Two Whats?! And A Wow! - Word is the Word (1/31/25)

Summary

Wow in the World: Episode Summary - "Two Whats?! And A Wow! - Word is the Word" (January 31, 2025)

Hosts: Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz

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Introduction and Live Event Announcement

[00:00] Mindy Thomas kicks off the episode by engaging the "Wowzer fams" with an exciting announcement. She reveals that she, along with Dennis and Karlie Q, are embarking on a road trip to make it "wow" in the Washington D.C. area and Denver, Colorado. Mindy describes "Make it Wow" as a live bonkerballs competition game show where real kids become the stars, showcasing their wildest and weirdest ideas by creating jaw-dropping inventions on stage. She encourages listeners to purchase tickets via Tinkercast.com/events, setting an enthusiastic tone for the episode.

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Behind-the-Scenes Banter

Before the game begins, Guy Raz and Mindy engage in playful banter about Mindy organizing fan mail, highlighting their chemistry and the lighthearted nature of the show.

[01:17] Guy Raz: "Is Mindy still in her dressing room?"

[02:08] Mindy: "Not all of this fan mail is for us. Some of it is for the Alphabet."

This segment adds a humorous touch, making the show relatable and entertaining for both kids and their grown-up listeners.

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Game Show: Two Whats?! And A Wow!

Introduction to the Game

[04:13] Karlie Q: "Two what's in a wow?"

[04:15] Guy Raz: "The Scientific Game show that separates the wows from the what's."

Mindy and Guy explain the rules: in each of the three rounds, they present three scientific statements about words. Only one statement is a true "wow," while the other two are fabricated "whats." Players earn points by identifying the correct wows; incorrect guesses lead to amusing physical challenges.

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Round 1: The First Wow

Question:

[05:08] Guy Raz: "Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow?"

• A: "1000 is the first number that has a letter A in its name."
• B: "There are seven words for ketchup in the French language."
• C: "The longest word in the English language is 29 letters long."

Notable Quote:

[06:13] Audrey (Contestant from Georgia): "My wow in the world is that the letter A doesn't appear in any number written out until 1000. That's so cool."

Conclusion:

[06:26] Guy Raz: "You found the winning wow. Congratulations."

[06:23] Mindy: "Thousands of dollars for dinner."

This round emphasizes linguistic curiosities, revealing that the letter 'A' indeed first appears in the number 1000 when written out.

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Round 2: The Welsh Wonder

Question:

[07:06] Guy Raz: "Which of the following statements is true?"

• A: "There are over 1,000 spoken languages that have gone extinct."
• B: "Khmer has the fewest number of letters of any language's alphabet."
• C: "There's a town in Wales with 58 letters in its name."

Notable Quote:

[08:19] Audrey (Contestant from New Mexico): "My wow in the world is that there's a town in Wales with 58 letters in its name."

Conclusion:

[08:30] Guy Raz: "Congrats to our winning wowzer! That town’s name was lengthened to attract tourists."

This segment highlights the fascinating fact about Llanfair­pwllgwyngyll­gogery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch, the Welsh town with an exceptionally long name.

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Round 3: Dinosaur Discoveries

Question:

[09:37] Mindy: "Which of the following statements is a true wow?"

• A: "The English word with the most definitions is 'try'."
• B: "The word dinosaur comes from the Greek word for terrible lizard."
• C: "There is no rhyme in the English language for the word pint."

Notable Quote:

[11:56] Audrey (Contestant from California): "My wow in the world is that the word dinosaur comes from the Greek word the terrible lizard."

Conclusion:

[12:10] Guy Raz: "The term dinosauria was first coined by Sir Richard Owen. The name does derive from Greek translating to terrible lizard."

This round delves into the etymology of the word "dinosaur," confirming its origins from the Greek language.

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Bonkerballs Bonus Round

[13:07] Mindy: "What color is the sky?"

[14:18] Guy Raz: "Oh. What? That sounds disgusting."

[14:23] Mindy: "Kyraz, we gotta reduce, reuse, and recycle somehow."

The bonus round playfully disrupts the flow with whimsical prizes like "invisible garbage tacos," reinforcing the show's fun and quirky nature.

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Listener Challenge: Operation What's the Word

[14:33] Mindy: "We call it Operation what's the Word."

[14:40] Guy Raz: "Wowzers we want you to create your own word, do some research and learn about where words find their origin."

Listeners are encouraged to invent new words using Greek or Latin roots and share them via photo or video, fostering creativity and engagement within the young audience.

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Conclusion and Credits

The episode wraps up with acknowledgments to the production team and invitations for listeners to engage further through surveys and social media.

[15:24] Dennis: "Wow in the World was made by Tinkercast and sent to you by Wondery."

This closing segment ensures listeners know how to stay connected and participate in future episodes.

