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Archive for the ‘extracurricular questions’ Category

Merry vs Happy

December 24, 2008

Here’s a festive question from Robert from Philadelphia:

Where does Merry come from, like in Merry Christmas? And why do Americans say Merry Christmas and the Brits say Happy Christmas?

Robert, what a lovely gift for me to be allowed to get my etymological dictionary out. ‘Merry’ comes from the Old English ‘myrige’, which meant pleasant or delightful. It was just as popular in Britain as in America until killjoys like the Queen thought it was a bit too redolent of the other meaning of merry, ie drunken. So ‘Happy Christmas’ became popular too, at least until the Queen decides that it is too redolent of the other meaning of happy, ie coked up to the eyeballs.

Anyway, we are feeling very Merry and Happy at Answer Me This! because we’ve been included in iTunes’ Best of 2008 Podcasts! And on a related note, be sure to check back in on Christmas Day for the Best of Answer Me This! 2008 – Part I.

Photographic proof - best of 2008, baby!

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Which lie did I tell?

December 3, 2008

pinocchio

Dave from Oxford has emailed us this magnificent story:

When driving a taxi in Didcot on Saturday night (just one of life’s little treats), my passengers were a couple who were having an argument about the possible infidelity of the man. He was insisting on his innocence having “stayed at Andy’s house” the night before. The young lady did not believe this as he had a large love bite on his neck.

His explanation of this was probably the least believable excuse I have ever heard. He said “I was playing pool with Andy and the winner had to give a bite to the loser”.

So answer me this: What is the worst excuse you have either used, or had used to you by someone else?

Well, since Olly and I have NEVER LIED ONCE IN ALL OUR LIVES, we’re not fit to answer this question – but seeing as you’re a bunch of fibbing nogoodniks, perhaps you’d care to share your finest porky pies in the comments below?

** Click here for Episode 77 **

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Posted in extracurricular questions, User-generated answers | 1 Comment »

Help Helen’s holidays

November 24, 2008

** Click here for Episode 76 **

Attention, North American readers! And readers who have been to North America! Listener Helen has got in touch to ask our advice, but as we are insufficiently well travelled to provide a useful answer, we’re throwing it open to you lot, in the form of a poll. Helen says:

As part of my degree, I am spending next year somewhere in North America but am finding it hard to choose where to go.

We know how you all enjoy exercising your democratic rights, so get voting!

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Posted in extracurricular questions, User-generated answers | 2 Comments »

Happy birthday Chris!

November 5, 2008

Chris cake

We dropped the ball this week. What’s more, we dropped it right into the birthday hopes and dreams of young Chris from Holt, who sent the following:

It’s my birthday 3rd of November and it’s not going to be very good, here’s why:
i) It’s the first day back after half term
ii) All my family have to work or are away
iii) I have a maths test in the afternoon
iv) In the morning I have to play football in the rain and I hate
football.
I was just wondering if you could sing me happy birthday on the Thursday before hand as it would make my week! 🙂 Now I’m going to cry in a hole!
Thank you in advance
Chris

Suffice to say, we failed to do that. But guess what – we managed to get our celebrity chums The Beatles to sing it for you instead!

Unfortunately they kept calling Chris by his childhood nickname ‘Saturday Club’ that nobody else uses any more, but hey, that’s just what those guys are like.

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Olly lookalikes nos. 10005 & 10006

October 19, 2008

The legend that is Graham from Canada has supplied probably the cutest Olly-lookalike yet, noting that ‘at first it was just because of the name, but then I noticed the similarities…’:

Meanwhile, crossword-setting wunderkind David from York offers the following:

He just needs a moustache and Olly is…..

The Swedish Chef from the Muppets.

Now, that’s just silly.

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Posted in Answer Us Back! Your time to opine, extracurricular questions, Olly's face, User-generated answers | 1 Comment »

EPISODE 71 – skate pigs

October 9, 2008

This classic episode is available to BUY NOW for just 79p, through a secure PayPal server, without DRM restriction. CLICK HERE to find out more and support our podcast. (This helps keep our most recent episodes free)

Hello chums!

It’s been very interesting reading all about your first words in the comments section of Episode 70. Now, if you’d be so kind as to comment again, our old musical mucker Mark from Essex is back with another musical query which we need you to solve*, and you can hear it in Episode 71.

Aside from Mark’s croonings, the episode contains:

culinary tyranny
Sir Robert Peel
medical marshmallows
dolphin vaginas
nocturnal celery-eating
The Tamworth Two
crap nicknames
Lindt vs. lint
more! magazine
and
Julia Roberts’s sweaty bits.

Plus Olly alludes to an Elysian period when he did not talk at all, Helen emits even more swears than usual, and Martin the Sound Man reveals how to pick up girls. Watch out!

We are, as ever, eager to hear from you, particularly if you have QUESTIONS to ask us. If so, you can pose them by Skype-ing answermethis, phoning 0208 123 5877 or emailing answermethispodcast@googlemail.com; and, if you care to do so, you can also help wrap up the long-running debate about Olly’s face. Because, of course, a podcaster’s face is his fortune.

Seeya!

Helen and Olly

* EDIT: The super-speedy Samyooell from Cheltenham has already come up with the solution to Mark from Essex’s song inquiry: ‘The answer to the question set by Mark from Essex is ‘Everywhere’ by Michelle Branch and Yellowcard. Master Blaster has also got some weird remix of it. I’m not sure if it has been on a film, but has featured on One Tree Hill on at least one occasion.’ Thanks, Samyooell!

