Something Rhymes with Purple

Take a seat, recline if you’d like or perhaps, even lie down because this week Susie and Gyles are going to be exploring the wonderful wordy world of furniture.

Do you know your Chaise Lounge from your Divan? The Chesterfield from the Sedan? Get ready to be paraded around on a litter and discover why the secretaire is full of secrets, why bankruptcy ended in smashed benches and how a day-to-day bodily function named one of our most trusted household items…

A Somethin’ Else production

If you have any wordy wonderings or linguistical lamentations you’d like to ask to Susie and Gyles, you can get in touch by emailing purple@somethinelse.com

Susie’s Trio: 

• Testiculating - talk bollocks while waving your hands around 
• Groaking - Stare longingly at someone else’s food.
• Cover-slut - item of clothing to hide any unsightly blemishes. 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hello and Happy New Year! This first week of January we are reacquainting ourselves with you lovely Purple People and replying to some of the questions, queries and quibbles that you’ve emailed in.

From pelmanism to punters, from Guinness to Mustard we’ll be finding out whether a spendthrift is thrifty or spendy, and examining why you’d rather not go gallivanting with a gallant, even if he claims to be a gentleman. 

Susie and Gyles also get a bit European (ooh la la), explaining why it’s rather gauche to call a woman zaftig, and recapitulate why one must always capitulate to an offer of poitín.

If you'd like to hear Susie and Gyles answer your etymological inquiries then you can get in touch at purple@somethinelse.com.

A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s Trio: 

Flarnecking- vulgarly flaunt something

January- the month of Janus, the Roman God who presided over doors and new beginnings 

Rogitation- to ask the same question over and over again

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Merry Christmas, a Festive Merrineum and a Happy New Year! It is the end of 2020; a year full of covidiots, royal viruses and quaranteenies. This week’s episode has everything you need to get you through to the New Year. We kick off with the bare facts and the naked truth about Christmas cracker jokes, Gyles then puts Susie through her paces with some tricksy word games you too can enjoy at home, before we round up our SRWP Words of the Year for 2020.

So get your pen and paper at the ready as Susie demonstrates why donkeys are a lexicographer’s worst nightmare and we revel in the words that have made us tingle with linguosity this year.

A Somethin’ Else production.

If you want to get in touch with Susie and Gyles to ask any questions, you can get in touch at purple@somethinelse.com.

In “unprecedented times” we at Something Rhymes With Purple are immensely grateful to you, our listeners, for the year we’ve had. As Gyles has already said an exuberant “cheers!” to you a thousand different ways, we’ll just leave you with...

Susie’s Trio:

Belgard- a loving look, an amorous glance.

Linguosity- a pleasure in using words, perhaps a little bit too much!

Beblubbed- having swollen eyes from too much crying “Don’t be so beblubbed, respair is round the corner.” Happy holidays!

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we are on an absolute rampage, alleviating boredom and staving off the Scrooge in the news as we acquaint ourselves with that master wordsmith, Charles Dickens. Gyles gives us a salacious biography and Susie demonstrates her aptitude for a career in talking books.

Keep a tight grip on your podcatcher Butterfingers because we’ve got your number and promise book recommendations so perfect for a Christmas cloff, that it’s sure to give you the creeps… 

A Somethin’ Else production

If you want to get in touch with Susie and Gyles to ask any questions, you can get in touch at purple@somethinelse.com.

Susie's Trio:

Scurryfunge- the mad dash around the house to tidy up just before visitors arrive.

confelicity- joy in other peopls happiness.

sockdolager- the final blow in an argument that settles the matter.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Get wrapped up in your cosiest cashmeres and grab a glass of velvety vino and if you haven’t cottoned on already, today we’re going to be discussing textiles and fabrics. 

Susie and Gyles will weave their way through our wardrobes discussing our silks to our satins. Through the world of fabric we’ll discover many things and lots of stuff as well as finding out what links taffetas and tabby cats, and why the best togas are always the most succinct.

A Somethin’ Else production

If you want to get in touch with Susie and Gyles to ask any questions, you can get in touch at purple@somethinelse.com.

Susie’s Trio: 

Firefang - scorched

Bilbo - sword of exceptional quality 

‘-sby’ - suffix added to describe a person by their character trait. e.g. A rudesby is rude, an idlesby is idle, a sneaksby is sneaky.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This episode may not be suitable for younger listeners. Parental discretion is advised.

This week we’ll be boinking, bonking, and banging our way through baby-making and its associated lexicon. Whether you prefer to make the beast with two backs or shake off the sheets, we Purple People aren’t here to judge. Gyles tells a fun buddy story from the ‘60s and Susie serves a decisive judgement on why you’d rather be Aphrodite than Venus.

We’ll also be dropping F-bombs, developing an aversion to crumpets and discussing why Missionary life wasn’t for everyone…

A Somethin’ Else production.

If you want to get in touch with Susie and Gyles it’s purple@somethinelse.com

Susie’s Trio

Thankworthy- worthy of thanks or gratitude, meritorious.

Concupiscence- strong sexual desire; lust.

Microlipet- someone who gets all worked up about trivial things

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Suffering from a festive cold or a flu? Susie and Gyles have some (questionable) remedies for you!

Come delve into the wondrous (and often disgusting) world of potions and lotions on this week’s episode of Something Rhymes with Purple. Involving witchcraft, and Kings and Quacks, as we ‘gild the pill’ with the ‘hair of the dog’, all taken, of course, with a healthy ‘pinch of salt’.

We’ll also weave a tarantella through some infamous incidents of poisonous foul-play which piques Gyles’ fascination and leads him to ponder some rather murderous logistics…

A Somethin’ Else production.

If you want to get in touch with Susie and Gyles it’s purple@somethinelse.com.

Susie’s Trio: 

Snit - glowing part of candle wick after it’s blown out

Snurttle - a suppressed laugh

Roorback - false and damaging report circulated for political effect, usually about a candidate seeking an office

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, Susie and Gyles are reporting on the names and origins of London Town - of England, Europe, The World, The Universe.

Come wind through the streets of Susie’s old hangout in Soho discovering its connection to battle cries and the history of germ theory, we’ll then take the Tube north to see how bishops and cottages birthed the names of some beautiful spots in North London. Gyles will then act as lead guide as he tours us through his past haunts in West London and South of the river where the lambs of Lambeth, the Warriors of Barnes and the chalk of Chelsea all are remembered to this day. 

This Black Friday (27th December) get 20% off Something Rhymes with Purple Merchandise. Go to purple.backstreetmerch.com and enter ‘Purple20’ at checkout.

A Somethin’ Else production

Susie and Gyles want to explore further afield, so send in your questions or discoveries of fascinating (and amusing) place names around the country and world for them to visit in their next episode on place names. You can get in touch at purple@somethinelse.com

Susie’s Trio: 

Parvanimity - Being of an inferior or ignoble mind 

Sumph - a soft, stupid fellow

Merry-go-down - a sip of strong ale

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Oh the Grand Old Duke of York, he had ten-thousand men… but was his son a Marquis or a Marquess? To find out, join us under the marquee as Gyles and Susie climb the etymological pecking order this week, giving lovers of Downtown Abbey a look at why a Butler serving breakfast might be cause for concern. Gyles has a hoity toity anecdote, and Susie demands justice for the hussy and the villain. But if an Earl can be churlish, can a Churl be... earlish? 

We want to hear from you! If you are a Bootboy with a bone to pick, a Beefeater with a bad reputation or generally have a bugbear about our understanding of aristocracy, write in and let us know: purple@somethinelse.com

A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s Trio: 

Pinchfart - A Miser, a person who hoards wealth and spends as little money as possible.

Bafflegab - incomprehensible or pretentious verbiage, especially bureaucratic jargon, that confuses more than it clarifies.

Kvelling -  bursting with pride or satisfaction 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Little Strings, Little Tongues and Butterflies… what could Gyles and Susie pasta-bly be talking about?! In this episode we’ll be lobbing a bunch of pasta terms at the wall to see what sticks. We start by delving into ancient myths and legends to unearth pasta’s beginnings, Susie takes us on a trip to a brothel to serve up one of the most delicious spaghetti dishes of today, and Gyles shares his favourite pasta dish which comes with a little bit of apricity much to his delight. 

A Somethin’ Else production

This week we want YOUR terms for ‘the feeling of disappointment when you go to have a sip of coffee only to find out it’s all gone’ (even though you were SURE there was some left)… get creative and let us know: purple@somethinelse.com

Susie’s Trio: 

Paraph - The flourish on a signature 

Paralipsis - Drawing attention to something when pretending not to

Elozable - amenable to flattery 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we’re counting our blessings and saying our prayers as we take a look at the tales behind some of the patron saints and their language. From martyrs to miracles and from sanctity to sanctuary we unpick the blessed language of those who have been canonised. But if all that sounds a bit holier-than-thou, don’t worry because there’s still plenty of time to enjoy idio-repulsive belfies, tuck into a cannon of beef, and find out why you might not want to find yourself needing to pray to St Julian the Hospitaller.

A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s trio:

Drachenfutter - a gift given to a partner in order to appease them

Poronkusema - an old Finnish measurement based on the distance a reindeer can travel before needing a comfort break

Lagom - (Swedish) just the right amount

If you want to get in touch with us please do: purple@somethinelse.com 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If you’re easily grossed out then probably best to cover your ears for this one… in honour of the spookiest time of the year we’re digging around words with gruesome origins. From black books to black boxes, sarcasm to travel, and from loopholes to chivvying along, we uncover the often bloody backgrounds to these seemingly innocent terms. 

We also recoil at those everyday words that send a shiver down our spines, Susie has a trio of words to remember, and Gyles tells some particularly gruesome tales involving Chevy Chase, Rod Hull, and a terrifying woodwork teacher.

A Somethin' Else production.

Susie’s Trio:

Witches’ knickers - a term for plastic bags stuck in the branches of a tree

Abibliophobia - the fear of being without books

Balatronic - pertaining to a clown or a buffoon 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we’re heading back to school to discuss beaks, divs, rostrums, and to get to the bottom of why UK public schools don’t seem very open to the public. We discuss the benefits of an encyclopaedia education, why school is actually a leisure activity, and we debate whether it’s skiving, bunking, or playing hooky. Away from the classroom there’s lots of reminiscing about favourite school-related books and tv shows, and some rather grand claims to fame from both Enid Blyton and Jacqueline Wilson.

As always, Susie sets her three-word homework for us and Gyles reveals some bizarre morning rituals from his own schooldays.

A Somethin’ Else production

Susie’s trio

Poppin noddles - a Cumbrian term for a roly poly

Nix - an instruction to stop talking because someone is coming

Duck’s dive - another phrase for skimming stones

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

P-p-p-p-p-ick up a podcast… and join us as we spill the tea (both figuratively and literally) and get busy dunking biscuits into our brew. From the Wagon Wheel to the Jammie Dodger, Susie and Gyles unpick the fascinating stories behind the names of our favourite twice-baked treats, as well as finding a little time to reveal their desert island biscuits… and quite how many they can eat in one sitting. There’s lots to digest as we learn about hobnobbing Italian Generals rubbing shoulders with flightless birds in a nice French town. And Susie reveals why she steers clear of candles on a first date…

Later in the programme Gyles has a poem to get us through the darker days, Susie has her timely trio, and we get the chance to answer your myriad of questions including ones about jiffles and strops.

A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s trio:

Bitching the pot - pouring the tea

Gwick - to make a loud swallowing noise

Omnistrain - the stress of trying to cope with everything in life

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Cheers! This week we're looking for answers at the bottom of the glass as we drink in the history behind the fascinating names of the boozers of Britain. Like Chaucer's pilgrims we start at The Tabard before cantering through the rivalry between the Red Lion and the White Hart. We find a stowaway king inside the Royal Oak, a rather befuddled duck in Ambleside, and we wonder why Livery Companies always move in threes.

Along the way there's time for Susie to get up on the bar and entertain us with her three words for the week and for Gyles to get soaked with Oliver Reed.

A Somethin' Else production

Please do get in touch via purple@somethinelse.com

Susie's Trio:

Vellichor - the smell of old books

Umbriphilous - fond of the shade

Bedinner - to give someone dinner

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

One in the hand, is worth two in the bush... This week Gyles and Susie dig into the surprisingly significant etymology of birds. From the unlucky albatross to the onomatopoeic cuckoo, find out what Professor Dumbledore has to do with bees and what parrots have to do with the Kama Sutra...

Elsewhere, Susie has her trio of words for you to sprinkle into casual conversation this week and Gyles reads an original 20s poem you can wash your hands to....

A Somethin’ Else production.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we’re playing the name game! Following on from our recent episode on surnames and nominative determinism, we’re now casting our eye over first names. What do they mean? What are their origins? Do they reflect your personality or does your personality change to suit your name? So whether you’re a Gyles, Dexter, George, Charity, Faith, or a Harper, join us in finding out what’s in a name…

As usual we’ll be answering questions you’ve sent in via Twitter and email and Susie will be serving up her trio of words for the week.

A Somethin’ Else production

Susie’s trio:

Ultracrepidarian - somebody who gives opinions on matters way above their knowledge

Quidnunc - an inquisitive and gossipy person

Kiddlywink - an old Cornish word for a pub or ale house

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, mail purple@somethinelse.com.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Taxi!! This week we’re giving you a ride through the world of cabbie vernacular. We’re testing our Knowledge, taking you through the Oranges & Lemons right up to the Gasworks. But you better not be a Butter Boy taking advantage of this leather-arse who’s on a Churchill… 

A Somethin’ Else production

Susie’s Trio:

Beeking - to bask in the sun or the warmth of the fire

Nurdle - the perfect swoosh of toothpaste on a toothpaste advert

Dasypygal - having hairy buttocks

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It’s Christmaaaaaaaas! This week we’re vamping it up and delving into festive language, discovering the origins of Boxing Day, why a punch packs a punch, and why a partridge in a pear tree might not be the blessing it first seems. And to get you through the Christmas break Gyles has a few games up his sleeve… Happy Christmas one and all. 

A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s trio:

Gymnologise - to have an argument in the nude

Eye-servant - someone who only works when the boss is looking

Phrontistery - a place for contemplation

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we’re doing some last-minute shopping and trying not to act like a couple of bulls in a china shop. We’ll be discussing the various theories behind the origin of Black Friday, why a shop is called a shop, why a high street is high, and differentiating between haggling and bartering. 

We will also be learning about the connection between counters and computers and the difference between a BOGOF and a BOBFOC. As always we’ll be answering some of your excellent emails and having some fun with puns in a new word game. A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s trio:

Abligurition - excessive spending on food and drink

Angel Visit - a catch up with a friend that happens all too rarely

Twankle - to twang with the fingers on a musical instrument

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week Gyles and Susie go tit for tat, giving as good as they get in hurling some creative insults at each other. From the Shakespearean to the sublime they relish in finding out the origins behind calling someone a ‘fopdoodle’, a ‘dandyprat’, and a ‘mugwump’. And, ahead of this week’s General Election, Susie revisits a couple of choice political insults for you to slip into any debates that might arise. A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s Trio:

APANTHROPY - the desire to be left alone

PUNT - the dint in the bottom of a wine bottle

SUNWAKE - the reflection of a sunrise on the surface of the sea

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week is all about YOU the listener. We go through loads of your (much appreciated) emails to debate the origins of phrases like By Hook or By Crook, discuss the myriad alternative definitions of the word ‘growler’, and unveil the bizarre connection between lions’ teeth and wetting the bed…

We also reveal the origins of the words ‘correspond’ and ‘letter’, explain what CC on an email means and highlight the importance of little snails and monkeys’ tails in online correspondence. A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s trio:

Cherubimical - described someone who is a happy drunk

Jamais vu - “never seen” (the opposite of deja vu); the feeling of never having encountered something despite being familiar with it

Lickpenny - something that uses up large amounts of money

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we’re going hysterical for medical terms. We’ll be turning our lexicographical X-Ray machine on and diagnosing the etymology of everything from asphyxia to syringe. Join us to discover Descartes' link to the X-Ray, what a Hippocratic face looks like, and exactly where an obstetrician should stand. We also ‘toady-up’ to the quack and sing the praises of the sturdy thrush. A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s trio:

Fisk - to run about hastily and heedlessly

Pingle - to pick at your food

Apple-catchers - a big pair of knickers

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today we’re practicing the toilet arts and taking a trip through the language of beauty. We cover up our mouse-marks and grog-blossoms with lashings of ham-fat, bicker over our bikinis, and debate whether being buxom is an upstairs or a downstairs issue. Gyles also reveals his 'Tommy Two-ways side' and Susie wraps everything up in a nutshell....a Somethin' Else production.

