Etiquette & Social Dilemmas
131 episodes · 2018–2021 · 72 debates · 95 pieces of advice · 150 stories · 140 quotes
The Daily Talk Show — Australia’s daily podcast, hosted by Tommy Jackett and Josh Janssen — discussed etiquette & social dilemmas across 131 of its 1,022 daily episodes between 2018 and 2021. This page collects what was actually said: 140 verbatim quotes, 95 pieces of advice, 150 stories told on air, 72 on-air debates, each linked to the exact moment in the episode and on YouTube.
Where they stand
Moments where the table disagreed, straight from the transcripts.
Disapproves of a teenager pocketing another player's ball, arguing people should recognize balls on a golf course likely belong to someone.
Admits he did the same thing as a kid because he was 'counting up how much money' he was saving.
Believes people engage in status behaviours purely for the feeling of status/power within that setting.
Admits to feeling self-conscious about using frequent flyer priority over others but still did it, questioning whether needing that to feel powerful is a healthy trait.
Raises the question of whether there's an unspoken expectation that gifts should roughly cover what it cost the couple to host that guest.
Firmly rejects this expectation, saying you can't expect anything from guests and it would be wrong to judge people based on what they give.
Suggests women may be better at advocating for others (like Jess negotiating fees for the team), while men are more focused on advocating for their own interests (like himself taking the trolley to help himself).
Agrees that negotiating fees for the business is something she's comfortable with, framing it as helping the team rather than personal gain.
Sets strict rules that only neutral, low-mess snacks (banana, muesli bar, bliss ball) are acceptable on a tram.
Teases that eating items like cooked chicken on a tram is 'gronk' behavior, treating it as a matter of social context and etiquette rather than fixed rules.
It's mostly about bad timing rather than inherently disrespectful; he can't fully relate to being that removed from the situation but doesn't think it's the end of the world.
Finds it fairly gross and inappropriate, comparing it to eating while someone is using the bathroom.
Believes a handjob involves less emotional intimacy/passion than kissing and would rather do that than kiss if forced to choose, because it's more detached.
Agrees kissing is more intimate and notes that sex workers reportedly avoid or charge more for kissing because of its perceived intimacy.
Argues that liking content is essential to how social networks function and that you need to engage (like posts) for the algorithm and reciprocal engagement to work.
Says he never likes or upvotes anything on any platform, preferring to just consume content passively and let others do the liking.
As companies scale, their approach necessarily changes to produce more content, which can look like losing original values even if it's just adapting to size.
Implicitly agrees but is more focused on specific declines, like BuzzFeed's news section shutting down.
Comfortable using fast-track passes and having others handle transactions, comparing it to how Jerry Seinfeld pre-pays at restaurants.
Feels a bit weird or guilty benefiting from preferential treatment or having costs handled for him, even though he acknowledges enjoying it.
Admits it was a risky, almost accidental slip ('I fucked it') but says he's comfortable with it as long as he doesn't get sick, and wouldn't make it a habit.
Frames the handshake as a one-off risky thrill comparable to unprotected sex, cautioning that Tommy shouldn't be 'the guy' who does it regularly.
Believes in accepting what's offered as a matter of politeness and sees nothing wrong with being a generous 'giver' without expecting anything in return.
Finds it hard to accept offers like Grace taking his Audible login, preferring to maintain independence, and notes he prides himself on offering things to others without bringing it up later.
Advice from the show
all 95pieces →What was actually said, attributed and linked to the moment.
Is it appropriate to give a card to someone who was made redundant?
Jess Lucas suggests it's not typically appropriate to give cards for redundancy and that an official letter might be a nicer gesture instead.
Is it okay to pick up a stray golf ball on a golf course?
Tommy argues you shouldn't take a ball that's clearly someone else's just because you find it on a golf course, while Josh notes it's fine to keep balls found in areas with no one around, like rough near a short par 3.
When can you clean or swap your golf ball during a round?
Josh explains that while putting on the green, you're allowed to mark your ball's position, pick it up to clean it, and place it back down, and you can also swap to a fresh ball once a hole is finished.
Should you prank a friend or colleague when they're stressed?
Josh suggests only pranking people when they're in a good headspace, jokingly proposing a 0-100 mood scale and saying you should only prank someone if they're 'over a 60.'
What's the etiquette for escalating a prank war?
Tommy argues pranks work like 'compound interest' — a retaliatory prank needs to be bigger than the original to actually cancel it out, otherwise the score isn't settled.
Should I get ambulance cover sorted?
Josh insists on getting ambulance cover done promptly, noting it only takes about 30 seconds to sign up and repeatedly promises to do it by the end of the show.
