Something Rhymes with Purple

We’re always impressed with how Gyles manages to hot foot around the country with such speed, what is his fitness regime? So, it is back to the gymnasium this week, fully clothed this time, to discuss the many different forms of exercise from the equipment to the ever-expanding number of classes. Eavesdrop on us and hear how Susie demonstrates her burpee. We love hearing from you, find us @Somethi...

Building on our recent fascination with cathedrals, this week we cast our architectural net a bit wider by taking a look at the other wonderful structures we walk past every day. Eavesdrop on us as we delve beneath the facade and open a window on everything from Bauhaus to Gothic, whilst being a little arch along the way.   We love hearing from you, find us @SomethingRhymes on Twitter and Facebook...

What’s small and red and speaks with a husky voice? A hoarse radish! (groan!) And Purple People, that’s what we have on the table for you today.  We are exploring the condiments box so pull up a chair and get ready for some spicy chat!   We’ll learn how a fishy trade with South East Asia gave us one of our most beloved red accompaniments, before we stop off at Branston Lodge in Burton-upon-Trent t...

Susie and Gyles are going hammer and tongs at the English language today as they deconstruct the world of DIY…   Come learn why the vice isn’t as vicious as it may seem, what the saxons and the saw have in common and why the “saw” also “see’s”.    Gyles and Susie, share their despair at their own DIY abilities and although Gaffa tape is Gyles’ solution to all his DIY needs Susie explains why (at l...

Put your best foot forward and join us as we march through the sole-ful language of shoes. There’s no loafing around as we find out what links your pumps to ocean liners, the beach snacks that lend their name to winklepickers, and the connection between the boot of your car and the boots on your feet. Plus there’s a rumour going round that Gyles wears socks with his crocs… or is that a load of old...

Psssss psssss... Over here Purple People! It’s your weekly dose of the English language where Susie and Gyles let the cat out the bag about all those word myths you’ve always wondered about!    And speaking about cats, today’s episode will be all about our feline friends.    Gyles and Susie’s cats have been regular guests on the podcast so today, Susie will uncover the link between cats in bags an...

Recorded on the hottest day of the year where better to seek some solace than within the cool walls of a cathedral? Take a seat as we take in the nautical origins of the nave, the link between the spire and an arrow, and we learn why you might literally be hanging on the words delivered from the pulpit. Also in the show, we answer some brilliant listener questions and Gyles recounts one of his fin...

July is the 125th anniversary of The Tate Britain, one of the UK’s most established art galleries, so today on the podcast we are going to be dedicating an episode to Art and specifically, painting .  We’ll discover what the connection is between the painter’s canvas and a cannabis plant, why the painter’s palette is linked to the garden shovel and we explore the painting style of egg tempera albe...

We’re stepping up to the crease this week as we test our knowledge of the rich, and sometimes baffling, language of cricket. We discover the agricultural origins behind some of the terms, we find out the difference between the different ducks, and we have to admit to being stumped by some of the lingo along the way. As always we have a lot of fun, answer some of your brilliant questions, and Gyles...

We’re brushing off our entomological skills once again as we revisit the world of creepy crawlies. Find out why ants in your pants is a bad thing but the ant’s pants is quite good. We also swap nostalgic stories of VW Beetles and we find out about a very famous person who still gets butterflies in her stomach when performing. It all creates quite a buzz.  A Somethin’ Else production  We love answe...

Today’s episode is fabulous in the most literal of senses as Susie and Gyles are looking into fables and specifically the works of one of the most famous writers; Aesop. In a slow and steady manner, we will learn about greed with the help of a goose and a golden cacklefart and how the combination of foxes and grapes can impart teachings on petulance. Be ready for many marvels, morals and myths as...

This week we’re embracing nostalgia and throwing open our trunks to skip through the wonderful world of toys. Along the way we discover the real Teddy behind the bear, where the word Muppet comes from, and why it’s not necessarily a good thing to be as pleased as punch. We also reminisce about trips to Hamley’s (some for business, some for pleasure), Gyles reveals the star attractions in his Teddy...

Here in the UK, we’re striding into summer - we’ve just celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee where people were quaffing Pimm’s at street parties up and down the country and with Wimbledon just around the corner, an episode on Summer Fruits seemed the perfect way to add some extra garnish to your summer excitement.  We’ll discover what barbarians and rhubarb have in common, why you should carry...