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Key Insights and Takeaways

• Educational Entertainment: The episode effectively combines fun with learning, making linguistic and scientific concepts accessible to children.

• Engaging Format: The game show structure, complete with challenges and prizes, keeps the audience entertained while educating them about words.

• Interactive Challenges: Encouraging listeners to create new words fosters creativity and a deeper understanding of language origins.

• Humorous Interludes: The hosts' playful interactions and humorous elements make the content relatable and enjoyable for both kids and adults.

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Notable Quotes

• Mindy Thomas [00:00]: "Are you ready to make It Wow?"

• Guy Raz [04:15]: "The Scientific Game show that separates the wows from the what's."

• Audrey [06:13]: "The letter A doesn't appear in any number written out until 1000. That's so cool."

• Audrey [08:19]: "There's a town in Wales with 58 letters in its name."

• Audrey [11:56]: "The word dinosaur comes from the Greek word the terrible lizard."

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This episode of Wow in the World masterfully blends education with entertainment, providing young listeners with fascinating facts about words while maintaining an engaging and humorous atmosphere. Whether it's discovering the origins of "dinosaur" or exploring the length of Welsh town names, Mindy and Guy ensure that every "wow" leaves the audience both informed and inspired.

Transcript

[Mindy]

Hey, Wowzer fams. Mindy here. And before we start the show, I've got a question for you. Are you ready to make It Wow? Okay, here's the deal. My buddies Dennis and Karlie Q and I are hitting the road to make it wow with you in the Washington D.C. area and Denver, Colorado. That's right. We'll be making it wow in Bethesda, Maryland on March 29th and in Denver, Colorado on April 6th. Make it wow is a live bonkerballs competition game show where real kids are the star of the show. Two teams of Wowzers will turn their wildest and weirdest ideas into jaw dropping inventions live on stage. Tickets to our D.C. and Denver shows are on sale now. Grown ups. Visit Tinkercast.com events to get your ticket today. That's Tinkercast.com events. We can't wait to make It Wow with you this spring. But until then, let's get on with the show.

[Guy Raz]

Is Mindy still in her dressing room?

[Reggie]

It's almost time for the show.

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, are you in there?

[Dennis]

Oh, yeah, hold on.

[Mindy]

In this goes on this pile. These are here. And where should this one go?

[Guy Raz]

Mindy, what are you still doing in here? It's almost time for two.

[Reggie]

What's in a wow.

[Mindy]

Oh, sorry, Guy Raz. I lost track of time. I was just organizing our fan mail.

[Guy Raz]

What? You were organizing without me? Uh, Mindy, you know organizing is one of my top three favorite activities.

[Mindy]

Sorry, Guy Raz. You want to help me organize this pile over here?

[Karlie Q]

Yes, yes.

[Guy Raz]

A million times yes.

[Mindy]

Great. Here, you take these.

[Guy Raz]

Ha. This is so exciting.

[Mindy]

Okay, now, not all of this fan mail is for us. Some of it is for the Alphabet.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, well, wait, the Alphabet?

[Mindy]

Uh huh.

[Guy Raz]

The Alphabet gets fan letters?

[Mindy]

Yeah, and sometimes their fan letters get mixed in with ours by mistake. It's totally fine because I like to use their letters to organize our letters.

[Reggie]

Huh.

[Mindy]

Well, look, you see that pile over there?

[Guy Raz]

Yeah.

[Mindy]

That's mail for the letter C. I put it in our international fan mail on top of that pile because.

[Guy Raz]

Oh, because they're from overseas.

[Mindy]

Exactoritos.

[Guy Raz]

This is the best day ever.

[Dennis]

I know.

[Karlie Q]

Mindy. Hi.

[Mindy]

Uh. Oh.

[Karlie Q]

Where are you?

[Dennis]

We're in here, Dennis.

[Reggie]

Mindy.

[Karlie Q]

Gah. What in the.

[Guy Raz]

Uh, hi, Dennis.

[Karlie Q]

Oh, don't you hide. Dennis. Put those fan letters down and get out here. It's showtime. I know organizing is one of your top three favorite things, Guy, but the audience is getting restless. Everyone, you there, dot the I's and you cross the t's. And Reggie, hand all the Writing. We're going live in three, two, one.

[Guy Raz]

And now for everyone's favorite game show. It's two what's and a whoa.

[Dennis]

With your hosts, Mindy and Guy Rax. 2x2 watts 2x2x2x2x.

[Mindy]

Hello, studio audience, are you ready for some two what's in a wow?

[Karlie Q]

Two what's in a wow?

[Guy Raz]

The Scientific Game show that separates the wows from the what's. And the category for today is words. Mindy, why don't you remind our audience on how the game works?

