Podcasts by Learned Lag

25 Is Basically 22 Anyway from 2023-12-12T07:16:09

This is how extemporaneous the show is -- replace all mentions of "Truman" with "LBJ". We respect you all too much to lie to you and re-record that part.

Mad at Canada from 2023-12-09T09:46:30

Find the Shady Characters blog at shadycharacters.co.uk .

She Was Named by a Speech Impediment from 2023-12-08T07:17:20

Don't get George started on parking spots for vets either.

False Confidence from 2023-12-07T07:16:14

George really does think he knows better than Keats.

Coin Flips and Ballons from 2023-12-06T07:16:33

Hope y'all are feeling better than we are. Stay healthy.

That’s ”Meconium” With No R from 2023-12-05T07:16:14

Henry Kissinger is still dead. How was your weekend?

House Divided XXI from 2023-12-02T08:40:25

Amanda was right -- that was the Thanksgiving painting. Also, "Hop!" is Air France's regional subsidiary.

The Movie Was ”Jack”, the Song Was ”Leningrad” from 2023-12-01T07:16:02

Sorry if we didn't edit out all of the coughs.

Henry Kissinger Is Dead from 2023-11-30T07:43:23

Anthony Bourdain was right.

9th/99 from 2023-11-29T07:16:14

When you're in the Army, you don't sing the song that much. You also don't constantly run in formations, and there aren't tanks rumbling down normal streets all the time.

Again, Sorry About the Coughing from 2023-11-28T05:23:23

Hope your Thanksgiving went well.

Short Week from 2023-11-22T09:23:28

Have a happy Thanksgiving if you're American, and a happy curiously non-LL five-day period if you're not.

Sorry for All the Coughing from 2023-11-21T06:36:45

It's the holiday season. Take some time for yourself. Check in on your friends. Let people check in on you. You are loved, by us at least. Thank you for listening.

Back on Track from 2023-11-18T07:53:40

Finishing the week weekly.

Yep, We’re Late from 2023-11-17T22:42:05

Events interceded. You know how it can be.

Prebiotically Yours from 2023-11-16T07:19

That stuff is the worrrst. Some reward.

Six... Technically from 2023-11-15T07:16:17

George will refrain from pointing out that The Sound and the Fury was Faulker, not Hemingway.

Back Again With Ten from 2023-11-14T07:16:54

Short off-season, but we gotta squeeze in the whole season before Christmas.

Pretty Good Season, All in All from 2023-10-03T07:31:21

Hope it went well for you as well.

Crunch Time from 2023-09-30T09:26:43

Hope you're far enough out of the red that the last couple of days are lower-pressure.

AntepenultiLATE from 2023-09-29T23:18:21

Sorry about all the coughing.

The Idiom Is Still Comparing It to Shit, Though from 2023-09-28T07:16:18

Dante's Peak was set in Washington state, in fact.

All Sea Basses Are Suspect from 2023-09-27T07:16:14

The Chilean sea bass is a rebranding of the Patagonian toothfish. EVERYTHING IS A LIE.

*sighs heavily* from 2023-09-26T07:16:19

The other lands visited by Gulliver were Balnibarbi, Glubbdubdrib, Luggnagg, and... Japan.

So Much Quibbling from 2023-09-24T00:21:13

We're just ranting for 2/3 of this, so feel free to jump forward to about minute 24.

Slowly, But Surely from 2023-09-22T07:16:39

Amanda hopes we don't get hit by copyright police for her saying "Disney" out loud.

Booster Continues to Kick George’s Butt from 2023-09-21T07:16:46

Yep, Euler's number is e.

Seriously, Read the Wikipedia Article from 2023-09-20T07:16:42

Writing that song in 15 minutes is an achievement on par with Dolly Parton writing "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You" on the same day.

Voiced by Three Different White Guys from 2023-09-19T07:09:25

See if you can tell when our new dryer finished the cycle.

On Average, Though, We... Still Got It Wrong from 2023-09-16T08:15:56

Is the cat's water fountain louder than usual? It sounded louder than usual to us.

Back on Track...ish from 2023-09-15T07:17:51

At the midpoint, we're each hovering around the middle of our rundles.

George Was Just Tired from 2023-09-14T22:35:27

Hi, we're back, everything's fine, sorry about that.

Rule 1: Read All the Words in the Question from 2023-09-13T07:16:30

Check it one more time before you submit. Every time.

All Artists Are Named Jeff from 2023-09-12T05:16:05

Amanda notes that New York and Shakespeare are both referenced in the song from "The Music Man".

It’s in Mississippi, on the Eastern Shore from 2023-09-09T07:18:10

George was late to a class because of the filming of that damn movie, and he also didn't like the result.

Now the Worst Day from 2023-09-08T07:16:40

Boltzmann can bite me.

Not the Worst Day from 2023-09-07T07:16:31

They invented the "hang time" statistic because of Ray Guy.

