

Something Rhymes with Purple
Sony Music Entertainment
Susie 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: purple@somethinelse.com
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 podcastadsales@sonymusic.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We love hearing from you, find us @SomethingRhymes on Twitter and Facebook, @SomethingRhymesWith on Instagram or you can email us here: purple@somethinelse.com
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 podcastadsales@sonymusic.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 19, 2022 • 41min
Tidsoptomist
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 production.
We love answering your wordy questions on the show so please do keep sending them in to purple@somethinelse.com
To buy SRWP mugs and more head to.... https://kontraband.shop/collections/something-rhymes-with-purple
If you would like to join the Purple Plus Club on Apple Subs please follow this link https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/something-rhymes-with-purple/id1456772823 and make sure that you are running the most up-to-date IOS on your computer/device otherwise it won’t work.
Susie’s Trio:
Bowerbird: a collector of useless objects or knick-knacks
Mush faker: Victorian slang for an umbrella repairer
Lubberland: a mythical paradise reserved for those who are lazy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Apr 12, 2022 • 34min
E.T.
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 production
This episode features “The Saucer Song” from the musical, Salad Days written by Julian Slade and Dorothy Reynolds.
We love answering your wordy questions on the show so please do keep sending them in to purple@somethinelse.com
To buy SRWP mugs and more head to.... https://kontraband.shop/collections/something-rhymes-with-purple
If you would like to join the Purple Plus Club on Apple Subs please follow this link https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/something-rhymes-with-purple/id1456772823 and make sure that you are running the most up-to-date IOS on your computer/device otherwise it won’t work.
Susie's Trio:
Tachyphagia - Eating very quickly
Pica - Unusual cravings, particularly experienced during pregnancy
Aflunters - in a state of disorder Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Apr 5, 2022 • 39min
Usquebaugh
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. Susie will take us on a trip to Germany for a mouthful of Schnapps before she escorts us to India for a hot toddy to soothe her cold. We will learn why the name Gyles ‘Brandy’ Brandreth leaves him blushing and our hosts reveal the winning sonnet sent in from a Purple Person.
A Somethin’ Else production
We love answering your wordy questions on the show so please do keep sending them into purple@somethinelse.com
To buy SRWP mugs and more head to.... https://kontraband.shop/collections/something-rhymes-with-purple
If you would like to sign up to Apple Subs please follow this link https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/something-rhymes-with-purple/id1456772823 and make sure that you are running the most up-to-date IOS on your computer/device otherwise it won’t work.
Susie’s trio:
Brachiate - to swing through the trees with ease using your arms
Hirrient - a trilling sound (purring of a cat, or rolling your ‘r’s’)
Chirocracy - to ‘rule by hand’, the result of ruling with force Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mar 29, 2022 • 44min
Saddle-goose
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 show so please do keep sending them into purple@somethinelse.com
To buy SRWP mugs and more head to.... https://kontraband.shop/collections/something-rhymes-with-purple
If you would like to sign up to Apple Subs please follow this link https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/something-rhymes-with-purple/id1456772823 and make sure that you are running the most up-to-date IOS on your computer/device otherwise it won’t work.
Susie’s trio:
Clinchpoop – a person lacking in gentlemanly breeding
Fimble-famble – a lame excuse
Meldrop – a drop of mucus hanging from the nose Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mar 22, 2022 • 42min
Pea Green Boat
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 companion for life as there is always a poem for an occasion that can provide comfort and company. We’ll be dancing by the light of the moon by the end of this episode!
A Somethin’ Else production.
If you would like to take part in Susie and Gyles’ sonnet writing challenge, please email them in to purple@somethinelse.com.
To buy SRWP mugs and more head to.... https://kontraband.shop/collections/something-rhymes-with-purple
If you would like to sign up to Apple Subs please follow this link https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/something-rhymes-with-purple/id1456772823 and make sure that you are running the most up-to-date IOS on your computer/device otherwise it won’t work.
Susie trio:
To be overmused and have thinkache: To be exhausted from too much thinking and then encounter an instance of mental suffering and general weariness in your mind.
Fauchle - Scottish word meaning to work listlessly and not be able to concentrate.
Firgun - Hebrew term meaning unselfish pride and admiration in someone else’s deeds.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mar 15, 2022 • 36min
Triskaidekaphobia
For those Purple People among us who refrain from walking under ladders, avoid social engagements on the 13th or live in fear of a broken mirror than this is the episode for you, as Susie and Gyles will be discussing superstitions.
From Saluting magpies to knocking on wood, Susie will take us on an exploration encompassing the biblical and mythical in an attempt to find the origins of these compulsions. We get a double helping of poetry today as Gyles celebrates the birthday of Einstein. However, Susie is quick to point out that he has missed celebrating one other annual event pertinent to today’s topic: the national ‘Open an umbrella indoors day’. Always next year..
A Somethin’ Else production.
If you have any superstitions you’d like to share with Susie and Gyles or have any theories for the ones discussed today, then do get in touch at purple@somethinelse.com
To buy SRWP mugs and more head to.... https://kontraband.shop/collections/something-rhymes-with-purple
If you would like to sign up to Apple Subs please follow this link https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/something-rhymes-with-purple/id1456772823 and make sure that you are running the most up-to-date IOS on your computer/device otherwise it won’t work.
If you would like to see Gyles and Susie LIVE and in person on our Something Rhymes With Purple UK Tour then please go to https://www.tiltedco.com/somethingrhymeswithpurple for tickets and more information.
