Lockdown won’t end until Gyles runs out of jumpers...
MARION McMULLEN discovers why Countdown’s Susie Dent and Gyles Brandreth are getting everyone talking about language
Your podcast Something Rhymes With Purple is enjoying international success. Why are people are so interested in language and the origins and meanings of words?
Susie: We’ve made about 60 podcasts now on different themes and people became passionate about it really early on.
There is a real community who just love it and call themselves the Purple People. They love the subject and themes we do and (laughs) correct us if we get something wrong. It’s a really interactive thing and we have messages from all over the world.
Gyles: Who would have thought it would go on such a long time? We’ve had two million downloads which is pretty exciting. Susie kept telling me to stop exaggerating about downloads but we really have had two million now.
I’ve always loved words and language since I was a little boy and a few years ago my agent said ‘this producer has been in touch, it’s a bit of a crazy idea, but would you like to do a podcast?’.
My wife said ‘Do it about something you feel passionate about’ so I said I would do a podcast about words. And now we even have merchandise. We have mugs.
What have been some of the podcast themes?
Gyles: We’ve done a podcast on people who’s name suits their work.
There was a gynaecologist called Dr Fanny and a cardinal in Manilla called Cardinal Sin. (Laughs).
When I was young I used to open the phone directory and call people up and ask
‘Are you smelly?’ simply because that was their name.
Susie: We’ve done one about swearing and I just love the history of swearing and how it has changed since the Middle Ages.
Gyles: I love anagrams as well. One of the anagrams of Florence Nightingale is ‘Flit on, cheering angel’ and for Margaret Thatcher there are two versions. If you love her you can have ‘That great charmer’ and if you don’t there’s ‘Meg The Arch Tarter’.
I don’t drink, but I think we should do one podcast about the origin of cocktail names like Bloody Mary and martini.
Susie: We just make each other laugh and the podcast gives us free reign to talk about what interests us. I often forget the microphone is there. (Laughs). Although I’ve not had a glass of wine yet while doing one. Gyles: We met on Countdown’s Dictionary Corner many years ago now and we are on the same page when it comes to words and languages. I think she knows more about the English language than anyone on the planet.
I think one of the reasons that the podcast works and is so successful is that people want to improve their vocabulary and improve their word power... and people can do that with the podcast and have a laugh. And Susie is never lost for words.
Susie: Oh, that’s not true, but if I don’t know something I’ll find it out or listeners will help us.
One of my favourite words at the moment is ipsedixtism, which is the dogmatic assertion that something is true because someone, somewhere said it, and without offering any supporting evidence whatsoever.
The podcast has been proving hugely popular with people at home during lockdown. How have you both been managing?
Gyles: I’ve not been sleeping as well as usual and have been waking up at five in the morning instead of seven. I’ve found doing word games helps to relax me.
Susie: Since the lockdown, we’ve each been doing the podcasts from our homes and talking on Zoom so that we can see each other and I think that adds to the intimacy of it. We can be more relaxed.
Gyles has been reading a poem on Instagram every day since lockdown started and wearing a different jumper every day. We’ve been saying lockdown won’t end until Gyles runs out of jumpers.
Gyles: I should warn you I have a lot of jumpers. There might be a few more weeks to go.
Susie: To go for a long walk in the beautiful woods near my home and to be anxiety free and just to hug my sister because I really, really miss her. I’ve got goosebumps just thinking about it.
Gyles: I have three children and seven grandchildren. People ask me why I am still working and I say I have three children and seven grandchildren.
My grandchildren have been coming to visit me and I’ve been throwing mini Magnum ice creams to them from the upstairs window, but I have now run out. I’m looking forward to going to the shop and buying a Magnum for them all.
■ Something Rhymes with Purple is available from all podcast providers.