They’re All Prime Numbers Too from 2023-09-06T07:16:06

Grandmaster Flash was, in fact, the DJ of the group, which makes sense, because you really just need the one.

This One Will Probably Also Drop Late from 2023-09-02T08:56:15

Saturdays, right.

Old-Timey Airlines from 2023-09-01T09:02

Be warned: Bluesky is very weird.

Some Days You Just Gotta Keep Swinging from 2023-08-31T07:16:33

Eventually you might find the correct particular genre of fetish video.

Is This One Too Quiet? from 2023-08-30T07:15:57

The waveform looked small, but George doesn't know enough to fix it.

Now on Bluesky! from 2023-08-29T07:17:58

We forgot to mention in the tag that we're now on Bluesky at learnedlag.bsky.social.

Come and Play With Us from 2023-08-02T23:35:46

This is a rerun because we don’t change anything for this season and we’re off doing other stuff sorta. 

Seeya Next Season from 2022-03-22T07:11:23

The other one was the Houston Colt .45s, because America.

Penultimate Orphan Annie from 2022-03-19T09:32:39

Okay, seriously, you can easily skip from 7:17 all the way to 14:55 if you don't want to hear the weirdest tangent we have ever gone on.

The Bourne Antepenultimatality from 2022-03-18T07:21:47

Fun fact: On average, Mercury is the closest planet to every other planet.

Head 2 Head from 2022-03-17T07:57:49

Man, eff drupes.

We Are Big Fans of Michael Keaton, But... from 2022-03-16T07:13:25

The Lincoln Center was named after Kennedy's secretary, and the Kennedy Center was named after Lincoln's secretary.

”My Cousin Vinny” Is Better Than You Remember from 2022-03-15T07:40:54

Water polo was much more hilarious back in the day, I guess.

Some of Those Early Nobels Are Criiinge from 2022-03-12T09:29:17

TMA = Too Many Acronyms

It’s a Vibes Sort of Day from 2022-03-11T07:27:31

When we start getting questions about Aeon's End expansion sets, it's all over for you people.

Greg LeMond Rules, Armstrong et al Drool from 2022-03-10T09:15:56

That album again is All Eternals Deck by the Mountain Goats. Check it out.

Kind of a Hard Day, but Keep Pushing from 2022-03-09T07:46:10

It really is quite ridiculous how many Spanish language and Mexican history questions George can trace to Lucha Underground.

Tall, Yes, But What *Else*? from 2022-03-08T07:13:24

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqDBB0no6dQ

Nolo Correcte from 2022-03-04T07:13:50

It's actually from the Greek-to-Latin basanites, but Pliny accidentally wrote basalten. Stupid Pliny.

Rule Four Is Back from 2022-03-03T07:18:06

The second one starred Annabella Sciorra, which makes it all the more surprising that George never saw it.

Rants and Riffs from 2022-03-02T07:15:27

See if you can tell when the teenager was trying to be quiet in the kitchen.

She Was Scary Spice from 2022-03-01T07:13:35

That's "Seven Games" by Oliver Roeder.

Rule Three! from 2022-02-26T08:43:03

Lincoln *probably* did not have Marfan syndrome, but may have had a related genetic condition that does not have an interesting name.

”Centerfield” Is the Only Baseball Song You Need Anyway from 2022-02-25T07:13:45

Seriously, though, boilermakers are disgusting and pointless and you might as well just hook up an IV of alcohol while you drink something that's actually good.

This Season Is Harder Than It Feels from 2022-02-24T07:04:55

Mr. Bojangles was Bill Robinson, not Richardson.

CSI Miami Was Only One Year Older from 2022-02-23T06:11:13

The Marshall Islands is an independent country. We regret the error.

ugggh thank goodness this week is over from 2022-02-19T10:34:48

Braining is hard.

The Motown Museum Is Worth the Trip from 2022-02-18T08:21:04

"Camaro" doesn't actually mean anything. It's sort of derived from "comradeship".

Norway Is in the West, Actually from 2022-02-17T07:12:51

Someone thought George would know Benin, but not Godzilla. And he took that personally.

Too Many Umlauts from 2022-02-16T07:22:10

Tangential fun fact: Polo is never played left-handed, for safety reasons.

Welcome to 2022! from 2022-02-15T07:12:03

George is back in B, but he's cool with it. Less stressful.

Aaand We‘re Done from 2021-12-16T07:12:08

Spend the time off studying up on your worst category. Except don't do that, because obviously you hate that category.

Penultimatilitude from 2021-12-15T07:19:32

George was very, very close to answering that "commercial enterprise" question with "WAS IT ANOTHER [expletive] GOLF HOLE THORSTEN?"

Antepenultimatality from 2021-12-14T07:24:39

George is firmly in "Let's just get this over" mode.

He Looks Like a Waxy Vampire from 2021-12-11T09:38:34

We're deep in the uggggghhh part of the season.

