122 - Word Workout (w/ Scotty Icenogle)

Summary

SmartLess Presents ClueLess

Episode 122: Word Workout (Featuring Scotty Eisenogle) Release Date: January 27, 2025
Host: Elliot Kaelin
Contestant: Sean Hayes
Guest: Scotty Eisenogle

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Introduction

In Episode 122 of SmartLess Presents ClueLess, host Elliot Kaelin brings a special guest, Scotty Eisenogle, to delve into the engaging and mind-bending segment known as Word Workout. This episode, titled "Word Workout," challenges both the guest and the listeners with a series of word puzzles designed to test their linguistic agility and problem-solving skills.

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Recap of Previous Episode's Cliffhanger Puzzle

At the beginning of the episode, Elliot revisits the cliffhanger puzzle from the last episode:

Elliot Kaelin [02:04]: "What five-letter word is pronounced exactly the same way even if you take away four of its five letters?"

Sean Hayes and Scotty Eisenogle engage in a thoughtful discussion, brainstorming possibilities centered around single-letter words that phonetically resemble longer words. Despite their efforts, they initially struggle to arrive at the correct answer. The revelation comes when Sean uncovers that the word is:

Sean Hayes [03:28]: "The answer is queue. The word Q, Q, U, E, U, E. Like you line up in a queue because the first letter Q sounds just like the whole word Q."

Scotty is visibly surprised but impressed by the cleverness of the puzzle:

Scotty Eisenogle [03:44]: "Oh, that's amazing. That got me. That got me."

---

Main Segment: Word Workout

The core of the episode focuses on the Word Workout puzzle, where seven words are presented, each requiring the removal of one letter and rearrangement to form a new, shorter word based on provided clues.

Elliot Kaelin [06:29]: "Let's go into the first question. Remove a letter from blouse to make a color that you can sing."

• Scotty: "Blues."
  Elliot acknowledges Scotty’s swift correct response:
  Elliot [06:45]: "You got it, Scotty. I'm so glad you got that. Cause music is your thing, you know?"

Second Puzzle:

Elliot [06:56]: "Remove a letter from leather to make something a microwave does."

• Scotty: "Reheat."
  Elliot praises the answer:
  Elliot [06:59]: "Great work."

Third Puzzle:

Elliot [07:12]: "Remove a letter from excited to make a type of dishonesty."

• Scotty: "Deceit."
  Elliot confirms the correctness:
  Elliot [07:30]: "Deceit. You did it."

Fourth Puzzle:

Elliot [07:43]: "Remove a letter from exotic to make a Britney Spears hit."

• Scotty: "Toxic."
  Elliot comments on Scotty’s quick thinking:
  Elliot [07:46]: "Toxic."

Fifth Puzzle:

Elliot [07:56]: "Remove a letter from perform to make a one-piece outer garment."

• Scotty: "Romper."
  Elliot expresses enthusiasm:
  Elliot [08:03]: "Romper. Yep. Romper. That's exactly right."

Sixth Puzzle:

Elliot [08:14]: "Remove a letter from whisker to make a sound you might hear in a horror movie."

• Scotty: "Shriek."
  Elliot encourages confidence:
  Elliot [08:44]: "Be confident. Say it. Shriek."

Seventh Puzzle:

Elliot [08:50]: "Remove a letter from sublime to make a cold breakfast dish."

• Scotty: "Muesli."
  Elliot provides a definition:
  Elliot [09:27]: "Muesli is a loose mixture of mainly rolled oats or corn flakes together with various dried fruit pieces, nuts, and seeds."

Throughout the Word Workout, Scotty demonstrates impressive quick thinking and adaptability, correctly solving each puzzle with minimal hesitation.

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Mega Clue Challenge

Following the successful completion of the seven puzzles, Elliot introduces the Mega Clue, a more complex challenge that utilizes the leftover letters from the previous answers.

Elliot Kaelin [09:52]: "For this mega clue, you're going to start with all the leftover letters those other words sweated away. So to remind you, those letters were O, L, X, E, F, W, and B, as in not in muesli."

The task is to rearrange these letters to form the name of a piece of workout equipment that was once widely advertised on late-night television.

Scotty: "Bowflex."

Elliot [10:34]: "Bowflex. You got it. Amazing. Bowflex. So fast."

Scotty's swift resolution of the mega clue showcases his strong command over word manipulation, earning praise from Elliot.

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Cliffhanger Puzzle for Next Episode

To conclude the episode, Elliot introduces another cliffhanger puzzle to engage listeners until the next episode:

Elliot [11:10]: "If 1 and 1 equal 6 and 1 and 3 equal 8, what do 1 and 4 equal?"

Scotty tentatively responds, hinting at the complexity of the puzzle:

Scotty [11:48]: "I'm gonna get it. I'm gonna get it."

The episode closes with Elliot encouraging listeners to ponder the puzzle, promising to reveal the answer in the subsequent episode.

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Closing Remarks

Elliot wraps up the episode by thanking Scotty for his participation and Sean for his attentive presence. The production credits follow, acknowledging the contributions of the team behind the scenes.

Elliot [12:27]: "This has been Smartless presents Clueless. I've been your host, Elliot Kaelin, and I'll never forget you, even though I have no idea who you are."

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Elliot Kaelin [02:04]: "What five-letter word is pronounced exactly the same way even if you take away four of its five letters?"

• Sean Hayes [03:28]: "The answer is queue."

• Scotty Eisenogle [06:38]: "Blues."

• Elliot Kaelin [07:30]: "Deceit. You did it."

• Scotty Eisenogle [09:25]: "Muesli."

• Scotty Eisenogle [10:34]: "Bowflex."

---

Conclusion

Episode 122 of SmartLess Presents ClueLess offers a captivating session of word-based puzzles, fostering an environment of fun and intellectual challenge. Featuring sharp wit and collaborative problem-solving, the interaction between Elliot, Sean, and Scotty provides both entertainment and mental stimulation for listeners eager to test their linguistic prowess.

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Stay tuned for Episode 123, where the answer to the cliffhanger puzzle will be unveiled, along with more enthralling word workouts and engaging discussions.

Transcript

[Elliot Kaelin]

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[Sean Hayes]

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[Elliot Kaelin]

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[Sean Hayes]

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[Devin Tory Bryant]

Smart less medium.

[Sean Hayes]

When life gives you lemons, then I say make lemonade. And when life gives you limes, then I say make limeade. And when life gives you myrm then I say make mermaid. This is Clueless.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Clueless. I'm clueless.

[Sean Hayes]

Welcome to Smartless presents Clueless, the only puzzle podcast that's celebrating its 50th anniversary 49 and a half years early. I'm your host, Ellie Kalin, and it's too late to do anything about that now. Please join me in welcoming to our show the man who brings new meaning to the word fun but does not know the meaning of the word pusillanimous, Sean Hayes.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

This is true. This is true. Hi, everybody. You know, I had the hiccups bad for some reason, so I'm gonna be hiccuping all through the show. Do you see that?

[Sean Hayes]

It was as if prophesied. It came to pass.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Yeah, it came to pass. If you talk about it. I'm not alone today. I'm not solo.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, my goodness.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

I don't fly Han Solo. I fly with my friend Luke Skywalker, and his name is Scotty Eisenogle, who I'm married to for 18 years.

[Sean Hayes]

Just like Luke Skywalker and Han Solo.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Yeah. Hands off, everybody. He's taken. He's taken. Yep. Yep, he's taken.

[Sean Hayes]

Scotty, thank you so much for joining us in general. But first, I'd like to say.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Sorry.

[Sean Hayes]

I'd like to say that regular Clueless listeners know that this is the part of our show where we reveal the answer to last episode's Cliffhanger Puzzle. You may remember, last episode's cliffhanger puzzle was a riddle that went, what five letter word is pronounced exactly the same way even if you take away four of its five letters? Sean? Scotty, do you feel like you know the answer?

[Scotty Eisenogle]

I was thinking like E or. Or Y or.

[Sean Hayes]

That's a good line of thought to Think about.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

It has to be a letter.

[Sean Hayes]

It has to be a letter. It's a good line of thought to think about. What is a letter? That sounds like a word. Yeah. It has to be five letters.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

It's A.

[Sean Hayes]

Is the hiccup part of the answer or.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

A, A, like Fonz would say it, where it's four A's and a Y. Yeah.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Because go through the Alphabet, it's either A, it's B, C, D, E, F, G, H. You know, it has to be a letter.

[Sean Hayes]

So it's M. No, it's not M. Bye everybody. M. Not the word M. Q, R.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

S, S, S, S. Uh huh. Yes. E, S, S, S, S. That's our answer.

[Sean Hayes]

S. I'm sorry to say that is not the answer to the hanger puzzle.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

What is it?

[Sean Hayes]

The answer is queue. The word Q, Q, U, E, U, E. Like you line up in a queue because the first letter Q sounds just like the whole word Q. Oh.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Oh, that's amazing. That got me. That got me.

[Sean Hayes]

If you were English, you'd get it. That's more of it. That's, that's a more common word over across the board.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Well, that is. But let me ask you this. Do you say to that point, do you say I'm standing in line or online?

[Sean Hayes]

I say I'm standing online because I come from the east coast. But everyone makes fun of me. Everyone goes, oh, you mean you're on a computer right now? Ho ho ho. Right.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Because you don't stand on the line, you stand within a line. Sorry. Reese's peanut butter cups are the greatest. But let me play devil's advocate here. Let's see. So no, that's a good thing. That's definitely not a problem. Reese's. You did it. You stumped this charming devil.

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[Elliot Kaelin]

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[Sean Hayes]

Listeners, did you get the right answer? If not, that's okay. The cliffhanger puzzle is meaningless, set against the infinite scale of the cold, uncaring universe, as opposed to today's main puzzle, which is literally the reason life was invented. This puzzle is called word workout. Word workout.

[Devin Tory Bryant]

We're working on word sound.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Word workout. Going okay, like, for share. Who record? Hey, who recorded, like, for sure?

[Devin Tory Bryant]

That's me.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

That's hysterical. I thought it was your wife.

[Devin Tory Bryant]

It's me. Pitch shifted.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

That's hysterical.

[Sean Hayes]

Classic producer pitch shift there. That's right. This is word workout. Each of these seven words that we're gonna look at today wants to slim down and lose some weight. And we're gonna help get them into shape. For each clue, we're going to give you the starting word, then ask you to remove one letter and arrange the remaining letters to create a new svelter word. So, example, if the clue was remove a letter from cinema to get a type of Japanese animation, what would the answer be?

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Anime. Anime.

[Sean Hayes]

You got it. You take out the C and you make it anime. So I think you've got it. Are you ready to play this game?

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

[Devin Tory Bryant]

Word workout.

[Sean Hayes]

Let's go into the first question. Remove a letter from blouse to make a color that you can sing.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

That you can sing.

[Sean Hayes]

Yes.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Blues.

[Sean Hayes]

You got it, Scotty. I'm so glad you got that. Cause music is your thing, you know?

[Scotty Eisenogle]

That's right. Blues. That was good.

[Sean Hayes]

Let's go on to number two. Remove a letter from leather to make something a microwave does.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Reheat.

[Sean Hayes]

You got it.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Reheat.

[Sean Hayes]

Great work. This is not a competitive game, but you are tied right now. Number three. Remove a letter from excited to make a type of dishonesty. Mm.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

A type of dishonesty.

[Sean Hayes]

Dishonesty.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

I'm clearly incapable of dishonesty. So this is why this is really stumping me. Isn't he funny? Di dice. Deceit. You got it.

[Sean Hayes]

Deceit. You did it. I was gonna say, what are you sitting in? And you would have said deceit. Yeah. Number four. Remove a letter from exotic to make a Britney Spears hit.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Toxic. Toxic.

[Sean Hayes]

You got it. Toxic.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

That's sad that I got that so fast.

[Sean Hayes]

Number 5. Remove a letter from per form to make a one piece outer garment.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Wait a minute. I'm gonna get this.

[Sean Hayes]

You're gonna get this.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

A one piece what?

[Sean Hayes]

A romper.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Romper.

[Sean Hayes]

Romper. Yep. Romper. That's exactly right.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Nice.

[Sean Hayes]

You did it. You're doing great. Number six, Remove a letter from a whisker to make a sound you might hear in a Horror movie.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Whisker. As in whisker?

[Sean Hayes]

Yes, as in like a. You know, on a cat whisker.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

W, H, I, S, K, E, R. Yes.

[Sean Hayes]

W, H, I, S, K, E, R. Remove one letter and then rearrange them to make a sound you might hear in a horror movie.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Wait, Shh. I know. I'm doing shriek. Yeah, that's it.

[Sean Hayes]

No, you got it. Shriek. Exactly.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Shriek.

[Sean Hayes]

You got it. Be confident. Say it. Shriek. Look at you just being like. I understand. Like this in case it's wrong.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

And then you could have said, what's the name of that green ogre? Shrek.

