be a theme park there, but because of the saltwater and the weather, it eroded everything down. But the carousel from the theme park is still there and it's just so. There's a gorgeous old carousel, there's mini golf, there's ice cream.

[JPC]

Whoa.

[Aaron]

So much beachfront. The Hull Life Saving Museum at the very end of Hull is a great museum. And it's a beautiful. I like. It's just a beautiful part of Massachusetts that I am very affectionate towards.

[Adol]

Aaron, I was just last night watching a video on YouTube about the different animals on carousels and they were saying like toads are one of the more rare creatures I guess you can find and that they tend to be donning a cap or some sort of scarf or something because a lot of them are based off of, I guess Mr. Toad from Wind in the Willows.

[Unclear]

Adol. Were you.

[Mariah]

That's interesting.

[Aaron]

Were you a little bit high when you were watching this?

[Adol]

Well, hi. Never hurt nobody. It is of course episode 420, right.

[Aaron]

A little high. And you.

[Mariah]

I think that was the main feed from a week ago or next week or something.

[Unclear]

I don't know.

[Aaron]

You're watching a YouTube video about Carolyn. That's okay. I can smoke and watch a little video.

[Adol]

It is. Aaron, you make a great point that it is pretty sad that if I was sober and I watched that video. It's kind of sad.

[Aaron]

Yeah, I don't think it's sad. I just think. I don't know. I just had a feeling. I just had a feeling that you may have partook in some something. What are. What's a common. Is it horses? Let me guess. Horses are the most common animal on a carousel.

[Adol]

They didn't say what the most common was. I think they're more focused on like the rarities, but I would guess horses are number one with a bullet and

[JPC]

toads are more rare than frogs or are they lumping those in together?

[Adol]

What the video I saw said, and I don't know if this is true.

[JPC]

We don't know.

[Adol]

We can't know. I'm talking out of my ass, is that they said some of them were frogs, but they call them toads. But I don't know what that entails because the things I saw could Issac or Das.

[JPC]

This is Joe Biden getting asked how many genders there are.

[Mariah]

It's like we cannot be wading into the difference between frogs and toads.

[Adol]

Hey everybody, Adol here. Don't panic. I'm trying not to. The three of us were at the Cook County Pie Factory. I'm still here on a self guided tour of course. And JPC and Aaron leaned over a bit too far and fell into the pie vat. So they've been baked into pies. I'm trying to run around eating through the pies to find them. No such luck so far. But I do want to let you know this is stressful, of course, but one of the most stressful things we have to deal with after a busy day of recording riddles is what are we going to have for dinner? JPC of course always suggests. I've got a bone to pick with you and Aaron's all We should have a bowl of contrada. 45 minutes later, 2/3 of us are baked into pies. This all could have been avoided with Tempo. The meals are already prepared, ready in two minutes and make it a whole lot easier to eat fresh balanced meals during the week. We with over 20 recipes every week. Made from nutrient rich ingredients, Tempo keeps things exciting and helps you stay consistent with healthy habits. And no matter your goals, there's a Tempo meal for you. Protein packed meals with over 30 grams of protein, fiber, rich calorie, conscious gut Support and even GLP1 smart meals. GLP1 I guess is maybe how you pronounce it. Personally, I've recently had some favorites from Tempo including the Barbecue Pulled Pork sweet potato Skillet, the Fiesta Grilled chicken and Rice, and the most fun to say, the lean and clean Rotini Bolognese with garlicky broccoli. Yum, yum yum. For a limited time, Tempo is offering our listeners 60% off your first box. Go to tempomeals.com riddle that's tempomeals.com riddle for 60% off your first box and Tempo meals.com riddle rules and restrictions may apply. Oh, oh, I bit into a pie. It's Aaron. Oh, nope, that's a blackbird. Mmm, maybe Aaron. Oh, it is Aaron.

[Mariah]

You're free.

[Adol]

She just flew out the window. Classic Aaron.