Just Swap ”Dark” With Any Swear Word from 2021-12-10T07:18:48

George literally burst into Amanda's office swearing at how he'd missed that one.

That‘s Right, It‘s Not Even a Country from 2021-12-09T09:05:47

Whamageddon is a competition to see who can go the longest without hearing "Last Christmas" after December 1st. George lost this year at the Walgreen's waiting for the six-year-old's second vacc...

Etymology vs. Entomology from 2021-12-08T07:17:46

The stuff is named for the bug, but the bug might be named after a number, or a color, or the number might be named for the bug because it was that color... it's all a mess.

Dolores Huerta, You Heard It Here First from 2021-12-07T07:18

Note to self: check questions for tomorrow before uploading this one.

Also, check out bit.ly/lrndlg-avcx .

A Quick One Today from 2021-12-04T09:11:13

We recorded this during halftime of the Pac-12 Championship Game (Go Ducks!).

[They did not go.]

John Spencer Was the Best One Anyway from 2021-12-03T08:55:52

State Farm should be leaning more on its connections with Depression-era foreign policy.

Lake Chad Is Actually Pretty Small from 2021-12-02T07:18:38

There's also an even smaller Lake Chad in Antarctica.

Encampments Are Largely Unuseful Though from 2021-12-01T07:16:14

We have, and need, lots of excuses this week.

It‘s the Tryptophan‘s Fault from 2021-11-30T07:22:14

A rough day for each of us. We drown our sorrows in leftover gravy.

Giving Thanks for Knowing Stuff from 2021-11-24T08:05:55

It's a good way to start a long weekend, that's for certain.

We Can‘t Pronounce Anything from 2021-11-23T07:18:15

It has been brought to our attention that May-lay is not right either.

Nope, Ford Bought the Rights from 2021-11-20T09:28:49

And the stadium was publicly financed, because of course the Ford family couldn't come up with two nickels to rub together. The worst thing about football is everything.

we are so tired from 2021-11-19T07:16:32

Not that it's an excuse. Sometimes the coin just don't land right.

She Also Won the Booker Prize from 2021-11-18T07:30:41

I mean, come on. Gérard Depardieu as Columbus? Orlando Bloom as a crusader? Russell Crowe as Robin Hood? Scott has had enough stinkers to fill an ODS.

Right Path, Wrong Stones from 2021-11-17T07:19:59

It's good to see the "Oh, I know this Jeopardy question because it was just on LearnedLeague!" pipeline going the other way every now and then.

The Worst Head-to-Head Yet from 2021-11-16T07:26:02

You know what, screw it, I'm leaving in all the dumb cat yowling.

Flags Are Dumb Anyway from 2021-11-13T08:31:32

Keno comes from China, where instead of numbers, they use characters from a classic poem.

Rule 4 Is Not Actually a Rule, But It Should Still Be Followed from 2021-11-12T07:16:31

Amanda initially read it as "Stemutation". That is not the first time that bad kerning has (almost) screwed one or more of us up, so read unfamiliar words closely.

woof. just... woof from 2021-11-11T07:24:17

Tough day for you too? Cool. Come commiserate with us.

They Also Debated in Ogdenville, Brockway, and North Haverford from 2021-11-10T07:19:43

That "album name in hexadecimal" question was LL84MD16, March 11th, 2020 -- the last day George went to the office before lockdown. It's been a hell of a 20 months, ain't it.

[Turns to Camera] Oh, Hi! Didn‘t See You There from 2021-11-09T07:19:38

Profanity warning: F-word at 6:51.

Welcome to a new season! May your coin always land right and may you always KI rather than D.

We‘re Back... Eventually from 2021-10-19T21:30:04

Join us! Defense will never be easier!

Finish Strong from 2021-09-14T07:01:50

"Kowloon" means "nine dragons": eight mountains and the last emperor of the Song dynasty.

Not Your Demographic from 2021-09-11T11:23:47

In fairness, katabatic winds are caused by gravity.

A Bad Antepenultimate Day from 2021-09-10T07:01:54

Corvette Summer is a perfectly acceptable Teenager In Over His Head movie, and it also has Annie Potts.

It Was Raiders, Not Temple of Doom from 2021-09-09T07:12:45

Dixie Carter got zero nominations for Designing Women, y'all. Zee. Roe. Its only Emmy win was for Best Hairstyling.

We‘re So Insufferable from 2021-09-08T07:04:01

Oh hey, here's another podcast to listen to: How LearnedLeague founder Thorsten A. Integrity write...

It‘s Never Toulouse-Lautrec from 2021-09-04T09:26:39

The Tour de France does use cumulative-time scoring, but the 2020 winner "only" took about 87 hours.

Happy Saturday! um, Sunday? Friday! Probably Friday! from 2021-09-03T07:56:44

George is the grandson of a furrier, but had neither opportunity nor inkling to enter the family business.

