Something Rhymes with Purple

Hello Purple People! Our fabulous new range of merchandise is now live at https://kontraband.shop/collections/something-rhymes-with-purple There are brand new mugs, bags, and t-shirts for you, each with a favourite Something Rhymes With Purple word and definition on them. PLUS for this first week we are giving you 10% off all items if you use the code purple2021. So whether you’re buying a treat for yourself or a gift for a Purple loved one then now is the time to do it.

Welcome to this week’s tissue meeting where we’re doing our finest Mad Men impressions to get you subliminally hooked on the words we have to offer. From ‘5 o’clock shadow’ to ‘va va voom’ we’ve put a ‘tiger in our tank’ to discover the language that advertising has gifted to us in this episode which ‘does exactly what is says on the tin’. Simples. After discussing the most memorable advertising taglines, Susie gets into the technical language of adverts and slogans, and Gyles reveals his...

It’s our 2nd birthday here on Purple so the perfect opportunity to remind ourselves of what a brilliant year we’ve had - despite the obvious challenges and difficult global situation. This time last year we reverted to recording remotely but, if anything, this added to the intimate feel of the episodes and provided us with a weekly half-hour of stillness within an otherwise chaotic world. Within these clips of the best bits of the last year we set sail across the world’s oceans, take a walk...

Show notes: Hello Purple People, Word Nerds and to all of you who joined us live last Thursday but are loyally listening again! In this, our 104th Episode, we are LIVE on our two year anniversary and what better way to celebrate than with all of you, watching and listening from all over the planet! Susie is cat-bombed, Gyles’ jumpers are extraordinary and a mystery man makes an appearance… You won’t be bored of the board game chat, Susie impresses with her poker face and a rather witty...

Happy Tuesday Purple People and welcome to what is literally our best ever, extra special, supersized edition of the show! This week Gyles and Susie will be exploring the humongous world of hyperbole. They're stars, legends and heroes- but don't tell them I said so... Whether you're feeling rather mediocre or you're half way up a mountain, join us as we attempt to hop off the euphemism treadmill and prove that it's actually quite nice to be quite nice! Elsewhere Susie explains the dangers of...

This episode comes with a heebie-jeebies warning because this week, Gyles and Susie are investigating phobias. From the common claustrophobia to the less known gelophobia, this episode will explore what has been scaring us since the greeks. It’s also quite the confessional for our hosts as they’ll reveal their shared aerophobia, Susie’s self created prunidigiaphobia and Gyles tries to persuade us that he has glossophobia (we didn’t believe him either). However, one phobia we all know that...

It’s time to bang-a-bonk because today, Susie and Gyles are exploring the wordy world of waterways. With Gyles’ recently honed expertise on canals, he’ll take us on a tour to shaggy banks, babbling brooks and we’ll also have time to stop off for a game of Poohsticks. But don’t worry, you won’t be stuck up a certain creek without a paddle as Susie will masterfully take us down the river where we’ll visit some rivals along the way. A Somethin’ Else production Don't forget about our live show,...

Welcome to the party Purple People as we celebrate reaching our 100th episode - we promise that it is going to be full of pep, zest and pizazz! Featuring booze, banquets and cockerels, Susie will take us on a tour of all the eating options at this bash from canapés to buffets, Slap-up meals to a Jacob’s Join whilst Gyles recounts tales of private soirees with the queen and punting parties of the Oxford scholars. Talking politics is strictly prohibited as it has been a LONG time since a party...

Come and see Gyles and Susie in action as Something Rhymes With Purple goes LIVE and ONLINE in 2021. After the success of last year’s live theatre show, SRWP is opening its doors once again but this time we’re streaming it online, so wherever you are in the world, come and JOIN US! Thursday 25th March 2021 7.30pm (GMT) For tickets please go HERE! Expect bizarre word journeys, the gruesome origins of everyday phrases, celebrity name-drops aplenty… plus a live Q&A with Gyles and Susie on the...

In this our 99th episode we’re calling our Purple People to the bar and passing judgement on the words of law! Susie tells us what a large number of judges and a large amount of food have in common, why the Old Bailey has Roman origins and explains why a Juror must swear but never curse. Gyles asks some ad hoc questions, as is his modus operandi, and proves that he’s no ignoramus when it comes to stories of late, great lawyers. Later, Susie and Gyles are brief about briefs, explain the...

Do you know your Bournes from your Burghs, your Casters from your Chesters, your Kils from your Kirks? This week we’re having another look at place names and the fascinating stories behind some of our nationally treasured locations. Gyles and Susie tell us why Plymouth Hoe is not a misogynistic slur, why the God Thor never visits The Devil’s Punch Bowl and and where the oxen used to cross the river. Plus a hair-raising story from Halifax and a cry for compassion from Durham and Cornwall!...

Purple People we have been feeling flumped and slumped, so this week we’re getting pumped for Protest! And how thrilling protest can be. Whether its sedition or insurrection, riot or revolt, Susie and Gyles explore the words of protest and revolution. Susie tells us why the Roman god Jupiter may have some thoughts about that incident at Capitol Hill, Gyles delights in the anti-ageism of the Senate and even manages to find something saucy in Congress. Gyles and Susie also answer mail, get to...

Another month, another week, another episode for our dear Purple People! Take a whiff of that petrichor and allow us to metaphorically remove the phloem from life's banana. Come join us in this wordy oasis! This week Gyles and Susie will be remembering enough forgotten words to keep you thinking today, tomorrow and over-morrow. If you're fond of procrastination, or even a bit of perendination, never fear we'll be here whatever day of the week you like to listen. Gyles wonders if his hallux...

Gyles and Susie are sticking to their New Years Resolutions and really getting out of their comfort zone this week as they focus their etymological microscope on the world of science and chemistry… so expect lots of head-scratching from our hosts as they attempt to decode the periodic table with the help from Greek gods, cockerels and silver mines. Today’s journey of discovery will also encounter the life and achievements of Robert Bunsen, how sacrificial goats gave us pharmacies and if that...

Calling all cruciverbalists! Susie and Gyles have a treat in store for you as they deep-dive into the most popular word game around: the Crossword. Since its creation 108 years ago, the crossword has transfixed millions on both sides of the Atlantic and the charm of this game has worked its way into literature, fashion, film - even the Royals are known to be fans! In today’s episode, come be a sleuth(hound) and see if you can outwit Topsy Turvy Roast Mules or a kissing monkey as our very own...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...