Susie’s Trio of Words:

WAMBLECROPT - feeling decidedly queasy

TRAMPOOSE - walk reluctantly or to trudge

BEGGARS’ VELVET - particles of dust floating in the sunlight

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we’re going al fresco and kicking the leaves on an autumnal walk through the woods. We discuss the difference between woods and forests and the connection between forests and foreigners. We also blaze a trail by hook or by crook through our neck of the woods, and we get to the root of the link between trees and loyalty. And do you know which language has 421 different terms for snow? It’s not as obvious as you’d think... A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s Trio of Words:

Roke - a fog that rises in the evening off marshes and water meadoes

Slidder - a hollow running down a hill

Striddle - to walk uncomfortably (to hirple, if you will…)

If you'd like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today we’re shaking a leg. We’ve already talked about the language of the body from the head to the chest. Now we’re going down below. Featuring guts for garters, the heart’s eye, chancing your arm, pickpockets pulling your leg, hepcats, gamblers with cold feet, making a fist of it, the origin of the rule of thumb, vile bile, letting it all spew out and some more lalochezia. A Somethin’ Else production. 

Susie’s Trio of Words:

Nepenthe: a drink or potion to bring forgetfulness of all your worries. 

Solastalgia: the emotional and physical stress caused by environmental change .

Cacafuego: a fire shitter. 

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Wooooooo, it’s our Halloween Special! Susie and Gyles go on the hunt for the spooky meanings lurking beneath our language. Featuring fairies, oafs, seeing gremlins, the origin of wicked, evil spirits eating the flesh of corpses, grave robbers, the origin of abracadabra, phalluses diverting the attention of the evil eye and haunted lemurs. A Somethin’ Else production. 

Susie’s Trio of Words:

Fernweh: the longing for faraway places. 

Nuddle: to walk in a daydream-y state with your head down.

Thorough-cough: to cough and break wind at the same time. 

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We’re talking sports this week. What have boxing, horse racing and dart throwing done for the English language? Featuring Gyles meeting the Beckhams, the real Real McCoy, the origin of starting from scratch, stinging like a butterfly, a turn up for the books, a dead ringer, winning hands down, the Canterbury Gallop, the mystery of the oche, the bunghole, “Glenn Hoddle’s onslaught on English as we know it”, slugging someone, scarpering, haddaway and shite. A Somethin’ Else Production. 

Susie’s Trio of Words:

Engouement: an irrational fondness for something.

Gove: to stare stupidly. 

Noggle: achieving something with difficulty. 

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The words introduced to our language by poets. Featuring nerds, meeting T.S. Eliot, measuring your life in coffee spoons, runcible spoons, the bobowler, Chaucer on Twitter, pandemonium, tripping the light fantastic, limericks, fools rushing in, feeling like a gooseberry and some poetry from our listeners. A Somethin’ Else Production. 

Susie’s Trio of Words:

Swasivious: to be persuasive in an agreeable way.

Balter: to dance clumsily. 

Cachinnator: one who laughs too loudly. 

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The hidden vocabulary of the body (part 1: from the head to the chest). Featuring dishevelled hair, raised eyebrows, gorgeous thoats, men in bras, Frans Titslinger, hedgehog hair, the origin of the apple of your eye, the skin of your teeth, nosy park keepers, pulling Joan Collins's wig, chips on your shoulder, the cold shoulder and the albatross around your neck. A Somethin’ Else Production. 

Susue’s Trio of Words:

Podiacide: death by foot, putting your foot in it. 

Psithurism: the whispering of leaves in the wind. 

Ploiter: to work in an ineffective way. 

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We’re talking about the weather today. Not because we have nothing to say. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Featuring a Monkey’s Wedding, forecasters, heated waistcoats, feeling nesh, Cloud 8, the wet stuff and the white stuff, zee versus zed, brain crushes, zebra erections, the origin of Blighty, dudes and waffling. A Somethin’ Else Production. 

Susie’s Trio of Words

Nefandous: too odious to be spoken of. 

Monodynamic: having one talent only. 

Potpanion: a friend to go to the pub with. 

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There’s no synonym for love. Today we’re talking about the surprisingly limited language for love. Featuring aubergine emojis, 16th Century hot cockles, enjoying some more fandango de pokum, the meaning of limerence, eloping like a thief, Gyles’s secret wedding, flirtatious talk that leads to nowhere, the ick factor, Aussie kisses, and Fanny Cradock’s contraceptive tips. A Somethin’ Else Production. 

Susie’s Trio of Words: 

Philodox: a person in love with their own opinion.

Idiorepulsive: self-repelling. 

Quag: to wag something soft and flabby.  

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The words of the world of work. Featuring waitrons, being menued, butchers’ back slang, the return of the getting fired game, the origin of freelancing, the first ever busman’s holiday, rodent operatives, Twirlies, Usain Bolt’s auntie, uptitling and even more nominative determinisms. A Somethin’ Else Production. 

Susie’s Trio of Words: 

Finifugal: shunning the end of something.

Quisquilious: of the nature of refuse. 

Facienda: something that needs to be done.  

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The hidden meanings concealed beneath our clothes. Featuring robbing robes, the origin of escape, putting your vest on to make an investment, dressing to the nines, succinct belts, the champion clog dancer of the world, walking the catwalk, leaving a limaceous trail, buying the wrong hat in France, twerking with Miley and the Incredible Edible Candy Pants. A Somethin’ Else Production. 

Susie’s Trio of Words: 

Latibulate: to hide in a corner.

Resipiscence: the return to a better state of mind. 

Osculable: able to be kissed.  

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Surnames: where do they come from and what do they mean? Featuring Charlie Swete-in-Bed, dying for your surname, Mr Crookbones, nominative determinism, Mr Killsin Pimple, striking butter, Adam Bilberrylyppe and the return of the Windf***er. A Somethin’ Else Production. 

Susie’s Trio of Words: 

Darkle: to grow dark.

Fandangle: an extravagantly fanciful ornament. 

Estivate: the opposite of hibernating, to go into a state of torpor during the summer.  

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Don't pass on, this week we’re facing up to the grim vocabulary of death. Featuring the origin of popping your clogs, meeting deadlines, the gory Middle Ages, the danse macabre, cryogenic freezing, ash cash, being masticated by a wolf, secret murder, the Freudian implications of arranging your bookshelves and 30 secs on the beach. A Somethin’ Else Production. 

Susie’s Trio of Words: 

Chums: going back to chamber mate. Someone you shared your bedroom with.

Zany: comic performers who would accompany a clown or an acrobat and imitate their master’s act in a ludicrously awkward way. 

Brachiate: to swing from branch to branch using your arms.  

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mouse and Muscle. Négligé and Negligent. Rectum and Rectitude. This week we’re talking about words of a feather: unlikely linguistic double acts or siblings. Featuring arse-ropes, joining giblets, sardonic looks, Hinge and Bracket and more additions to The Word Jail. A Somethin’ Else Production. 

Susie’s Trio of Words: 

Brabble: to argue noisily about things that don’t really matter. 

Atrabilious: to be sullen, bad tempered or a bit melancholy. 

Bibulous: to be fond of alcoholic beverages.  

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We’re nodding off talking about the language of sleep. Featuring the hypnic jerk, yoga with Joe Lycett, the origin of 40 winks, hoodwinking, another Gyles Brandreth bedtime game, burning the candle at both ends, feeling fresh as a daisy, hay in your trousers, hotel cushions, the arms of Morpheus and suffocating monsters. A Somethin’ Else Production. 

Susie’s Trio of Words: 

Hypnopompic: that twilight state between sleeping and waking. 

Zwoddery: feeling drowsy and almost stupified. 

Euneirophrenia: the lingering sensation that you get after waking from a pleasant dream.  

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

All the world’s a stage but how much of our language originates from the theatre? Featuring the bug house, fluffers, merkins, pinging and ponging, the mystery of ‘Break A Leg’, the superstitions of Macbeth, the language of polari, salty fish in response to a sneeze and the very first instance of stealing someone’s thunder. A Somethin’ Else Production. 

Susie’s Trio of Words: 

Pratfall: a comedy fall onto your buttocks. 

Somnificator: somebody who induces sleep in someone else. 

Exisibilate: to hiss a poor performer off the stage.  

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It’s breakfast time! The linguistic adventures of some of our favourite foods. Featuring avocado testicles, “costive for seven”, the origin of egging someone on, Swiss kissing, bum nuts, snot blocks, cigars as prizes, shrewd shrews, Roger Moore’s invention of the Magnum and a visit from Susie’s postman. A Somethin’ Else Production. 

Susie’s Trio of Words: 

Pumpernickel: the German bread means a farting demon. 

Madeleine: the French cake was named in honour of Mary Magdalene. 

Scone: the definitive answer on how to pronounce it. 

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Catty. Batty. Dog tired. Sick as a pig. Why are the animals we use in our language often negative? Should we be reporting the English language to the RSPCA? Featuring dogs on trial, the absent hyphen, Peter Pan in the doghouse, Ann Widdecombe, “Orgasmed for eight”, Peter Mandelson’s guacamole, a wild goose chase and the origins of raining cats and dogs.

A Somethin’ Else Production. 

Susie’s Trio of Words: 

Swansong: the term originates from the ancient belief that swans were born mute (not true) and they remain mute all their lives until the moment of their death when they sing a beautiful mournful song. 

Dogsbody: this originally meant peas boiled in cloth aboard a ship. Sailors joked that they were about to eat a dog’s body. 

Cold Turkey: the phrase originates from the belief that coming off something caused you to have goose bumps or turkey flesh. 

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The language of Love Island. We’re talking about interjections and filler words. Do they get on your nerves? Or do they serve a purpose? Featuring the school that banned the word ‘like’, the origin of lovely, a light dusting, the fanny flutters, bev, the science of umms, starting sentences with ‘So...’, Cleo Laine, the origin of the Green Room and Gyles’s Word Jail. A Somethin’ Else Production. 

Susie’s Trio of Words: 

Sockdolager: the decisive winning point in an argument or debate. 

Recumbentibus: a knockout punch.

Twazziness: a centuries-old word for a state of feeling bad-tempered, peevish and snappy. 

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We’re off to the pub with an episode all about the language of drinking. Featuring the origin of Hair of the Dog, Snecklifters, Fuddlecaps Hall, The Green Man, Gin Alley, Old Grog and sud slingers. A Somethin’ Else production. 

Susie’s trio of words for the week are:

Shotclog: the pub companion who you only put up with because they’re buying the next round.

Tosspot: drinkers who tossed back their bottle of beer 

Lick-spigot: the friend who always turns up whenever they hear a cork popping. 

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Don’t turn off: it’s a political language special. Featuring the definition of a snollygoster, the Brexicon, bunkum, berserkers, the origins of toeing the line, filibusters, The Man In The White Suit, and why Boris Johnson is a throttlebottom. A Somethin’ Else production. 

Susie’s trio of words: 

Bags of mystery: an old term for sausages 

Trumperiness: something that is showy and flashy but ultimately utterly worthless

Clusterfuck: a deliberately mishandled situation or undertaking

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A parliament of owls, a pride of lions, an odium of politicians. This week we’re talking about our favourite collective nouns. Featuring Gyles’s Naked Attraction, the origins of licking something into shape, a caravan of camels, cat chowder and the grammatical errors found on packets of crisps. A Somethin’ Else Production. 

Susie’s Trio of Words: 

Nepenthe: a drink, potion or drug thought to bring forgetfulness of all worries, altering your state of mind for the better.

Oxtercog: to carry someone by supporting them under the armpits  

Popjoy: to celebrate or have fun. 

If you’d like to get in touch with a question for Susie and Gyles for a future episode, email purple@somethinelse.com 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We’re quids in. This week: the language of money. Featuring the stringy bits on bananas, deleveraging, an Ayrton, a Commodore, signing a cheque for £136 billion with the Queen and the story of Gyles (nearly) going into business with Richard Branson. A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s trio of words for the week are:

Marigold: a million pounds.

Coverslut: an item of clothing worn over another in order to cover a stain.

Jirble: to spill a liquid through unsteady hands. 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We’re talking local dialect this week. Gyles takes the New York Times British-Irish Dialect Quiz. Featuring hirpling, the language of doggo, the accents of ducks, Mardy Bums and craic. A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s trio of words for the week are:

Flinterkin: from Orkney meaning a dry cow pat.

Glimmer-gowk: an owl in Gloucestershire and Lincolnshire.  

Fobly-Mobly: 18th Century term meaning neither well nor unwell. A bit meh.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What do nicotine, the hoover and the silhouette have in common? They’re all eponyms. These are words named after a person. This week we’re celebrating the anonymous people who live on through language. Featuring Jules Léotard, Mr Mars, Amelia Bloomer, Franz Mesmer and Samuel Maverick. A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s trio of words for the week is:

Bumbershoot: a Victorian word for an umbrella.

Chatoyant: of iridescent shimmering lustre, like a cat’s eye in the dark.

Battology: needless and tiresome repetition in speaking and writing.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we’re giving up the goat with slip ups. What happens when they eventually enter the language? Eggcorns are logical mishearings or misinterpretations. Featuring a parting of the waves, going at it like hammer and thongs, the whole crotch of the matter and chucking it up to experience . A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s trio of words are:

Petrichor: the beautiful smell that occurs when rain falls on dry soil.

Zarf: the holder for a coffee cup without a handle (could be the cardboard sleeve).

Spuddle: to work feebly and ineffectively because you’re either daydreaming or haven’t woken up properly.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mind the gap. This week we’re looking for words for the things, feelings and experiences we don’t yet have names for. Featuring grief bacon, coughing and breaking wind at the same time, the nervousness you feel when you can’t remember someone’s name and Jimmy Carr’s backpfeifengesicht. A Somethin’ Else Production

Susie’s trio of new words are:

Confelicity: finding pleasure in someone else’s happiness (the opposite of schadenfreude)

Pana po'o: Hawaiian word meaning to scratch your head while trying to remember something

Groaking: to look enviously at someone else’s food in the hope they might share it with you.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we're playing word games. Featuring the origin of faffing, arse-ropes, bum fodder, Salvador Dali meeting Frankie Howerd, Susie's middle of the night blues and Gyles's star turn as Hamlet. A Somethin' Else Production.

Susie's trio of words for the week are:

Gigglemug: someone who is permanently cheerful.

Coulrophobia: a fear of clowns.

Maverick: named after Samuel Augustus Maverick, who left his herd of cattle un-branded.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The art of the euphemism. In other words: "the substitution of a mild, indirect or vague term for one considered to be harsh, offensive, embarrassing or distressing." Quentin Crisp said euphemisms "are like secret agents on a delicate mission. They must airily pass by a stinking mess with barely so much a nod of the head." Featuring the gruesome story of Sweet Fanny Adams, the Doughnut in Granny's Greenhouse and what 'Opportunity To Tidy' means to the Queen. A Somethin' Else Production.

The Dent Trio of words this week is:

Ugsome: a Viking word meaning to fear or dread something.

Apricity: the warmth of the sun on a winter's day.

Forswunk: exhausted from too much work.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jargon is specialised terminology that both unites and excludes. Gyles is irritated by it. Susie loves it. Featuring cockney rhyming slang, opening the kimono, confessionals and incontinence pads. A Somethin’ Else Production.

