106 - Word Centipede (w/ Scotty Icenogle)

Summary

SmartLess Presents ClueLess – Episode 106: Word Centipede (w/ Scotty Eisenogle)
Release Date: December 2, 2024
Host: Elliott Kalan
Contestants: Sean Hayes & Scotty Eisenogle
Duration: 12 Minutes

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Introduction

In Episode 106 of SmartLess Presents ClueLess, host Elliott Kalan welcomes guests Sean Hayes and Scotty Eisenogle for a stimulating session of puzzles and brainteasers. The episode is aptly titled "Word Centipede," where listeners are challenged to test their word association skills against Sean and Scotty’s quick thinking.

Guest Spotlight: Scotty Eisenogle

Elliott introduces Scotty Eisenogle, highlighting his prominence in the show business. Scotty expresses his appreciation for the proper introduction, setting a positive and friendly tone for the episode ([01:27] Scotty Eisenogle: "I'm doing well. Thank you for the proper introduction. I really appreciate that.").

Light-hearted Banter: The Dessert Debate

Before diving into the main puzzle, the trio engages in a light-hearted discussion about desserts, specifically macaroons. Both Sean and Scotty share their disdain for macaroons, describing them humorously:

• Sean Hayes ([02:09]): "You bite it, it tastes like you're biting drywall."
• Scotty Eisenogle ([02:20]): "It actually, to me, looks like an accessory to a Barbie and Ken's house."

This segment adds a relatable and humorous touch, showcasing the camaraderie between the participants.

Recap of Previous Puzzle

Elliott briefly revisits the previous episode's cliffhanger puzzle—a riddle:

"I'm an odd number. Take away two, now I'm even. What number am I?"

Sean initially guesses "11," which Elliott clarifies is correct but explains it as a wordplay rather than a numerical solution:

Elliott ([03:15]): "The answer is 11 because you take away the first two letters off the word 'eleven' and you get the word 'even.'"

Sean humorously reflects on being tricked by the puzzle:

Sean Hayes ([03:46]): "Can I tell you something? It's how I got through life is by pure accident."

Main Segment: Word Centipede Game

Game Mechanics

Elliott introduces "Word Centipede," explaining the rules:

• Elliott ([05:29]): "I'm gonna run Sean and Scotty through today's puzzle while you, the listener, are listening."

The objective is to add a common word either before or after each of the given three words to form new compound words. Additionally, one of these new words per round serves as a clue to a famous person's identity.

Round-by-Round Gameplay

1. Round 1: Ladder, Side, Brother

   • Scotty ([07:40]): "Step, ladder, step, side, brother, sidestep, sidestep."
   • Elliott ([07:45]): "And got it. Great."
   • Solution: Step (Stepladder, Sidestep, Stepbrother)

2. Round 2: Visor, Star, Model

   • Scotty ([08:00]): "Shining. Star, shining."
   • Sean ([08:05]): "No, I don't know what visor. Visor is."
   • Elliott ([08:13]): Guides them to "Super."
   • Solution: Super (Superstar, Supermodel, Supervisor)

3. Round 3: Break, Turn, Hill

   • Sean ([09:07]): "Break up. Turn up. Uphill."
   • Elliott ([09:19]): Encourages finding a common word.
   • Solution: Up (Breakup, Turnup, Uphill)

4. Round 4: Hop, Cow, Door

   • Sean ([09:55]): "Doorknob, Cow."
   • Scotty ([10:07]): Suggests "Bell."
   • Solution: Bell (Hopbell, Cowbell, Doorbell)

5. Round 5: Hole, Crafts, Anchor

   • Elliott ([10:37]): "Or just H. Just H."
   • Sean ([11:09]): "Manhole Craftsman. Anchorman."
   • Solution: Man (Manhole, Craftsman, Anchorman)

Mega Clue and Conclusion

After completing the five rounds, Elliott reveals the "mega clue" constructed from the compound words: Steppbrother, Superstar, Uphill, Cowbell, and Anchorman.

