Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hello, Puzzlers. Welcome to the Puzzler Podcast, the Wayne Scotting
on your Daily Puzzle living Room Wall. I am your
host A J. Jacobs, and today's guest is the awesome
Alfira Eisenberg, comedian, author, host of many things, including the
(00:27):
Great iHeart podcast Parenting is a Joke. Welcome Ofira.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Hey, Aj, how are you?
Speaker 1 (00:36):
I am good? Thank you? How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
I'm fine.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
I'm I wouldn't say I'm thriving or killing it, but
I'm still here.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
That's nice. Yeah, you're right, Like if I actually told
the truth, it would be like some parts of my
life are good, some are a struggle, but we don't
need to get into that. So, oh, Fira is a
wonderful person who have to be from Canada.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
It's true.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
As we mentioned on another episode, do you have a
theory on the age old mystery of why so many
funny people come from Canada?
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Ah?
Speaker 3 (01:11):
You know what, I will tell you this A long
long time ago, I did a show at the ninety
second Street why here in New York before I lived here,
and it was this exact debate. I was just doing
stand up and I was pretty new, but they had
debating this for fun, Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Lorne Michaels,
and Michael J.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Fox, and they came up with I mean, the general thing.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Was so close, so much of the shared culture, but
Canada has that little step of objectivity mm on it
because it not being American, and that space allows for
the ability to have, you know, a critical point to
make jokes about it interesting.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
So it's like a little removed, a little removed.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Yes, so I'm gonna go with that.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Also, at the time before there were munchkins, I think
that's what Dunkin Donuts sells right the middle of their donut,
right called the munchkin. I believe Tim Mohrton's, which is
our big chain and donut store, sold the.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Middle I think.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Anyways, it's claimed that they were the first to do it,
sold the middle of the donut.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
It's called a tim bit.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
And they all debated that if Canada can figure out
how to sell the nothing the whole of something, those
are people with a unique comedic sensibility.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Okay, I like that theory. I had not heard the
Tim Hohrton theory.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
That is great and then culturally appropriated by Dunkin Donuts.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
I don't know if that's true.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Go back, never go back. All right, Well, this puzzle
has nothing to do with Canada, so that is my segue.
It is. I actually tried to make it about Canada,
which I'll explain in a moment, But it's about state
abbreviations of United States. So we'll help you, we'll walk
(02:58):
you through. It's not so bad. As you may know.
Each state has a two letter abbreviation, so Cleveland, Ohio
is oh and New York is n y uh. And
I did I did try to do Canada, because there's
Alberta has ab but as you can see, you'll see
in a minute why it was hard with ab uh.
(03:20):
So this puzzle, I'm gonna give you a clue to
a phrase, and that phrase is going to start with
a state code, so you're gonna have to guess the
state from the state code. So the like if the
phrase was oh my God, the answer would be Ohio.
So I'll give you another. For instance, think of a
Mexican folk song with the lyrics yono soy merinero soy
(03:45):
copy tan with a It was in a movie, Richie.
They made a movie chie Richie Valens. Do you know
that song, I'm going all over. We have Canada you
now Mexico?
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Are you talking?
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Oh yeah, right, love yet love bomba.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
So then I would say.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Louisiana exactly, Okay, got it, step thing, got it?
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Okay, now I'm with you, all right? Correct, what is
going on? But now I'm with you?
Speaker 1 (04:16):
All right? Yeah, we thought you're smart.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
I love this clever all right.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
I actually the only one I could come up with
for Canada was ab ovo, which means from the egg.
But I didn't feel it was a common phrase. Nothing
that didn't trip off my top.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
All right.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
So this phrase, on the other hand, I think you know,
is a method for cooking pasta that leaves it a
little crunchy.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Dante okay, so uh wait a second.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
No, you had it, but I think you might have
pronounced it a little.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
What did you say?
Speaker 3 (04:49):
I said, So it's al Dante is a. So then
we're wasting. So we're back to Alabama.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
We're back to Alabama.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Okay, good, good good. That's what messed me up too.
I was like, how did I But no, that would possible.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Well, we had Alabama in another episode with you, but
you know, our producer Nelie is from Alabama. Because we're
kind of obsessed with al.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
You know what. That's good?
Speaker 1 (05:12):
So Alabama is correct? Or if you want to say
Alabama Dente.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Oh that I'm told that it's it's al Dente, not
al Dante, as I said it.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
I was evoking a lot of a famous story and
a guy named al Maybe we like pasta difference differently,
you're not. You're not familiar with the l Dante pasta.
It's very hot. It is the hottest pasta.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Well, yes I will, I will definitely try it. I
think al Dente is teeth because it's like dent. It's
like the teeth, crunchiness against the teeth. Ah, yes, all right?
