Answer Me This! - Answer Us Back: Nelly Tagliatelle

Episode Date: July 16, 2026

Every edition of Answer Us Back features your responses to/observations upon previous episodes of AMT, some of them many many years old - but today's episode is packed to the rafters with what you had to say about our most recent episode, AMT419! Detta has baked a version of the Tom Cruise coconut-white chocolate bundt cake - "A lot of faff, but worth it."  Anonymous from the Allusioverse has actually eaten a cake gifted by Tom Cruise! Not the coconut bundt though - a lemon one, strong enough to taste "remarkably like having your taste buds bashed out". Mmm, great. A different Anonymous writes about the practice of film stars buying end-of-shoot gifts for all the crewmembers. Alastair in Kilmarnock gives some fun Scottish examples of stadiums being corporately renamed... ...and Mark tells us some of the creative approaches that stadiums have taken to cover up their usual corporate logos during the World Cup. Meagan in Oakland CA wonders when, if ever, it would be OK to wear her Houston Astros shirt from 25ish years ago which has the Enron logo on it? On the topic of which fun British vegetables Dan in Pennsylvania could grow on his farm, Emily in Canada is screaming, "King Edward potatoes!!!" Dan himself writes back, noting the ladybird fu**fest that was mentioned in AMT419. As well as buying ladybirds to sort out her garden's aphids, Isabel treats herself to a few praying mantis egg sacs, to enjoy a miniature horror show when they hatch. And Erica responds to the previous Answer Us Back, where we mused upon the potential disappointment of seeing one of us audio podcasters in the flesh. If AMTs 1-419 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 [e-mail]. All new AMT420 will be in your podfeed on 30 July 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. AMT is sponsored by: • Cozy Earth, luxurious bedding, sleepwear, loungewear, and towels for bath and beach. Shop at cozyearth.com and get 20% off using our code ANSWER. • 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.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Answer Us Back, where we discuss your feedback and responses to Answer Me This episode's past and present, and you have supplied abundant feedback about Answer Me This 419. Yes, plenty of you had tasty feedback, yum, yum, on the Tom Cruise Christmas Buntcake. Deta has been in touch because she has sort of tasted the Tom Cruise Buntcake. Whoa. She made her own version last Christmas. Gosh. She says it was a lot of faff, but it was worth it.

And she sent through a recipe from damnspicy.com. And, wow, I hadn't quite imagined how coconut-y we're talking. This thing has got a lot of... It's got, like, coconut in it, coconut on it. It seeps coconut. I think that's a Tom Cruise thing, isn't it? If you like something, you go all in on it. Yeah, you jump from that plane.

What's better than coconut? A fuck done more coconut. That's the Tom Cruise way. The key ingredient, according to this blog, is coconut cream rather than coconut. milk, which I'm pleased to read. Yeah. Because that is the kind of ingredient that lurks at the back of a cupboard awaiting a purpose.

Right, because you put half of it into a curry and then you're like, what am I going to do with this? Then you leave it until it goes bad. Mm-hmm. There's also a variation for cupcakes at the bottom of this blog. You could have a Tom Cruise bunt cake party and everyone can have a taste. Tom Cruise sent 100 cupcakes to Louis Thruh's grandma's 100th birthday party. So Louis Theru has eaten a Tom Cruise cake of some sort.

I was thinking if you were having a Tom Cruise bunt cake party and everyone had to come dress as a Tom Cruise character, how difficult that would actually be, because apart from La Stat, which is a very, you know, strong look. Or the one in Tropic Thunder. Or the one in Tropic Thunder, indeed. Every other Tom Cruise character is just Tom Cruise. I mean, Ethan Hunt is such a boring character. You don't even remember his name. Yeah, it's just like black t-shirt. You could put like a bit of rope coming out of your back, I suppose. What's the difference really between Jack Reacher and Jerry McGuire, you know, change of shirt? But what about just the one where he's wearing underpants and dancing around?

What's that? A risky business? I haven't seen that one. Early. I've seen cocktail. I learned a fun fact about cocktail, Helen. You'll like this fact. Yeah.

I used to love the film cocktail when I was a child, and I imagine it would be unwatchable now. The thing that an astonished me was it's effectively set at a TGI Fridays. Is that what Brian Brown's cocktail joint is, a TGI Fridays? Yeah. It's funny because we grew up in a obviously post-TGI Fridays being shit world, but cocktail was written in the days when memory was strong of TGI Fridays being the trendiest cocktail bar in Manhattan.