We’re full of energy this week as we fuel up on petrol (or should that be gas?) and blaze through the language associated with power and resources. Pop a few coins in the meter and join us as we discover the remarkable etymological links between electricity and amber and between fuel and focus as we discuss the Three Day Week and the origins of fossil fuels. A Somethin’ Else production. We love an...

We are morphing from etymologists into entomologists today as we put the world of insects and other creepy crawlies under the microscope.  We will find out why bees really are the busiest especially when it comes to the English language and what caterpillars have in common with very hairy cats. Ironically, Gyles finds the fly in the ointment when he tries to get to the etymological root of ‘fly’ a...

Hands and feet at the ready Purple People, today we are looking at the world of measurements.  We’ll find out how Oxens’ shaped our measurement system, why you would have a different weight village to village and how a stick was the object to rule(r) them all. Make sure you aren’t one over the eight for this episode as Susie will be testing your knowledge of some of the stranger units of measure b...

A highly enjoyable sift through the mountain of emails you’ve sent in over the last few weeks with some absolutely corking questions to answer. In this week’s footage we lurch from poaching to doughnuts (or should that be donuts?), we separate our vets from our vets, and we discover the meaning of ‘lief’. There are also musical interludes from hungry monsters, limericks, and a handsome trio of wor...

You are in for a whale of a time today Purple People as we are jumping into the deep blue sea and meeting the fishes. We will discover why Halibut are holy, what Cod and weak beer have in common and we will also revisit that famous red Herring of a question: what is the plural of Octopus? Susie takes us on a beautiful trip to the Italian island Sardinia before we leap back into the ocean to join s...

Celebrating three years of Something Rhymes With Purple here are our favourite moments from the past 12 months on the pod. Join us as we remind ourselves of the fascinating etymological tales behind words like ‘naff’ and ‘tuxedo’, we relive some of Gyles’ most hair-raising anecdotes, and we explore the tribal language of aircrews and gamers. Plus we take the opportunity to once again hear the Purp...

Strike a pose with us this week as we give you a snapshot of the language behind the lens of photography. Our hosts – one camera shy, one a lover of the limelight – guide us through the whirrs and clicks of the camera, unearthing the first paparazzo and the surprising first person to coin the term ‘photo’ along the way. Elsewhere Gyles reveals the rollcall of great photographers for whom he has po...

They say that time flies when you’re having fun, so this week’s episode should whizz by in a jiffy. Gyles and Susie tackle all things horological from clepsydras to obelisks and they reveal the musical history of the grandfather clock. They also chat about how best to use one’s time and the frustrating accuracy of Parkinson’s Law alongside the usual Trio and Poetry to finish on.  A Somethin’ Else...

Today, Susie and Gyles are blasting into outer space as they take a voyage into the linguistical world of extraterrestrial life. Rock bands and conspiracy theories will be involved in this episode’s lexical discovery as we fly by UFO’s, Crop Circles and Area 51. Also Susie and Gyles share their own run-ins with alien life before Gyles serenades us with a rather Saucy song.  A Somethin’ Else produc...

Susie and Gyles are in high spirits today as they lead us on a discovery to the essence of our souls…at least etymologically! We are delving into the world of spirits but not the religious or ghostly type… the alcoholic kind. This exploration will take us across the globe as we visit Geneva for our gin followed by a jaunt to Japan to discover why ordering “Sake” might not get you what you want. Su...

Recorded in front of a live audience at London’s Cadogan Hall we’re talking all things April Fools. Expect pranks aplenty as Susie and Gyles put a whoopee cushion under the jesters and hoaxters of times gone by, unpick the foolish history of Little Witham, and are unasinous in their pursuit of the perfect saddle-goose.  A Somethin’ Else production  We love answering your wordy questions on the sho...

Today, Gyles compares us to a Summer’s day as he takes us on exploration of one of his favourite subjects: Poetry, and specifically, the Sonnet. Together, Susie and Gyles will uncover the A’s and B’s of this ‘little song’, deciphering the iambic from the pentameter, and encountering the greats from Shakespeare to Petrarch to Milton. 14 lines later, we’ll have what Gyles teaches us can be a compani...