200 LearnedLag Fans Are Often Wrong, Because That‘s Just How Trivia Is from 2021-09-02T08:44:45

Isamu Akasaki (who died earlier this year), Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura received the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics "for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes which has enable...

What We Have Is a Pastry Cutter from 2021-09-01T08:34:20

Also, Digimon is a Tamagotchi knockoff, with the addition of inter-device combat. It was invented and marketed as the "boys'" version of Tamagotchi.

No One Thinks ”Oh Yeah, Those Great Cave Scenes” from 2021-08-31T08:37

It stands for "Confederation Of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football". Points off for using the O from "of".

Third Amendment Twitter Is the Best Twitter from 2021-08-28T08:07

Ubbe Iwwerks had a lifelong crusade against letters in his own name.

This Particular Gentleman Serially Marries Them from 2021-08-27T08:03:55

The actress who won the Tony for Oklahoma! is Ali Stroker, who played Ado Annie, a role originated by... that's right, Celeste Holm.

The Mehdpoint from 2021-08-26T07:48:50

There are only six vocal ranges in operatic singing, which seems low.

A Good Day from 2021-08-25T08:01:49

Fun fact about South American geography: France's longest land border is with Brazil.

Oh Dang, We're Back from 2021-08-24T07:31:47

Vacation was nice, especially the part where George didn't have to talk about Amanda smoking him 6(5)-3(3).

A Very Rambly Friday from 2021-08-14T09:40:33

This one's really all over the map. Watch the Ted Lasso Christmas episode if you need to.

It Was Jeff Bridges, Who Is a Treasure from 2021-08-13T08:12:29

An animal named after the Greek terms for broad and foot? Perry the animal named after the Greek terms for broad and foot?!?

They Sound Similar Because of Imperialism from 2021-08-12T07:19:38

This is why George never goes for Best Wrong Answer -- sometimes the only word you know is the word Thorsten is looking for, despite it being nonsense.

Can't Spell Shame Without a Block "M" from 2021-08-11T07:10:39

George spent the entire morning sitting 10 feet away from his DVD of that movie.

Yay! We're Back! from 2021-08-10T06:57:11

And we have quibbles! Of course! Also, if you got Q1 wrong, consider yourself lucky because then you didn't have that one line going through your head all day.

Hark! An Announcement! from 2021-07-08T22:07:47

George knew it would be a good day when he saw the first question.

The Last Day of A&A from 2021-06-22T08:37:26

George is safe from relegation, and Amanda needs a win and a particular person to forfeit to climb out of the red. We don't like the odds.

Penultimate Jealousy from 2021-06-19T08:45:20

Elliott Gould was, in fact, married to Barbra Streisand. The '70s were weird.

Antepenultimate Lateness from 2021-06-19T00:59:03

We were out at bar trivia (we won) and came home to a large amount of spilled water on George's part of the couch. How was your hardest-day-of-the-season?

YEKIOYD Is Fine, Honest from 2021-06-17T10:20:26

The other auction George was thinking of is the Vickrey auction, which is a sealed-bid auction where the second-highest bidder wins. It won Vickrey the Nobel Prize.

Elementary Was the Better Show Anyway from 2021-06-16T08:58:11

In point of fact, Robeson was not allowed to leave the US due to his communist leanings.

Some Days Just Ain't Happening from 2021-06-15T07:57:42

Other things new people are told to get: grid squares, chem-light batteries, left-handed wrenches.

The One That Was Late from 2021-06-12T22:09:42

So many hand gestures in this one.

It's Streaming on HBO from 2021-06-11T09:01:53

Limpets were also developed during WWII, but by America.

They're Easier When You Know Them from 2021-06-10T08:48:44

Some day when there's a Sopranos question, George will probably talk about how it's all tangled up with his first marriage. So hope for no more Sopranos questions ever.

Sneezes Edited Out: 1 from 2021-06-09T08:36:01

If you have Peacock, you should watch We Are Lady Parts. That doesn't have anything to do with LL or the podcast. It's just really good.

He Won *Two* Golden Globes for That Role from 2021-06-08T08:33:57

Does anyone else sleep badly during the seasons?

Lot of Gesturing in This One from 2021-06-05T09:32:13

The other word George was thinking of was "solicitud", which means "request".

We Never Delete from 2021-06-04T07:42:34

...except for when we have to get the cat to shut up.

"Moresque" Is a Slightly Different Thing from 2021-06-03T08:15:20

Pirsig collected 121 rejections before an editor basically took pity on him.

Christine Always Gets Short Shrift from 2021-06-02T08:11:09

Good to see you back. Hope you got to rest up over the weekend. Let's do this.

Lots of Wizardry from 2021-05-29T09:36:41

Have a good weekend, everyone.

