Critters and Varmints

Posted on March 21, 2013 by James

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 43:04 — 29.8MB)

It’s Palm Sunday later this week, so we talk about that until it stops being interesting (90 seconds or so.) James then segues into talking about palm trees, despite Paul thinking that this is also too dull a subject to merit attention. So we talk instead about the various poisonous creatures inhabiting these United States, and whether Wikipedia or the Brady Bunch is the more reliable source of information. Later, Rhiannon calls in to take the quiz and tries to figure out what a “Hoosier” is, while Paul contemplates “fly-tipping.”

They’re Always After Me Lucky Charms

Posted on March 14, 2013 by James

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 43:59 — 30.5MB)

St. Patrick’s Day is here, but in the interest of fairness, we talk about all four patron saints of the UK. We also discuss our Irish voiceover guy, and James does an impression of his French teacher who was, well, Irish. Listener Todd writes in with a question, and later, Cocker takes a kid-themed “That’s Not English” quiz; he tries to guess what a “noogie” is, while Johnson ponders something called “Knock Down Ginger.”

Stupid!

Posted on March 7, 2013 by James

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 49:59 — 34.6MB)

Our quinceañera episode! We talk about daylight savings, then listener Jill gets in touch to tell us about some British and jewish folklore involving people acting stupid. This allows us to revisit Polish jokes, James tells a story about treating scary East German guards like postmen, and Johnson tells of his own experiences as a member of a totalitarian regime. Then Soji takes the “That’s Not English” quiz, trying to figure out what the best part of waking up is, while Johnson gets the Abbey habit (not Downton this time.)

A Visitor From Anglotopia

Posted on February 28, 2013 by James

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 46:18 — 32.1MB)

A packed episode! First, we give the least intelligent talk about the Oscars ever, because they hadn’t actually happened when we recorded, and we’d seen a total of 1 of the films between us. After that, author Jonathan Thomas calls in from Anglotopia to talk about his excellent new dictionary of British slang, and how his own name makes English people titter. Then Sam returns for the “That’s Not English” quiz and tries to guess what a “Murphy bed” might be, while Johnson wrestles with a “nonce.”

Mad Cow, Crazy Horse

Posted on February 21, 2013 by James

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:40 — 30.9MB)

If there’s a through-line to this week’s episode, it seems to be flesh and blood; we chat about the fact that while American giants can apparently smell the blood of Englishmen, the American Red Cross is, by contrast, totally uninterested in it. This gets us on to the mad cow scare of a few years back, and the current horse meat debacle going on in Europe. Also, Jochen gets back in touch from Hamburg, and later, Tom takes the quiz and explains how not to order coffee in Harlem.

Love, Strangely

Posted on February 14, 2013 by James

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:29 — 23.9MB)

You’d think Valentine’s Day would be uncontroversial, but starting with the fact that the British consider it odd that Americans send their mothers Valentines at all, we chat about the yanks’ limited use of irony and somehow end up on zombies, via Richard III and Oliver Cromwell. Later, Johnson guesses what Fairy Liquid might be (which goes as badly as you’d think) while Lil & Ryan ponder how to use K.C. Masterpiece.

It’s Groundhog Day All Over Again

Posted on February 7, 2013 by James

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 43:12 — 29.9MB)

An exciting weekend that brought us both the prognostications of a large rodent and some sort of sporting event involving a bowl that is, apparently, far from ordinary. Obviously we discuss the works of one William Murray, and later, Chris White calls in from the orient to take the quiz. How does Johnson fare against a man from the future who can speak Chinese? Not very well.

Germans!

Posted on January 31, 2013 by James

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 46:49 — 32.4MB)

We open with an amazing but true fact about the British and American Dennis The Menaces. Then, to celebrate our first letter from a listener in Germany, we discuss European aristocrat-swapping, which leads to Paul rating the Queen’s hotness; then we list the many German words in everyday use in English (turns out, it’s not just cars, food and dogs.) Then Jon returns to take the quiz: Paul attempts to figure out where Paxo goes, and Jon tries Alpo. Yum!

Race Relations

Posted on January 24, 2013 by James

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 50:38 — 35.0MB)

We celebrate President Obama’s 2nd Inauguration by examining the diverse melting-pot that is American society, and we do it by painstakingly dissecting some terrible jokes. Later, Sam takes a slightly modified quiz in which the boys try and identify British and American products: Sam tries to figure out what Aunt Jemima might be offering, while Paul guesses from which supermarket aisle he can procure some Horlicks. Sigh.

Pound Notes and Dollar Coins

Posted on January 17, 2013 by James

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 46:59 — 32.5MB)

In our MLK Day show, we discuss the British connection to Dr. King, then move on to tooth fairy inflation. This gets us on to change jars and piggy banks, and British TV shows that became American. We talk about the storm in a teacup that was the royal portrait, and then Sully joins us for the quiz, where Johnson defines “skiving” and Sully ponders where the “boondocks” are.

Transatlantically Speaking

A weekly Anglo-American podcast about British and American culture

Tag Archives: Transatlantic