Pants in the Boot

Glenn takes a seat while panelists discuss literal American-style pants and trousers around the world that are designed for people who identify as women—and the many styles that fail to fit many bodies! Also: missing pockets—the agents of the patriarchy never rest. Glenn Fleishman with Annette Wierstra, Erika Ensign, Jean MacDonald, Julia Skott, Sarah Hendrica Bickerton, Saskia Koehler and Shelly Brisbin.

This episode features outbursts of descriptive words of body parts and fluids—and not just in English. We talk both about stuff people are uncomfortable saying and words that they use as freely as breathing air. With our international cast of characters on this episode, spanning three continents and two hemispheres, we mix English, Dutch, Russian, and Swedish, with a dash of Scots England. Glenn Fleishman with Annette Wierstra, Erika Ensign, Jean MacDonald, Julia Skott, Sarah Hendrica Bickerton, Saskia Koehler and Shelly Brisbin.

Languages are full of, um, filler words, you know, like, what’s it? We talk in this episode about doodads, whatchamacallits, mojang, and oder, right? Glenn Fleishman with Annette Wierstra, Erika Ensign, Jean MacDonald, Julia Skott, Sarah Hendrica Bickerton, Saskia Koehler and Shelly Brisbin.

We’re back with a new set of Pants in the Boots episode with our largest, most geographically and linguistically varied set of panelists—from New Zealand/Aotearoa in the southern hemisphere to 10,000 miles (16,000 km) away in Sweden, we spanned several time zones and multiple native tongues…all to talk about that most English language of things: muesli! After a recent Gameshow episode in which a mini-muesli kerfuffle emerged, we enlisted help from a Swede named Skott and a Scot born in Germany to set the porridge boiling. Glenn Fleishman with Annette Wierstra, Erika Ensign, Jean MacDonald, Julia Skott, Sarah Hendrica Bickerton, Saskia Koehler and Shelly Brisbin.

Two of our panelists have Dutch origins and so we veer from our usual discussion of things related to English to dive briefly into salty licorice, Christmas holiday letters made of chocolate, and stroopwafel dipping. Glenn Fleishman with Annette Wierstra, Chris Phin, Dan Moren, James Thomson and Sarah Hendrica Bickerton.

We’re sweet on sugar, but many of our panelists don’t cotton to American candy—including the American participants. We discuss our favorite chocolate bars and confections, Glenn forgets the word for licorice briefly, seaside rock crops up, and we drop into dipping Tim Tams. The Surgeon General warns that this episode might exceed your sugar allocation for the year. This is our membership drive episode—become an Incomparable member! Sign up, support our show, and get access to exclusive podcasts! We’ve scheduled a special members-only live and then archived video session of Pants in the Boot in which we eat candies and sweets of various countries and describe our reactions. We’ll take questions and comments from members during the recording on May 14 at 10 am PDT! Become a member for all the details! Glenn Fleishman with Annette Wierstra, Chris Phin, Dan Moren, James Thomson and Sarah Hendrica Bickerton.

Soda, pop, soda pop, soft drink, tonic, seltzer, and other fizzy drinks form the sweet backbone of our discussion as panelists talk about their childhood drinks, fountains and soda jerks, and a special beverage from Malta. Glenn Fleishman with Annette Wierstra, Chris Phin, Dan Moren, James Thomson and Sarah Hendrica Bickerton.

People who speak English with one accent trying to ape another region or country’s often sound ridiculous to the people of that other place—but convincing to those from their native land’s impression of what people in that other place sound like. Benedict Cumberbatch, just for instance. Confused? It’ll all make sense when we go to Glasgow. Glenn Fleishman with Annette Wierstra, Chris Phin, Dan Moren, James Thomson and Sarah Hendrica Bickerton.

There’s something about the way people in different countries makes those from others swoon. But there’s often a disdain for regional accents, particularly ones that have class markers. In a language with few accent marks above letters, we talk about the dulcet tones we like from around the world. Glenn Fleishman with Annette Wierstra, Chris Phin, Dan Moren, James Thomson and Sarah Hendrica Bickerton.

Hokey crokey, Batman! We start by talking about nonsense words—words that are filler and mean nothing in the language or dialect in which they’re used—but then transition to more meaningful matters, like the way in which aboriginal and native languages in various countries have made inroads into English. The movie Brave is mentioned and, of course, Johnny Vegas of St Helens. Glenn Fleishman with Annette Wierstra, Chris Phin, Dan Moren, James Thomson and Sarah Hendrica Bickerton.