1-4-4 from 2021-05-28T09:04:07

For those of you not in the Midwest, Amanda differentiating "Big Ten" from "B1G" refers to the rebranding of the Big Ten Conference after it expanded to 14 teams.

Sg Lr Bk Cf Am from 2021-05-27T13:17:57

The second living person to have an element named for them was Yuri Oganessian; oganesson is the heaviest confirmed element and the only synthetic noble gas (but may be a solid at room temperatu...

Not Sure How You Make Babies That Creepy from 2021-05-26T08:48:32

While editing this, we turned on Peacock to watch The Amber Ruffin Show, and it wanted us to choose an avatar for our account. One of the choice was ET, so I guess that's where that's streaming ...

Still Not Runaway Bride from 2021-05-25T09:09:39

No one's really certain what Merrick had, but he might have had some form of elephantiasis arising from his condition.

Don't Be Discouraged from 2021-05-22T07:50:16

The sequel to the Bill Haley movie was called Don't Knock the Rock. It was remade just a few years later as Twist Around the Clock, which itself had a sequel named Don't Knock the Twist, which i...

We're Trying, but They Aren't Landing from 2021-05-21T09:37:20

See if you can detect when George had to walk over to the basement door and shut up one of the cats.

Happy Birthday to George (He Is Going to Get Stomped) from 2021-05-20T08:07:17

It was in fact probably ten times worse of a famine than the Holodomor, just for the record.

Much Less Jabbering from 2021-05-19T09:33:44

A much peppier one today, 'cause we either got 'em or we didn't.

Oh Look, It's Us Again from 2021-05-18T08:32:29

Welcome back! Hope you're doing well. Got your shot yet? Please do, if you're able.

And Another One Down from 2021-03-27T09:00:49

We both survived, if only mathematically.

A Penultimate Repeat from 2021-03-26T09:25:15

So why aren't they making those candy bars anymore? They sound great.

Overly Extremely Online from 2021-03-25T07:22:30

George doesn't know whether 221B Baker Street existed at the time, but it's a tourist trap Holmes museum now.

Read. Every. Word. from 2021-03-24T08:45:23

Warning: Another "end of trivia" rant from Amanda at the end.

Both UFCs Can Sod Off from 2021-03-23T09:00:21

Seriously, if anyone wants to point us to an explainer on how the hell Broadway economics works, we will read the hell out of that.

Two TV Questions, Two Turn-of-the-Century Questions from 2021-03-20T09:03:31

...and a pair of fours. Have a good weekend, and prepare to finish strong.

This Time, You Can Quote Her from 2021-03-19T09:04:03

If the Love Boat didn't go there, is it really a resort?

Did Anyone Else Read That as "Toilers"? from 2021-03-18T09:01:03

The book Amanda's mom read was Unbroken, which is about a WWII POW, but he was not a survivor of that particular ship.

It's a Tom Waits Album from 2021-03-17T08:58:29

We got a math and a art, so the day wasn't all bad.

Nearly Three Thousand, not Fifteen Hundred from 2021-03-16T09:05:38

Also, it was Corvettes they were driving, which would seem more memorable.

Just Lots of Drugs from 2021-03-13T11:52:23

George was kind of right, in that she has also discovered a lot of the other thing. Like... 800 of them.

Powerlifting Is Not Weightlifting from 2021-03-12T08:41:04

Today was the second day in a row that George's dad gave him the answer to Q6.

Midpoint, But Upwards from 2021-03-11T09:01:27

The name of the bird comes from the Latin for that particular bird, which is derived from the Greek for that particular bird, which comes from the Egyptian for... yeah, it's just that bird again...

Some Days Are Better Than Others from 2021-03-10T08:35:06

The cat was the only thing in the house that didn't throw off the podcast today.

Sometimes We're Synched Up from 2021-03-09T09:03:51

Despite his protestations, this is actually the 11th Classical Music question that George has gotten right in a row -- he hasn't missed one since reading The Classical Music Book: Big Ideas Simp...

Head to Head VIII from 2021-03-06T07:37:51

This is our eighth meeting, seven of which have been in even-numbered seasons. George leads the series 3-0-4 before today.

F**k Rudy Giuliani from 2021-03-05T08:40:44

In fairness, we should be having more questions about Dolly Parton.

Amanda Did Not Know A Single Song from 2021-03-04T08:18:05

Mansfield was not decapitated in the crash, but that is a longstanding rumor.

The Oscar Version Was Not a Particularly Good Man from 2021-03-03T08:47:52

We were probably thinking subconsciously of Roy Kent, who is a footballer on Ted Lasso, which is one of the best shows in the entire world.

Amanda's Mom Did a LOT of Quilting from 2021-03-02T08:45:51

"Ramadan" is in the Fables & Reflections collection, along with the superlative "Three Septembers and a January".

Don't Give Her This Much Room In Your Head from 2021-02-27T09:57:47

Closing out a firmly Meh first week with a couple of firmly Bleah performances. Hope your weekend goes better that our week did.

