E Pluribus Motto

Janet Varney and John Hodgman visit their first state in the Pacific Northwest: Oregon! There’s a Latin motto and so much flora and fauna to discuss; including some wonderful Douglas-fir and those am…

Janet Varney and John Hodgman are ready to talk all about “The land of enchantment”: New Mexico! Or as the locals call it, “The land of entrapment.”

Even if you know nothing about New Mexico, the one …

NOTE: A previous version of this episode erroneously stated that Kentucky was a Confederate State in the US Civil War. It was in fact, a Union State. This has been corrected Thank you to those who po…

Janet Varney and John Hodgman  are ready to yell, “On Wisconsin!” And no, that’s not the official state motto. The actual one is MUCH more boring.

But there’s still so much to love about Wisconsin; th…

Janet Varney and John Hodgman  are ready to dive into some lakes! And what better place to do that than the state with more than 10,000 of them?

That’s right, the next stop is Minnesota. It’s got a sh…

Janet Varney and John Hodgman are back with Season 2 of E Pluribus Motto. 

They’ve chosen none other than Maryland to kick off this brand new tour of state mottos and iconography. Everything from the …

Janet Varney and John Hodgman are back! This is a brief reprieve from the wait for Season 2 of E Pluribus Motto. 

The pair respond to a number of emails and voice notes from listeners. There’s plenty …

Happy MaxFun Drive!

This show is supported by our beloved MaxFun Members! To become one yourself as part of the #MaxFunDrive, go to maximumfun.org/join and set up a recurring monthly contribution (or …

Happy MaxFun Drive!

This show is supported by our beloved MaxFun Members! To become one yourself as part of the #MaxFunDrive, go to maximumfun.org/join and set up a recurring monthly contribution (or …

Janet Varney and John Hodgman chat about the start of the #MaxFunDrive!

This episode is being released on the first day of the drive– March 17th. Now is the time to go to maximumfun.org/join to become…

John Hodgman and Janet Varney are pouring some lovely Tennessee tea on the season finale of E Pluribus Motto!

That’s right, Tennessee is the final state and motto of season one. So does it have a stro…

John Hodgman and Janet Varney are calling for freedom from the juventocracy as they visit Illinois!

It’s got a motto that makes you think but a state seal that’s very confusing and unappealing. But th…

John Hodgman and Janet Varney are ready for an episode as sweet as a peach: Georgia! 

Up until now we’ve dealt exclusively with official mottos. But Georgia just had to buck tradition with an UNoffici…

There’s a bit of maple in the air because this week John Hodgman and Janet Varney visit Vermont! 

Green mountain boys and sea monsters await.

Plus: A motto so good that it makes us rethink our opinions…

John Hodgman and Janet Varney are heading ever upward! This week is all about New York!

We’re going through a bunch of the Empire state’s historical highlights, from the compelling to the goofy. The t…

John Hodgman presents to Janet Varney the state that’s obsessed with having an excessive amount of mottos: South Carolina!

It features two mottoes, two official state drinks, two official state marine…

Janet Varney presents to John Hodgman the commonwealth of Virginia!

What a creature filled state! Everything from tiny bats with big ears, directional cardinals and water-based horses. 

But before we c…

John Hodgman presents his home commonwealth to Janet Varney. It’s time to spotlight Massachusetts!

Keep your Boston accents to yourself (for now) because we’ll learn more about how its motto was born …

It’s Janet Varney’s turn to present to John Hodgman; it’s the biggest little state in the union: Rhode Island!

While Rhode Island does have a limited presence in pop culture, it still has a lot of gre…

It’s the very first episode of E Pluribus Motto!

John Hodgman and Janet Varney’s first stop on their tour of every state, commonwealth and territory in the United States is Connecticut. Why Connecticu…