Susie's trio of words this week are:

Crambazzled: looking prematurely aged or rough from drinking.

Humdudgeon: an imaginary illness that may prevent you from getting out of bed or through the office door.

Panic: dating back to the deity Pan who hid in the woods and made mysterious noises to frighten travellers as they passed by.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How to master S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G. Why is it so difficult in the English language? Featuring the history of the bidet, the two types of tickling and a handy trick to prevent you from misspelling the word ‘Definitely’. A Somethin’ Else Production.

Susie's trio of new words for the week are:

Hirple: to limp and to walk with difficulty.

Sarcophagus: a limestone tomb that would gradually decompose the body buried within it.

Pandiculating: stretching and yawning at the same time.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mind your language. This week Gyles and Susie are turning the air blue with a special episode all about swearing. Including the origins of S***, the versatility of F***, Fornication Under Consent of the King, Pope Joan and the scientific evidence (involving Brian Blessed) that swearing relieves stress. A Somethin' Else production.

Susie's trio of swearing-themed words this week are:

Lalochezia: the relief of tension in your body through swearing.

Tmesis: cutting one word up and putting another in the middle. e.g. 'abso-f***ing-lutely'

Crumpsy and Carnaptious : grumpy and irritable.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We look at American English. Featuring the story of Gyles's Great Great Great Grandfather, Noah Webster's gift of making spelling easier and Trump's covfefe kerfuffle. A Somethin’ Else Production.

Susie's trio of USA-themed words for the week are:

Scurryfunge: to rush around tidying before a visitor arrives.

Skidaddle: to depart quickly or hurriedly.

Boondoggle: an entirely futile or unnecessary undertaking.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We explore the surprising origins of the English language. Featuring Gérard Depardieu's nose, bloody drunks and the British Potato Council. A Somethin’ Else Production.

Susie's trio of new words worth knowing are:

Bang-a-bonk: old dialect for sitting lazily on a river bank.

Bloviator: a braggot or a boaster.

Boffola: an uproariously funny joke.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Susie Dent and Gyles Brandreth are here to increase your word power with a brand new podcast. Listen here to find out all about it.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

LIMITED OFFER: This week why not turn Black Friday Purple with a cheeky 20% off all merch on our website with the code PURPLE20. It’s not just Quality Street that’ll taste better in purple this year… head over to purple.backstreetmerch.com to peruse our delightful mugs and canvas shopping bags… the perfect stocking filler for the word nerd in your life…website: purple.backstreetmerch.com

code: PURPLE20

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

According to the great philosophers Heraclitus and Gyles Brandreth, “change is the only constant”. After an absolute Katzenjammer of a week for Susie we focus on change of all kinds, from the shifting seasons to what defines the ‘new normal’. As we Fall into Autumn, we find out why sozzled cads are bonking less and, avoiding the treadmill, we pour a large cuddle-me-buff, to embrace the hygge and snudge our way through the dreich conditions.

Elsewhere Gyles picks three of his favourite words from Susie’s new book for our weekly trio and a very special guest delivers a word perfect Wordsworth rendition in honour of National Poetry Day.

A Somethin’ Else production.

If you have a question for Gyles and Susie then email purple@somethinelse.com.

Gyles’ Trio:

Hibernacle - a winter retreat

Zhuzh - to make more exciting or attractive; add a certain je ne sais quoi

Perendinate - to put off until the day after tomorrow

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hi Something Rhymes With Purple fans, we've made a show we think you'll like....

On September 11th 2001, as he faced incalculable losses after the terrorist attacks that day, President George W Bush made a call to his greatest international ally: British Prime Minister Tony Blair. 18 months later, Bush and Blair led a coalition into a war that went horribly wrong. David Dimbleby, one of the BBC’s best known news hosts and reporters, takes us back to those crucial 18 months. Talking to prime ministers, politicians, spies and weapons inspectors he asks how and why we came to invade Iraq. And as we experience an era of lies and mistrust - did the events of 17 years ago set the stage for the world we live in now?

This is a Somethin' Else production. 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question” Eugene Ionesco

Hopefully he’s only half right… but this week we are entirely in your hands and answering your enlightening questions that have been coming into the inbox in recent weeks. In this correspondence special Susie and Gyles are tackling migraines with essential oils, finding out how chickens keep sneaking into phrases, and wondering who in the heavens was Betsy? Susie makes the ineffable effable and the whole thing 'pans out' to be pretty ‘decent’. Plus HOT BEEF will become your new favourite expression.

A Somethin’ Else production

Susie’s trio:

Thermopot - a lover of hot drinks

Pollicitation - an offer made but not yet accepted

Lanspresado - the person who turns up in the pub having “accidentally” forgotten their wallet

If you want to get in touch with Gyles and Susie then please email purple@somethinelse.com

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Atten-SHUN! Lace up your boots and join Privates Dent and Brandreth as we take a linguistic yomp through the world of army slang. Wearing their canteen medals with pride, Gyles and Susie travel from Civvie Street to the mess, breaking bread with a sky pilot, a fetch, and a fobbit, before donning their crap hats, taking advantage of a desert lily and heading off to their doss bags feeling utterly chinstrapped.

A Somethin' Else production

Email Gyles and Susie via purple@somethinelse.com

Susie's trio:

Betwattled - confused or bewildered

Hopper-arsed - having large buttocks

Lobcock - a dull, sluggish person

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Having tackled the stars in the sky, this week we’re turning our gaze to the stars who walk upon the earth. From the first celebrities to Beatle-mania via way of the inaugural ‘It Girl’ we’re tackling the full A-List of famous terminologies. This gives Gyles the perfect platform for some legitimate name-dropping, we delve deeper into Susie’s Arsene Wenger brain crush, and we discover Oscar Wilde’s numerous and ingenious methods of getting noticed.

We also find time to give a few listeners their 15-minutes of Purple fame by answering their language questions, Susie has a terrific trio of words, and Gyles caps things off with a witty poem about growing old.

A Somethin’ Else production

Susie’s Trio:

Dew snail - alternative name for a slug

Uhtceare - anxiety just before dawn breaks

Sloom - to gently sleep or lightly slumber

If you want to put a question to Gyles and Susie then email purple@somethinelse.com

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With the season kicking off on Saturday we’re lacing up our linguistic shooting boots and taking a dive (boo!) into the language of football… or should that be soccer? Either way Gyles is ‘taking one for the team’ this week as he plays more of a ‘cheese sandwich’ to Susie’s footie ‘fanatic’. She throws nutmegs, Panenkas, and Rabonas into the ‘mixer’ whilst deftly avoiding throwing him a ‘hospital pass’.

In the second half we whizz through some fascinating club nicknames from the Mackems to the Toffees via way of a remarkable story involving a monkey (supposedly) meeting a nasty end in Hartlepool…

As always we answer lots of your questions (and laugh/groan at your jokes), Susie has a tantalising trio for you, and Gyles reveals how he once played matchmaker for the ultimate football playboy.

A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s trio:

Flype - to roll up your socks before putting them on

Sprunt - to chase girls around a haystack after dark

Biffin - a deep red cooking apple

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Pssst… yes you… how do you fancy being a birdwatcher or perhaps a sleeper ready to wake up in time for the dead drop? Well, listen in and allow Agents Brandreth and Dent to provide you with the linguistic pocket-litter to avoid you blowing your cover. If you haven’t yet cracked the code, this week we’re discussing the intricate language of the murky world of espionage. Find out the difference between the Scalphunters and the Lamplighters, get your “shoes” from the Cobbler and join us as we go undercover and onto spook street… oh, and remember, it’s freezing in London today…

When Susie and Gyles come in from the cold, they seize the opportunity to answer lots of your questions on pub names, the connection (or lack thereof) between the compass points and the news, and they flip lunch on its head.

