135 - State Of Confusion (w/ Carrie Aizley)

Summary

SmartLess Presents ClueLess: Episode 135 - "State Of Confusion" Featuring Carrie Aizley

Release Date: March 13, 2025
Host: Elliott Kalan
Guest: Carrie Aizley
Constant Contestant: Sean Hayes

---

1. Introduction and Guest Presentation

Timestamp: 00:23 - 01:32

Elliott Kalan opens the episode with a thought-provoking question: "Why is it considered totally acceptable to walk up and pet somebody's dog, but if you walk up and pet somebody's luggage, they act like you're a weirdo?" This sets the stage for the episode's engaging and quirky tone.

Elliott warmly welcomes the episode's guest, Carrie Aizley, introducing her with playful banter:

Elliott Kalan (00:43): "She's looking smart. She's feeling smart. She is smart. She's ready to go."

Carrie responds enthusiastically, expressing her delight to join the show:

Carrie Aizley (00:58): "Thank you for having me, Elliott. This is so lovely to see you and to be here and to play games."

---

2. Recap of the Cliffhanger Puzzle

Timestamp: 01:32 - 02:30

Elliott revisits the previous episode's unresolved cliffhanger puzzle:

Elliott Kalan (01:37): "You know when you have people over and your one friend just will not leave. This is awkward. The cliffhanger puzzle from last episode is still here."

The puzzle posed was:

Elliott Kalan (02:30): "What do these five words have in common? Barry, Field, Taylor, Stone, and Hunter."

---

3. Solving the Cliffhanger Puzzle

Timestamp: 02:30 - 04:26

Carrie, alongside Sean Hayes and Will Arnett, delves into solving the puzzle. Initial guesses touch on themes like last names and outdoor elements. The breakthrough comes when they identify the commonality:

Elliott Kalan (03:49): "They are all best actress winners."

The group confirms that Barry (Halle Berry), Field (Sally Field), Taylor (Elizabeth Taylor), Stone (Emma Stone), and Hunter (Holly Hunter) have all won Oscars for Best Actress.

Carrie Aizley (04:05): "I was thinking of Stone Phillips. Remember that guy?"

Elliott praises Carrie's reasoning process:

Elliott Kalan (04:12): "Very nice job, Carrie. I did like the brief Stone Rock confusion."

---

4. Main Game: State of Confusion

Timestamp: 06:55 - 12:27

Elliott introduces the episode's main game, "State of Confusion," a word puzzle involving U.S. state abbreviations. The objective is to combine postal abbreviations with an added letter to form a word related to Elliott's trip descriptions.

Example Provided:

Elliott Kalan (07:11): "For example, if I said my trip from Seattle to Lexington was totally absurd, you would tell me that that trip was wacko."

Carrie Aizley (08:03): "Wacky."

Questions and Answers:

1. Montgomery to Omaha

   • Clue: "All by myself."
   • Answer: "Alone" (AL + NE + O)

   Elliott Kalan (08:55): "Alone. Yes. The AL from Alabama, the NE from Nebraska, and an O in the middle."

2. Boston to Topeka with Ruffalo, Twain, and Hamill

   • Clue: Associating with "marks."
   • Answer: "Marx" (MA + KS + R)

   Elliott Kalan (09:25): "Marx."

3. Providence to Lexington

   • Clue: "Pretty dangerous."
   • Answer: "Risky" (RI + KY + S)

   Carrie Aizley (09:18): "Risky."

4. Charleston to Jackson

   • Clue: "Huge ripoff."
   • Answer: "Scams" (SC + MS + A)

   Elliott Kalan (10:19): "Scams."

5. Denver to Bend

   • Clue: "Bright and vivid."
   • Answer: "Color" (CO + OR + L)

   Carrie Aizley (10:36): "Color."

6. Orlando to Chicago

   • Clue: "Just thrashing around."
   • Answer: "Flail" (FL + IL + A)

   Elliott Kalan (10:55): "Flail."