George's Father's Middle Name Is George from 2021-02-26T08:54:15

Ironically, it was several years after his last drink that George moved to Tennessee.

Seriously, See It, It's on Netflix from 2021-02-25T08:34:30

George gave his MoviePass card to Amanda so she could see it. A week later, MoviePass made it so you couldn't see the same movie more than once on the same card. Sorry about that.

We Are a Hard-G Household from 2021-02-24T08:47:55

Prospero Hall makes the Top Gun Strategy Game, so that kinda links up those questions, except it doesn't. Also, the Top Gun Strategy Game consists of two phases: volleyball and dogfighting. It i...

We're Back! Finally! It's Been Forever! from 2021-02-23T08:54:56

It took Amanda 10 hours to get that answer, and we're going to talk you through every. damn, minute of it.

Adieu, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Good-Bye from 2020-12-16T09:00:30

Wherein George rants about his weird Ukraine problem and strange topology terminology.

Happy holidays, all. Get some rest. See you in February.

I Am Going to Create a [PODCAST] That Is So [PENULTIMATE] from 2020-12-15T09:04:09

We don't consider ourselves cultured for not watching Glee, it just didn't hit us at the right time. We haven't seen Avatar either, for pretty much the same reason.

It Runs North from Irving Park to Rickover Naval Academy School from 2020-12-12T10:03:25

Sadly, the design of the new implement was not the one from Revenge of the Nerds.

George Is Smarter than the Jinx from 2020-12-11T09:07:01

But not smarter than the guy who invented scented gloves.

We Live on Anishinabewaki, Bodéwadmiakiwen, Meškwahki·aša·hina, Mississauga, and Peoria Land from 2020-12-10T09:06:25

Suburban Detroit was popular. Check the land you live on at bit.ly/landackn

David Dayen Writes Good and Important Books from 2020-12-09T08:33:38

Check out Chain of Title.

Sometimes You Convince Yourself to Be Wrong from 2020-12-08T08:32:37

We got 84th and 72nd percentile on the Midseason Classic. How did you do?

Wim Wenders Directed It from 2020-12-05T08:03:49

The Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award is presented to living writers, and she was only 58 when she died in 2006.

He Was Associate Attorney General Under Clinton from 2020-12-04T08:56

And just for the record, Olivia de Havilland died over the summer. In Paris.

THERE ARE SWEARS IN THIS ONE from 2020-12-03T09:02:55

We say the S word a lot. No, not "sword". The other one.

Amanda and George Break the Format from 2020-12-02T09:00:49

See if you can tell where we paused it so George could chase the cat off the counter.

An Egg on an Egg from 2020-12-01T09:00:56

We hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving, or a good last full week of November.

Too Much Bowling, Not Enough Beckett from 2020-11-18T08:57:50

The Andre the Giant story may be apocryphal, but all Andre the Giant stories sound like they *must* be apocryphal.

A Pretty Good Monday from 2020-11-17T08:12:54

As long as that extra "e" isn't an issue.

Way Too Much About a Device, and Then Some Ennui from 2020-11-14T09:18:47

We try not to spoil the answers here, and there's really no reason for that, is there.

Sometimes There's Only One Barrel from 2020-11-13T08:51:16

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR_HNqAE8IA is a pretty good song featuring an underrated artist, and Bleachers, who's pretty accurately...

The Movie Was "Gods and Monsters" from 2020-11-12T06:09:01

Ian McKellen was nominated for an Academy Award; Brendan Fraser should get better roles generally.

Refinery 29 Is Also for Women from 2020-11-11T09:00:55

George probably remembered it because of stories about the toxic work environment this summer.

RIP Alex Trebek from 2020-11-10T08:46:57

Good night to the legend.

Of Strike Zones, Literal and Metaphorical from 2020-11-07T09:29:11

...and incorrect and correct.

(When not in the U.S., George generally smoked Gauloises, and even wore a beret, but unrelatedly.)

Beating Around the Triangle from 2020-11-06T09:01:36

Sometimes you pick up on the hints that Thorsten's dropping; sometimes you don't.

Stop. Breathe. Relax Your Shoulders. from 2020-11-05T13:37:34

On the one hand, thanks to Thorsten for waiting until after the election. On the other hand, THINGS ARE STILL KINDA STRESSFUL HERE MAN.

Your Not-Cheatin', Not-Forfeitin' Heart from 2020-09-24T08:31:47

Have a good off-season. We'll see you back here on November 5th, assuming we still have a functioning society to that extent.

Penultimacity from 2020-09-23T08:51:54

In which George explains, at great length, what a white dude he is.

A Very Long One from 2020-09-22T08:32:32

We do a lot of what could arguably be called rambling today.