Should wedding guests feel obligated to give a gift matching the cost of their attendance?
Tommy argues you can't expect gifts from guests and shouldn't judge people who don't give one — the point of inviting someone is to have them there, not to profit from their attendance.
How do you build relationships with new neighbours?
Ease into conversations with new neighbours gradually — make eye contact a couple of times first, then approach directly to start chatting once you've built some familiarity.
How can I survive boring or repetitive small talk at family gatherings or holidays?
Find the person's specific quirk, obsession, or profession and ask deep, curious follow-up questions about it—this shifts focus away from yourself and can sustain a long, engaging conversation.
What foods are acceptable to eat on public transport?
Mason suggests that only easily contained, low-smell snacks like a muesli bar, a bliss ball, or a banana are acceptable to eat on a tram; stronger-smelling foods like mandarins, apples, or cooked chicken should be avoided, especially on a crowded tram.
Where is it generally inappropriate to eat on the job?
Avoid eating in jobs or settings with strong smells or close public-facing contact, such as perfume shops, or in situations involving visible death/dignity concerns like transporting a body, since it comes across as disrespectful or impractical.
Should I use hair product after a haircut?
Josh avoids hair product after haircuts to prevent setting an expectation of needing it daily, preferring to let people see him with minimal effort so he isn't reliant on products (e.g., if stranded on an island).
How can you avoid unwanted small talk with a barber or hairdresser?
Tommy jokingly suggests seeking out a 'no banter' service, adopting a fake persona/job story to deflect personal questions, or simply not engaging so the other person stops talking.
How can you get through a conversation when you don't feel like talking?
Tommy recommends being upfront and asking the other person if they can do the talking while you just listen, which he's done successfully with close friends and his partner.
How can emails strike the right tone without seeming too stern or too casual?
Use an exclamation mark on the first sentence, a full stop on the next, and bring back an exclamation mark a few sentences later rather than using one on every sentence; be cautious with ending sentences with someone's name after a comma, as it can read as stern.
Who should Mason ask for restaurant recommendations for date nights?
Ask Jess for restaurant recommendations since she has more experience going out to dinner, rather than relying on his own limited experience.
Should you cull who you follow on social media to seem more exclusive?
Tommy suggests unfollowing everyone (while keeping your followers) can make you seem Beyoncé-level self-assured, but warns it can also come across as arrogant and may cost you followers unless you're already very famous.
How can I get discounted food delivery from local Australian businesses?
Use Uber Eats promo codes like 'AU support local' which rotate themed discounts (e.g. 30% off Mexican restaurants one day), reportedly with Uber Eats absorbing the commission rather than the business losing out.
Which COVID-safe greeting is better — a fist bump or an elbow bump?
Tommy argues the elbow is better than the fist bump because a fist bump brings a hand closer to your face, which is riskier for touching your face afterward.
Should you pay for fast-track/queue-jump passes at theme parks?
Tommy suggests it can be better to hold off on paying extra for fast-track passes and instead wait in the normal queue to save money and have a more 'peaceful experience'.
How do you judge safe distance from someone in public during the pandemic?
Use smell as a rough gauge for distance — if you can still smell someone's perfume, aftershave or washing detergent as they pass, you probably haven't put enough distance between you.
What's proper urinal etiquette in a public bathroom?
Leave a space between yourself and another person at urinals when possible (e.g., choose an outer urinal if three are empty), and keep your eyes forward and avoid talking.
How should you respond when someone offers to pay for or share something with you?
Tommy argues it's polite to accept what someone offers rather than refuse out of politeness, distinguishing this from 'leeching,' and notes that pushing back too hard on generosity can itself be a kind of social performance.
How should greetings change post-coronavirus?
Drop handshakes in business contexts but keep hugging with a general rule for who gets hugged, and establish a clear signal (like a kiss sound effect) to avoid the awkward cheek-presenting-with-no-contact problem.