Susie's trio:
Gallitrap - A dialect word from Devon, Gloucestershire and Somerset for fairy ring.
Summer geese - Steam that rises from the moors when rain is followed by hot sunshine.
Haze-fire - The luminous morning mist that the dawn sunshine breaks through. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mar 8, 2022 • 49min
Hepeating
Recorded live in front of a sell-out crowd at Newcastle’s Northern Stage theatre we’re celebrating International Women’s Day and taking a close look at how the vocabulary we use changes when talking about women as opposed to men.
After delving into some canny Geordie phrases and highlighting the historic work of a local unsung linguistic hero, we discover why some words, such as bubbly and airhead, are only ever used when describing women. And we look at the journeys of words like harlot, buxom, and hussy and how, over the years, their positive origins have been cruelly adapted.
A Somethin’ Else production.
We love answering your wordy questions on the show so please do keep sending them into purple@somethinelse.com
To buy SRWP mugs and more head to.... https://kontraband.shop/collections/something-rhymes-with-purple
If you would like to sign up to Apple Subs please follow this link https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/something-rhymes-with-purple/id1456772823 and make sure that you are running the most up-to-date IOS on your computer/device otherwise it won’t work.
If you would like to see Gyles and Susie LIVE and in person on our Something Rhymes With Purple UK Tour then please go to https://www.tiltedco.com/somethingrhymeswithpurple for tickets and more information.
Susie’s trio:
Barleyfumble – an old Scots word meaing ‘truce’
Ruelle – the space between the bed and the wall
Amplexus – the mating embrace of a frog and a toad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mar 1, 2022 • 45min
Galvanise
Did you know that every time you galvanise yourself to pick up the saxophone, or pop on a cardigan before sipping a glass of pasteurised milk, or you enjoy a Caesar salad and a play on a Rubik’s Cube you have someone in particular to thank for the pleasure?
This week we’re returning to the ever-rich world of eponyms. Join us to find out how everything from the Cyrillic alphabet to chauvinism can be traced back to one man or woman in history.
A Somethin’ Else production.
We love answering your wordy questions on the show so please do keep sending them into purple@somethinelse.com
To buy SRWP mugs and more head to.... https://kontraband.shop/collections/something-rhymes-with-purple
If you would like to sign up to Apple Subs please follow this link https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/something-rhymes-with-purple/id1456772823 and make sure that you are running the most up-to-date IOS on your computer/device otherwise it won’t work.
If you would like to see Gyles and Susie LIVE and in person on our Something Rhymes With Purple UK Tour then please go to https://www.tiltedco.com/somethingrhymeswithpurple for tickets and more information.
Susie’s Trio
Amaranthine – undying and immortal; a beautiful purple/red colour
Brindle – streaked or spotted with a darker colour (especially in dogs)
Arcadian – idyllically simple and contented Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Feb 22, 2022 • 39min
Tufty
Whether you’ve had a ruff day and need a Puple style re-leash, or you have dug out a paw-fect podcast listening moment, come hear about a man’s best friend on today’s episode of the podcast.
Today we will be laying low with the basset hound and paddling with the poodle as we hear the fascinating etymology of dog breeds. We will find out why Saint Bernards are so saintly and what we have to thank Mr. Doberman and Mr. Russell for. Gyles’ expertise in English etiquette help answer your correspondence queries and Susie’s Springer Spaniel Tufty is with us in spirit as for all us dog lovers, we know that you never forget your first furry best friend.
A Somethin’ Else production.
We love answering your wordy questions on the show so please do keep sending them into purple@somethinelse.com
To buy SRWP mugs and more head to.... https://kontraband.shop/collections/something-rhymes-with-purple
If you would like to sign up to Apple Subs please follow this link https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/something-rhymes-with-purple/id1456772823 and make sure that you are running the most up-to-date IOS on your computer/device otherwise it won’t work.
If you would like to see Gyles and Susie LIVE and in person on our Something Rhymes With Purple UK Tour then please go to https://www.tiltedco.com/somethingrhymeswithpurple for tickets and more information.
Susie’s trio
Litotes - an ironic understatement
Dactylology - tracing of letters using your hands and fingers
Blunder-a-whack - ones whose carelessness has caused a total disaster
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Feb 15, 2022 • 34min
Chatoyant
Put your seatbelt on and relax in the passenger seat as we chauffeur you through the highways and byways of the language of the road. After easing the car out of the garage, we’ll cruise over the tarmac and the cats eyes, and try to avoid mounting the pavement before a well-earned stop at a Service Station. To pass the time en route, Gyles and Susie will discuss highway robberies, swap chicken jokes, and discover their unique CB radio handles. 10-4, looks like we’ve got ourselves a convoy.
A Somethin’ Else production
We love answering your wordy questions on the show so please do keep sending them into purple@somethinelse.com
To buy SRWP mugs and more head to.... https://kontraband.shop/collections/something-rhymes-with-purple
If you would like to sign up to Apple Subs please follow this link https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/something-rhymes-with-purple/id1456772823 and make sure that you are running the most up-to-date IOS on your computer/device otherwise it won’t work.
If you would like to see Gyles and Susie LIVE and in person on our Something Rhymes With Purple UK Tour then please go to https://www.tiltedco.com/somethingrhymeswithpurple for tickets and more information.
Susie’s Trio
Hodophile – a lover of journeys
Gadwaddick – to go on a jaunt
Trouvaille – something lovely found by chance Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices