110 - Tone Note (w/ Reyna Larson)

Summary

SmartLess Presents ClueLess: Episode 110 – "Tone Note" (w/ Reyna Larson) Summary

Release Date: December 16, 2024

Introduction

In the 110th episode of SmartLess Presents ClueLess, host Elliott Kalan teams up once again with his habitual contestant Sean Hayes, and welcomes special guest Reyna Larson, an accomplished restaurateur from Ray and Al's in Michigan. The episode, titled "Tone Note," delves into intriguing puzzles, engaging banter, and the unique dynamics between the hosts and their guest.

Opening Banter: Ghosts and Fears

Elliott kicks off the episode with some light-hearted conversation about ghosts, jokingly addressing the audience's perennial fascination with the supernatural. At [02:47], Elliott asks Reyna, “Do you believe in ghosts? And more importantly, do you think ghosts believe in you?” Sean humorously replies, “I don’t believe in ghosts. I don’t believe in ghosting. I don’t believe in ghosts” ([02:57]), prompting Reyna to share her cautious stance: “If you offered me to go into this very creepy house alone at night, I'd be like, oh, my God, no.”

Cliffhanger Puzzle Reveal: NSYNC to CSNY

The episode transitions to the recurring segment where Elliott reveals the answer to the previous episode's cliffhanger puzzle. The puzzle had hinted at deriving a famous supergroup’s initials from NSYNC by removing one 'N' and rearranging the letters. At [03:46], Sean speculates, “Crosby, Stills and Nash and something Y,” leading to the confirmation: “Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young” ([03:55]). Sean humorously admits he didn’t look it up, saying, “I rest assured I never learned how to spell Google” ([04:24]), highlighting the playful competitive spirit between him and Reyna.

Main Game: "Tone Note" – An Anagram Challenge

Elliott introduces the main game of the episode, “Tone Note,” an anagram-based puzzle where contestants decode two-word phrases by rearranging letters. Sean and Reyna engage enthusiastically as Elliott provides creative clues.

1. A Reef Singing a Christmas Song ([08:21])

   • Clue: "A reef singing a Christmas song."
   • Answer: Coral Carol
   • Notable Quote: Reyna swiftly answers, “Coral Carol,” earning applause from Elliott.

2. An Inexpensive Fuzzy Fruit ([08:56])

   • Clue: "An inexpensive fuzzy fruit."
   • Answer: Cheap Peach
   • Notable Quote: Reyna cracks under pressure initially, but with Sean’s hint, she triumphantly declares, “Cheap Peach.”

3. A Very Manly Chocolate Coffee ([09:28])

   • Clue: "A very manly chocolate coffee."
   • Answer: Macho Mocha
   • Notable Quote: Reyna answers confidently, “Macho Mocha,” which Elliott praises as an “amazing feat.”

4. A Fruit that Grows in Clusters and Also Receives Messages ([10:03])

   • Clue: "A fruit that grows in clusters and also receives messages."
   • Answer: Grape Pager
   • Notable Quote: Sean suggests “Grapes,” prompting Reyna to cleverly add, “Grape Pager,” with Elliott commending their teamwork.

5. A Crazy Toyota Minivan ([10:49])

   • Clue: "A crazy Toyota minivan."
   • Answer: Insane Sienna
   • Notable Quote: Reyna nails the answer, “Insane Sienna,” after a brief deliberation, showcasing her anagram prowess.

Mega Clue: Linking the Answers

After solving the individual puzzles, Elliott introduces the "Mega Clue" at [12:11], challenging contestants to identify the common theme among the answers: Coral Carol, Cheap Peach, Macho Mocha, Grape Pager, and Insane Sienna. Sean quickly deduces, “They're all the colors of the rainbow” ([12:37]). Elliott humorously adds, “They are the colors of the rainbow... out of a dollar store,” acknowledging the creativity behind the color names.

Cliffhanger Puzzle Teaser: Next Episode's Challenge

Before wrapping up, Elliott presents a teaser for the next episode’s cliffhanger puzzle: “Name a famous company whose name has two antlers, two horns and eight hooves.” The contestants playfully debate the answer, with Reyna guessing “14” as the number of texts Sean might send her about it. This intriguing riddle is set to be unveiled in the subsequent episode, promising another engaging challenge for listeners.

Conclusion

Elliott closes the episode by thanking Sean and Reyna for their participation, complimenting Reyna on her multifaceted talents as a restaurateur and anagram expert. The episode wraps up with credits, highlighting the production team and encouraging listeners to subscribe and engage with the podcast.

Notable Quotes:

• Elliott Kalan @03:15: “Don't wanna know. That's the safest option.”
• Sean Hayes @04:09: “Just for clarification, I want people to know that, like, I'm not the brightest bulb.”
• Reyna Larson @11:30: “I’m going to say mocha. Macho.”