A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s Trio:

Nuncheon - a drink to be taken at luncheon

A fit of the clevers - a sudden spurt of activity when you notice the time

Jack brew - a cuppa you make without making one for anyone else

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week’s podcast is an absolute joke… in a good way! Join Gyles and Susie as they whisk us through the history of the things that make us laugh. From the first recorded joke in history (newsflash: toilet humour is nothing new) to the best jokes of recent Edinburgh Fringe Festivals, prepare to guffaw (and groan) your way through the next 45 minutes. We’ve got chickens crossing roads, a banned Christmas cracker joke, the origin of Knock Knock humour, and Gyles keeps things ticking over by dusting off a few old classics as well as throwing in a couple of up-to-date rib-ticklers for good measure. In the second half Susie dives into the etymology of humorous language, from puns to shaggy dog stories, and always, sends us off with a trio of words to take into the week. Get ready to slap those thighs!

A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s Trio:

Bovarism - an unreal or romanticised perception of oneself

Balatronic - characteristic of a buffoon

Chawbacon - a country-dweller

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dictionaries, depression, a doctorate and a 311th birthday to celebrate…can you guess? Oh yes, this week Susie and Gyles are saluting one of their literary heroes: Doctor Samuel Johnson!

We will journey from Litchfield to London and whilst liaising with the literary greats of the day (and falling in love) we will discover how Johnson's desire to halt the degradation of the English language gave us his dictionary. A tumultuous tale involving embryos, rants, hiccups and kisses and a trip to the brothel (not by Johnson himself, of course!) and a tale that has put him amongst one of the most important people in the history of recording language.

A Somethin’ Else production.

If you would like to nominate your word for ‘that’ sound that older people make when they sit down or stand up, or if you have any other questions for Susie and Gyles, you can get in touch at purple@somethinelse.com

Susie’s Trio: 

Psittacism - meaningless or mechanical repetition of words and phrases

Exfamiliation - exclusion from ones family 

Scrouging - inconvenience or discomfort a person by standing too close to a person

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

3..2..1..Get ready to launch into an episode that is out of this world as Susie and Gyles explore the language of outer space. Via the fast-flighted messenger Mercury to the saturnine tendencies of an overthrown Roman God, we explore how the planets came to be named and the legacy they have left within our everyday vocabularies. There’s just about time to stop off for a chocolate bar or two while Susie takes the opportunity to drop a celebrity name and Gyles discusses their compatibility… based entirely on their star signs…

Susie’s Trio: 

Empleomania - Manic compulsion to hold public office at any cost

Glump - To look solemn or glum

Nibbling - Nephew/niece  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Doctor, Doctor, I’ve forgotten to listen to my favourite podcast! This week we delve into to the world of non-medical doctors… from Dr Johnson through to Dr Dolittle by way of Dr Frankenstein, we explore the fascinating world behind all those who have had that title bestowed upon them… for better or for worse! Along the way Gyles recounts meeting ALL those who have played Doctor Who and Susie reveals the murky world behind medical slang.

As always Susie has three new words to introduce to your vocabulary, Gyles drops a name or two, and much laughter is to be had amongst the learning.

A Somethin’ Else production.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What do Humpty Dumpty, Contrary Mary, and Baa Baa Black Sheep all have in common? Well, you might think twice about reading them as bedtime stories, I’m afraid. This week, Gyles and Susie are delving into those centuries old Nursery Rhymes to uncover their - often sinister - meanings and possible origins. Expect ‘silver bells and cockleshells’ to sound less like gardening utensils and more like instruments of torture, and be prepared to have that image as Humpty Dumpty as an egg dispelled forever. 

If you would like to get in touch to share your favourite Nursery Rhymes with Susie and Gyles or debate any of the many origin stories linked with the Nursery Rhymes discussed today, please do get in touch at… purple@somethinelse.com

A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s Trio: 

Dispester - to get rid of a nuisance

Fornale - to spend money before you have it

Avidulous - somewhat greedy

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we officially became the Best Entertainment Podcast of the year at the British Podcast Awards. Thank you so much to all the Purple People who listen… you make this show what it is and we couldn’t do it without you.

But to provide some balance to all this happiness, this week we’re talking about those linguistic tics that really get on our wick. I mean, you know, you could care less, but we’ll give it 100%, so…

As well as swapping their language bugbears, Susie offers us three words for the week, Gyles’ grandson has slipped us a couple of jokes, and we find out about Yul Brynner’s aversion to aftershave…

A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s trio:

Salvo: an intentionally bad excuse

Sequacious: prone to slavishly following the opinions of others

Toe-cover: a present that is both useless and cheap.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

From elite sports to class systems, it’s a hairy episode this week as Glyes and Susie delve into the history of hair which prompts Gyles to spill all on his past life’s involvement with the Porn industry. Via the astronomical, tribal and in some cases very bloody history of hair, you’re in for some fascinating tales or should that be "(pig)tails"... We’ll also be hearing Susie’s trio of words for the week and Gyles sends us off with a powerful poem.

If you would like to ask Gyles & Susie a question, get in touch at purple@somethinelse.com.

A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s trio:

- Bobbins: rubbish or nonsense

- Indread: secret inner dread

- Inadvertist: someone who consistently fails to notice what is going on around them

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"Music makes (Purple) people, come together." That’s not the only Madonna lyric that gets mistreated in this lyrical romp through the fascinating world of musical genres and phrases. We’ll be hip-hopping our way from the house (and garage) all the way to the discotheque to soak up the funk, with just enough time for Susie to channel her inner Wonder Mike and for Gyles to let his hips do the talking…

We’ll also be going through the fabulous ‘mondegreens’ you’ve been mishearing, Susie has a brilliant trio, and we learn why you should never, ever let Gyles hold on to something valuable for you…

Purple@somethinelse.com

A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s trio:

Well-woulder - someone who wishes you success, so long as it’s not more success than they have

Quobbled - to have wrinkly fingers

Oxyphonia - excessive shrillness of voice

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Join Susie and Gyles as they venture back to pre-biblical times to uncover the history of punctuation marks. This week we’ll be diving into the drama of the comma whilst teasing out the moments when the semi-colon provides the perfect pause. We also unearth a confession from both Gyles and Susie about their - as of yet, unsuccessful - attempts to read James Joyce's Ulysses (hint: there's a sentence that contains 4391 words). We also get through lots of your brilliant emails and we want you to get in touch with any questions you may have, or any differing views on punctuation… purple@somethinelse.com.

A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s trio:

Insordescent - growing in filthiness

Misdelight - pleasure in something wrong 

Leese - to lose

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Aghast that Gyles still thinks ‘YOLO’ is a new word, Susie talks us through the process of creating new words and, more importantly, how to get them into the dictionary. Via oldies like ‘groupies’, ‘burtons’ and ‘velcro’ Susie discusses which words stick and passes judgment on whether new words like ‘Covidiot’ are here for the long haul. She reminds us that you can’t campaign for a word to be added to the dictionary (as the Potato Council found to their disappointment)… but that won’t stop Gyles and his passion for the word ’snart’.

We also go through your fascinating and mysterious nicknames for woodlice, Susie has her trio of wonderful words, and Gyles sends us off into the day with a lovely bit of Larkin.

A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s trio:

Forplaint - exhausted from weeping

Interdespise - to hate someone as much as they hate you

Lectory - a place to read

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Purple People! We are very excited to announce that we have some brand new Something Rhymes With Purple merchandise out now for you… especially if you’re in need of somewhere to store your Bellytimber… it’s a wonderful canvas shopping bag! The perfect accompaniment for a trip to the shops (when they reopen) or the ideal gift for that Purple Person in your life.

The bags are available to purchase now from purple.backstreetmerch.com so get yours today!

A Somethin’ Else production.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Come into the garden Purple People as we take a look at the interesting histories behind the names of the plants blooming in the beds. Find out why basil is royal, why you use more rock celery that you might think, and which common herb is the ‘dew of the sea’. Also in this week’s bouquet are dragons, Spartan lovers and gladiators, plus we find out why the pansy is the thinking person’s flower. 

We also get through lots of your brilliant emails and we want you to get in touch with your own names for Billy Bakers or Chuggy Pigs… purple@somethinelse.com

A Somethin' Else production.