[JPC]

Hey everybody, JPC here and I want to tell you about a traumatic experience that I had recently. Now if you listen to the show, you know I'm a big foodie. I love restaurants, I love restaurateur ing, I love going out to eat. But A lot of times because of how I am, it's hard to get a group of people to want to dine with me. So I go to a lot of restaurants solo. Now classically, I like to go to restaurants. I don't like to dress up. I don't like to put on airs. So I do eat at a lot of restaurants wearing a potato sack with armholes cut out and not really leg holes cut out because it's just the bottom of the sack. I guess there is a head hole for me to stick my head out of the sack if I remember. But recently I was eating in a restaurant and they kicked me out because they didn't like the potato sack that I was wearing. I'm sorry, it's hard for me to talk about this, so I went to Quint's because Quint's is all about fewer, better pieces. Their clothes are made with premium materials, built to last and designed to become the ones you reach for day after day. And they will not scratch you like a potato sack. They will not hurt you like a potato sack. And they for the most part, do not smell like potatoes. Quince specializes in everyday staples that work harder like their ultra soft organic cotton tees and premium Mongolian cashmere sweaters. They're versatile, timeless and transition seamlessly from casual workday to dinner out. I love my Mongolian cashmere sweater that I got at Quint. I wear it whenever I have the opportunity. I am so excited for fall because I will get to fall back into that sweater. Summer's been really hard for me because I have been wearing so many potato sacks and they are scratchy and uncomfortable and you cannot buy them at at Quince. Everything at quince is priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. They work directly with ethical factories and cut out the middlemen. So you're paying for high quality, not brand markup. And it's not just clothing. Quince has become my go to for everything from hotel quality bedding and bath essentials to premium cookware and travel must haves. Now I know I said they have premium cookware. Potato sacks are not cookware. I know it's because you cook and you wear it. But potato sacks are not something you will not find potato sacks that Quince do not even look. So upgrade your everyday Download the Quint app for app exclusive offers or go to quints.com Riddle get free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com Riddle. And do not mention that you used to wear potato sacks to anyone, ever.

[Aaron]

You know what carousel I would love to see is the sea glass one in Battery park in New York. I've never been, but every time I see. Yeah. Every time I see a picture of it, if you want to Google it, it's very beautiful looking.

[Adol]

Have you guys ever been to House on the Rock?

[JPC]

Yeah.

[Kyle Mooney]

No.

[Adol]

That, to me, is my favorite carousel.

[JPC]

That's a fun one.

[Adol]

It's the world's largest indoor carousel. And a lot of them. A lot of the creatures, or whatever you'd call them seats or carts or whatever, are like, monsters, demons, like, really hellish figures.

[Aaron]

Oh, scary. That looks gorgeous, though.

[JPC]

A spooky carousel is like an underserved carousel because the carousel's not an inherently

[Mariah]

scary ride, because it's just.

[JPC]

I guess it depends on how fast

[Mariah]

you get that motherfucker.

[Adol]

I feel like calliope is a scary sounding instrument.

[Unclear]

Yeah.

[Adol]

And it's typically calliope music.

[JPC]

Calliope sounds like the creature that's beckoning you into the depths.

[Adol]

Goddess.

[JPC]

Right?

[Mariah]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[JPC]

The question I think that we were posing. Eren. What are the bad kids in Hangar Dune?

[Mariah]

We know what you're doing, but, like, do you, like.

[JPC]

I'll give you an example. When I was in high school, there was a kid who. Let's just say he found one of those big wrenches that firefighters use to open fire hydrants, and then he drove

[Mariah]

around and opened up a bunch of fire hydrants at night and got in huge trouble. And there was a. It was in the paper, but so, like, what's something like that that the

[JPC]

King kids in Hangout were doing?

[Aaron]

Well, they were drinking in basements or. An issue when I was in high school where they were killing Wild Turkeys with BB guns.

[Adol]

What the fuck?

[JPC]

And by killing Wild Turkeys, you mean

[Mariah]

drinking Wild Turkey in basements?

[Aaron]

Yeah, exactly. No, some kid in my grade, I think, posted a picture online with a dead turkey he had killed.

[Mariah]

Oh, boy.