[Sean Hayes]

I mean, it's not exact same.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Close. It's close. It's close.

[Sean Hayes]

It's close. It's so close. It's so close. Like, for sure. Number 7. Remove a letter from Sublime to make a cold breakfast dish a cold breakfast.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Oh, cold. Oh, God.

[Sean Hayes]

Pressure's really on. Clock is ticking.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

It starts with an M. It starts.

[Sean Hayes]

With an M. Should I tell you? Yes, yes, it does start with an.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

M. And the next letter is, uh.

[Sean Hayes]

Yes.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Mucus.

[Sean Hayes]

So close. That would be a cold breakfast for sure.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

It's almost like Musliks or something. I know. Musli. Muesli.

[Sean Hayes]

I'll give it to you. It's muesli.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Muesli. Yeah. What the hell is muesli?

[Sean Hayes]

Just off the top of my head. Not at all. Reading from Wikipedia, muesli is a loose mixture of mainly rolled oats or corn flakes together with various dried fruit pieces, nuts and seeds.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

You're so smart. You are so smart.

[Sean Hayes]

That's just right off the top of my head.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

I. Muesli. Get it. But this one I didn't get. No pain, no gain.

[Sean Hayes]

That was quite a word workout. But we're not quite done yet. There's still this episode's mega clue.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Mega clue question.

[Sean Hayes]

Because skipping the mega clue, it's like skipping leg day. You just shouldn't do it. It's so easy to do it, but you shouldn't do it. You know, for this mega clue, you're going to start with all the leftover letters those other words sweated away. So to remind you, those letters were O, L, X, E, F, W and B, as in not in muesli.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

And that spells a word.

[Sean Hayes]

Those letters spell a word. Rearrange those letters. Don't lose any of them. You'll use them all. Rearrange them to get the name of a piece of workout equipment that used to be advertised a lot on late night television.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Yeah, Flex. Bowflex.

[Sean Hayes]

Bowflex. You got it. Amazing. Bowflex. So fast.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

How about this?

[Sean Hayes]

I feel like there's an inverse proportion between the speed you get it and the importance of the information.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Right, right, right. Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

Listeners at home, did you do as well as Sean and Scotty with this game? If so, maybe you should start a career as a professional Word thinner. The first step is making that a real thing that exists. But first, take a break from being a jock and get back to being a nerd, because it's time for today's cliffhanger puzzle.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Bow wow.

[Sean Hayes]

The cliffhanger puzzle is a little extra game you can remember us by during the long, lonely wait until the next episode. And we've done a lot of talking about words and letters today, so it's only fair that today's cliffhanger deal with language's arch nemesis, math. And the question goes thusly. If 1 and 1 equal 6 and 1 and 3 equal 8, what do 1 and 4 equal? I'll say it again. If 1 and 1 equals 6 and 1 and 3 equal 8 or what do 1 and 4 equal? Sean, Scotty, have you received the answer like a bolt of lightning, out of the blue?

[Scotty Eisenogle]

I'm gonna get it. I'm gonna get it.

[Sean Hayes]

You will get this. You will get this. I think you'll get it. And I think our listeners are gonna get it, too.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

But I think so.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, some cliffhangers, I think they're never gonna get it. Never gonna get it. But this one, I think they're gonna get it. But not till next time. We'll be back next time with the answer. Until then, there's no easy way to say this. We've come to the end of today's episode. Oh, I was wrong. That was actually very easy to say. That was gonna be hard, but it wasn't. Before we go, I'd like to thank our special guest, Scotty Eisenogel for being such a delight. I'd like to thank Sean Hayes for paying attention most of the time. And I'd like to thank you, the audience, for inviting us into your brain. We'll take our shoes off next time. This has been Smartless presents Clueless. I've been your host, Elliot Kaelin, and I'll never forget you, even though I have no idea who you are.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Aw. Clueless.

[Devin Tory Bryant]

You have been listening to Smartless presents Clueless, a Smartless media production in association with Sirius xm. Your host is Elliot Kaelin, 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 Matty McCann Social media producer Tommy Galgano. Executive producers are Elliot Kaelin, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett and Jason Bateman. Executive producer Producers for Smartless Media are Richard Corson and Bernie Kaminski. Remember to follow subscribe, rate and review the show. It really helps. That's all for now. We will see you again for more.

[Sean Hayes]

Smart lessons.

[Scotty Eisenogle]

Me.

[Unknown]

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