Susie’s trio:

Upbigged - built up

Hookem-snivy - fakery or deceit

Percunctorily - lazily

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Join us in our linguistic dystopia as we proles explore the language of George Orwell. We’ll be discussing newspeak and oldspeak, and attempting to double-think all under the watchful eye of Big Brother… hoping that we won’t get thrown into Room 101… somewhere Gyles has been before actually. 

Elsewhere we’ll be dissecting Orwell’s six rules of writing, Gyles encourages Susie to write a novel, and we discover more about Orwell’s nom du plume, his moniker, his nickname if you will…

As always, a trio of words from Susie to add to your collection, and Gyles struggles to talk with a mouth full of sausages…

Susie’s Trio:

Angel Visit - a catch up with a friend that’s all too rare

Pseudologist - a liar

Sunwake - the reflection of the sun on the surface of the sea

A Somethin' Else production.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Roll up, roll up! Read all about it! This week we're stalking the pavements of Fleet Street to get the scoop on the lingo from the world of journalism. We'll be finding out what links an urchin to a hedgehog, why you'd rather your basement wasn't spiked, and why a tabloid might be just the pill that you need. It's all part of the furniture.

Also, through the smoke of the newsroom, Susie types up her weekly trio of words and Gyles delivers a fantastic poem about the joys of reclining...

If you want to get in touch, please do, we're at purple@somethinelse.com.

A Somethin' Else production.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we're speaking double Dutch, navigating a Mexican standoff, and playing Russian roulette as we investigate how different nationalities have embedded themselves into English. We'll be playing Chinese whispers, dreaming of Indian summers and hoping to receive a French kiss rather than one from Glasgow...

Elsewhere Susie will be furnishing us with her weekly trio, Gyles reveals what Liz Hurley taught him about the female anatomy, and we'll be answering as many of your brilliant emails as possible.

If you want to get in touch, please do, we're at purple@somethinelse.com

A Somethin' Else production.

Susie's trio:

Ochlophobia - extreme or irrational fear of crowds

Dentiloquy - talking through clenched teeth

Tittle - the dot above the letter i or j

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week it's all about spreading some joy as we go through words that bring us pleasure. We touch on some old favourites, words that describe joyous things, like halcyon, spindrift and sussuration, as well as words that satisfy in a different way like unprosperousness, or words that are just fun to say, like sausage. Alongside individual words Susie explains why she finds German to be a joyous language and Gyles describes a recent case of anticipointment as well as waxing lyrical about the humble Rolo chocolate.

As always, we get through lots of your brilliant emails and questions, Susie has her trio of words and Gyles treats us to a poem about weight-loss written by one Gyles Brandreth.

Susie's Trio:

Pilgarlic - a bald-headed man

Pinguescence - the process of becoming fat

Illywhacker - a small-time confidence trickster

A Somethin' Else production.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we're being a couple of Smart Alecs and Clever Dicks and we're exploring the world of names hidden in common phrases... and were they based on real people? Was there an original Joe Bloggs? Did he ever cross paths with John Doe? Why was Jack such a lad? Upon whom was Tom peeping? All whilst being 'on our tod' recording from separate locations.

Gyles will be testing our general knowledge with some questions he picked up at a star-studded charity event and, as usual, Susie will be providing her trio of words to take with you into the week.

A Somethin' Else production.

If you would like to get in touch with us then please email: purple@somethinelse.com

Susie's Trio:

Clinophobia - a fear of lying down

Paralipsis - giving emphasis by professing to say little or nothing at all ("I'm not even going to mention...")

Skimble-Skamble - rambling and confused

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we’re all at sea… in a good way! We’re plumbing the depths of the ocean, nailing our colours to the mast and, by and large, dipping our toe into the etymological waters of nautical terminology. Who was Davey Jones? We all know she sold sea shells on the sea shore… but who was she? What do pot-washers have to do with Captain Nemo? All will be revealed if you’re willing to take a dip…

Away from the water, Gyles tells us of his virtual tea party with Twiggy, Susie has three words to slip into casual conversation, and there’s a very topical 20-second poem to wash your hands to.

A Somethin’ Else production.

If you want to get in touch please do: purple@somethinelse.com.

Susie’s Trio:

Resistentialism - seemingly spiteful behaviour manifested by inanimate objects

Spindrift - the salty spray blown from the crests of a wave

Quiddling - to focus on the small tasks in order to delay doing the bigger tasks

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sadly we’re not in Rome… Gyles is in London and Susie is in Oxford but we're still going on an etymological journey through the origins and quirks of some of our best-know proverbs. Will an apple a day really keep the doctor away? How can it be possible to have your cake and eat it too? Why was Lord Nelson the first person to turn a blind eye? 

And, just to butter you up, all the regular features are there too: we’ll be responding to you emails, Susie’s got a trio for you, and Gyles has a poetic pearl of wisdom to provide a boost to morale.

If you want to get in touch it’s purple@somethinelse.com.

A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s Trio:

Waff - (multiple meanings) a slight blow; a tiny touch of illness; a glimpse; a waft of perfume; a regal wave

Widdendream - a state of confusion or disturbance

Twitterlight - an old word for twilight

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Happy Easter Weekend Purple People!

Due to the UK Bank Holidays, this coming week's Something Rhymes With Purple will be released on Wednesday 15th April, and Susie & Gyles will be dissecting and discussing some very famous proverbs. To tide you over until then, here are a couple of rather timely word origins for you.

We hope you are well and staying safe.

Please do keep in touch with us via purple@somethinelse.com

A Somethin' Else production

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hello Purple People! We hope you’re not feeling too blue, or marooned right now, but fear not Gyles and Susie are here to take you down another etymological rabbit hole to get you back into the pink. This week it’s all about colours! Why are the blues blue, envious eyes green, and a coward’s belly yellow? We’ll be donning our rose-tinted spectacles, avoiding white elephants and searching for the silver linings in all of this. Also, we’ll find out why a black sheep is a good thing in Italy…

As always, Gyles has a poem for us to wash our hands to as well as a quotation to take into the week, and Susie will be dropping three more interesting words into our day-to-day vocabulary.

Keep your questions and comments coming in: purple@somethinelse.com

A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s Trio:

Shoulder-clapper - someone who is unnecessarily friendly an overfamiliar

Blunkerkin - a general incompetent

Respair - a return to hope or a recovery

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hold the phone! Stop what you’re doing and dial in to a new Purple Podcast coming to you down the line. For obvious reasons Susie and Gyles can’t record together this week, but fear not, through the magic of technology they’re still able to chat and offer you their usual mix of interesting etymology and amusing anecdotes. As they’re on the blower, they’ll be delving into the world of the telephone and it’s successors/contenders. Why do we give someone a bell? How should you answer the phone? All will be revealed.

Also, Gyles and Susie debate the origin of the phrase ‘cheerio’, they test their knowledge of the NATO alphabet and Susie reveals the connection between Morse code and ‘umpteen’.

As well as his inspirational quotation, Gyles has another excellent 20s hand-washing poem for you to try, and Susie will be wowing us once again with her weekly trio.

A Somethin’ Else production

If you have a question for Susie and Gyles please email us purple@somethinelse.com.

Susie’s Trio:

Gowpen - two handfuls of something

Pronk - a weak or slightly foolish person. (Also, a verb meaning ‘to leap in the air like a springbok)

Tractatrix - someone who shampoos your hair

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Join us this week as we look back over our first fifty episodes of Something Rhymes With Purple. This wouldn’t have been possible without you so thank you for listening and for keeping us on our toes with your questions and suggestions… please keep them coming!

If you haven’t listened to all fifty episodes then now is the time to catch up and here are some clips to entice you and point you in the right direction.

In this episode Susie and Gyles reveal which came first: orange the colour or orange the fruit; they uncover the initial trailblazers; they disclose the rather nasty origins of ‘hangdog expression’; and they raise a glass to the original tosspots… who weren’t as rude as you may think. Plus, Gyles has some handy 20-second poems for you to learn to aid hand washing and a quotation to inspire you throughout the week.

If you have a question for Susie and Gyles then please get in touch: purple@somethinelse.com

A Somethin’ Else production.

