161 - Word Centipede (w/ Jeff Max)

Summary

SmartLess Presents ClueLess Episode 161: Word Centipede (featuring Jeff Max) Release Date: June 23, 2025

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Introduction to "Word Centipede"

In this engaging episode of SmartLess Presents ClueLess, host Elliott Kalan welcomes the ever-entertaining Sean Hayes and the delightfully witty Jeff Max to tackle the episode's main puzzle game, "Word Centipede." The episode seamlessly blends humor with brain-teasing challenges, keeping listeners hooked from start to finish.

Recap of the Previous Puzzle

Elliott begins by revisiting the cliffhanger from the last episode, where four cars approach a four-way stop from different directions without crashing. Sean initially guesses that the cars are moving at different speeds to avoid a collision (02:07), but Elliott reveals the clever solution: all cars made right-hand turns, ensuring they didn't cross paths (02:25).

Introducing "Word Centipede"

Transitioning to the main event, Elliott introduces "Word Centipede," a game where participants are given three words and must identify a common word that can precede or follow each to form new compound words. The first set of words—care, way, and style—stumps Sean initially. After some deliberation, Elliott discloses the answer: free (freecare, freeway, freestyle) (06:24).

Round Two: Neck, Nose, Blue

In the second round, the words are neck, nose, and blue. Sean swiftly identifies the connecting word as bottle, forming bottleneck, bottlenose, and blue bottle (07:14). Elliott humorously remarks on Jeff's surprise at his quick answer.

Round Three: Eject, Affect, Congest

The third challenge presents the words eject, affect, and congest. This round proves tougher, with Sean pondering solutions like "affection" and "congestion." Eventually, Elliott reveals the answer: ion, tying into terms like ejection, affection, and congestion ion (08:05).

Round Four: Down, Jaw, Gridlock

Jeff Max shines in the fourth round, connecting down, jaw, and gridlock with the word lock, resulting in lockdown, lockjaw, and gridlock (08:35). Sean commends Jeff's rapid response, highlighting the competitive spirit of the game.

Final Round: Light, Gap, Back

The last set—light, gap, and back—trickles Sean, leading Elliott to provide the answer: stop. This forms stoplight, stopgap, and backstop (09:39). Sean humorously connects "stopgap" to his time working at The Gap, adding levity to the conclusion of the rounds.

Mega Clue: Traffic

Post-rounds, Elliott presents the "Mega Clue" by consolidating key words from the game: freeway, bottleneck, congestion, gridlock, and stoplight. Sean immediately identifies the common theme as traffic, showcasing their quick thinking (10:43).

Cliffhanger Puzzle

As the episode winds down, Elliott introduces a cliffhanger puzzle to entice listeners for the next episode: A mother had five children: Meryl, Taylor, Winona, and Tilda. Was the fifth child named Frasier, Ethan, or Adele? The answer remains a mystery, encouraging audience anticipation (11:04).

Notable Quotes

• “Clueless. It's Clueless.” – Sean Hayes (00:39)
• “The answer was free, carefree, freeway, freestyle.” – Elliott Kalan (06:44)
• “Stop gap is kind of like, we're just gonna do this now temporarily, just to take care of the problem for a short amount of time.” – Elliott Kalan (09:48)
• “Traffic.” – Sean Hayes (10:43)

Conclusion

Episode 161 of SmartLess Presents ClueLess masterfully combines humor, camaraderie, and intellectual challenges. Elliott Kalan, alongside Sean Hayes and Jeff Max, delivers a captivating session of wordplay that entertains and engages listeners, leaving them eagerly awaiting the next puzzle installment.

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Note: The timestamps correspond to moments within the episode transcript for reference.

Transcript

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[Devin Tory Bryant]

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[Elliot Kaelin]

She sells seashells by the seashore. Uh oh, you'd think she'd want to sell her seashells far from the seashore. A place you can literally just pick up seashells for free. But hey, she's a billionaire who just took her seashore seashell sales company public. So what do I know? This is Clueless.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh my gosh. Clueless. It's Clueless.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Welcome to Smartless presents Clueless, the puzzle podcast where everyone knows your name, they just never mention it. I'm your host, but try not to that against me. I'm Elliot Kaelin. Now please welcome the man who thinks a podcast is what an octopus wears on a broken arm, Sean Hayes.

[Sean Hayes]

By the way, I would have. If I'm not on one, I would totally believe that that's what the word is. Today I'm joined by the giggly, very, extremely gay Jeff Max. So I apologize in advance.

[Elliot Kaelin]

That's the official ranking on the scale. The scientific scale of gayness is extremely.

[Sean Hayes]

And I'm so sorry. He was waiting this whole time. Like he was waiting a whole 15 minutes and ah, Jeff, I'm so sorry. Here we are.

[Devin Tory Bryant]

Well, it was.

[Sean Hayes]

Okay. It was a half hour. Here we go. Watch this.

[Elliot Kaelin]

We don't want to make you wait another half hour longer. So we'll continue with the show today. You know, guys, some things are just part of the inevitable cycles of life. Birth, death, the changing of the seasons, and the reveal of the answer to last episode's cliffhanger puzzle. It's truly a wonder of nature. And last episode's puzzle went four cars come to a four way stop, each coming from a different direction. They can't decide who got there first. So they all go forward at the same time. Yeah, all four cars go, but none crash into each other. How is this possible?

[Sean Hayes]

Because. Because they're going at different speeds. Oh yeah, that's just going real slow. One's going super fast, another one's going medium, another one's going in between all those. What do you think about that?

[Elliot Kaelin]

I mean, I don't know if that will work or not, but it's not the answer we're looking for. But the answer is all the cars made right hand turns. They all turned right. So they're not. And Sean, you're going to be in London soon. So there it would be that they all made left turns.

[Sean Hayes]

Left hand turns. Ah, thank you. I got to write that down. Thank you.

[Elliot Kaelin]

But here it's right hand turns. So they weren't in each other's path.

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[Elliot Kaelin]

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[Sean Hayes]

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[Elliot Kaelin]

Listeners. Did you get the answer? If not, you have nothing to be ashamed of. You know what? You're too good for that puzzle anyway. If it doesn't want you to solve it, it's the puzzle's loss. You're nothing but skin and bones. And while you're eating, why not play today's main game, Home Centipede.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, my God. Centipede.

[Elliot Kaelin]

I feel like every joke this episode Sean is thinking just assumes I'm sinking into madness. Deeper and deeper.

[Sean Hayes]

I kind of love it, though.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Thank goodness. So you guys know this game? It's word Centipede. I'm going to give you a set of three words. You you must tell me what word can go before or after each of those words to make three whole new words.

[Sean Hayes]

Do you remember Jeff? Yeah. Sean is really good at this one. God, he's even loud on a podcast. Okay, go ahead.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Why do you have to be so horrible? This cooperative game is Quickly turning into a competitive game, which I kind of love.

[Sean Hayes]

Incredible.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Are you guys ready to center this p. Yes. Okay, let's get going. The first round of word Centipede. The three words are care, way, and style. Care, Way, W, A, Y, and style.

[Sean Hayes]

So, like something like home care. Yeah. Home. Way home. Style. Oh, is that it?

[Elliot Kaelin]

That's not it, but that's a really good. Except home, way, which I don't know what that is.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, neither do I. Way home. I lost my way home. Something. Care. I mean, there's a million things with care. Highway. High Style. High style.

[Elliot Kaelin]

High is not right, but highway might lead you into the right direction for the way.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, yeah. It's like a road. It's like a street. It's like a street. A throughway, through care. A drive, driveway. Drive, Style. Drive, drive. Care. Care. No, it's like a street. It's like a street or an avenue or a boulevard or a lane or.

[Elliot Kaelin]

It's a type of street with way in it.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. One care. One care. Care. One. One way. It's a type of street. It's like a laneway. It's like a. It's like.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Think about Los Angeles streets. Los Angeles roads.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. Boy, are they busy.

[Elliot Kaelin]

It's true. Busy way these days.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. What'd you say, Jeff? I didn't say anything. Oh, I don't know.

[Devin Tory Bryant]

Okay, wait.

[Sean Hayes]

By the way, you not saying anything would be a dream come true. You know what.

[Elliot Kaelin]

I think, just to get in between you guys, just to break it up, I'll give you the answer to this one if you're ready for it. The answer was free, carefree, freeway, freestyle. Free was the answer, but you'll do even better with this next one.

[Sean Hayes]

Okay. Okay.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Round two. The words are neck, nose, blue, neck, like the part of your body. Nose, like also the part of your body. And blue, like not a part of your body.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh. Bottleneck, bottlenose, blue, bottle.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Very good. The answer was bottle. It was bottlenose, Blue, bottle. Yes.

[Sean Hayes]

I've never heard of blue bottle.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Blue bottle's kind of fly.

[Sean Hayes]

Really?

[Elliot Kaelin]

Yeah. It's a patented Jeff Max catchphrase.

[Sean Hayes]

No.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Believe me, I'd love to hear it.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Devin Tory Bryant]

Really?

[Elliot Kaelin]

Eject, affect, and congest.

[Sean Hayes]

I'm sorry, Sorry.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Eject, eject, affect. A, F, F, E, C, T. Like you affect something. Yes, it affects me deeply and congest.

[Sean Hayes]

God, geez. Congestion.

[Elliot Kaelin]

This is kind of a tough one, but I can't.

