SmartLess Presents ClueLess

Episode 201 – State Of Confusion (with Max Silvestri and Gabe Liedman)
Published: November 10, 2025
Host: Elliott Kalan
Guests: Max Silvestri, Gabe Liedman

Episode Overview

This lively, bite-sized episode features guest contestants Max Silvestri and Gabe Liedman—comedians and co-hosts of another SmartLess podcast—tackling two main puzzle games led by host Elliott Kalan. The first game, “It’s Elementary,” revolves around puns involving periodic table elements. The main event, “State of Confusion,” challenges the duo to combine US state abbreviations and inserted letters to spell descriptive words, culminating in a final “mega clue” anagram. The show is packed with playful banter, puns, and witty science references.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

I. Opening Banter & Introduction

• Elliott opens with a cheeky riff about email abbreviations and being "fortified with riboflavin."
  • “I’m your host, Elliot Kaelin, and I’m all organic. Well, the parts of me that our organs are.” (00:36)
• Introduces guests Max Silvestri and Gabe Liedman, who immediately set the jovial tone.

II. Game 1: "It’s Elementary"

(Starts ~03:08)

Premise:
Every answer contains the name of a chemical element.

Discussion Highlights

• Question 1: What archaic phrase does "CC" stand for in email?

  • Answer: Carbon Copy
    • “Yeah, you’re exactly right. It’s carbon copy. For the children and forgetful people in the audience listening..." – Elliott (02:03)

• Nostalgia and jokes about carbon paper:

  • “I stood in a long line [to hold carbon paper].” – Max (02:40)
  • “The Children’s Museum in Pittsburgh has a whole exhibit on holding carbon paper.” – Gabe (02:43)

• Periodic Table Knowledge Check:

  • “I’m probably the most familiar with it of anyone.” – Max (03:29, dry sarcasm)

Elemental Wordplay Questions

1. Jason’s Crew:

   • Q: Which group helped Jason steal the Golden Fleece?
   • A: Argonauts (Element: Argon)
     • “That would be the argonauts, as in argon, right, Max?” – Max (04:23)
   • “But what if you did [argue]? That would be a huge foul.” – Elliott (04:31)

2. Newborns and Gases:

   • Q: What word to describe newborn infants contains the name of a fluorescent gas?
   • A: Neonatal (Element: Neon)
     • “Neonatal.” – Gabe (04:59)
     • “Exactly right. And what element is in there?” – Elliott (05:00)

3. Fake and Real Elements:

   • Q: Which of these is NOT like the others: selenium, dilithium, adamantium, kryptonite?
   • Misfire: Max and Gabe pick kryptonite.
   • Correct Answer: Selenium (the real element; the rest are fictional).
     • “The one that is the odd one out is selenium because it is a real element.” – Elliott (06:44)
   • Jokes about taking “fake lithium” for depression.
     • “So why do I take it for depression if it’s fake?” – Max (06:53)

III. Game 2: "State of Confusion"

(Begins ~09:22)

Premise:
Take the postal abbreviations of two US states; add a letter between them to form a word that matches the host’s travel description. The inserted letters later form an anagram for a final mega clue.

Example

• “If I said my trip from Orlando to Lexington was like a buttery croissant…” (FL + _ + KY = FLAKY)