Conclusion

Episode 110 of SmartLess Presents ClueLess masterfully blends clever puzzles with engaging conversations, making it a delightful listen for both regular fans and newcomers. The collaborative spirit between Elliott, Sean, and Reyna, coupled with the inventive "Tone Note" game, ensures a memorable and intellectually stimulating experience. Stay tuned for the next episode to uncover the answer to the intriguing cliffhanger puzzle!

Transcript

[Raina Larson]

It's better over here.

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[Elliot Kalin]

Smart Less media. If one train is heading toward Topeka, Kansas at 75 miles per hour and a second train is heading toward Las Vegas at 80 miles per hour, how much do you think the train going to Topeka wishes it was the train going to Vegas? This is Clueless. Clueless.

[Raina Larson]

Clueless.

[Sean Hayes]

I'm clueless.

[Elliot Kalin]

Welcome to Smart List presents Clueless, the podcast that promises puzzles. Sean Hayes. And that we won't stay on your couch for more than two or three days. We swear we're just trying to get our act together. I'm your host and new best friend, Elliot Kalin, and joining me now is your constant contestant, the man who puts the Sean Hayes in. Sean Hayes. Sean Hayes. How are you today, Sean?

[Sean Hayes]

I'm good, Elliot. How are you?

[Elliot Kalin]

Oh, I'm good, thank you. I'm excited to have another game with you and perhaps. Perhaps someone else. Could we be lucky enough to get.

[Sean Hayes]

Sean plus Oh, my God, we got Raina Larson here. She is a superpower human being. I'm gonna get. Honey, I'm gonna plug your restaurant every single episode.

[Devin Tory Bryant]

Okay, great.

[Sean Hayes]

Do it. It's Ray and Al's R a Y and Al's a L. Ray and Al's. And it's. Isn't it kind of the most successful restaurant in Michigan? Um, no, but kind of it is.

[Raina Larson]

No, Michigan's a big state. We're in a really tiny town. I would say it's the most successful restaurant in that town.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, right.

[Raina Larson]

Which also, by the way, is the only restaurant in that town, so it's kind of why we picked it.

[Elliot Kalin]

Raina, thank you so much for joining us. I can't wait to eat at your restaurant for free. I really appreciate being treated at the restaurant. Thank you for having me. I'm just assuming. But now it's time for everyone's favorite part of the episode. If you love the cliffhanger puzzle part of the episode. The part of the episode where I reveal the Answer to last episode's cliffhanger puzzle. But before that, we have everyone's favorite part of the episode. If they love the part where I waste time before the cliffhanger puzzle part of the episode, I have to ask Sean. Raina, do you believe in ghosts? And more importantly, do you think ghosts believe in you?

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, that's a good question. You know what? I don't. I don't believe in ghosts. I don't believe in ghosting. I don't believe in ghosts.

[Raina Larson]

My thing is, I would say, no, of course not. That's absurd. But then if you offered me to go into this very creepy house alone at night, I'd be like, oh, my God, no. So what am I afraid of?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, that's so true. Yeah, that's very true.

[Elliot Kalin]

So maybe you do believe deep down. Yeah.

[Raina Larson]

Yeah, maybe.

[Sean Hayes]

I don't wanna know. How about that? Don't wanna know.

[Raina Larson]

Don't wanna. Yeah, don't wanna know.

[Elliot Kalin]

That's the safest option. Well, I'm very glad that we've put this issue to rest so America can start to heal now and get over its fear of ghosts. Last episode's cliffhanger puzzle was a riddle that stemmed from the band NSync's name. If you remove one of the N's from NSYNC and then rearrange the remaining letters, you get the initials of another vocal supergroup, this time using the first letters of each member's last name. What is that supergroup? Sean? Reyna, do you think you've figured it out?

[Sean Hayes]

I think I know it, but. But I don't know. One letter. Is it Crosby, Stills and Nash and something Y.

[Elliot Kalin]

It is.

[Raina Larson]

And young.

[Elliot Kalin]

Yes, and young.

[Sean Hayes]

That's what it is.

[Elliot Kalin]

That's right. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. 60s supergroup. Or as I guess maybe people call them CSNY. I'm not. I'm not sure. CSNY sounds like it's something that's New York related. Yeah, it does. Yeah. Crime services, New York.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, Just. Just for. Just for clarification, I want people to know that, like, I'm not the brightest bulb. And I want people to know that I didn't take the week to Google it.

[Elliot Kalin]

Oh, no, no, no.

[Sean Hayes]

But I couldn't.

[Elliot Kalin]

In case any listener is wondering, Sean, I'm glad you brought it up. We have a team of observers who watch Sean between episodes to make sure he is not using the Internet. Right.

[Sean Hayes]

Plus, I rest assured I never learned how to spell Google.

[Elliot Kalin]

And we're doing our best to keep him from discovering it.

[Raina Larson]

Yeah, just full disclosure any game we've played in our 30 plus year relationship together like Game nights, anything. We've only cheated so and we're not doing that today.

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[Elliot Kalin]

Listeners? Did you figure out the answer as amazingly as Sean did? If not, don't worry about it. It is the rare music lover who has both NSYNC and Crosby, Stills Nash and Young living in their heads. And imagine how crowded a head with nine musicians living in it would be. You were better off not getting that answer. You're better off not having that. And I'd be better off if I stopped making things up and moved on to today's main game. We're playing a game called Tone Note Tone Tone Note.

[Sean Hayes]

Tone.

[Elliot Kalin]

Not from name. You'd assume that tonenote is a music game and you would be wrong. Tonenote is a game of anagrams. I'm going to give you a clue to a two word phrase in which both of the words contain the exact same letters in different arrangements. So I'll give you a clue. And the answer is a two word anagramatic phrase. So for example, if I said the place where a train does all its evil scheming, you would say train.

[Sean Hayes]

Is it like a. What's like a subway? It'd be like a sub.

[Elliot Kalin]

You got it. The answer is Rail layer. You were there. You're going to get there. You were going to get there.

[Sean Hayes]

Rail lair.

[Raina Larson]

Oh, geez.

[Elliot Kalin]

Because rail and lair are the same letters.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Elliot Kalin]

And after you figured out each of the individual questions, there is also the game's mega clue. There is a theme that links one word in each of those two word answers. But we'll get to that at the end of the puzzle. Just kind of keep that in the back of your mind. Sean, Reyna, are you ready, or do you need a nap first?

[Raina Larson]

I mean, I'm ready.

[Sean Hayes]

I'm ready.

[Elliot Kalin]

Okay, wonderful. Let's do this. Time. Question number one. A reef singing a Christmas song. A reef singing a Christmas song.

[Raina Larson]

Coral carol.

[Elliot Kalin]

Oh, amazing. That was so fast.

[Sean Hayes]

Wait, wait. What?

[Elliot Kalin]

Wait, that's right.

[Sean Hayes]

Wait, wait. A coral.

[Raina Larson]

A coral reef.

[Sean Hayes]

You know what? I thought you said wreath like that. You hang on there.

[Elliot Kalin]

I should have spelled it. I should have spelled it.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, that's okay. Oh, coral and carol.

[Raina Larson]

Christmas Carol.

[Elliot Kalin]

And again, it's a cooperative game. It's not a competitive game. But Raina is already winning this cooperative game. Question number two. An inexpensive fuzzy fruit.

[Sean Hayes]

Wait. Inexpensive fuzzy what?

[Elliot Kalin]

Fruit?

[Sean Hayes]

F R U I T. Inexpensive fuzzy fruit.

[Raina Larson]

Cheap peach.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, no, no.

[Raina Larson]

Well, okay, I'll wait. I'll wait.

[Elliot Kalin]

This should have been a competitive one. This should have been a competitive game.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, gosh. I wrote down the word cheap. I'm like peeps right when you said it. Okay, go ahead.

[Elliot Kalin]

You're doing great, Raina, you're doing amazing.

[Raina Larson]

Thank you.

[Elliot Kalin]

Question 3. A very manly chocolate coffee.

[Raina Larson]

I got it.

[Sean Hayes]

What is it? Masculine something. What?

[Raina Larson]

I'm going to say mocha. Macho.

[Elliot Kalin]

Yeah. Mocha Macho or macho? Mocha. We'd accept both. This is an amazing feat. An amazing feat.

[Sean Hayes]

You're very good at this game.

[Elliot Kalin]

Yeah.

[Raina Larson]

Thank you.

[Elliot Kalin]

Okay, question number four. Reyna, this time give Sean a moment.

[Raina Larson]

Got it, Got it.

[Elliot Kalin]

Give Sean just a moment to let the words sink in.

[Sean Hayes]

No, I like when she gets him. It's very impressive to watch.

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Question.

[Elliot Kalin]

Question four. A fruit that grows in clusters and also receives messages. Another fruit.

[Sean Hayes]

One.

[Raina Larson]

I'm sorry, say it again.

[Elliot Kalin]

A fruit that grows in clusters and also receives messages.

[Sean Hayes]

So the grapes. Can you respell grape? Grapes grow in clusters. But a fruit that grows in clusters.

[Elliot Kalin]

You're on the right track.

