Something Rhymes with Purple
279 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 days ago - ★★★★★ - 346 ratingsSusie Dent and Gyles Brandreth invite you to enhance your vocabulary, uncover the hidden origins of language and share their love of words in this award-winning podcast.
We love hearing from you, find us @SomethingRhymes on Twitter and Facebook, @SomethingRhymesWith on Instagram or you can email us here: [email protected]
Want more Purple, people? Join the Purple Plus Club by clicking the banner in Apple podcasts or by heading to purpleplusclub.com to listen on other platforms for ad-free listening, and not 1 but 2 episodes of the show every week.
You can buy our branded mugs, tote bags and T-shirts here: https://bit.ly/37huhqs
A Sony Music Entertainment production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Nutmeg
September 08, 2020 00:00 - 36 minutesWith 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 th...
Phylactology
September 01, 2020 00:00 - 38 minutesPssst… 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...
Boffola
August 25, 2020 00:00 - 46 minutesThis 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 du...
Dr. Johnson
August 18, 2020 00:00 - 37 minutesDictionaries, 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...
Dwile Flonking
August 11, 2020 00:00 - 39 minutesCheers! 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 w...
The Milky Way
August 04, 2020 00:00 - 39 minutes3..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… bas...
Mildred
July 28, 2020 00:00 - 33 minutesDoctor, 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 you...
Humpty Dumpty
July 21, 2020 00:00 - 40 minutesWhat 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 for...
Literally...
July 14, 2020 08:39 - 41 minutesThis 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 ...
Horripilation
July 07, 2020 00:00 - 35 minutesFrom 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 qu...
All That Jazz
June 30, 2020 00:00 - 34 minutes"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 bri...
Plings & Bangs!
June 23, 2020 00:00 - 45 minutesJoin 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...
Lethologica
June 16, 2020 00:00 - 43 minutesAghast 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 ...
Brand new merch!
June 10, 2020 13:02 - 1 minutePurple 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. Learn more ab...
Edelweiss
June 09, 2020 00:00 - 39 minutesCome 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 ...
Euphuism
June 02, 2020 00:00 - 37 minutesJoin 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...
Guttersnipes
May 26, 2020 00:00 - 35 minutesRoll 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...
Filer à l'anglaise
May 19, 2020 00:00 - 41 minutesThis 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 ...
Yakamoz
May 12, 2020 00:00 - 38 minutesThis 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 ...
John Doe
May 05, 2020 00:00 - 40 minutesThis 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 pro...
Alcatraz
April 28, 2020 00:00 - 35 minutesOne 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. Learn more about...
By and large
April 21, 2020 00:00 - 42 minutesThis 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 sl...
When in Rome...
April 15, 2020 00:00 - 37 minutesSadly 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-known 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 your emails, Susie’s got a trio for you, and Gyles has a po...
Easter update
April 12, 2020 17:00 - 2 minutesHappy 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 [email protected]. A Somethin' Else production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastc...
Cerulean
April 07, 2020 00:00 - 46 minutesHello 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...
Umpteen
March 31, 2020 00:00 - 40 minutesHold 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? ...
Best of SRWP
March 24, 2020 01:00 - 37 minutesJoin 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 or...
Boycott
March 17, 2020 01:00 - 36 minutesTop 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...
Ceiliog
March 10, 2020 01:00 - 36 minutesHave 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. ...
Grockle
March 03, 2020 01:00 - 33 minutesIt’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 [email protected]. They asked: where does the term ‘grockle’ come from? Why would someone be the ‘spitting image’ of another? All will be revealed a...
Namby-Pamby
February 25, 2020 01:00 - 29 minutesWhat-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 answeri...
Smuggins
February 18, 2020 01:00 - 37 minutesThis 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 ‘sha...
The Blind Leading The Blind
February 11, 2020 01:00 - 25 minutesRise 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 ...
Bizzies and Kirtles
February 04, 2020 01:00 - 31 minutesYou’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 ...
Macushla
January 28, 2020 01:00 - 38 minutesWotcha! 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' Els...
Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
January 21, 2020 01:00 - 38 minutesThis 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...
We Have Our Own Merch!
January 20, 2020 13:00 - 1 minuteHere 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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dexter
January 14, 2020 01:00 - 34 minutesThis 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 serv...
Leather-arse
January 07, 2020 01:00 - 28 minutesTaxi!! 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 ...
Le Pétomane
December 24, 2019 01:00 - 39 minutesIt’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 Phront...
Tawdry
December 17, 2019 01:00 - 31 minutesThis 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 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 wit...
Nipcheese
December 10, 2019 01:00 - 30 minutesThis 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.co...
Pissabed
December 03, 2019 03:00 - 33 minutesThis 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 Somethi...
Hysteria
November 26, 2019 03:00 - 28 minutesThis 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Grog-blossom
November 19, 2019 03:00 - 32 minutesToday 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nemophilism
November 12, 2019 03:00 - 33 minutesThis 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Cacafuego
November 05, 2019 03:00 - 28 minutesToday 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Gobelinus
October 29, 2019 03:00 - 30 minutesWooooooo, 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Haddaway
October 22, 2019 02:00 - 29 minutesWe’re talking sports this week. What have boxing, horse racing and dart throwing done for the English language? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Cachinnator
October 15, 2019 02:00 - 23 minutesThe 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices