Something Rhymes with Purple

In this week’s wild episode, Susie & Gyles explore the hidden etymological meanings and origins behind the names from our animal kingdom. So join us as we take a linguistic safari around creatures from all over planet Earth! We love hearing from you, find us @SomethingRhymes on Twitter and Facebook, @SomethingRhymesWith on Instagram or you can email us on our NEW email address here: purplepeople@s...

This week’s episode explores the rich world of radio & television. Tune in for a linguistic journey with Susie & Gyles, that'll leave you 'channel'-ing your curiosity and 'wave'-ing hello to the fascinating origins of these media marvels." We love hearing from you, find us @SomethingRhymes on Twitter and Facebook, @SomethingRhymesWith on Instagram or you can email us on our NEW email  address here...

This week, we delve into the world of gardening. Susie and Gyles take us around their linguistic garden and introduce us to some of the words that have interesting  stories behind them. We love hearing from you, find us @SomethingRhymes on Twitter and Facebook, @SomethingRhymesWith on Instagram or you can email us on our NEW email  address here: purplepeople@somethingrhymes.com Want even more purp...

This week, we traverse the lexicon landscape of the Second World War, unearthing the hidden treasures of word origins. Join us as Susie & Gyles unveil the remarkable tales behind wartime vocabulary, and reveal the extraordinary evolution of words shaped by the tumultuous era. We love hearing from you, find us @SomethingRhymes on Twitter and Facebook, @SomethingRhymesWith on Instagram or you can em...

We are live and direct from Salisbury Playhouse! Join Susie & Gyles as they go on an illuminating voyage through the intricate web of etymology, uncover the untold tales lurking beneath our everyday words. In this week's episode, we immerse ourselves in the fluid world of water, tracing its linguistic currents and unearthing the surprising stories that ebb and flow through its etymology. We love h...

This week Gyles and Susie share tea and crumpets as they tuck into some typically British words and phrases. From amazing etymologies to amusing anecdotes, join us as we explore the wonderful world of language.  We love hearing from you, find us @SomethingRhymes on Twitter and Facebook, @SomethingRhymesWith on Instagram or you can email us on our NEW email address here: purplepeople@somethingrhyme...

This week Susie and Gyles unravel the amusing language of Cockney rhyming slang, from making calls on the dog and bone (phone), to drinking a cup of Rosie Lee (tea).  You wouldn’t Adam and Eve (believe) how much fun we have learning about the origins of this fascinating collection of words and phrases. And we love hearing from you, find us @SomethingRhymes on Twitter and Facebook, @SomethingRhymes...

We love hearing from you, find us @SomethingRhymes on Twitter and Facebook, @SomethingRhymesWith on Instagram or you can email us on our NEW email address here: purplepeople@somethingrhymes.com Want even more purple, people? Join the Purple Plus Club by clicking the banner in Apple podcasts or head to purpleplusclub.com to listen on other platforms' Don’t forget that you can join us in person at o...

This week, Susie & Gyles delve into the enigmatic realm of ‘kismet’, a word that dances on the fine line between fate and chance. So purple people, whether you believe in destiny or rather just enjoy a good linguistic twist, let’s unravel the threads of fate together. We love hearing from you, find us @SomethingRhymes on Twitter and Facebook, @SomethingRhymesWith on Instagram or you can email us o...

Step into the time machine of linguistics and embark on a journey through the graveyard of forgotten words. In this week's episode of our Something Rhymes With Purple, Susie and Gyles unearth the most uproarious relics from the linguistic abyss. From "snollygoster" to “pang wangle,” prepare to find yourself in a linguistic oblivion. We love hearing from you, find us @SomethingRhymes on Twitter and...

This week Susie and Gyles delve into the spellbinding world of folklore and unravel the intricate tapestry of its etymology. Together, they cover mystical creatures, elements and charms of this fictional realm. We love hearing from you, find us @SomethingRhymes on Twitter and Facebook, @SomethingRhymesWith on Instagram or you can email us on our NEW email address here: purplepeople@somethingrhymes...

In this week’s episode, Susie and Gyles dish out a generous serving of all things to do with crockery! So gather round the table and feast upon a large helping of etymology, poems, obscure words and origins. We love hearing from you, find us @SomethingRhymes on Twitter and Facebook, @SomethingRhymesWith on Instagram or you can email us on our NEW email address here: purplepeople@somethingrhymes.co...