• Elliott ([11:39]): "The mega clue is Will Ferrell."

Sean and Scotty arrive at the correct answer based on iconic movies and sketches:

Elliott ([11:48]): "Appeared in Downhill, Superstar, Stepbrothers, the cowbell sketch."

This segment effectively ties together the word associations with a popular cultural reference, providing a satisfying conclusion to the puzzle.

Cliffhanger Puzzle

To wrap up, Elliott presents a cliffhanger puzzle in the form of an incomplete song lyric:

"First we need to haul, then we need to turn. Then we just have to. And the missing piece is you."

Listeners are challenged to deduce how to spell the last word of the verse, encouraging engagement and anticipation for the next episode.

Notable Quotes

• Elliott Kalan ([01:02]): "What do you get when you cross an elephant, an 18 wheeler and President Rutherford B. Hayes?"
• Sean Hayes ([03:46]): "Can I tell you something? It's how I got through life is by pure accident."
• Elliott Kalan ([06:11]): "Word Centipede is kind of like a human centipede except with words. So there's a lot less mess. Pretty much."
• Scotty Eisenogle ([10:51]): "Anchorm..."

Conclusion

Episode 106 of SmartLess Presents ClueLess delivers an engaging and intellectually stimulating experience. Elliott Kalan masterfully balances humor and challenge, while Sean Hayes and Scotty Eisenogle provide lively participation. The "Word Centipede" game not only entertains but also encourages listeners to enhance their word association skills, making it a standout episode in the series.

Stay tuned for the next installment, where the cliffhanger puzzle will be resolved, and new challenges await!

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Remember to subscribe, rate, and review SmartLess Presents ClueLess to support the show and stay updated on future puzzles and episodes!

Transcript

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[Smartless Media]

Smart Less media.

[Elliot Kalin]

Hey, everybody. What do you get when you cross an elephant, an 18 wheeler and President Rutherford B. Hayes? I don't know either. This is Clueless.

[Sean Hayes]

Clueless. Clueless. I'm Clueless.

[Elliot Kalin]

Welcome to another episode of Smartless presents Clueless, the only game show where you test your wits against Sean Hayes. Last night I dreamed I was a butterfly. Now I don't know if I'm a man dreaming he's a butterfly or a butterfly dreaming. I'm your host, Elliot Galen. Joining me as always is the star of the show, one of the brightest names in the show business. For a minute, Scotty Eisnogle. How are you, Scotty? Thank you for being here.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

I'm doing well. Thank you for the proper introduction. I really appreciate that.

[Sean Hayes]

Stage and screen and theater. Scotty Eisenogle.

[Elliot Kalin]

The name on everyone's lips. The name in all the columns. They're blind items, but we know who they're about.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

That's right.

[Elliot Kalin]

You have your husband with you today and I'm sorry, I'm having trouble pronouncing this. Sean has. Hey. Yes.

[Sean Hayes]

That's right. It's a common. It's.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Yes.

[Elliot Kalin]

Hey. Yes. Sean. Hey. Hey. Yes, that's correct.

[Sean Hayes]

That's correct.

[Elliot Kalin]

That's correct. Well, I'll get it right next time. Should you come back.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Elliot Kalin]

Before we get into our main show, I just have to ask you both this is just a question that is on my mind. Any particularly memorable desserts recently?

[Sean Hayes]

Anything that's interesting? Last night we went out with some friends and they gave us macaroons for dessert. I'm not a macaroon person.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Same.

[Sean Hayes]

You bite it, it tastes like you're biting drywall.

[Elliot Kalin]

Yeah. It always tastes to me like a cartoon dessert. You bite it and deflate.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. I don't understand macarons.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

It actually, to me looks like an accessory to a Barbie and Ken's house.

[Sean Hayes]

Absolutely. Totally.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

It feels fake.