[Mindy]

You know it. Wowzers. In each of our three rounds today, Guy, Raz and I will present you with three scientific statements about words. But. And this is a big but, only one of those statements will be a true wow. The other two, just a couple of made up whats.

[Guy Raz]

In each round, if you find the wow, congratulations, you get a point.

[Mindy]

But if you guess wrong, you must stop, drop and do a bonker balls physical challenge.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, everyone ready to start the game? Great.

[Mindy]

Then let's get started.

[Guy Raz]

Okay, round one. Which of the following statements is a true scientific wow? Is it a? 1000 is the first number that has a letter A in its name?

[Mindy]

Or is it B? There are seven words for ketchup in the French language.

[Guy Raz]

Or is it C? The longest word in the English language is 29 letters long.

[Mindy]

When you think you know the answer, throw it in the laundry. Hey, Reggie, can we get some thinking music, please?

[Guy Raz]

And time is up. Let's reveal the winning wow.

[Mindy]

Joining us by phone today, all the way from the city state of Georgia, it's Eleanor. Eleanor, please reveal the winning wow.

[Audrey]

My wow in the world is that the letter A doesn't appear in any number written out until 1000. That's so cool.

[Mindy]

Right?

[Dennis]

Winner, winner.

[Mindy]

Thousands of dollars for dinner.

[Guy Raz]

Thank you, Eleanor. Contestants, if you guess the answer A, that 1000 is the first number that has a letter A in its name. You found the winning wow. Congratulations.

[Mindy]

But if you did not get the answer correct, you must stop, drop and sniff an old gym bag. Oh, what's that? Audience, you didn't bring an old gym bag to the show. Well, we've got you covered. Take a look under your seats. We've got a brand new old gym bag filled with stinky socks just for you.

[Guy Raz]

Hew, that smell really carries. Okay, well, now it's time for round two. Which of the following statements is true? Is it A, there are over 1,000 spoken languages that have gone extinct, or is it B?

[Mindy]

Khmer has the fewest number of letters of any language's.

[Guy Raz]

Alphabet or is it C? There's a town in Wales with 50, 58 letters in its name.

[Mindy]

When you think you have the answer, put it in the microwave and don't turn it on. Hey, Reggie, cue the thinking music.

[Guy Raz]

And time is up. Let's reveal the winning wow.

[Mindy]

And here to share it with us. Joining us by phone, it's Audrey from New Mexico. Audrey, please tell us, what's the winning wow?

[Audrey]

My wow in the world is that there's a town in Wales with 58 letters in its name.

[Mindy]

Winner, winner, 58 letters for dinner.

[Guy Raz]

Thank you, Audrey. Contestants, if you guessed the answer C, that there's a town in Wales with 58 letters in its name, you found the winning wow. Congratulations.

[Mindy]

That's right. There's a Welsh town whose name is 58 letters long.

[Guy Raz]

Indeed there is. And I'm still learning how to speak Welsh using my Trio lingo app. So I don't know how to pronounce it just yet. But it turns out the town used to have a shorter name and added some letters in an attempt to bring in tourists.

[Mindy]

58 letters. Whew. Try fitting that into an envelope. Now, if you did not get the answer correct, you must stop, drop and eat that year old casserole right out of your freezer.

[Guy Raz]

But first, let's thank our sponsors. Today's episode is brought to you by.

[Mindy]

Apple the fruit guy, Raz, not the tech company.

[Guy Raz]

All right. Okay. Well, it's time now for round three. Are you ready? Contestants.

[Mindy]

Which of the following statements is a true wow? Is it A? The word in the English language with the most definitions is try or is it B?

[Guy Raz]

The word dinosaur comes from the Greek word for terrible lizard.

[Mindy]

Or is it C? There is no rhyme in the English language for the word pint. When you think you have the answer.

[Guy Raz]

Run a marathon or stay right where you are. And we'll reveal the winning answer right after the break.

[Audrey]

To whatsnaw. We'll be right back. Grown ups, this message is for you. That's it. Now back to the show.

[Guy Raz]

Welcome back to two what's and a.

[Mindy]

Wow, the scientific game show that separates the wows from the what's.

[Guy Raz]

Now, before the break, we left you with a dangling question for round three.

[Mindy]

Which of the following statements is the one true wow? Is it A? The English word with the most definitions is the word try or is it B? The word dinosaur comes from the Greek word terrible lizard or is it C? There's no rhyme in the English language for the word pint.

[Guy Raz]

We know you've Been thinking on this one, and we're not gonna make you wait any longer, actually.

[Karlie Q]

Wait, wait, wait. Yes, we are. Pause the show, please. Thanks. I need to tie my shoe.

[Mindy]

Dennis, can't we continue the show while you tie your shoe?