Are you ready for your second?
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Sure?
Speaker 4 (05:49):
Am all right.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
This is a brand of lubricant invented in nineteen oh
four with the tagline the wetter, the better.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
You know.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
When it comes lukins, I am gonna say globally, there's
only one that comes to mind, and that is the
old ky Kentucky.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Kentucky exactly, Kentucky Jelly.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Kentucky jelly. Does anyone call it Kentucky jelly? That would
be hilarious.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
You can't. I looked it up and there are No
one knows where the ky is from, but there is.
You know, some Kentucky residents start trying to claim it
for Kentucky, but I don't.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
I think it's just part of the conversation. It's like, hey,
do you want to use some lube?
Speaker 4 (06:30):
K Why?
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Good one? I like that? That is good?
Speaker 4 (06:37):
All right?
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Are you ready for another one?
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Sure?
Speaker 4 (06:41):
All right?
Speaker 1 (06:41):
This is the official motto of the United States since
nineteen fifty six, when it replaced one that I actually prefer.
E Pluribus Unum was the original, and then we got
this one, which you can see on some money, and
it's on the House of Representatives and it is surprisingly religious.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
For right, Okay, what does it say on the money? God?
I should I spend money all the time.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
Again, I did not grow up in America, so you
guys probably learned this in grade three and you say it's.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
On looney, what's on? I don't know what's on the
Is there any words on that?
Speaker 2 (07:26):
I mean?
Speaker 3 (07:26):
So?
Speaker 2 (07:27):
But in God, we trust?
Speaker 4 (07:29):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Oh that's a am Okay. I was looking for something fancier.
This is the way it always works. I am is Indiana.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
I believe Indiana. We trust you nailed it.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
There's a there's a movie, old movie that I love
called They Live.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Do you know that movie?
Speaker 4 (07:48):
Wait?
Speaker 1 (07:49):
Is that the one? I'm here to choose some bubble
gum and kick some ass and I'm all out of
bubble gum. I think that's it, right, rowdy rowdy viper.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Yeah, yes, So there's a lot about money and the
truth of money and anyways, I remember seeing that at
a very impressiable age, and it still makes sense to me.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
I did not remember that part. I just remember the
bubble gum. By the way, So that is it. You
did fantastics? Yeah, too fast.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
I went through that one too fast and too good.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
You are too smart.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
That's it except for El Dante, right.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Well, that shows that you're you're mortal, like you know.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
My old friend Al Dante.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
He's a great guy. By the way, have you ever
heard Gary Goleman, the comedian. He does a whole shtick
on state abbreviations that's actually very funny. Oh yeah, you've
heard it, Like he taught because Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, and
Missouri they all start with m I, so it creates chaos.
(08:55):
It's very good.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Yeah, because one's an one's an exactly.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
They really had to get creative. They had to, as
he says, they had to bring in a contractor someone
who contracts words.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
I learned a lot of my state abbreviations from sending
behavioral health reimbursement.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Things around to health insurance.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
So it's educational. Uh well, that was wonderful. Where can
we find more Ofira Eisenberg content?
Speaker 2 (09:28):
If you?
Speaker 3 (09:29):
Yeah, if you my new my podcast has a new
season and it just started, So if you want to
check out our second season, you can go listen to
first season, but there's brand new episodes.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
We are parenting as a joke. You know, you find
us as they say on of Course, iHeart or wherever
you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
That is what they tell us to say in the
in the intro, and I I love your show. It's
it's very funny people comedians talking about parenting, being a mom.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Yeah, what it's like to marry these two ridiculous.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Things, right, because they're on the road a lot. All right,
One before we wrap up, as always, an extra credit
for you puzzlers at home. The extra credit is this
is a phrase that you might say at the end
of an ultimatum, What state does that lead to puzzlers.
(10:27):
Please don't forget to subscribe to the Puzzler Podcast and
we'll meet you here tomorrow for more puzzling puzzles that
will puzzle you puzzlingly.
Speaker 4 (10:41):
Hello puzzlers, this is Greg Pliska, your chief puzzle officer,
with the answer to last episode's extra credit clue. We
played with Ofira Eisenberg a game all about words and
phrases filled with the letter A. We like to call
it Galahad Bahamas Caravan, where every other letter is the
(11:01):
letter A. The clue we gave you was an audio
clip and you had to identify what musical instrument was playing.
Let's hear that clip again. That's right. Those are maroccas
(11:22):
m A R A c as. You are our favorite
listeners and we're glad you're here with us on the
Puzzler Podcast. We'll catch you again next time. Bring your moroccas.