Gyles' poems:

Verse 1 of "The Owl and the Pussycat" by Edward Lear:

The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea

   In a beautiful pea-green boat,

They took some honey, and plenty of money,

   Wrapped up in a five-pound note.

The Owl looked up to the stars above,

   And sang to a small guitar,

"O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,

   What a beautiful Pussy you are,

         You are,

         You are!

What a beautiful Pussy you are!"

"Invictus" by William Ernest Henley:

Out of the night that covers me,

      Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

      For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

      I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

      My head is bloody, but unbowed.

I am the master of my fate,

      I am the captain of my soul.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Top o’ the morning to you and happy St Patrick’s Day! This week we’re filling up our whiskey glasses and surrounding ourselves with words of Irish origin. Donning our finest trousers and brogues they’ll be Irish phrases galore as we boycott the banshees and really dig the vocabulary of the Emerald Isle.

As always, Susie will furnish us with her fantastic trio of interesting or underused words and Gyles offers advice on how to stay young…

A Somethin’ Else production.

If you have a question for Gyles and Susie then please email us on purple@somethinelse.com.

Susie’s Trio:

Half-pace - a small landing between two half flights in a staircase

Riparian - relating to or situated on the banks of a river

Imbroglio - a confused or complicated situation

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Have you ever given a second thought to where the brands we use every day got their names from? Well we have! And we’re here to share our findings with you. Staying very much ‘on brand’ we’ll be revealing the history behind PG Tips, the fantasy of Fanta, and how a sibling rivalry in Germany spawned two of the globe’s biggest sports brands. We’ll ‘play well’ with our Lego, unpack our IKEA, and find out how a Welsh harpist (may have) had a hand in one of our most recognisable breakfast brands.

As always, Susie will be arming us with a trio of words to pepper into conversation this week and Gyles will be inspiring us all with how to avoid being miserable.

A Somethin’ Else production.

If you want to get in touch with Brand Purple please do: purple@somethinelse.com

Susie’s Trio:

Nikehedonia - the pleasure of the anticipation of success

Xertz - the act of gulping something down quickly

Jentacular - relating to breakfast

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It’s time to delve into the inbox once again and dedicate a whole episode to answering your queries that come in each week. A massive thank you to all you Purple People for keeping us on our toes… if there’s something word-related that has been puzzling you then please do the same as Sammy, Dave, Cat, Rebecca and many more by emailing us at purple@somethinelse.com.

They asked: where does the term ‘grockle’ come from? Why would someone be the ‘spitting image’ of another? All will be revealed as we hole up in ‘a/an hotel’ whilst telling ‘Jack Robinson’ to ‘sling his hook’…

A Somethin’ Else Production.

Susie’s Trio:

Shackbaggerly - slovenly

Causey-webs - a person who neglects his/her work to hang out on the street

Whindling - putting on a voice to convince your boss you are ill

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What-ho Purple People! This week we’re ‘up to the eyebrows’ and having a good old ‘chortle’ at some of the words introduced to the English language by authors. Prepare to be ‘bedazzled’ by this ‘unputdownable’ episode where we’ll be looking into the inventions of PG Wodehouse, Lewis Carroll, Joseph Heller and many more, as well as hopefully avoiding falling into a ‘honeytrap’ or getting stuck in a ‘Catch-22’. Oh and we’ll reveal the origin of the word ‘podcast’ too.

As always we’ll be answering the always fantastic emails you’ve been sending into us, Susie will expand our vocabulary with her weekly trio of words, and Gyles will leave us feeling inspired with his quotation of the week. Pip Pip!

Susie’s trio:

Shoulder-clapper: someone who is unnecessarily friendly and overfamiliar

Ratiocinator: someone who reasons logically

Dutch Feast: a party at which the host gets drunk before the guests

A Somethin’ Else production.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we’re taking a little downtime and exploring the language behind some well-known hobbies and pastimes. Do you know your ‘aggie' from your ‘slag'? Your ‘taw' from your ‘duck'? Don’t worry, we haven’t lost our marbles but rather we’ll be playing with them. Plus we’ll be getting our binoculars out, having a little twitch, and attempting to finally 'grill' that ‘blocker'. And, if that wasn’t exhausting enough, we’re hitting the green to find out the meanings of ‘flub', ‘whiff', and ‘shank' on the golf course, hopefully avoiding an 'Arthur Scargill' and a 'fried egg' along the way… It’s tiring work taking it easy!

As always Susie will be wowing us with her useful trio of words for the week, and we discover Gyles’ impressive history in the world of board games… and why his family might be responsible for the wild parakeets in West London…

Susie’s trio:

Shivviness - the feeling of discomfort when wearing new underwear

Scuddling - to run with affected haste

Razzle - to cook something until the outside of it burns, while the inside remains raw

A Somethin’ Else production.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rise and shine, Purple People! This week we're getting rather spiritual and delving into the majesty of the King James Bible, a book which, despite being written over 400-years ago still runs deep through our modern-day language and phraseology. So, at the risk of the "blind leading the blind", “rise and shine” and join us as we “go the extra mile”, hopefully arriving in the “land of nod” before we’re all “at our wit’s end”.

We also go through some of your fantastic emails, Susie provides us with three useful words to take into your week and, as well as providing his weekly quote, Gyles reminisces about the times he’s spent in churches over the years. A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s Trio:

Cackletub - slang term for a church pulpit

Gloppenment - a feeling of surprise or astonishment

Tatterwallop - an untidy or slovenly person

If you have a question for Gyles and Susie please email purple@somethinelse.com.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

You’re nicked! This week we’re playing Cops and Robbers and chasing down the origins of words and phrases on both sides of the law. Find out who gave us the terms Bobbies and Peelers, why you should respect an Onion, and what to do if you come across a Black Rat. On the other side of the cell door, on account of our kirtling, we’ll be rolling up the Veras, pouring ourselves a weak diesel and watching the custard, away from the watchful eye of the kangas…

As always Susie will be giving us her handy trio of words and Gyles will be lifting our spirits with his quote for the week… as well as detailing the downsides of his new electric car.

A Somethin’ Else production.

Susie’s Trio:

Grumbletonian - a person who is often discontented and taken to grumbling

Cuddle-me-buff - beer

Haplology - the omission of one occurrence of a sound or syllable which is repeated within a word

If you have a question for Gyles and Susie please email purple@somethinelse.com

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Wotcha! Hi! Hello! How are you? Good to meet you! And how do you do my lovely bag puddings and flittermice? Welcome to this weeks' purple podcast...

For the second of our live shows in front of a wonderful audience of Purple People we're talking about greetings, terms of endearment and, in the second half, affectionate terms for your meat-and-two-veg or your cupid's warehouse... (warning: explicit content!).

Plus we take lots of questions from the lovely listeners in the room. A Somethin' Else production

Susie's Trio:

Slubberdegullian - a slob

Rambunctious - boisterous

Acnestis - the part of your back you can't reach to scratch

If you have a question for Gyles and Susie please email purple@somethinelse.com

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week is our first ever show recorded in front of a LIVE audience. In front of a packed room of Purple People at the Islington Assembly Hall in London, Gyles and Susie discuss their love of words and their individual “word journeys”. Susie runs through some of her favourite etymologies like Buxom, Scurryfunge and Halcyon. Gyles reveals his New Year Resolutions and gives us a run down of the longest, shortest, most common and most liked words in the English language. 

As a real treat we get to answer the Purple People’s questions with them there in the room and, as always, Susie has her trio of words for you to take into the week.

We also have an exciting announcement regarding your next tea break… get your very own Something Rhymes With Purple mug here: https://purple.backstreetmerch.com/

A Somethin’ Else production

Susie’s Trio:

Nudnik - a pestering, nagging, or irritating person; a bore

Propinquity - the state of being close to someone or something

Obabmbulate - to walk about or wander

If you have a question for Gyles and Susie please email purple@somethinelse.com

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Here at Something Rhymes With Purple we now have our very own mugs! Susie and Gyles are big fans, and you will be too!

Pick up your very own Something Rhymes With Purple mug here: https://purple.backstreetmerch.com/

Happy drinking!

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.