7. St. Louis to Fargo

   • Clue: "Things just piled up."
   • Answer: "Mound" (MO + ND + U)

   Carrie Aizley (11:13): "Mound."

---

5. Mega Clue

Timestamp: 11:12 - 12:27

With the answers from the six questions—"Alone," "Marx," "Risky," "Scams," "Color," "Flail," and "Mound"—the added letters are O, R, S, A, L, A, and U. Elliott challenges the contestants to unscramble these letters to reveal a different kind of state:

Elliott Kalan (11:31): "Mega clue... about a different kind of state... perhaps when you're around a special someone."

The solution is unveiled by Carrie and Sean:

Carrie Aizley (12:17): "Arousal."

Elliott acknowledges their correct answer:

Elliott Kalan (12:28): "A state that you might experience, perhaps when you're around a special someone."

---

6. Closing Remarks and Cliffhanger Puzzle

Timestamp: 12:27 - 14:00

Elliott introduces the cliffhanger puzzle for the next episode:

Elliott Kalan (14:00): "Could call me Bob or Rachel, I'll answer to Caesar or even Buzz, but do not call me Jason. Why?"

He encourages listeners to ponder the riddle and hints at the next episode's reveal:

Elliott Kalan (14:00): "We'll find the answer at the beginning of the next episode."

Carrie and Sean exchange playful remarks, leaving the audience eager for the next installment.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Elliott Kalan (02:30): "What do these five words have in common? Barry, Field, Taylor, Stone, and Hunter."

• Carrie Aizley (04:05): "I was thinking of Stone Phillips. Remember that guy?"

• Elliott Kalan (07:11): "So in this game, I'm going to tell you about some of my recent trips around these United States."

• Keri Aisley (10:37): "Flail."

• Keri Aisley (11:13): "Mound."

• Elliott Kalan (12:17): "Scramble them up to provide the name of a different kind of state that you might experience."

• Carrie Aizley (12:18): "Arousal."

---

Conclusion

Episode 135 of SmartLess Presents ClueLess masterfully blends entertaining puzzles with witty banter and insightful discussions. Host Elliott Kalan, alongside guest Carrie Aizley and regulars Sean Hayes and Will Arnett, engage listeners in challenging yet enjoyable word games. The episode not only resolves the previous cliffhanger puzzle but also introduces an engaging new game that tests the contestants' knowledge of U.S. state abbreviations in a creative manner. The concluding mega clue and the new cliffhanger puzzle set the stage for continued excitement in future episodes.

For those who haven't tuned in, this episode offers a perfect mix of humor, intellectual challenge, and camaraderie, encapsulating the essence of SmartLess Presents ClueLess.

Transcript

[Elliot Kaelin]

Today's episode of Clueless is sponsored by Monopoly, and their three brand new expansions get faster gameplay and fresh twists with free parking. Jackpot. Go to jail and buy everything available now. Monopoly is a trademark of Hasbro.

[Sean Hayes]

Smart. Bless me.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Why is it considered totally acceptable to walk up and pet somebody's dog, but if you walk up and pet somebody's luggage, they act like you're a weirdo? Seems like a double standard. This is Clueless. Clueless.

[Keri Aisley]

I'm Clueless.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Welcome to Smartless Presents Clueless, the only puzzle podcast you're listening to at this moment. I'm your host, Elliot Kaelin, so don't blame me. I only work here now. Please join me in welcoming our constant contestant. He. He's got a license to drive and he's not afraid to use it. Sean Hayes. Thanks for joining us, Sean.

[Keri Aisley]

Thank you for not revoking that license. Thank you for having me, Elliot. This is so lovely to see you and to be here and to play games. I only wish there was somebody to play the games with. Wait a minute. What do we have over there? Her name is Keri Aisley. She has been so nice to join us for yet another round of Smartless Presents. Clueless. She's looking smart. She's feeling smart. She is smart. She's ready to go. She's got a cigarette. Fake cigarette in her hand. She's smoking up a storm. Storm. Let's hope some of that smoke doesn't go to her head. Ladies and gentlemen, Kerry Aisley.

[Devin Tory Bryant]

Hi.

[Will Arnett]

Thank you for having me. We're miming smoking.

[Elliot Kaelin]

You're both miming smoking writing utensils, but elegantly doing it very elegantly, very luxuriously. Sean seemed to have gotten maybe a bad pull on that pencil there that last time. Slowly both turning into anti mame before my very eyes as they more and more elaborately smoke these very long, thick cigarettes. We've got a great game today. And, Carrie, I'm so glad that you're here to share it with us. I am, too. Oh, wait, you know, wait, hold on. I gotta complain about this? You know when you have people over and your one friend just will not leave. This is awkward. The cliffhanger puzzle from last episode is still here. It will not go until we solve it, so let's just take care of that. Now, you may remember last episode's cliffhanger, Puz went thusly. What do these five words have in common? Barry, Field, Taylor, Stone, and Hunter.

[Keri Aisley]

So wait. Berry, Field, Taylor. Of course, the first thing I think of nowadays is Taylor. Taylor. Swift.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Right.

[Will Arnett]

But they're all names, right? They could all be last names.

[Keri Aisley]

But Field isn't a. Isn't. Oh, yeah. Last name.

[Will Arnett]

Bally.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Last names. They could be last name. I will say this is a little clue. Taylor is spelled T A Y L O R O R. Not like the word Taylor.

[Keri Aisley]

And Barry is B E R, R, Y.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Yes.

[Will Arnett]

So they're all sort of outdoorsy things. Except for Taylor.

[Elliot Kaelin]

I've been to an outdoor Taylor. It's awkward when you have to get undressed. But, you know, there's something kind of not breezy about it.

[Keri Aisley]

But T A Y L O R is a person's.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Yes. It's not like a clothing tailor. Yeah.

[Keri Aisley]

Okay.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Harry Field, Taylor Stone.

[Keri Aisley]

And what do they have in common? Right.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Yeah. I thought you were asking me. I'm like, well, that's the whole thing, John. Yeah. Yeah. So what?

[Keri Aisley]

What if you gave me the answer by mistake?

[Elliot Kaelin]

You're like, oh, you tricked me. What do these five words have in common?

[Devin Tory Bryant]

Yes.

[Keri Aisley]

Does it have anything to do with sports?

[Elliot Kaelin]

No. But it does have something to do with competition.

[Will Arnett]

In a way it does.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Yes.

[Keri Aisley]

Barry something.

[Will Arnett]

They all won an award. Oh, Halle Berry, Sally Field Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor.

[Keri Aisley]

Oh, yeah. Sally Field, Elizabeth Taylor Stone. The gay guy, the famous actor. What's his name?

[Will Arnett]

Who?

[Keri Aisley]

Stone.

[Elliot Kaelin]

They're thinking of Rock Hudson. Thinking of Rock?

[Keri Aisley]

You're thinking of Rock.

[Will Arnett]

Is it that they all won Oscars?

[Elliot Kaelin]

You're right. That's exactly what it is. They are all best actress winners. I'll even say. And Holly Hunter, Emma Stone. Oh, Emma. Halle Berry, Sally Field, Elizabeth Taylor, Emma Stone and Holly Hunter. They're all.

[Keri Aisley]

Carrie. Got that one.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Very nice job, Carrie. I did like the brief Stone Rock confusion. I like that you're still thinking actors, which is great.

[Keri Aisley]

I was thinking of Stone Phillips. Remember that guy?

[Elliot Kaelin]

Yes.

[Keri Aisley]

And then I was like, wait, maybe Rock Hudson.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Stonephils.

