Posts Tagged ‘knickknacks’

Answer Us Back: the knees (don’t) have eyes

September 10, 2026

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Welcome to this month’s Answer Us Back, full of your feedback and questions provoked by previous episodes of Answer Me This. Today we have:

  • Look, we recorded AMT421 the day before Tim Curry died, and it was pure chance that we appeared to pay tribute to him by slagging off two of his most beloved films. He’s very good in them! He’s even very good in Olly’s pick for the worst film ever made!
  • We all want Olly to write a memoir, right? Full of anecdotes about the many times when he almost met celebrities?
  • Sally has a tip for silencing those musical washing machines before they launch into the full symphony.
  • Should Olly satisfy his anthropological curiosity about what it’s like to go to a Roy Chubby Brown gig, or does that just make him someone who willingly attends a Roy Chubby Brown gig?
  • Helena in Aotearoa New Zealand informs us that some of the washing machines of Aotearoa New Zealand play a selection of national anthems. And/or Crazy Frog.
  • The bidet chat continues to flow: Molly in London asks if it’s ok to wash her bum with the water from her dehumidifier. Erm, best not. But what can you do with that water?
  • Annie asks the question on behalf of all of you who have been desperate to know since last Answer Us Back: what is Olly’s system for displaying souvenir magnets on his fridge?
  • After AMT421’s question about the dangers of orchestra conductors’ podiums, Laura from Ottawa, who is a professional violinist, tells us tales of other perils of the orchestra.
  • In episode we-forget-which-number-but-fairly-recent, Olly spoke of convincing himself not to be annoyed by his father’s snoring. Lola in Seattle can even turn horrible misophonia into delectable ASMR. (And if you are looking for help in navigating misophonia in yourself or people close to you, check out friend-of-the-pod Jane Gregory’s work and book at soundslikemisophonia.com.)

If AMTs 1-421 left you with lingering questions and opinions, share them with us for future episodes of Answer Us Back. And as always, send in your questions, in voicenote or written form, to answermethispodcast@googlemail.com. All new AMT422 will be in your podfeed on 24 September 2026.

Help keep AMT going by signing up at patreon.com/answermethis, where you can get an ad-free version of the show, monthly bonus bits, our video livestream Petty Problems, AND access to our ENTIRE back catalogue, including all our paywalled episodes, our special albums, and all the Retro AMT episodes. 

Answer Me This is sponsored by: 

• Cozy Earth, luxurious bedding, sleepwear, loungewear, and towels for bath and beach. Shop at cozyearth.com and get 30% off using our code ANSWER. Also, their Labor Day sale runs 25 August till September 8th!
• Quooker, the the tap that does it all, from instant 100-degree boiling water to chilled, filtered, and sparkling water. Shop at quooker.co.uk and until the end of August, you can use our code ANSWER to get free installation and your free Quooker glassware set.
• Taskrabbit, the online and mobile marketplace, available in the UK, that connects you with skilled, reliable local freelancers to help with everything from furniture assembly and home repairs to moving, gardening, and more. Get ahead of your to-do list with £10 off your first task at taskrabbit.co.uk or on the Taskrabbit app using our promo code ANSWER. 

EPISODE 326: macho line dancing

October 29, 2015

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Happy news! AMT325‘s Beckie, who was worried who was worrying about having chosen the baby name ‘Aoife’ because her family were being dicks about it? On Tuesday, the baby was born! And she has been named….Aoife! Good for you, Beckie, and welcome to the world, Aoife. All together now: aaaaaawwwwwww.

Let’s change some more lives in Answer Me This! Episode 326 shall we? Or at least deal with a range of minor to moderate problems, concerning such matters as:

Gogglebox
crying vs fart machines
sport vs Helen’s love for her family
sport vs Andrew Lloyd Webber
the haka
the Crystal Palace dinosaurs
matryoshka spy dolls
Queen Victoria
and
the likely successor to The Human Centipede.

Plus: Olly has the equivalent of a shy bladder but for sneezing (which you already know is a problem for him); Helen has to choose between her family and her dislike of sport; and Martin the Sound Man’s cup of Earl Grey is full of tears.

In today’s Bonus Bit of Crap on the App – available for iThings, Android and Windows devices – rugby brings the rest of Helen’s family joy, but also forces her brother Andy to tell the biggest lie of his life.

It’s no lie that we welcome your questions. Leave voicemails on the Question Line – call 0208 123 5877 or Skype ID answermethis – and deliver your emails to answermethispodcast@googlemail.com. Say hi at facebook.com/answermethis and twitter.com/HelenAndOlly.

Additional ventures:

Olly’s so fecund at the moment! Birthing out babies and podcasts all over the place. You can find his new show The Modern Mann at modernmann.co.uk, as well as on iTunes and Pocketcasts and the various other podcast-getting places.

Helen is currently releasing new doses of The Allusionist EVERY WEEK (wilts) because Radiotopia is raising funds. Love any of the shows? Donate at radiotopia.fm! And join in her Reddit AMA at 7pm GMT today.

Finally, Martin the Sound Man’s Song By Song podcast is now embarking upon Tom Waits’s Heart of Saturday Night. Not a difficult second album, a cracking second album! (Except for the bits which sound like dinner jazz, which are sub-cracking.)

We’ll return on 12th November 2015 with AMT327.

Helen & Olly

••• AMT326 Child-Friendly Rating: 30%. No bawdy content, but there are swears all over the place. •••

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