[Elliot Kalin]

I was ready to argue with you about whatever dessert you brought up. But we are all on the same page about macarons, for sure. Yes.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

For once.

[Elliot Kalin]

For once, we agree. It's not gonna happen again, audience. Don't get used to it.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. And by the way, really quick, there was a new macaroon store that opened near where we live in Los Angeles, and I walked by it in my head. I just go, good luck.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Yeah. Seriously, it looks nice.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. But nobody's in there. Nobody's in there.

[Elliot Kalin]

Of course, our listeners, they're probably thinking two things. One, how dare you? But also, they're thinking about the dessert portion of the last episode, the cliffhanger puzzle.

[Sean Hayes]

Yes.

[Elliot Kalin]

Now, as a reminder, it was a riddle that went like, I'm an odd number. Take away. Two, Now I'm even. What number am I?

[Sean Hayes]

Well, thinking it could be 11. And you take away both ones and your zero, and that's an even number.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Elliot Kalin]

Sean, obviously those days work for you because 11 is the correct an.

[Sean Hayes]

Is it really?

[Elliot Kalin]

Yes, it turns out it's not. You got there the wrong way. It's not a number problem. It's actually a word problem. It's a trick. The answer is 11 because you take away the first two letters off the word 11 and you get the word even. So you took away two from 11 and it was even. It was a trick. You've been tricked. How does that make you feel?

[Sean Hayes]

Can I tell you something? It's how I got through. Life is by pure accident.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Impressive. Impressive.

[Elliot Kalin]

It's okay. Not everyone can be as lucky as Sean.

[Sean Hayes]

It's crazy.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

That's how it works.

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[Elliot Kalin]

Okay, enough fun everybody. It's time to get to work. The work of having fun. I'm gonna run Sean and Scotty through today's puzzle while you, the listener, at home or possibly at the gym or in your car attending a funeral. It doesn't matter where you are, you're listening. That's the important thing.

[Sean Hayes]

I love it.

[Elliot Kalin]

The point is you're gonna try to get the answers before Sean and Scotty do. Today's word centipede.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Oh boy. Wow, that is. That is something.

[Sean Hayes]

It's word centipede.

[Elliot Kalin]

Yeah, it's a pretty funky centipede. A funky robotic centipede word. Centipede is kind of like a human centipede except with words. So there's a lot less mess. Pretty much.

[Sean Hayes]

Okay, thank God.

[Elliot Kalin]

I'm going to give you three words and you'll tell me what other word can be added either before or after each of those words to make them into new words. Which is a complicated way of saying it. But I'll give you an example. If the words were cake, burger and head, the answer would be Burger Pop.

[Sean Hayes]

Cake pop. Cake mix. Burger mix.

[Elliot Kalin]

Okay, I'm gonna step in. The answer would have been cheese. Cheesecake. Cheeseburger. Head cheese.

[Sean Hayes]

Cheese. Had. Oh, head cheese. God, it's right.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

There it is.

[Sean Hayes]

That was good.

[Elliot Kalin]

That's it. So this is a tricky type of game. It may take you a couple clues to get the hang of it, but once you do, this will be a real self esteem booster. So are you ready to play word centipede?

[Scotty Eisenogle]

So ready.

[Sean Hayes]

So ready.

[Elliot Kalin]

You're not ready. That was a trick question. I haven't told you about this puzzles mega clue. In each group of three words there will be one of the new words that results. One of the new compound words will be part of the mega clue. Each of those new words is going to point to the identity of a famous person. So just keep that in the very, very back of your mind. We're going to go through five different rounds. Each round One of those words will be a clue towards the identity of the famous person in the mega clue. Okay.

[Sean Hayes]

Okay. Great.

[Elliot Kalin]

Now, are you ready to play the game? I promise it's probably not a transfer this time.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Ready?