[Sean Hayes]

And it can't be. It can't be. It has to be a word. It can't be congestion.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Perhaps it can be congestion. Affection.

[Sean Hayes]

Congestion. Ejection.

[Elliot Kaelin]

The word ion, which is a real word. Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

All right.

[Elliot Kaelin]

It's an unstable particle, I believe.

[Sean Hayes]

That's nice.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Great. You got that one fast.

[Sean Hayes]

Well, congest. What else could it be? Like, how many compound words do you know that have congest in it? Jeff?

[Elliot Kaelin]

Congest. Not a lot. Congestible. Not a word I've heard no. Round four. Three words. Those words are down, jaw and grid. Lock.

[Sean Hayes]

What?

[Elliot Kaelin]

Very good, Jeff. What words they make gridlock, lockjaw, and lockdown.

[Sean Hayes]

Wow, that was so fast.

[Elliot Kaelin]

That was great. There's only one round left. Round five. Those words are light, gap, and back. Light, as in back. There's a light up there.

[Sean Hayes]

Up, Gap. Light up.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Gap.

[Sean Hayes]

Light, gap, Back. Oh, gosh.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Light, gap, Back.

[Sean Hayes]

Street light. Street, gap.

[Elliot Kaelin]

No.

[Sean Hayes]

What's a gap? What would a gap be? Like a blank gap.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Streetlight was not. Again, conceptually, not too far. It's not the right word. But.

[Sean Hayes]

Lamp, light, gap, lamp, lamp, back. Wait. Street, light. It's like, what other light is there?

[Devin Tory Bryant]

He said it was like street, light. Street.

[Sean Hayes]

I don't know. This one's too nice for me.

[Elliot Kaelin]

You ready?

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Okay, I'm gonna tell you. The answer is stop. Stop, light, stop, gap, and backstop.

[Sean Hayes]

What's a stop gap?

[Elliot Kaelin]

Stop gap is a thing that you.

[Devin Tory Bryant]

Do like a year after high school. Is that what it.

[Elliot Kaelin]

No, it's a gap year. A stop gap is kind of like, we're just gonna do this now temporarily, just to take care of the problem for a short amount of time.

[Sean Hayes]

I used to work at the gap. Go ahead.

[Devin Tory Bryant]

That deserves a really.

[Elliot Kaelin]

And you heard them say stop a lot. Stop.

[Sean Hayes]

My whole life. Still.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Tallying up your scores? You have three out of five. Not bad at all. Now, that's a passing grade, but there's nothing like some centipedes to work up an appetite for a mega Clue.

[Sean Hayes]

Mega Clue question.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Now, be forewarned, today's mega Clue will seem incredibly easy because it kind of is. I'm going to give you one word from each round of word centipede this game, and you tell me what they're all related to. And the words from this game are freeway, bottleneck, congestion, gridlock, and stoplight Traffic.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, traffic.

[Elliot Kaelin]

You're exactly right, Jeff. Traffic. Exactly right. For the listeners at home, Jeff was so shocked at getting the answer so fast that he literally put his hand to his mouth.

[Sean Hayes]

I told you, there's no one gayer. He. There was a gay gasp.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Like the color pink.

[Sean Hayes]

I'm telling you telling you.

[Elliot Kaelin]

Listeners at home, did you do as well as Sean and Jeff? If so, why not let it go to your head? Walk around like you're God's gift to puzzles. Say some things you'll regret later. But before you do that, take a few moments to think about today's cliffhanger puzzle. Ooh, the cliffhanger puzzle is the puzzle equivalent shoes. You could leave with just the first part, but you'll walk pretty funny until you come back for the second part. Today's puzzle goes A mother had five Meryl, Taylor, Winona and Tilda. Was the fifth child named Fraser, Ethan or Adele? Again, a mother had five children, Meryl, Taylor, Winona and Tilda. Was the fifth child named Frasier, Ethan or Adele? We'll find out the answer on the next episode. Well, folks, we're beginning our descent to the end of the episode. Please make sure you all have your Carry on items before you disembark the podcast. But first, I'd like to thank Jeff Max for calming down that crying baby during the flight. And I'd like to thank Sean Hayes for stopping crying when Jeff calmed him down. And most of all, I'd like to thank you, the listener, for being such a frequent flier. We hope you'll soar the puzzle filled skies with Smartless Presents Clueless next time. Until then, this is your host, Elliot Kaelin, turning off the seatbelt sign. Unless you're listening this in a car right now.

[Devin Tory Bryant]

Clueless, 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, who does Like Candy. 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 Kevin Lehman and myself. Talent producer is Anne Harris. Associate producer Maddy McC. Social media producer Tommy Galgano. Executive producers are Elliot Kaelin, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett and Jason Bateman. Executive 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 smart less media.

[Sean Hayes]

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