Questions & Answers with Notable Banter

| Time | Clue & Route | Abbrevs | Inserted Letter | Answer | Banter/Notes | |--------|--------------|---------|----------------|----------|--------------| |11:19|Bar Harbor (Maine) → Birmingham (Alabama), “listening to heavy rock music” | ME + _ + AL | T | METAL | “That’s where we should have stopped. Metal.” – Max (11:56)| |12:26|Seattle → Gulfport, “temperature kept going higher” | WA + _ + MS | R | WARMS | They confuse MS with MO (Missouri); only get half credit.| |14:22|New Orleans → Indianapolis, “studied an ancient language” | LA + _ + IN | T | LATIN | “...the language that we speak every morning, first thing we say, cogito ergo sum.” – Max (14:39)| |15:15|San Juan → Kennebunkport, “of the highest quality” | PR + _ + ME | I | PRIME | “And it was a great trip from San Juan to Kennebunkport.” – Elliott (15:37)| |15:46|Wilmington → Topeka, “sat at many work tables” | DE + _ + KS | S | DESKS | “...I just break into a school, try out all the desks.” – Elliott (16:15)| |16:37|St. Louis → Bend, “moved really quickly” | MO + _ + OR | T | MOTOR | Jokes about being a “straight line guy” not fitting in Bend, OR.| |17:42|Myrtle Beach → Omaha, “like something out of a movie” | SC + _ + NE | E | SCENE | Sidetrack on their imaginary Myrtle Beach T-shirt shop.| |18:54|Boston → Eugene, “to see a large country home” | MA + _ + OR | N | MANOR | “You would add the letter N, but for Maine and Oregon, to make Manor.” – Elliott (19:28)| |19:38|Little Rock → Philadelphia, “snacked on a stuffed South American flatbread” | AR + _ + PA | E | AREPA | “Add an E in the middle to make arepa.” – Elliott (20:26)| |20:46|Bloomington → Omaha, “totally pointless” | IN + _ + NE | A | INANE | “You got every single question right except for one that you got half credit on.” – Elliott (21:05)|

Memorable Exchange:

• On half-credit: “Who cares that we got the state wrong?...This is like doing a crossword. You don’t have to show your work...” – Gabe (21:21)
• “See you in court.” – Max (21:46)

IV. The Mega Clue Anagram

(~22:00)

• Task: Unscramble the added letters from each question (T, R, T, I, S, E, N, E, A) to describe how Elliott got around the country.

  • Stirring brainstorming: “I mean, train seat. Hold on.” – Elliott (23:27)

• Struggle to find the answer, suggesting “trains” and “transit.”

• Elliott finally gives the answer: INTERSTATE

  “Give you the answer. The answer is interstate. That is the word we were looking for, the interstate. I didn’t take the outer state—it takes too long.” – Elliott (24:03)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “The fifth element is boron...All you need is boron.” – Elliott, riffing on The Beatles. (09:33)
• “You know, they’re the only mammals that thrash.” – Gabe on whales and metal music. (12:20)
• “I send a lot of mail to Puerto Rico, and I know it’s going to be PR...” – Max (15:20)
• “Myrtle Beach is in South Carolina, right?” – Gabe, showing off “spring break” expertise (18:04)
• “You got a mole on your selenium.” – Max (07:14)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:27 – 01:38: Elliott’s intro and guest welcome
• 03:08: Launch of "It’s Elementary"
• 04:20: Argonauts/Argon discussion
• 04:55: Neonatal/neon question
• 05:47: Real vs. fictional elements
• 09:22: State of Confusion game explained
• 11:19: First puzzle (METAL)
• 12:26: Second puzzle (WARMS)
• 14:22: Third puzzle (LATIN)
• 15:29: Fourth (PRIME)
• 16:02–17:00: Fifth & sixth puzzles (DESKS, MOTOR)
• 17:42: Seventh puzzle (SCENE)
• 18:54: Eighth (MANOR)
• 19:38: Ninth (AREPA)
• 20:46: Tenth (INANE)
• 22:00: Mega Clue anagram struggle
• 24:03: Reveal of “INTERSTATE”

Episode Tone and Takeaways

The episode perfectly blends quick puzzle-solving, clever wordplay, and chemistry-and-geography puns with the guest comedians' dry, self-aware humor and friendly banter. The difficulty is accessible, but challenges escalate with the anagram mega clue. Even failing the last puzzle becomes a communal laugh. Listeners come away both entertained and a little smarter—or at least with a renewed fondness for state abbreviations and the elemental wonders of carbon paper.

For listeners who missed it:
Max and Gabe excel at word- and element-based puzzles, stumble hilariously over state abbreviations, and together—with Elliott’s dad-joke authority—make a charming, laugh-out-loud team. The perfect quick listen for fans of crosswords, trivia, or comedic wordplay.