Podcast Summary: B&T Extra – Nicknames, Letters, & Cats

The BOB & TOM Show Free Podcast
Date: November 11, 2025

Overview

This "B&T Extra" episode offers the signature blend of comedy and banter among the BOB & TOM crew, featuring hosts Bob Kevoian and Tom Griswold, with Josh Arnold and guest Kelly Collette. The main themes are the power (and absurdity) of workplace nicknames, listener mail, and an extended riff on the quirks of cats and cat ownership. Spirited exchanges, playful teasing, and tangents about band nerds, freak shows, and Christmas tree disasters punctuate the conversation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Nicknames in the Workplace (04:07 – 06:53)

• New team member Aaron is being branded "AA," much to Tom’s pride in what he calls a “catching on” nickname phenomenon.
  • Bob: “I’ve said hello to AA twice today.” (04:13)
  • Josh: “Tom says it’s catching on because Tom said it twice.” (04:30)
• Kelly Collette is dubbed "KC" on the spot, signaling how easily the crew creates and shifts nicknames.
• Tom’s philosophy: prefers nicknames rooted in incidents or personality, not just initials.
  • Tom: “But I’ve always been against nicknames that derive from your name. Like Griswold for Grizz.” (04:45)
  • Josh: “You want something that has to do more with personality. With an incident, perhaps.” (04:53)
• The segment includes jokes on past nicknames, like “Buck Turd,” and a dig at teacher-bestowed nicknames:
  • Ace (on his own nickname): “School teacher called you Ace. That’s cool.” (05:41)
  • Tom: “I was kind of smart, so I could answer all the questions.” (05:43)

2. Listener Letters: Family Nicknames, Humor, & Red Flags (06:03 – 07:34, 13:49 – 14:29)

• A letter from Aaron’s mother reveals his embarrassing home nickname, “Kitten,” referencing “Father Knows Best.”
  • Tom (reading): “Aaron’s nickname at home is Kitten. It’s my way of paying homage to ‘Father Knows Best.’” (06:11)
  • Laughter ensures as the group riffs on the irony: Aaron is a “husky gent”—very not kitten-like (06:45).
• Kelly suggests playful reasons for the nickname, getting absurd:
  • Kelly: “Maybe it’s because he’ll come up to you and let you pet his paws if you’re sweet enough to him.” (07:08)
  • Josh: “If you scratch his ass, he lifts it up.” (07:18)
• Audience engagement continues with a breakup story: a woman ends a relationship after her date confesses dislike for the show’s “bickering.”
  • Tom (reading): “…he exclaimed how much he did not like the Bob and Tom show because of all the bickering.” (14:01)
  • Kelly: “Is that bickering?” (14:14)
  • Tom: “That was the biggest red flag to me.” (14:18)

3. Cats, Stores, and Cat Owners (08:31 – 13:22)

• Several letters from listeners launch a deep dive into cat habits and cat owner woes:
  • Josh recounts his cats’ personalities, with Biscuit as the “organizer” and Gravy (his other cat) as a persistent schemer for table food.
    • Josh: “She doesn’t speak great English, as you know. Cats. There’s a lot of Rs and M's…” (09:09)
    • Josh (doing the cat voice): “She wanted part of my burger. And I said, ‘No, Gravy, this is for me.’ And she said, ‘Well, this is Beauce. This is just beauce.’” (09:37)
• Listeners want a cartoon based on Josh and his cats:
  • Tom (reading): "Why has no one come up with the idea to do a bunch of quick cartoons—Josh and his cat?” (09:42)
• News story: a missing “store cat” named Francine gets national coverage after accidently hitching a ride to another state and being returned by loyal employees.
  • Bob: “Francine is the name of the cat. A calico cat had disappeared…found at the company’s distribution center in Garysburg, North Carolina.” (11:27–11:52)
  • Cat fact:
    • Tom: “If it’s a calico, it is a girl. All calico cats are girls.” (11:38)
    • Kelly: “Yes, it is true.” (11:43)
• Cats and Christmas trees:
  • Tom: “I had to wire the Christmas tree to the floor and the ceiling because the cats would just run up the tree.” (13:01)
  • Josh: “Cats and Christmas trees don’t necessarily get along.” (12:42)

4. Band Nerds and Freak Shows (16:09 – 19:03)

• Responding to accusations of “making fun of” Rush fans, the team jokes about nerd pride and band stereotypes:
  • Josh: “I was calling them nerds. I wasn’t necessarily making fun of them.” (16:19)
  • Tom: “They know they’re nerds and they’re proud of ’em.” (16:23)
• The crew riffs on the idea of bands replacing deceased members with women, referencing Rush, Lincoln Park, and even inventing the idea of a bearded lady joining ZZ Top.
  • Kelly: “A lot of bands are doing that. They're replacing the dead members with women.” (17:05)
  • Bob: “Bearded lady in ZZ Top…that I want to see.” (17:29)
• Freak shows and the movie Freaks are discussed, with the hosts reflecting on what fascinated and disturbed them about sideshow culture.
  • Bob: “It was essentially, you’re walking through a disease ward.” (17:51)
  • Tom: “Lobster Boy, of course, Lobster Boy was the king of those shows.” (18:09)
  • Kelly: “Did you hear—see the documentary?” (18:13)
  • Tom: “There’s a guy in that [movie]—the guy doesn’t have any arms or legs and he gets a match out of a matchbox and lights a cigarette.” (18:47)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Tom says it’s catching on because Tom said it twice.” – Josh Arnold on Tom’s self-promoted nickname (04:30)
• “Maybe it’s because he’ll come up to you and let you pet his paws if you’re sweet enough to him.” – Kelly Collette on why Aaron’s “Kitten” nickname might fit (07:08)
• “If you scratch his ass, he lifts it up.” – Josh, cat behavior riff (07:18)
• “Cats and Christmas trees don’t necessarily get along.” – Josh (12:42)
• “I had to wire the Christmas tree to the floor and the ceiling because the cats would just run up the tree.” – Tom (13:01)
• “They know they’re nerds and they’re proud of ’em.” – Tom about Rush fans (16:23)
• “I prefer the scorpion woman, the one with extra legs.” – Kelly Collette, on freak show attractions (17:43)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:07] Nicknames in the workplace—initiation of “AA” and “KC”
• [06:11] Listener letter: Aaron’s home nickname (“Kitten”)
• [07:34] Kelly moves to NYC, subway anxiety
• [08:31] Cat letters and owner dilemmas
• [09:37] Josh impersonates his cat asking for burger
• [11:27] Missing store cat Francine’s grand adventure
• [12:42] Cats vs. Christmas trees
• [13:49] Listener breaks up over Bob & Tom “bickering”
• [16:09] Listener feedback: Rush fans, nerds, and band replacements
• [17:43] Sideshow culture and experiences at freak shows

Tone & Takeaways

The episode exemplifies the Bob & Tom Show’s style: quick-witted, irreverent, and full of in-jokes riffed off everyday topics. Listeners are reminded of the cartoonish world of work nicknames, the universal experiences of pet ownership, and the enduring pleasures of poking fun at one another—gently, and with a wink.

Closing Thought:
The light-hearted banter demonstrates why the show has enduring appeal—whether it’s inventing a new workplace nickname, swapping weird cat stories, or roasting each other’s musical tastes, every subject becomes a playful, communal opportunity for laughter.