[Keri Aisley]

Hey, clueless listeners, Sean Hayes here. Do you like to buy everything? Well, I can't help you with that, but Monopoly can. With the new buy everything expansion for Monopoly, you can literally buy anything on the board. That means you can buy jail, you can buy free parking, Community chest. Everything on the board is up for grabs. Yep, every single space is for sale. And that means no more waiting for your turn to land on something good. Add the expansion to any classic Monopoly board, roll the buy die, grab more abilities, and unlock ways to win faster. The game ends when all properties are owned. But you, you could end it way sooner if you're playing smart. I've been playing Monopoly my whole life. As you know, that's why I'm on this podcast is I'm a huge gamer, I love all kinds of games and Monopoly is one of my favorite games of all time. And why not add the Buy Everything pack? Because you know my husband Scotty likes to buy everything and it's super fun when we play with that add on for Monopoly. So if you want to own everything, get your hands on this expansion. Maybe spinning for big cash or playing dirty with corruption cards is more your speed. However you play, Monopoly has three new expansions for you to explore. And if you're a person who likes to buy everything, you'll probably want all three expansions, which are all available now on Amazon. A classic board is required to play, but you can buy that on Amazon too. Monopoly is a trademark of Hasbro.

[Devin Tory Bryant]

Firehouse Subs is partnered with Hot Ones on two new subs, one with mild heat and another that's truly spicy. The Zesty Garlic packs the flavor with crispy garlic chips and Hot ones Garlic Fresno Sauce the spicy dill brings the heat with pickles marinated in hot ones. Last Dab Reaper Sauce so zesty or spicy, the choice is yours. Grab the zesty garlic and spicy Dill hook and ladder subs for a limited time and find out how hot you like it. Only at Firehouse Subs. Individuals sensitive to spice with a Carolina Reaper Pepper should not consume the Spicy Dill Hook and Ladder. Limited time at participating Firehouse Subs restaurants If you have a locked at and T phone, we're here with bolt cutters. T Mobile will help pay off your locked phone and give you a new 5G phone for free. All on America's largest 5G network. Visit t mobile.com carrierfreedom Be a virtual.

[Jason Bateman]

Prepaid MasterCard in 15 days. Free phone up $830 via 24 monthly bill credits plus tax and a 10 device connection charge. Qualifying port and trade in service on Go 5G next and credit required. Contact us before canceling entire account to continue you bill credits or credit stock and balance on required finance agreement as do bill credits end if you pay off devices early.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Listeners at home. Did you get the answer? If you did, I'm nominating you for best Cliffhanger puzzle solver. I cannot wait to see what you wear to the red carpet. Hopefully clothing. But don't call your stylist just yet because we've still got to play today's main game. It's called State of Confusion.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, so how well do you know your states? Not just at least, but how they abbreviate each season is a state of confusion.

[Keri Aisley]

Oh, this is good. I like this game.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Yes, it's a great game. Great song, this game. Well, you guys know me. I'm a traveling man. I don't like to stay in one place too long. I can't resist the call of the open road. In fact, I'm hitchhiking right now. So in this game, I'm going to tell you about some of my recent trips around these United States. Your job is to take the two postal abbreviations of the states I visited and add a letter in the middle of them to make a word that relates to my trip. So let me give you an example. For example, if I said my trip from Seattle to Lexington was totally absurd, you would tell me that that trip was wacko. Oh, very close.

[Keri Aisley]

Wacky.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Wacky. Yes. Thank you. Wacky. You take the WA from Seattle, Washington, and the KY from Lexington, Kentucky.

[Will Arnett]

Wow.

[Elliot Kaelin]

And you put a C in the middle to make the word wacky.

[Keri Aisley]

Wow.

[Elliot Kaelin]

So there's a lot of mental arithmetic here, but I think you'll get the hang of it. I think you'll catch on.

[Keri Aisley]

It'll be easy.

[Elliot Kaelin]

At the end of the game, all of the added letters will be unscrambled to reveal the answer to today's mega clue. But we'll get to that at the end of the game. So are you ready to take a personal journey through this beautifully abbreviated country of ours?