[Aaron]

And was, like, bragging about it and then got suspended. I don't remember the details of it. Thank goodness. That part of my life's starting to fade. But, yeah, I do remember that. That was an issue. We're like, that was an issue. Stop killing the Wild Turkeys.

[Mariah]

Mm.

[Aaron]

But I unfortunately, wasn't invited to a lot of the bad kid parties. I only went to a few parties in high school. Not really a cool girl.

[Adol]

Can we. And we can beep it out later if you like. Can you Put on block. Can you say the name of the baddest kid you knew? Just let it rip.

[Aaron]

I. And can we please beep this?

[Adol]

Yes.

[JPC]

Oh, yeah.

[Mariah]

Oh, yeah.

[Aaron]

And this sounds like a joke, but was my enemy.

[JPC]

Yeah.

[Aaron]

I fucking hated him. He was Republican. He was annoying. We would like. I don't know why they kept doing this, but they kept putting us in history and English classes together and he like played hockey and was just the worst.

[Adol]

What a name.

[Aaron]

I know.

[JPC]

Would you say that he now.

[Mariah]

And now we have to beep that too. Good going, Casey.

[Aaron]

Yeah, I would like. And it wasn't even like a fun enemies to lovers situation. I just really hated how he talked and how the choices he made and who he was spiritually as a person. He was spiritually offensive to me.

[JPC]

I love the trope of enemies to lovers, but I. What I think I love even more

[Mariah]

than that is the trope of enemies that remain enemies. Because it's very funny to think that you're doing an enemies to lovers thing and then you're just like, no, just enemies. Enemies that did have to see each other for a little while, but never, never really bridged that to lovers. They just stayed enemies.

[Aaron]

And my gut was so spot on because. And like post high school, so many of the other guys in that category who are like conservative athletes that were shitty and would laugh at people who said they were feminists, like they softened and changed and grew up and went to college and got like, like took a new stimuli and learned and how to be better. And like we're like, oh, I came from a white town and now I'm out in the world and now I can be better. He's the only one that stayed the same. And I was like, I fucking knew it. I knew in my bones you were just bad and that it wasn't this misunderstanding and it wasn't nurture and you were never gonna grow out of it. You're a bad kid. You're a bad kid.

[Mariah]

You were bad.

[JPC]

Hey, you were a bad kid. You were a bad kid.

[Aaron]

But did you. Were you guys going to parties? Are you guys having any parties anytime soon? Can I come?

[Adol]

You asked that. It's such a. It's such a way of like, please let me. You reverted back to 14 year old

[Aaron]

Aaron so you could hear that in my voice. You said, is there a party later? Or 1, 2, 3, 4.

[Kyle Mooney]

Hate Riddle. Riddle's clue Crew

[JPC]

Listen to the rest

[Mariah]

of the episode now by starting your free 7 day trial at patreon.com heyriddle Riddle. What's up, everybody?

[Kyle Mooney]

I'm Kyle Mooney and what's up, everybody? I'm Beck Bell and man. Ooh, we got something to tell you.

[Unclear]

Oh, yeah, we definitely do.

[Kyle Mooney]

Yes. It's a brand new podcast on Headgum.

[Unclear]

That's right. And it's called what's Our Podcast?

[Kyle Mooney]

Yep. And that's because we don't have a single idea what our podcast should be about.

[Unclear]

Yeah, we don't. So we actually have guests come on and they tell us what they think our podcast should be about. And then we try it.

[JPC]

Yep.

[Kyle Mooney]

Guests like Mark Maron, Jack Black, Brittany Broski, Kate Berlant, Bobby Moynihan, Meg Stalter, and Tim Balt. Landon Axler, Jory, Joanie McGree, and Dender and Dender.

[Unclear]

New episodes release every Wednesday, so subscribe to what's our podcast on YouTube or

[Kyle Mooney]

any of your favorite podcast platforms. Yeah, I'm gonna go do it right now.

[Mariah]

When she said I don't dance now

[JPC]

I make money moves.

[Mariah]

That was a mission statement for a whole new generation.

[Unclear]

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