This week we are dipping our ink quills into the decadent world of calligraphy. Gyles’ spills all on the Royal Coronation invitation he received from The Palace, and Susie shares her pen-sational etymological knowledge on all things handwriting. We love hearing from you, find us @SomethingRhymes on Twitter and Facebook, @SomethingRhymesWith on Instagram or you can email us on our NEW email address...

In this week’s dazzling episode, Susie and Gyles illuminate the fascinating etymological roots of everything to do with natural light phenomena. So, join us as we shine the spotlight on rainbows to supernovas!  We love hearing from you, find us @SomethingRhymes on Twitter and Facebook, @SomethingRhymesWith on Instagram or you can email us on: purple@somethinelse.com Want even more purple, people?...

This episode was recorded live at the Ambassadors Theatre in London. Have you ever felt an emotion that you know is universal, but come to realise there’s no word for it? Well Susie & Gyles have you covered in this week’s episode, as we dive into the world of untranslatable words and idioms. You’re in for a treat Purple People! Where else would you find out what ‘grief bacon’ or ‘electric brain’ m...

Strap into your hiking boots purple people! In this episode, we’re going to climb to new linguistic heights and explore the world of climbing. Gyles walks us through his Mount Snowdon expedition and Susie rocks our etymological world as usual, giving us a peak into the wonderful ways of word evolutions. We love hearing from you, find us @SomethingRhymes on Twitter and Facebook, @SomethingRhymesWit...

In this weeks’ episode, we zero in on the exponential world of mathematics. Come and join us as Susie discusses the solitary life of odd numbers and whether or not there’s an official order to words of magnitude, plus Gyles tells us about Lewis Carroll’s surprising connection to maths and logics. We love hearing from you, find us @SomethingRhymes on Twitter and Facebook, @SomethingRhymesWith on In...

Gyles is fresh back from Jamaica and after visiting the spiritual home of James Bond, he’s channeling his 007 spirit and taking Susie to the casino for a touch of Gambling.  In our trip to 'the little casa', we will find out why trumps are so triumphant, why a gimmick at the gaming table might be magic and how your poker face is connected to your bragging rights and - as so often happens in Englis...

Come join Susie and Gyles for Part 2 of ‘The Purple People’s Linguistic Gaps’. To celebrate our 200th episode, we asked the Purple People for moments or experiences when they wished there was a specific word to describe it. Go listen back to our first instalment, ‘200 Today!’, and enjoy today’s follow up episode which is packed full of even more brilliant suggestions… We’ll explore that sensation...

It’s going to be an episode full of tittle-tattle today as Gyles and Susie sit down for a good gossip as we excavate the words and idioms associated with this favourite hobby. We’ll have a good blather but stopping short of becoming a ‘blatherskite’ due to its distasteful meaning, we’ll bloviate at length with a certain ex-PM in mind as we uncover the links between this type of gossip and the stuf...

In today’s ‘mane’ episode, there’s no horsing around as we take gallop through the etymological equine world.  Susie explains what the name Duncan and donkeys might have in common, why we might have ‘walloped’ instead of ‘galloped’, how ponies are linked to chickens and why we need to take a trip to Canterbury to uncover the origin of the canter. Gyles serenade us with a stallion of a song before...

Today we are celebrating Women’s History Month and looking at the pioneering writer, Toni Morrison.  From her poem, ‘Someone leans near’ to her debut novel, ‘The Bluest Eye’, Susie and Gyles delve into the books, poetry, and legacy of the Nobel Literary Prize winner. We encounter Levi Roots, a trip to Princeton and a recount of the time Gyles met her (of course!) as we look at her life, work, and...

Today’s show was recorded live at the Fortune Theatre in London.  Gyles’ title of European Monopoly Champion comes into play (literally) today as he - alongside Susie Dent - take us on an etymological tour of the world of Property.  Come discover what the Bungalow has to do with Bengal, the connection between villas and villains, why Peppercorns were so important for renting before we ascend the h...

The Purple postman has been and Gyles and Susie are eagerly digging into all the letters that we’ve had from the Purple People from all around the world! Come discover why you are reduced to nothing in an annihilation, what prats and bottoms have in common, how avatars have been around long before computers and that Susie and Gyles are no where near their parcme.   We love hearing from you, find u...

It’s the final stop on our North American road trip and we have reached the city of technology, coffee and Frasier; it’s Seattle! Susie and Gyles will take us on our final etymological tour in this series where we will literally skid down ‘Skid Row’, discover how Moby Dick is connected to one of the biggest coffee chains in the world and what dead bodies had to do with a very well known tech compa...