[Keri Aisley]

I love it.

[Elliot Kaelin]

All right.

[Keri Aisley]

Yes.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Let's do it.

[Sean Hayes]

State of confusion.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Question number one. First, I went from Montgomery to Omaha all by myself.

[Keri Aisley]

Carrie, where's Montgomery?

[Will Arnett]

Montgomery is in Alabama.

[Keri Aisley]

Is it Washington? Montgomery, Washington.

[Will Arnett]

No, it's like.

[Keri Aisley]

I think it's Montgomery, Alabama, Arkansas.

[Will Arnett]

Am I right? Alabama.

[Elliot Kaelin]

All by myself, Alone.

[Keri Aisley]

Oh, alone.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Exactly right. Alone. Yes. The AL from Alabama, the NE from Nebraska, and an O in the middle. Alone. You got it?

[Will Arnett]

I got it by mistake.

[Keri Aisley]

Yeah. That's good that you knew Montgomery. I didn't know Montgomery, Alabama.

[Elliot Kaelin]

So let's move on to question number two. I think you're gonna get it. Then I went from Boston to Topeka with Ruffalo, Twain, and Hamill.

[Will Arnett]

So MASS in Kansas.

[Keri Aisley]

Right.

[Will Arnett]

Who'd you go with?

[Elliot Kaelin]

Ruffalo, Twain and Camel.

[Will Arnett]

Marx.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Marx. Exactly right. Yes. I went with the marks. MA from Massachusetts, KS from Kansas. Throw an R in the middle there, and you've got Marx. Marx.

[Keri Aisley]

I love this game.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Let's go to question number three. This time I went from Providence to Lexington, but it was pretty dangerous.

[Will Arnett]

Risky.

[Keri Aisley]

Rhode Island. Risky.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Yeah.

[Keri Aisley]

Kentucky. Yeah. Risky.

[Sean Hayes]

Dangerous.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Risky. You got it. It. Question number four. My trip from Charleston to Jackson was a huge ripoff.

[Keri Aisley]

Charleston, South. Charleston, North Carolina. North Carolina. Oh, it's got to be south because. And. And.

[Will Arnett]

And Jackson, Florida, Wyoming.

[Elliot Kaelin]

I think you might be thinking of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, which is a different place.

[Will Arnett]

Oh, so Jackson.

[Keri Aisley]

Jackson, Mississippi.

[Will Arnett]

Mississippi.

[Keri Aisley]

Yeah. Scam, scam, scams, Scam, scams.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Exactly. Yes. SC, SC and Ms. For Mississippi. Scams. Question number five. My journey from Denver to Bend was bright and vivid. So color. My journey from Denver to Bend was bright and vivid.

[Keri Aisley]

Color.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Yes. Color. That was fast.

[Keri Aisley]

Yeah.

[Elliot Kaelin]

CO for Colorado or for Oregon. And then an L in the middle.

[Keri Aisley]

I love it.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Question number six. My whole trip from Orlando to Chicago, I was just thrashing around.

[Will Arnett]

So Florida.

[Keri Aisley]

Flail. Flail.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Flail. Exactly. Florida and Illinois. F L, A, I L. Flail. And finally, my final trip. Our final question from St. Louis to Fargo. Things just piled up.

[Keri Aisley]

Mound.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Yes. Mound, Exactly. MO from Missouri. I thought I might trick you up on that one, but it didn't happen. An ND for North Dakota with a U in the middle. Mound.

[Sean Hayes]

State of confusion.

[Elliot Kaelin]

You know, some people say that the best part of a journey is returning home at the end of it. I disagree. I think the best part of a journey is the mega clue.

[Keri Aisley]

Yes.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Mega clue question. And this mega clue is about a different kind of state. So take the concept of states, throw it out the window as a geographical thing. That's a different kind of state. Going to unscramble the letters you added in each of those answers, and I'll remind you what they are, and it's going to reveal another type of state that you might experience, perhaps when you're around a special someone. And those letters are O, R, S, A, L, A and U.