The television license is mythical to those of us in the United States, but it’s prosaic part of having high-quality programming in the UK. We talk about the kinds of over-the-air, satellite, streaming, and cable TV available to us, our feelings on Rupert Murdoch, and did you know Glenn’s dad sold cable door to door in 1979? Glenn Fleishman with Antony Johnston, Dan Moren, Jean MacDonald, Jenny Phin and Sarah Hendrica Bickerton.

Money is the root of all evil and the topic of this podcast. What in heaven’s name is spondulix? A pound is not a guinea. A five might be a finif, if you’re a gangster or read hard-boiled detective novels. Learn a little history and our favorite terms for money, as well as why those terms feel like they’re going extinct. Stay tuned after the episode for tooth-fairy inflation. Glenn Fleishman with Antony Johnston, Dan Moren, Jean MacDonald, Jenny Phin and Sarah Hendrica Bickerton.

We’re in a jam about jelly. What Americans think of as jelly is rarely eaten outside North America, while other folks worried we were putting a gelatin-brand product on our peanut-butter sandwiches. It’s all about the pectin! We compute the compote and cut our way through the fruit thicket, including having our way with curd. Stay tuned to the exciting post-show discussion about tiny hotel spreads. Glenn Fleishman with Antony Johnston, Dan Moren, Jean MacDonald, Jenny Phin and Sarah Hendrica Bickerton.

Everyone else’s postal codes seem bizarre until you start decoding them. Glenn Fleishman with Chris Phin, Erika Ensign, James Thomson, Jean MacDonald and Sarah Hendrica Bickerton.

North American house numbering makes no sense to people with more rational systems, like that of Glasgow, which James reads out during this episode. Why do U.S. and Canadian homes have extremely long numbers and how can you use this to find cross streets? Glenn Fleishman with Chris Phin, Erika Ensign, James Thomson, Jean MacDonald and Sarah Hendrica Bickerton.

Panelist Chris Phin asked the innocent question, “What’s a duplex?” We went off half-cocked, then fully loaded as we discussed the difference between American duplexes and triplexes, townhouses, UK semi-detached housing, and a “two flat” in New Zealand. A common wall means you have to talk to your neighbor to get anything done—and we know how that goes. Glenn Fleishman with Chris Phin, Erika Ensign, James Thomson, Jean MacDonald and Sarah Hendrica Bickerton.

We quake with fear as we address the tricky question of floor numbering. If the ground floor is the floor that is level with the ground, what’s the first floor? What if your ground floor is a flight of stairs up? Why does James have shops in his basement? Did you park in the garage or lob yourself into the lobby? Going up. Or down. We’re not sure which. Please make sure and consult this document, referenced after the official closing theme of this episode, which will “help” “explain” apartment and floor numbering in Glasgow. Glenn Fleishman with Chris Phin, Erika Ensign, James Thomson, Jean MacDonald and Sarah Hendrica Bickerton.

Now for the most exciting of all topics: real-estate ownership! Americans try to explain condos and coops, Scots tell us about mysterious “factors” and trying to talk your neighbo(u)rs into things like spending huge sums to repair holes in the floor, and our New Zealand correspondent brings up…BODY CORPS?! Own, rent, or lease, we’ve been co-opted. Glenn Fleishman with Chris Phin, Erika Ensign, James Thomson, Jean MacDonald and Sarah Hendrica Bickerton.

An off-handed remark from James that he lived, nay, owned a “tenement flat” led to an extended discussion about flats, apartments, and tenements, and about how we refer to the kind of sub-building dwelling we live in. Glenn Fleishman with Chris Phin, Erika Ensign, James Thomson, Jean MacDonald and Sarah Hendrica Bickerton.

We thought we’d start a run of episodes continuing our theme of things around the house with a simple topic: bench or counter/countertop. It turns out after finishing a meal, we need to sidle into the bathroom, find the pocket door. We also learn that we must stop sitting on top of things off which one normally eats food—it’s rude! And, in some parts of the world, a cultural social catastrophe extending to tapu. Nothing is ever easy when we investigate English’s migration around the world. Shall you sit on a bench or a counter? Fiddlesticks. Glenn Fleishman with Chris Phin, Erika Ensign, James Thomson, Jean MacDonald and Sarah Hendrica Bickerton.