[Elliot Kalin]

Okay, good. So here is the game clue one. The first three words. Ladder, side, brother. Ladder, side, brother.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Step, ladder, step, side, brother, sidestep, sidestep, sidestep.

[Elliot Kalin]

And got it. Great. Number two. Visor. Star, model. Visor. Star, model, visor.

[Sean Hayes]

Like advisor. Add star. Add star.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Shining. Star, shining.

[Sean Hayes]

No, I don't know what visor. Visor is. A visor. I don't know how to add. That's what I said.

[Elliot Kalin]

But it's not focus on star or model. Focus on. What would star or model possibly have in common? Visor's a hard one.

[Sean Hayes]

Major model. Major star of. What is it called? A superstar supermodel supervisor.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Supermodel. Superstar supermodel supervisor.

[Elliot Kalin]

You got it. You got it.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

That was great.

[Elliot Kalin]

Good job. You worked through it. You didn't give up. That's what I admire about that.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Absolutely. Even though he spoon fed us.

[Elliot Kalin]

Clue number three. The words are break, turn, hill. What word could you add to break, turn and hill to make each of them into a new compound word? Feel free to talk it out.

[Sean Hayes]

Hilltop.

[Elliot Kalin]

You don't have to worry about that.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Hilltop, turn or side? Hillside. Hillside, turn, brake, side. No. What about hand? Handbrake, hand held, Hill, Hand, hill, hand.

[Elliot Kalin]

No, I like the image. Big hand sticking out of the top of a hill.

[Sean Hayes]

Break up. Turn up. Uphill. Turn, up, break up, Turn. Up, uphill.

[Elliot Kalin]

What's the opposite of up?

[Sean Hayes]

Down, down, break, down.

[Elliot Kalin]

You got it. Down, down, down, down, downhill, downhill, break, down.

[Sean Hayes]

But up would work too. Up would work too.

[Elliot Kalin]

Up would work. Except it doesn't work for the mega clue. But you're right. You've defeated us. You've defeated Sean. You've found a loophole in the game. You've escaped. You're no longer a prisoner. Clue number four. Clue number four. Hop, cow, door. What word would you add to hop? Cow or door dung?

[Sean Hayes]

Doorknob, Cow, Knob, knob, Door.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Doormad.

[Elliot Kalin]

No. What are some things? What are parts of a door or things on a door?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, yeah. Doorknob, hinge.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Doorknob, Door lock.

[Elliot Kalin]

No one says door lock. Sorry.

[Sean Hayes]

No one says door lock.

[Elliot Kalin]

Scotty. No, Sorry. Scotty. I. Sorry. I forgot a moment that I'm mean to Sean. I'm not mean to you. I apologize. I apologize.

[Sean Hayes]

Door jam. Is it door jam.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Jam, Jam, jam.

[Elliot Kalin]

Cow jam.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Doorbell. Bell.

[Sean Hayes]

Cow. Bell. Bell hop.

[Elliot Kalin]

Yes. Belle, you Got it. Very good. You got it. And finally, clue number five. The three words are hole, crafts, and anchor.

[Sean Hayes]

Wh.

[Elliot Kalin]

Or just H. Just H. Very good question. Just H. Hole, hole, hole, crafts and anchor.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Anchor.

[Elliot Kalin]

What word can you add to hole, crafts, Anchor.

[Sean Hayes]

What's the thing on the anchor? Scotty on the boat? What's the.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

A chain.

[Sean Hayes]

No, anchor.

[Elliot Kalin]

And my guess with this, the way I would get into it is by thinking about words that you could do with either hole or anchor.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Gosh.

[Elliot Kalin]

And I'm gonna give you just a few more seconds before I. I got it.

[Sean Hayes]

I got it.

[Elliot Kalin]

What is it?

[Sean Hayes]

Manhole Craftsman. Anchorman.

[Elliot Kalin]

You got it. You did it. The answer was. Man.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Doggone it.

