Podcast Summary

SmartLess Presents ClueLess

Episode 202 — “Word Workout” (w/ Max Silvestri & Gabe Liedman)
Host: Elliott Kalan
Date: November 17, 2025
Length: ~11 minutes, skipping ads/outros

Overview

In this fast-paced, playful installment of ClueLess, host Elliott Kalan welcomes comedians and co-hosts of "I Need You Guys" Gabe Liedman and Max Silvestri for a pun-laden journey mixing space trivia, Oscar history, and a challenging “Word Workout” puzzle round. The episode is brimming with banter, wordplay, and the kind of clever back-and-forth that fans of puzzle and comedy podcasts love.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Opening Banter & Icebreaker (01:40–02:25)

• Favorite smells: Elliott opens with an unusual question about smells.
  • Gabe Liedman: “Toast.” (02:16)
  • Max Silvestri: “Fireplace.” (02:18)
  • They joke, “We’re going burns.” (02:20)
• Elliott then segues into the first trivia question, maintaining a whimsical tone.

Space & Oscars Trivia Game (02:25–09:32)

1. Moon Sports – What Game Did Alan Shepard Play on the Moon? (02:21–03:14)

• Guest guesses (incorrect):
  • Gabe: Basketball (“If I was him I would do basketball and I would dunk.” 02:51)
• Elliott (answer): “The answer is golf.” (03:14)
  • Elicits riffing on golf’s astronaut-friendly qualities—“I assume it's really easy to get a hole in one on the moon because it looks like there's holes all over that thing.” (03:36)

2. Academy Awards for Astronaut/NASA Roles: Name the Films by Year (03:44–07:14)

• Prompt: Name the four most recent films (2016, 2015, 2014, 1995) where someone was Oscar-nominated for playing an astronaut/NASA employee.
  • Guest guesses:
    • Max: Apollo 13 (1995) (04:50)
    • Gabe: Hidden Figures (2016) (04:53)
    • Both: Gravity (2013) and variously consider First Man, Ad Astra, Interstellar.
  • After clues from Elliott, Max guesses The Martian for 2015 (06:54).
• Correct answers: Apollo 13, Hidden Figures, Gravity, The Martian. (07:02)
• Notable quote:
  • Elliott: “In all of those movies, someone was nominated for an Academy Award for playing an astronaut or a NASA employee. Excellent job.” (07:02)

3. Who Actually Won an Oscar for Playing an Astronaut? (07:31–09:13)

• Prompt: Only one actor ever won an Oscar for such a role—who and in what movie?
  • Wrong guesses: Tommy Lee Jones/Space Cowboys, Arnold Schwarzenegger/Total Recall.
  • Max lands it: Jack Nicholson, Terms of Endearment. (08:49)
• Elliott: “We’re going to give the Academy Award to someone playing an astronaut, but not in a space movie.” (09:13)
• Memorable riff:
  • Max (as the astronaut character): “Like, I go to parties.” (08:52)

Main Puzzle: Word Workout Game (12:22–17:54)

Rules ([12:22])

• Elliott: “I’ve got seven words that want to slim down and lose some weight… remove one letter and then rearrange the remaining letters to create a new word… There will be hints for each.”

1. “Remove a letter from ‘cartels’ to find a type of fortress.” ([13:10])

• Answer: Castle
• Max: “Drop the R and create the word castle.” (13:15)

2. “Remove a letter from ‘painter’ to find a type of legal guardian.” ([13:52])

• Answer: Parent
• Gabe: “Take out the I, and it’s parent.” (13:57)
• Elliott (joking): “The extreme smugness of the answer. It was very well done.” (14:01)

3. “Remove a letter from ‘creased’ to find another word for holy.” ([14:13])

• Answer: Sacred
• Max: “Remove the E and make the word sacred.” (14:30)

4. “Remove a letter from ‘carbon’ to find a type of lesser nobility.” ([14:35])

• Answer: Baron
• Max/Gabe (in unison): “Baron.” (14:58/14:59)
• Gabe (jokes): “Which is what I am, and that’s why I don’t have kids.” (15:00)

5. “Remove a letter from ‘stories’ to find the proper address of a nun.” ([15:06])

• Answer: Sister
• Gabe: “Get rid of that O, and it’s going to be sister.” (15:17)

6. “Remove a letter from ‘action’ to find an excellent mixer.” ([15:32])

• Answer: Tonic
• Gabe: “Take away the A, and it’s gonna be a tonic.” (15:52)

7. “Remove a letter from ‘lantern’ to find what you get when you spend all day at the beach.” ([16:00])

• Answer: Tanner
• Max: “Remove the L and you’re going to get tanner.” (16:18)

Elliott: “You got all of them—seven out of seven!” (16:40)

Mega Clue (16:40–17:54)

• Task: Rearrange the removed letters (R, I, C, O, A, L) to form a word for something you lose with brain exercise.
• Max: “Calorie!” (17:47)
• Elliott: “Exactly. You may have burnt exactly one calorie. Just one. Thinking is not great exercise.” (17:54)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “None of the movies we mentioned so far won that acting Academy Award... Only one person has ever actually won an Academy Award for playing an astronaut or NASA employee.” — Elliott (07:31)
• “Like, I go to parties... and I was like, you know, I’ve been in space.” — Max (08:52)
• “[Parent]. The extreme smugness of the answer. It was very well done.” — Elliott (14:01)
• “Which is what I am, and that’s why I don’t have kids.” — Gabe, after ‘Baron’ (15:00)
• “You’re doing great. You are blazing through these.” — Elliott (15:58)
• “Calorie… we may have burnt one calorie.” — Gabe (17:52)
• Elliott: “Pretty soon you’ll just be able to have an AI do these puzzles for you anyway. I’m Clueless.” (17:54)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:40 – Introduction of guests & favorite smells
• 02:21 – Space trivia: sport played on the moon
• 03:44 – Oscar nominations game
• 07:31 – Who actually won Oscar for astronaut role?
• 12:22 – Word Workout puzzle game begins
• 16:40 – Word Workout mega clue

Tone and Style

• Playful, witty, quick—Elliott’s deadpan hosts Gabe and Max’s more “game” comedic improvisation.
• Collaborative and inclusive—the show’s puzzles give the guests room to puzzle out clues aloud.
• Punny and light-hearted—a relaxed, joking rapport, with asides riffing on pop culture.

Conclusion

This episode of ClueLess delivers a rapid-fire blend of trivia and word puzzles, with stand-out comedic chemistry between host and guests. Even if you haven’t listened, you’ll get both the answers and enough of the fun, irreverent flavor that makes ClueLess a unique “puzzle podcast that knows when you’re sleeping” (00:57).

Quick Reference List: Puzzle Answers

Oscar Movies:

• Apollo 13 (1995)
• Gravity (2013)
• The Martian (2015)
• Hidden Figures (2016)
• Winner: Jack Nicholson, Terms of Endearment (1983)

Word Workout:

1. cartels → castle
2. painter → parent
3. creased → sacred
4. carbon → baron
5. stories → sister
6. action → tonic
7. lantern → tanner

Mega clue: CALORIE

Recommended For: Fans of puzzles, comedy, wordplay, or anyone who enjoys breezy banter among smart, funny friends.