Defunct Stores and Active Waterparks

Send us Fan Mail In episode 90 of I Hate Talking, the hosts welcome new listeners for the new year with a quick refresher on their show’s format—each episode features a word or phrase of the week, its definition and etymology, and a real-life discussion it inspires. This time, the word is “defunct”, meaning something that no longer exists or functions. The conversation begins with the closure of all 99¢ Only Stores in 2024 and moves into the history of the term, tracing it from Latin roots meaning “to perform” and its later English use meaning “deceased” or “obsolete.” They even touch on how it’s often confused with “debunked,” clearing up the difference and laughing about spelling mix-ups like “defunk.”From there, the episode transitions into something far from defunct—family fun at Great Wolf Lodge. The hosts share a detailed review of their visit: the indoor water park, slides, wave pool, and lazy river all live up to the hype; however, the optional MagiQuest adventure earns mixed reviews for being expensive, time-consuming, and easy to reset by mistake. They also discuss budgeting tips, DoorDash dinners over pricey resort food, and the joy of wolf-ear souvenirs.Keywords: defunct, word meaning, etymology, 99¢ Only Stores closure, Latin roots, Great Wolf Lodge review, indoor water park, MagiQuest, DoorDash travel hacks, family travel, vacation reviews, I Hate Talking podcast. Support the show---Any views expressed on this podcast are those solely of the hosts and is for entertainment purposes only. None of the content is medical advice or financial advice. Special thanks to Tim Wright aka CoLD SToRAGE for his permission to use the song Operatique.