[Raina Larson]

But also. I'm sorry. Receives messages.

[Elliot Kalin]

But also receives messages.

[Raina Larson]

Grape and pager.

[Elliot Kalin]

Yes. Oh, you got it. Great teamwork on that one. Even the best need help sometimes. Raina, don't feel bad that you need a little bit of Sean's help on that one.

[Raina Larson]

Thanks, poochie.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, yeah.

[Elliot Kalin]

The poochies, once again, are just unstoppable. Question 5. A crazy Toyota minivan.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, that's it. I thought you were going to keep talking. A crazy what? A crazy Toyota minivan.

[Elliot Kalin]

A crazy Toyota minivan.

[Raina Larson]

Shoot.

[Sean Hayes]

Like. Like. Like looney or like crazy crazy Crazy insane.

[Raina Larson]

I don't think I know. A Toyota minivan.

[Sean Hayes]

I don't.

[Elliot Kalin]

That would be the part that would trip me up as well.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, Yeah. I don't know. But is insane a good start?

[Elliot Kalin]

It's a great start. Some would say it's even the exact right start.

[Sean Hayes]

Insane.

[Raina Larson]

Oh, Sienna, Sienna, Sienna.

[Elliot Kalin]

You got it. Insane Sienna Reina.

[Sean Hayes]

She's real good at words and stuff.

[Elliot Kalin]

Mm.

[Sean Hayes]

Mm. Well, by the way, Raina Wright is an incredible artist, too. She's a songwriter and singer, and she's written the most incredible songs, too, in her life.

[Raina Larson]

Okay, I don't know if you know that Sean was on a show called Will and Grace.

[Elliot Kalin]

Have you heard of it? I love this pacif aggressive crediting.

[Sean Hayes]

Well, I want people to know who she is.

[Raina Larson]

You're just these two.

[Sean Hayes]

Very proud of her.

[Elliot Kalin]

Raina is a triple threat restaurant tour musician, anagram person.

[Raina Larson]

Anagrammer.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, Anagrammer. When you get older, we're going to call you Anagrany Anna.

[Raina Larson]

Granny.

[Elliot Kalin]

You can't go out and play with your friends yet. You've still got to clean your plate. By which I mean, tell me the answers to the mega clue.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

Mega clue question.

[Elliot Kalin]

What theme links these answers? Just as a reminder, the answers were Coral Carol, Cheap peach, macho mocha, grape pager, and Insane Sienna.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, so Carol is somebody's name. Sienna is somebody's name, but it's a color. Oh, peach, coral, mocha, grape, Sienna. They're colors.

[Elliot Kalin]

You got it.

[Raina Larson]

You got it.

[Elliot Kalin]

You did it. Megaclue achieved. They're all the colors of the rainbow. Well, I can off brand rainbow you'd get at the dollar store.

[Raina Larson]

Way to bring it home.

[Elliot Kalin]

Amazing job. Another win for team Pucci. Just astonishing listeners at home. Did you figure out the answers faster than Sean and Raina? If so, please put a star next to this date on your calendar. If not, put whatever the opposite of a star is. A rat. I guess if we're anagramming, just rats would be what you put on your calendar. But wait, don't hurl your phone into the mud in disgust just yet. There's still one more puzzle to go this episode. The cliffhanger puzzle. The cliffhanger puzzle is the next stage of the show's evolution as it matures into a healthy adult. All part of the beautiful cycle of life. I'll just tell you right off the bat, today's cliffhanger puzzle. It's another trick. It's another word trick. So think it. Think tricky. And our puzzle is. Name a famous company whose name has two antlers, two horns and eight hooves. I'll say it again. Name a famous company whose name has two antlers, two horns and eight hooves, and you'll find out the answer next episode. Sean Reyna, how many times are you going to text me in the middle of the night demanding I tell you what the answer is before the next episode? How many?

[Sean Hayes]

I don't. I don't know, but keep your phone on.

[Raina Larson]

14.

[Elliot Kalin]

14.

[Sean Hayes]

Reina said 14.

[Elliot Kalin]

14 seems fair. That seems fair. That's all the time we have for today's episode. We would have gotten more time, but the store was out. I apologize. I want to thank you, Sean, for being with us today. And at the same time, I want to thank our special guest, Raina Larson. And a few seconds after that, I'm going to thank our wonderful audience for listening. And then a couple hours later, I'm going to tell you that this has been Clueless. And tomorrow I will remind you that I've been Elliot Kalin. And next year we can all meet back up in the same spot and do it all over again. Goodbye for now.

[Sean Hayes]

Bye, Clueless.

[Devin Tory Bryant]

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, who does scare easily. 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 Matthew Broussard. 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.

[Elliot Kalin]

Smart, less me.

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