Always Guess the One Name You Know from 2020-09-19T08:32:52

This is why George has made approximately one Best Wrong Answer attempt in 18 seasons.

a/k/a Bags, a/k/a Sack Toss from 2020-09-18T14:37:03

The Solvay Process has a lot of products and byproducts.

A Very Silly Landslide from 2020-09-17T12:01:17

George overthinks, Amanda resents, and Utah's second-tier team is the Real Monarchs, which is doubly dumb.

Flipping a Very Tiny Atomic Coin from 2020-09-16T08:44:44

"Helico", meaning "spiral", and "pter", meaning wing. Now you may never pronounce it correctly again.

The E Is for "Eightball" from 2020-09-15T12:54:32

Yay! Jeopardy! is back! (by the way, take a look at the exclamation point in the logo: it's inconsistent and it will drive you batty)

Head to Head from 2020-09-12T17:51:22

Israel's flag is also horizontal stripes, so George was totally off.

GEORGE HAS QUIBBLES from 2020-09-11T08:33:41

No, not really. He's mostly annoyed at himself for violating Rule 1.

Lot of Rule 4 Today from 2020-09-10T07:43:15

Thorsten wants you to get it. Except when he asks basketball questions, apparently.

Close Enough Often Isn't from 2020-09-09T08:33:20

George was wrong -- the Bangalore torpedo (for clearing wire) is barely 100 years old, and the naval version is the original.

The Midpoint, and a Low Point from 2020-09-05T10:20:52

That scene in Trading Places did... not... age well.

Short One Today from 2020-09-04T09:04:48

Some days, you just know the stuff and can't really come up with a good story of how you got to it.

Some Vowels Can't Be Flipped from 2020-09-03T10:15:52

That particular cuisine is excellent, by the way, but then, all Indian cuisine is.

A Little Bit of Jeff in My Heart... from 2020-09-02T09:50:02

The cat was having a cute little murder-dream on the ottoman while we recorded.

Wre-Stle-Nom-Ics (clap clap clapclapclap) from 2020-09-01T05:49:51

The host's name is Brandon Thurston, so of course it's lodged in my brain.

RIP Chadwick Boseman from 2020-08-29T07:44:09

Boseman has nothing to do with this episode, except that I got a pop-up notification on my phone while we were discussing Q1.

Don't Talk Yourself Out of Being Right from 2020-08-28T09:06:44

And make sure you spent at least a couple of years really into Lou Reed.

We Really Do Love Thorsten from 2020-08-27T08:22:46

And also Lady Haden-Guest. And, just as we forgive her for Fierce Creatures, we will forgive Thorsten for "Battle of the Boulevard".

Spoiler: Full Dozen from 2020-08-26T08:52:27

We have an extended rant at the end about scoring and gaps in American (our) educations.

Second Attempt on the Day from 2020-08-26T00:20:21

You were spared so much cat yowling.

Rule 2 Makes Appearance 1 from 2020-08-22T08:29:21

Turns out that Rosalind Franklin could have shared in the Nobel posthumously at the time, but she still suffered from Being A Woman.

Lot of Georges Today from 2020-08-21T22:21:30

A "MacGuffin" is an object of desire that drives a plot without being necessary to the plot itself -- that is, a treasure is a MacGuffin, but a weapon is not.

Back In B from 2020-08-20T08:52:32

It's a new season, yes it is, and George gets a wrestling reference in on the second question of LL86.

Passing in the Night from 2020-06-26T06:25:47

Last day, with George trying to claw out of the red zone for one brief moment when it counts, and Amanda looking to pop up into the green.

The Penultimate Quibble from 2020-06-25T08:19:24

A quick search does not reveal that other Chinese rebellion any time recently, so hashtagshrugemoji.

Actually, He Was Secretary of Commerce from 2020-06-24T08:59:24

But... his father was Secretary of Agriculture. Go figure.

The Distinctive tz Sound from 2020-06-23T08:18:40

Too many zoos in Chicagoland.

Apologies to Drinkers of Silly Cocktails from 2020-06-20T08:11:03

The perfectly logical and yet utterly wrong answers are the best ones.

The Rules from 2020-06-19T04:35:02

Per request, our explanation of our LL philosophy. The main thing is, we're playing against Thorsten, not our so-called opponents.

No, Not the Brad Pitt Movie from 2020-06-19T04:34:49

Relatively easy day today? We think? Especially compared to the rest of the week.

Day Late, Five Dollars (or Answers) Short from 2020-06-18T23:06:43

Sometimes you just don't notice the clues... or weren't stationed in Europe so you got to see some of this stuff live.

Not Quite the Cover of the Rolling Stone from 2020-06-17T08:25:31

It's nice of Thorsten to save a bunch of brutally difficult days for later in the season this time.

RIP Bonnie Pointer from 2020-06-16T05:13:18

Dolly wrote that song the same day she wrote "Jolene". I mean, COME ON, ma'am.

Woooof from 2020-06-13T10:40:07

Tough batch of questions today. Enjoy the weekend.