Stories told on air
Tommy describes being contacted late at night by 'Grumpy Dave' (possibly named Cameron) who offered him a regional radio job, which he took for a two-year stint.
told by Tommy Jackett
Tommy describes a round of golf where a young man picked up and pocketed a golf ball belonging to producer George, later returning it after being confronted.
told by Tommy
After failing to buy chicken feet from a butcher for a planned handbag prank, Josh retrieved the rotten chicken foot from the office bin and folded it inside a fake parking fine left on Jess's car; her reaction was muted, but Josh later got her back by clucking like a chicken, prompting a bigger scare.
told by Josh Janssen and Tommy Jackett
While filming at a school, Josh observed a sick kid being delivered to the sick bay by three friends, and the kid announced 'I'm back!' upon entering, which Josh found funny.
told by Josh Janssen
David the Gronk putts for a McDonald's cup
Ep 100043:57A passer-by named David, who discovered the show via a Craig Harper podcast appearance, comes in from a rugby game, successfully putts a golf ball, and is rewarded with McDonald's chips.
told by Tommy Jackett and Josh Janssen
Josh recalls his dad being reluctant to play golf but eventually joining, and once on the course got annoyed about rubbish being left behind, an outburst Josh jokes got him 'banned.'
told by Josh Janssen
Josh describes making awkward eye contact with an old acquaintance while walking on Chapel Street wearing wired headphones; neither properly stops to talk, the acquaintance apologises and walks on, and Josh spends the rest of the day replaying the moment, wondering if he should have said something and feeling self-conscious about his appearance.
told by Josh Janssen
Tommy describes visiting a busy frozen yoghurt shop in Hawthorn while feeling down, briefly touching his mouth after tasting the yoghurt, and being told by a staff member to go re-sanitise his hands, which he frames as both good hygiene practice and a smug power move by the staff member.
told by Tommy Jackett
Tommy recalls attending a friend's wedding with his brother and Amy, where they forgot to place their cash envelope in the wishing well. A few days later the groom texted asking if everything was alright, implying he'd noticed the missing envelope, which led to an awkward exchange.
told by Tommy Jackett
Tommy recounts going into a radio studio to be interviewed by Red Symonds about a viral video he made, describing the host as cold, unwilling to make eye contact, and subtly mocking him.
told by Tommy Jackett
Jess recalls being skilled at negotiating prices at the silk markets while in China, including getting a good deal on what she later discovered was a fake 'Blueberry' jacket rather than genuine Burberry.
told by Jess Lucas
Josh avoided meeting a Gumtree buyer collecting bookshelves by hiding in a spare room with his torch on strobe mode in case the buyer turned out to be a creep, while his girlfriend Bri managed the whole interaction alone, including the buyer disassembling furniture with tools.
told by Josh Janssen
Tommy recounts a family event where a relative asked if he and his partner Bree would buy a house soon; he jokingly replied they'd buy 20 or a whole estate, which killed the conversation in an amusing way.
told by Tommy Jackett
A news story about funeral workers in Kent, England photographed eating McDonald's breakfast with a deceased woman still in the coffin in the hearse, sparking debate about appropriate workplace eating etiquette.
told by Tommy Jackett
Josh describes deciding spontaneously at 6:23pm to get a haircut, booking online, and running up Smith Street in the heat, arriving sweaty and needing a cold towel from the barber.
told by Josh Janssen
Josh describes becoming overly friendly with a hairdresser, offering him a sublease, receiving texts about the hairdresser's friend, and hearing about the hairdresser's drug addiction struggles until the relationship became too intense and tiring for both of them.
told by Josh Janssen
Josh recounts stumbling on a documentary about a floating hotel once near the Great Barrier Reef that was later shipped to North Korea, prompting Hamish to joke about 'getting it back' for Tourism Australia.
told by Josh Janssen
Josh recounts skipping school with a friend the exact day then-PM Kevin Rudd visited, and how another classmate accidentally left mandarin juice on Rudd's hand during a handshake, which Rudd wiped off and which made it onto a TV segment.
told by Josh Janssen
In their words
“We fired ourselves and we're having a party for ourselves.”
“The prank needs to get bigger and bigger as you go, right?”
“I'm back!”
“I wear the earbuds because they're better sound.”
“Whatever people tell you, it's, it's add more.”
“I literally had my torch in my hand on strobe mode in case he ended up being a creep.”
“Go hard, find a quirk or find something they're obsessed with, this person, whoever they are. Profession. And it's about the right person too... you've got a real solid hour of a podcast.”
“It's like cinema and cook chook. Do they go together? Absolutely not.”
“You can't be eating, you know, anything. You can't be eating nuggets. While someone's dead. Don't you think that's almost like eating while taking a dump?”
“It's amazing what a haircut can do for an individual.”
“It's called the No Banter Barber.”
“There's probably two trends that have increased over the last 100 years. It's be greedy and think short term.”
“No, I feel like if it— I feel like COVID wouldn't, um, stop me if I wanted to do it.”
“We should create a movement around influencers. It's time to pay back your meals.”
“It's, it's a shame that, uh, those guys are the face of it all.”
“I reckon if I did that, I would lose followers.”
“Kill the queen, kill the nest.”
“Great viscosity, 99% killer.”