[Karlie Q]

Well, I guess, but then I'd miss stuff while I'm looking down at my shoelace. Bunny ear, Bunny ear. And there. Okay, you can unpause the show now. I'm ready.

[Guy Raz]

Okay. Wowzers. Let's finally reveal the wow. Georgia from California has patiently been waiting on the phone to share the answer.

[Mindy]

Georgia, we can't wait. What's the winning wow?

[Audrey]

Hi, Mindy and Guy Raz. My wow in the world is that the word dinosaur comes from the Greek word the terrible legend.

[Dennis]

Winner, winner.

[Mindy]

Dino nuggies for dinner.

[Guy Raz]

Thank you, Georgia. Contestants, if you guessed the answer b that the word dinosaur comes from the Greek word for terrible lizard, you found the winning wow. Congratulations, Wowzers. The term dinosauria was first coined by Sir Richard Owen. The name does derive from Greek translating to terrible lizard. But Owen noted these animals were fearfully great.

[Mindy]

That's such a coincidence. Guy Raz, my second grade teacher, once told me that I was fearfully great too. What a compliment.

[Guy Raz]

Is it?

[Mindy]

Great job, all of our winning wowzers. And if you are not one of those winning wowzers, you must stop, drop, and dunk your nearest cookie into a jar of mayonnaise.

[Guy Raz]

Did someone bring a goat to today's show?

[Mindy]

Oh, no, Guy Raz, that sound can mean only one thing. And that means it's time for today's bonkerballs bonus round. And the question for this round is, what color is the sky? Huh, that's easy, isn't it? Blue. Ooh. Thank you very much. You know what time it is? Reggie, roll out that prize wheel. Check it out, Guy Raz. I pasted on some kale leaves I found in your micro garden to add a little pop of color to the prize wheel. Contestants, when I press this button, your super special prize for your participation in today's show will generate in three different parts. Audience, just a reminder to fasten your seat belts to the right of your chairs, just in case.

[Guy Raz]

In case of what?

[Mindy]

I don't know. Something awesome. All of our contestants today will be taking home their very own invisible garbage tacos.

[Guy Raz]

Oh. What? That sounds disgusting.

[Mindy]

Kyraz, we gotta reduce, reuse, and recycle somehow.

[Guy Raz]

I guess so. Well, that's just about all the time we have for today.

[Mindy]

But before we go, we have a little challenge for you. We call it Operation what's the Word.

[Guy Raz]

Wowzers we want you to create your.

[Mindy]

Own word, do some research and learn about where words find their origin. For some extra points, see if you can create a new word using a Greek or Latin root word.

[Guy Raz]

Then share it with your friends, your.

[Mindy]

Neighbors, your pigeons and see if it.

[Guy Raz]

Catches on and tell us your new word with a photo or video. Grown Ups. You can upload pictures and videos to [e-mail] share and be sure to come.

[Mindy]

Back on Monday for a brand new episode of wow in the World and again on Friday for a new episode of 2 what's in a wow.

[Guy Raz]

Until then, keep on keep on wowing.

[Dennis]

2 what's 2 what 2 what's 2 what 2 what 2 what's 2 X and a wow.

[Mindy]

Grown ups if you like wow in the world you can listen early and ad free right now on Wondry.

[Reggie]

Join Wondery in the Wondery app or on Wondery Kids on Apple Podcasts Prime. Members can listen ad free on Amazon Music.

[Mindy]

And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail].

[Reggie]

Survey 2 what's in a wow is executive produced by Meredith Halpern, Ranzer Mindy Thomas and me, Guy Raz.

[Mindy]

Our writers are Anna Zagorski, Darnell Walker, Ruth Morrison and Heba Gouda.

[Reggie]

Sound production and design is by Marianne Lozano with help from our senior producer Jed Anderson.

[Mindy]

Special thanks to the rest of our team of Tinkerers including Anna Zagorski, Rebecca Caban, Henry Moskal, Jessica Boddy, Jacob Stein and Jason Rabinowitz.

[Reggie]

Our theme song was written and composed by the Pop Ups. For more on their three time Grammy nominated All ages music, find them at.

[Mindy]

And to keep the what's and the Wows rolling, Visit [e-mail] There you can find our two what's in a while think and tinker playbook Interactive, Kahoot Games and info on becoming a member of the world organization of Wowzers grown ups.

[Reggie]

You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @2WhatSandaw and our email address.

[Guy Raz]

Is helloinkercast.com finally, if you're a kid.

[Mindy]

With a big wow to share, it could be used on an upcoming episode of 2 what's in a wow? Call us at 1-888-7-WOW-WOW.

[Reggie]

Thanks again for listening and playing along. Meet us back here on Monday for Wow in the.

[Dennis]

World. Wow.

[Audrey]

Wow in the World was made by Tinkercast and sent to you by Wondery.