[Keri Aisley]

So you got to scramble those to set in the clue as well.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Right. Scramble them up. To provide the name of a different kind of state that you might experience, perhaps when you're around a special someone.

[Will Arnett]

And it's one word.

[Keri Aisley]

Right?

[Elliot Kaelin]

And it is one word. Yes. And it's a state word.

[Keri Aisley]

It's a state that you feel.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Yes. A state of. A state of being. State of feeling.

[Keri Aisley]

Arousal.

[Elliot Kaelin]

You got it, Sean. Arousal. The same feeling we feel every time you are announced on the show. We know you'll be showing up. That is a state that you can't take a trip to. Or perhaps you can if you're with the right person. Listeners at home. Did you do as well as Sean and Carrie? If not, then I know a special someone. You need a little intimate time with. His name is Rand McNally and he's been everywhere.

[Keri Aisley]

So bring protection, please.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Yeah, he's get aroused by Rand. Yeah, but before he has hit Randy McNally. Yes, but before you go on that date, make some time for today's cliffhanger puzzle. The cliffhanger puzzle is a little like an extra puzzle at the end of the show where we give you the question now and then we give you the answer on the next episode. In fact, it's not just a little like that. It's exactly like that. And today's cliffhanger is a name based riddle that goes, could call me Bob or Rachel, I'll answer to Caesar or even Buzz, but do not call me Jason. Why? We'll find the answer at the beginning of the next episode. Carrie. Sean, don't try to answer it now. Don't even think about it. Let your mind marinate on it and ruminate on it. You've got all the time because it's 5 o'clock somewhere. So let's call it a day for this episode of Clueless. But before I pop open a frosty cold one, by which I mean a penguin, I'd like to thank Carey Asley for being the best a guest can get. Oh, my gosh.

[Will Arnett]

Thank you.

[Elliot Kaelin]

And of course I'd like to thank Sean Hayes for getting us the best guest a guest can get. And of course, of course, I'd also like to thank you, our listeners, for hopefully understanding what I just said. Until next time, this has been Smartless presents Clueless. And I've been your host, Elliot Kaelin, saying this town ain't big enough for the both of us. So get.

[Keri Aisley]

Bye, everybody.

[Will Arnett]

Thank you for having me.

[Sean Hayes]

Clueless, you have been listening to Smartless presents Clueless, a Smartless Media production in association with Siri. Your host is Elliot Kaelin, who also writes our scripts. Your constant contestant is Sean Hayes, dreamer, adventurer. 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 Jason Reich and Kevin Lehman. Talent producer is Anne Harris. Additional script material by Associate producer Matty McCann. Social media producer, Tommy Galgano. Executive producers are Elliot Kaelin, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett and Jason Bateman. Executive producers for Smartless Media are Richard Korson 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 Clueless.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Clueless. Thank you to our partner Monopoly for supporting today's. Episode just like Clueless is a shorter, faster show. From Smartless Media, Monopoly is introducing three new expansion packs that you add onto classic Monopoly for fresh twists, faster gameplay and a modern take on the game you love. I'm talking about Monopoly. Look out for the all new buy everything, go to jail or free parking jackpot expansions. To spice up your next game night, pick your expansion and level up your game. Available now on Amazon, Monopoly is a trademark of Hasbro Smart.

[Sean Hayes]

Bless me.

[Unknown]

Are your ulcerative colitis symptoms proving difficult to manage? Tremphya Guselkumab can help you manage the cycle of UC symptoms. At one year, many patients taking Tremphya achieved clinical remission and some patients also achieved endoscopic remission. Individual results may vary. Tremphya is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. Serious allergic reactions and increased risk of infections may occur. Before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tb. Tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu like symptoms or if you need a vaccine. Ask your doctor if Tremphaya can help you manage the cycle of UC symptoms. Call 1-800-526-7736 to learn more or visit tremphyaradio.