Rough Day in Several Ways from 2020-06-12T07:08:25

Be kind to each other. The world's pretty crazy right now, and that's all we got.

It's a Strait, but Yeah, It's in Turkey from 2020-06-11T07:59:01

George finally has as many wins as beers this season!

Whoops from 2020-06-10T22:27:03

Guess we can't do the auto-broadcast thing anymore, eh.

Meggie Got Robbed from 2020-06-06T07:00

Please excuse any cat noises. They were being particularly... themselves this evening.

James Corden Was Not Gavin, Actually from 2020-06-05T07:00

Let the record reflect that George did *not* take the opportunity to say "Shut yo mouth".

Oh, Hey, We're Back from 2020-06-04T07:00

Boy, that was a hell of a week, wasn't it?

Wait, it's only WHAT?

...

*sigh*

Yeah. So, we took a coupla days off the podcast thanks...

The Other One Is Named Geno's from 2020-05-31T00:09:02

Late because of travel, so George ended up saying "Woo road beer woo" in the Slack.

Still Don't Have the Flipped Ending Down from 2020-05-29T07:00

A beer and a... not-beer today.

Happy Birthday to Amanda from 2020-05-28T07:00

Sadly, her present was not "no more math BS questions".

Killed by the Vespa mandarinia from 2020-05-27T07:00

So I guess Thorsten got over the "let's make the first couple of days easier this time" already.

Holy, Holly, Holi from 2020-05-24T22:28:19

George is 0-3 lifetime on questions about L'Alouette.

Jeff Pentecost, Famous Literary Character from 2020-05-22T07:00

Switching our lines continues to screw us up, as does opening bottles.

Finally, It Returns from 2020-05-21T07:00

It's been a long time. You look great. Are you doing something different with your hair? Oh. I guess you probably are.

Wars and Codes, Right There in the Clues from 2020-03-25T07:00

It's been a hell of a six weeks. Thanks for sharing some of it with us.

Robert Ludlum's "The Quarantine Penultimate" from 2020-03-24T07:00

Peter Sellers was a genius, but he was also weirdly greedy about roles.

A Profoundly Unfair Advantage from 2020-03-21T07:00

We got two new cats foisted upon us a week ago. They have not yet left the basement.

Amanda Is Much More Genteel from 2020-03-20T07:00

Spike Jonze did in fact direct the "Weapon of Choice" video, just for the record.

Rule One: Read All of the Words from 2020-03-19T08:00

A blah sort of day in the world and in the League. Be kind to each other.

The Quarantine Continues from 2020-03-18T08:00

The Oxford Etymologist: https://blog.oup.com/category/series-columns/oxford_etymologist/

Stay Inside and Trivia from 2020-03-17T08:00

Be careful on behalf of the aged and immunocompromised, please.

The Livonia Championship Game from 2020-03-14T08:00

We literally did not leave the city of Livonia today, and yet.

We Forgot a Day from 2020-03-14T02:05:28

We had so many issues recording this one that George just forgot to upload it.

We Skipped a Day from 2020-03-12T07:00

Be safe, wash your hands, flatten the curve.

We Don't Watch Cop Shows from 2020-03-10T07:00

Except Brooklyn 99. We just can't handle drama these days because of *gestures broadly at everything*.

Limping Into the Weekend from 2020-03-07T08:00

So for more than a century, everyone who wanted to know about all of Haydn's compositions was just SOL. That is very odd.

Warning: This Episode Contains a Swear from 2020-03-06T08:00

A rough day, all the more so for having one of the worst people in American history in the answers.

With Special Guest Star: The Stupid Cat from 2020-03-05T08:00

10,000 Maniacs died with Robert Buck.

Those Halcyon Macchio Days of Yore from 2020-03-04T08:00

If you don't live in Michigan, you may not realize how large Gerald Ford looms.

Playing Civ Pays off Again from 2020-03-03T08:00

How big was Run-DMC? Two white kids remember their names 30 years later, is how big Run-DMC was, ya whippersnappers. 

Shh, Don't Tell Thorsten from 2020-02-29T08:00

If you learn nothing else from us ever, please learn this: Dr. Death Steve Williams RULED.

Flokati Is a Real Thing, Honest from 2020-02-28T08:00

So today's audio adjustment might have been that George turned off the new microphone and we were recording via the laptop.

A Straight Line Through Suburban Detroit from 2020-02-27T08:00

Today's microphone experiment: We added a pillow to the base.

There Were a Lot of Early 20th Century Industries from 2020-02-26T08:00

We're gonna be doing a lot of experimenting with the new microphone. Today, the couch.

The First Bad Monday from 2020-02-25T08:00

Just like James Holzhauer, it takes us the first day to get back on track sometimes.

New Microphone Day! from 2020-02-22T16:38:56

Apologies if this is too loud. We cannot stress enough how little George knows what he's doing.