[Elliot Kalin]

Wait. Actually, don't hit the showers just yet, guys. You're not done yet. There's still that mega clue. Mega clue question. Okay, in each of those rounds, one of the words that it creates is a clue word towards the identity of a famous person. The mega clues from each round were stepbrother, superstar, downhill, cowbell.

[Sean Hayes]

Cowbell.

[Elliot Kalin]

And anchorman.

[Sean Hayes]

Anchorman. So that would be Will Ferrell.

[Elliot Kalin]

Yep, you got it. That's right. Will Ferrell.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Dun, dun, dun.

[Elliot Kalin]

Appeared in Downhill Superstar, Stepbrothers, the cowbell sketch.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Oh, I didn't know about downhill. I was thinking him, but I wasn't thinking with Julia.

[Sean Hayes]

Louis Dreyfus, Right?

[Elliot Kalin]

Yes, with Julie Dreyfus. Exactly.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Oh, wow. Okay.

[Elliot Kalin]

All right. Well, someone has a movie to rent tonight. Yeah, I suppose.

[Sean Hayes]

From Blockbuster. What year is this?

[Elliot Kalin]

Oh, yeah, yeah. Excellent. The next time we do that game, you're gonna be like, bam, bam, bam, bam. Got em all for sure.

[Sean Hayes]

For sure.

[Elliot Kalin]

And then it's gonna be too easy for you. We'll have to retire it to continue challenging you and sharpening your brain against the world.

[Sean Hayes]

Word Centipede.

[Elliot Kalin]

Clueless listeners, did you do better or worse than your parasocial celebrity friends on the show? Don't tell me. I'm just a recording. But if you want to hire a plane to skyrite it over my house at a later date, I will definitely go outside and look. Before you do that, though, before you go price shop skyriders in the Los Angeles area, let's end today's show with our cliffhanger puzzle.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, boy.

[Elliot Kalin]

The cliffhanger puzzle. Sting always makes me think that a murder has been committed. Absolutely.

[Sean Hayes]

The murder of my brain. Yeah.

[Elliot Kalin]

Who killed Sean's brain? It was this show. The cliffhanger puzzle is a puzzle that you, Sean, and Scotty, and you, the audience, get to cogitate upon until our next episode. And this cliffhanger takes the form of an original song lyric, which, unfortunately, by court order, I am required to sing to. And it goes like this. First we need to haul, then we need to turn. Then we just have to. And the missing piece is you. Here's my question for you. How do you spell the last word in this verse? Don't tell me now, Sean and Scotty. Sean, I know the cliffhanger puzzle is already becoming your superpower. Don't tell me just yet.

[Sean Hayes]

I love it.

[Elliot Kalin]

So before we go, Scotty, this has been such a delight. You're always welcome on this show or in my heart. Just.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Oh, thank you, thank you. I appreciate that.

[Sean Hayes]

I feel welcomed with permission.

[Elliot Kalin]

Yes. And Sean, Yes, I appreciate that. And if you could sweep up a little before you head out, that would be very helpful. This has been Clue. The label on my shirts says, I'm Elliot Kaelin and my script tells me to tell you that you've been a great audience. Now get out of here, you crazy kids.

[Smartless Media]

You have been listening to Smartless presents Clueless, a Smartless Media production in association with SiriusXM. Your host is Elliot Kalin, who also writes our scripts. Your constant contestant is Sean Hayes with those blue, blue eyes. Your producer, editor and engineer is Devin Tory Bryant, who is me. I also write all the music and sound effects assistant engineer, Kyle McGraw. Today's puzzles were written by Josh Richmond and Kevin Lehman. Talent producer is Anne Harris. Associate producer, Maddie McCann. Social media producer, Tommy Galgano. Executive producers are Elliot Kalin, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett and Jason Bateman. Executive producers for Smartless Media are Richard Corson and Bernie Kaminsky. Remember to follow, subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps. That's all for now. We will see you again for more smart less media.

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