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Our day-jobs: one of the great modern mysteries

October 8, 2008

The lovely Sarah from Gaytown has sent us a real poser, trying to annihilate that air of mystery we’ve so carefully cultivated:

What do y’all do during the day?
I imagine Martin being a jazz club music manager.
Olly being that lovely guy that goes around offices with a cart making people smile and giving them mail whilst whistling a happy tune.
Helen working in one of those spectacular, well lit – but slightly [but perfectly] dusty, hippy bakery and smiling all day.
I know that’s [probably] not true, but I am quite curious.

Indeed it isn’t true, but it’s a sight more interesting than the truth; and duly, we would also be interested to hear what the rest of you think we do all day, so please leave a comment with your thoughts on the matter.

Or, if you work as a careers adviser, perhaps you could suggest some pertinent avenues we could explore in the event that this talky stuff doesn’t work out.

Posted in Answer Us Back! Your time to opine, extracurricular questions, User-generated answers | 7 Comments »

Olly’s face: now appearing on a celebrity near you

October 8, 2008

It appears that Olly has yet another famous face-alike – Ian from Cumbria has discovered a new celebrity with whom Mr Mann shares a visage:

How similar does Olly Mann look to the ostentatious pushy editor Piers Morgan?¿. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but the resemblance is uncanny, both share the same Jew-fro style curls and cheery cheekbones.

Thanks for providing illustrative materials, Ian – and an inverted question-mark! It’s always a thrill to have a new kind of punctuation on the website.

But there’s only one way of settling this matter, friends: a poll. Take it:

Which famous person does Olly resemble?

the fellow from Alphabeat
food-maker Ed Baines
media rapscallion Piers Morgan
Seth Rogen from out of the movies
none of the above
your mum

View Results

poll by twiigs.com

Posted in Answer Us Back! Your time to opine, extracurricular questions, frippery, Olly's face, User-generated answers | Leave a Comment »

pretty as a picture – because it is a picture

September 8, 2008

* Craving some AMT!P magic? Click here to listen to some vintage episodes *

Have you entered our CAMCORDER CHALLENGE yet?
If you have no idea what this is, click here to be availed!

What does it take to melt our hearts, listeners? Flowers? Puppies? Sulphuric acid?

Well, each of those things in their own way – but also some good old arting! Not for the first time, we’ve been reduced to little pools of joy by a listener sending us a pictorial adaptation of the podcast. Today’s delight-bringer is Amelia from London, who sent us the following:

I was just listening to some old episodes and was inspired to create this…well either that or I was just really bored.

Thank you, Amelia! Especially for giving us all such nice hair.

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Posted in AMT Gallery, Answer Us Back! Your time to opine, extracurricular questions, frippery, visuals | Leave a Comment »

Holiday reading

August 28, 2008

Betsy asks:

Given that is is August and rainy, and university has not deigned to tell me what I should be reading (yet), Helen, Olly and Martin, answer me this, what books would make good reading material while resting my brain before university begins again?

Well, let’s face it: once your degree has kicked in, it may be several years before you can actually read for pleasure again. So here are a handful of our recent Fun Reads for you to peruse before your brain learns to puke at the mere sight of a dustjacket:

Olly likes:
The Rotters’ Club by Jonathan Coe
The End of Mr Y by Scarlett Thomas

Helen likes:
The Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann (avoid the film, though! The film is shit! However Beyond the Valley of the Dolls does have some excellent boobs in it)
Jude: Level 1 by Julian Gough

Martin the Sound Man likes:
Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges
V For Vendetta by Alan Moore

Please leave your own recommendations for Fun Books For Betsy Before Academia Ruins Reading in the comments below!

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Posted in extracurricular questions | 2 Comments »

baldness and hairiness

August 13, 2008

Despite our frequent allusions on the podcast to Martin the Sound Man‘s hirsuteness, we’ve received the following question from Edward in Borneo:

Martin sounds bald. Is he?

Far from it.

'lovely head of hair': Martin the Sound Man

From collar to cuffs, here’s a delightful little tale courtesy of Peter from Atherton, following Rich from Fareham’s question about pubes in Episode 65:

Following your man from Fareham’s query regarding pubic topiary, I offer this anecdote…

While at university, I had a friend of the female variety who was rather sexually adventurous and keen to share her exploits with me. Many a night she would come knocking on my door in halls to inform me that her boyfriend had managed to coax 5 or so orgasms from her quivering body… I wouldn’t have minded so much if I weren’t busy working on just the one myself, but that’s another story.

While living in halls in our final year, my friend found herself at a loose end and in need of something to do, so came knocking on my door asking for advice on how to amuse herself that afternoon. I suggested that she should shave her muff. She required surprisingly little persuasion to proceed with this course of action, and returned a while later to announce that she was now clean-shaven.

So, she goes off to see her boyfriend that evening and to surprise him with her shaven haven and he is… utterly underwhelmed. Seriously not at all impressed in any way. He agreed with the assessment that it’s slightly paedo-y and he just didn’t find it attractive. The whole saga ended with a week of itchy crotch as her pubes grew out again, and I was given much grief as the whole thing had been my idea in the first place. Oh, how I laughed. Great days.

Rich from Fareham, I hope that this woman’s bitter experience is useful to you in your quest for the perfect undercarriage coif.

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Posted in Answer Us Back! Your time to opine, extracurricular questions | 2 Comments »

Olly’s face is proving a popular choice amongst minor public figures

July 23, 2008

After last month’s Alphabeat shenanigans, here’s some more looky-likey fun courtesy of Sophie:

So I’m sat bored out of my brain watching Daily Cooks Challenge on ITV when the camera moves to Ed Baines, one of the chefs, and I can’t help but think that he looks a lot like Olly – good or bad thing I’m not quite sure! So answer me this. does anyone else see the resemblance? Or is it just my brain’s defence mechanism kicking in to give me something to focus my attention on to save me from the boredom?

Let’s look at the evidence!