In fact, like, the first place singles would go and meet. And Tom Cruise is a cool dude who works behind the bar. They don't name it in the film, but if you look at the decor, it's very clearly TGI Fridays, but without, like, alipino poppers and meal deals for kids. Does he have flair? Does he have flair? He's Tom Cruise in cocktail, Helen, famously so. TGI Fridays is a specific thing.

type of flare all it. It's like all the badges and stuff. They wear on their costumes. I thought you meant, does he have panash? I was like, oh, that's all he's got. Exactly. Casting brief number one must have flare. I see what you mean. Does he have the badges and sing happy birthday? No. But he sings happy Christmas, then pulls a string and bunt cakes rain down. A member of my illusionist Patreon Discord, who will keep Anonymous, has tasted a Tom Cruise cake as well, although not the coconut Christmas bunt. Anonymous says Tom Cruise sends out more than just bun cakes, he sends out patisserie too for non-Christmas-related thank-keys.

I have eaten one. It was a lemony thing. Right. Remarkably like having your taste buds bashed out by a slice of preserved lemon wrapped around a large gold brick. Too sharp and too sweet for me. Right. I think the idea was to turn up the dial on the aspects of this patisserie to make it the most intense version of itself, which I thought again, very Tom Cruise appropriate.

Yeah, so you like lemon, you like cream? Do you like it now, fucker? How about more lemon? More sweet. So high marks for execution, low marks for my personal taste. It's interesting though this thing of like other patisserie than Christmas patisserie, it makes me think of the best, actually, the best thing LBC ever did for me, apart from giving me a show, was shortly before firing me after I became the father to a son.

And your dad died? My dad hadn't. Had my dad died at this point? I don't think so. I thought it went son, dad died, then you were fired. by LBC and replaced by who? Katie Hopkins? Yes, yes, that's right. That's the hoarder. Incredible three-week period.

The thing I'm talking about came just after Sunborn, before Dad Dead. Sunborn and the managing editor of LBC sent me what I suppose is their standard. You've just had a child cookie basket thing. But it was so good that I've made a point of sending it to everyone. This is a spoiler on anyone in my life that's going to have a baby scene. You're going to get one of these. This is what we send now. Okay, what do you get?

The company is called Beverly Hills Bakery, and they're not based in Beverly Hills. The air miles are fine. They're in Harrow. And it's just a tin of cookies, but they're just fucking brilliant cookies. And it comes with a little teddy. So you get a teddy for the baby as well. It's just a great gift for the new mum or dad because you're exhausted, you're tired. You've got people coming around to the house looking at the baby.

Offer them a cookie. And then you get to keep the tin. This is a big endorsement because I'd say you're on record as not really being that into sweet treats. Yes, absolutely right. Yeah. But when you're sort of sleep deprived and kind of exhausted, it's just the perfect thing. And they're just really good. You know when something's really, really good?

You're like, okay, well, it's a different level. I'm interested now in a thing that I wouldn't otherwise be interested in because, you know, this is the world's best example of this thing. It's like that. Incredible endorsement. You know, like when you see like someone talking about like forging or something on YouTube, you're like, this is not my interest, but look at this person, forging a thing. It's like that.

Forging in iron or forging a banknote or a will. Oh, I see, yes. No, I was thinking of ironmongery, yeah, but sure. I mean... Also impressive. All impressive skills. Yes, exactly. This anonymous person has been in touch, who says, I would like to remain anonymous for the sake of my relationship with my partner. Oh, gosh. It must be pretty spicy. I'd just listen to answer me this 419, and I must admit, I'd never heard of the Tom Cruise cake list. However, my partner works in the film industry, and it is very normal for A-list celebrities to pay for crew gifts for all crew and production staff on a film upon completion. miniature sculptures, luggage, jackets, dressing gowns and shoes, all personalised with film branding. That in a way makes it seem less personal because you're like, oh, this is a corporate gift.

Like, you know, those mugs that are just in every break room of companies that no one can remember otherwise. Yes, I see what you mean. I've heard about this practice. And I was wondering how one feels about it when you're in the crew. Are you like, well, I'd rather just gave me money so I could buy something I actually wanted. Or are you like, this is a fun memory, or after a while, are you like, I have so many film-branded dressing gowns and how many dressing gowns do you need in your life? I suppose, though, from the point of insert big Hollywood star here, I don't know, Scarlett Johansson. If you're making 100 dressing gowns, make a thousand.

What's the difference? Add a zero. I guess it's that, isn't it? Everyone gets a dressing gown. It's not that it's impersonal. It's that you wanted to give a personal gift to some people, and therefore you might as well give one to everyone so that no one's upset. I have a friend who works in sort of TV, big events like awards and basically all she wears black hoodie is emblazoned with the logo of a production that she used to work on.

So I guess that is how a lot of these gifts come and useful. Yeah, okay, well, no need to go to the black hoodie shop myself. Yeah, so a big, comfortable sweater is probably a good gift, yeah, because everyone has room in their wardrobe. Like, however stylish they are, there comes a night where you're like, oh, just put that jumper on. Yeah. even if it's just to put the bins out like that's going to get worn, isn't it? You know, if you want people to come at guests

to come over and be like, ooh, which generous star gave you that? Then you need to give them something functional like an air fryer. Oh, well, I went round to a friend when they just had a baby and they had one of those things that looks like a three-tared wedding cake

but it's all made out of rolled up baby vests and nappies and things like that. Uh-huh. And the person who had sent them that is Whoopi Goldberg. And I was too sheepish to ask how the fuck they're on nappy wedding cake terms with Whoopi Goldberg.

Was it someone who worked in showbiz? In a very different style of showbiz. Yeah. Like whimsical audio, documentaries. So more likely family friend than colleague? I don't know. I think maybe a colleague on the kind of job you wouldn't have thought Whoopi Goldberg had done.

But I should have just asked, but now it feels like too late because the kid's like six. I, in a very small way, give these sorts of gifts occasionally to people that I work with. So the Oli Man equivalent of the Tom Cruise Bunt cake. It was actually inspired by you. You remember you took me to a stationer's called Marby and Elm. Oh, yeah.

That was a good day, wasn't it? In Farrington, yeah. A bunch of things happened with this. But anyway, in the corner of this stationery shop, I spotted what looks like a pile of post-it notes. They're pink, and they say on them, podcast notes, which I thought was just funny. And I bought one then when I was with you in Marby and El.

And I enjoyed having it on my desk so much because it just tickled me the idea that a podcaster would have office stationery, that I then bought one for everyone who makes my... other shows with me. So the modern man and today in history with the retrospectors and the week unwrapped. That was my Christmas present. That was sweet. And then what's really funny is everyone said thank you to me for the gift except Jamie Timpson from the week unwrapped. And it got to that point where I was like, I should check that he got the gift, but in a way that doesn't feel like I'm fishing for a compliment. I just want to know that he got it.

I said something like, oh, do I have your address right? It ends with, and I gave the postcode or something, which I thought was dealing with it in a subtle enough way. And he was like, oh, yeah, was that from you? Yeah, yeah, thanks. Oh, ouch. I was like, oh, God, have I offended him? And what it was, apparently, in his seemingly unopened podcast notes memo pad, someone had written on it, the rest is history, newscast in pencil underneath where it says podcast notes.

Oh, a rival history podcast, sabotaging your gift. Was that someone being full? funny, like writing down the two most basic possible podcast that everyone knows about on a thing, because he thought I was giving him a secondhand gift, he didn't understand the joke. Complex. I was like, this has got very layered now. I don't know how that got, like it's supposed to be new out the packet, but someone's obviously written on that one.

Maybe it was the last one they had in the shop. I don't know. They're an independent retailer, I'm not going to ask. Maybe it was the, like, display copy for people to practice writing podcast notes for a day when they actually have a podcast. Yeah, but Marby and N was a really cool shop, wasn't it, Helen? It's distressing to think that someone would go. in there and write down the rest is history. Is that all they could think of? Well, you know, it's like when you have to write a communal birthday card and suddenly every

thought you've ever had goes out of your head. It just becomes happy birthday. Brilliant. It's the original. We were talking as well about naming rights on the most recent episodes. Naming rights of stadiums and stuff specifically rather than to babies or such. Yes, when companies put their names on big arenas and things. Alistair and Kilmanuk has been in touch apropos the Scottish stadium that's changed hands so many times no one knows what it's called anymore and he says I thought you might enjoy a few more Scottish examples pleasingly Ross County's Global Energy Stadium

managed reverse nominative determinism when games were twice called off due to power cuts Well Global Energy Stadium doesn't specify that the energy is working But my favourite is an offshoot of a big naming rights example Manchester City have the Etihad Stadium. Livingston FC were sponsored by a chain of Italian restaurants, so therefore became the proud owners of the Tony Macaroni Arena.

Combining the two, it was days before the stadium was dubbed The Spaghetti Had. Lovely stuff. Nature finds a way. So true, Alastair, so true. The spaghetti had is very good. I hope you're proud of this bit of Scottish heritage. I was actually unaware of the chain of Scottish Italian restaurants, Tony Macaroni,

but I've had a look on the website, and I would go. Do all of the pastors have a name that rhymes? No. Nelly Tagliatelli. Tini-Linguini. Well, what a wasted opportunity. Mark has contributed more to this stadium chat. He says, I know the World Cup is not in your purview,

but there have been some fun stories regarding branding this year. Corporate names for stadiums are not allowed, so companies have to be creative about it. Gillette Stadium in suburban Boston, covered up the name Gillette in simulated shaving cream. I've looked at the photo. That is actually very funny, well done, that marketing person. Levi's Stadium in suburban San Francisco

covered up the Levi's logo in a form-fitting sheet so you can ID the traditional Levi's logo. It's amazing that you can identify that logo as Levi's because it's got a slightly odd shape. It kind of comes out like a pair of windscreen wipers at the side, the Levi's logo. And even with a white cloth over it, because it completely fits, you know immediately. oh that's Levi's.

And then I thought, fuck, that's something. I never even consciously noticed. But because when you say to me, what's the Levi's logo? I think the red tab on the back, right? But actually they've got three logos. They've got the red tab. They've got that pointy windscreen wiper one. And then they've got, if you look on the back of a pair of jeans,

the two horses trying to tear a pair of jeans apart, which they've had since the 1800s. Megan in Oakland, California. So just over the water from the covered up Levi's logo in a form-fitting sheet, says, I grew up in Houston, Texas, and frequently went to games that then named Enron Field, which was already a bit of a shit name

compared to the previous stadium, the Astrodome. Yeah, the home of AstroTurf, still a worldwide name. No, really? Wow. AstroTurf was developed for the Astrodome because grass in there was ruining play because of the retractable roof. It was getting burned. So they created fake grass,

although then that long term started ruining athletes' feet. Oh gosh. Maybe they should rethink grass altogether. Maybe. Playing a big ball pit. Just to add confusion, which is the ball we're supposed to kick? Well, Megan says, 25 years later, I still have an Astros giveaway t-shirt with Enron's logo on the sleeve. Precious. Olly answered me this.

Can I wear that t-shirt out? Or is it an insult to all the families who were harmed by Enron? is there a point at which it would ever be okay to wear? I no longer live in Texas, but occasionally will see the Astros when they're in town. I mean, you're obviously a nicer person than me, Megan, because not only do I think Enron merch is cool, I even considered, I didn't do it,

but I did consider buying some Enron merch just for the irony, because it seemed like a funny thing to have in the background of my Zoom calls. You can now buy, like, Enron mugs and Enron posters and stuff. There's an artist that's bought the rights, apparently for only $275. and has made a website that looks like a functional website for a, well, it's vague about what it is, which is, of course, exactly what a company like Enron would be like now. So is it AI? Is it money lending? Is it a bank? Is it financial services?

But it's really a prank. It's just an artist sort of doing this banksy type thing. But how they monetise it is with an actual merch store you could buy Enron stuff. And like I said, I didn't, but I did think that's quite funny. I don't think it's offensive to the people that were fisted by Enron. It's sort of satirical nostalgia, I would go as far to. say. Also, looking at the picture Megan's scent of this shirt, it's red. It has Astros written across the front in sort of large white italic painted on writing. And then in fairly small size on the left sleeve, it's got the Enron E logo. And it says Enron. But it's not the dominant visual

element. I think a lot of people wouldn't even notice. So I think that's either something you could cover up with a cardigan. Cover up with a cardigan. Or you could just put a patch over it if you're really worried. You can embroider around this logo so that it looks like it says, sorry about what Enron did to your family's finances. I guess. But I mean, also it's a nostalgia piece, isn't it? Vintage shirts, I don't think, have a responsibility to be politically correct. We've discussed this before, but it's about where you choose to wear them, but they themselves are their own artefact of time. There's no point trying to pretend

that they don't exist. In terms of sports uniforms, people are wearing far more offensive companies that are still in existence. Exactly, yeah, all the gambol. companies that fund football. Yeah, all these companies that are ruining the environment. Yeah. At least Enron can't hurt anyone anymore. Now, would you recognise the Enron logo if you tightly wove a white sheet over it? I think you would, because the E on its side was quite iconic, actually.

Well, I'm still reading that E on its side as like a W, so... Right, okay. Oh, then it does look a bit like the W chain of hotels. A little bit. Yeah, there's a risk there. But I reckon I would wear it if I was into wearing sports. Which will happen when hell freezes over. Well, actually, I do have a T-shirt from the 2025 Squamish logging sports.

I don't want to offend anyone involved in that by saying, You're not really a sport, though, because I'm sure it's very competitive and difficult and interesting. Yeah, the physical exertion and the speed. The speed of these people, Ollie. But it's fringe, isn't it? That's like wearing Fringe Theatre merch. Great. I'm in.

You're not going to wear a mainstream sport. No. Of which I'm aware. Unless the merch is really good. Martin actually has a baseball team t-shirt, but it came from an aquarium in Japan, and he bought it because it's a beluga whale holding a stickfish like a baseball bat. Oh, I mean, yeah. If football teams in the UK had that kind of logo, then I'd be wearing them too.

Well, note to football teams of the UK. Indeed. Rebrand to cute stuff. Actually, I do have a Wood Army mug, because that's my local football team. Wood Army. Bore and Wood FC, yeah. I see. But I bought that in part to support them really rather than because it's particularly attractive.

In fact, I go further and say, it is unattractive. You could have just given them money. Yeah, but that's the point. I sort of felt like the entrance fee wasn't very much. Okay, I'll buy their mug. You know? Well, at least a mug can be broken. Like my heart when they didn't get through to the league.

Aw. Now, last episode, we were also. making recommendations for obscure English vegetables that Dan from Pennsylvania could grow to impress Americans. I suggested purple cauliflower and mangle wuzzles. I can't remember what your recommendation was, Ellen. Just stuff that looks like cocks and balls. It goes without saying. Emily says, I was listening to the show and yelling,

King Edward Potatoes, into my phone. Weird choice of things to do while listening to a podcast, but okay. Yeah, people watching must have thought that that was some kind of trendy new AI assistant based around vegetables. It's like Martin trying to get Siri to understand him at all. Is Siri not attuned to soft Midlands accents? Still no. Interesting. It's very funny.

Really will not play any song he asks for. Right. I sometimes struggle with my refined smooth RP with the Alexa in the kitchen. And I do sometimes think to myself, fucking hell, Alexa. I do instructional videos for people for whom English is their third language and they work in construction. If you can't understand me, what hope is there for anyone?

Your failure of a robot. It's like my one special skill is that people vaguely understand what I'm saying. Anyway, Emily continues, as a Canadian gardener who had the misfortune of exposure to the British jacket potato, what do to you? I feel the world needs to know that we in North America only have exposure to a very limited variety of unfluffy potatoes, none of which are suitable for a jacket potato. I see. So what she's saying is, I've tried the British jacket, now I can't go back.

Joy. Yeah. But I think this might be a problem for. Daniel in Pennsylvania that a potato doesn't look glamorous and exciting, like an amusing cock and balls thing or a curly bean that is stripy.

Yeah. All he's got is a promise that this potato will bake up great. And I think people buying things because their eye has been seduced aren't going to get that from a King Edward potato. I mean, it's supposed it depends if he has an attached cafe because as we all know, it's pimping up the potato that makes it exciting and alluring.

Even a little cart, a baked potato cart. But in Canada, to Helen, do they soup up their spuds like they do their puteen chips? You're not getting a great jacket potato culture here, Ollie. And it's surprising, isn't it? It is. It's a good, easy food. High profit margin.

Similar weather. Right, similar weather to Britain. What are you playing at? Daniel from Pennsylvania has actually also been in touch. He says, thank you for answering my question about vegetables. You're welcome, Daniel. I do feel like I failed him a bit because I don't know shit about growing vegetables. But he's saying thank you, Helen.

Take the credits. Well, I think he's being really polite, but I don't think I actually helped. He's easily pleased. Daniel, it's sweet of you to reply. He's expressing gratitude. He didn't have to. He says, I have some purple cauliflower seed ready for the full crop, in part to spite another farm who buys their purple cauliflower from a distributor

because it's more difficult to grow. Okay, all right. You know, my worry when you brought up the purple brassicas was that he's already across this, and I think that is the case. Big fan of Romanesco, he says, but it's also a challenging one. Yeah. We didn't ask for non-challenged ones. True, true.

I brought up manglewerzels to a fellow farmer who told me his family used to grow them as cattle feed and were only used in human consumption to, quote, punish the kids. And kale used to be like that until like 15 years ago. It was for the pigs. The idea of juicing it just seemed improbable. It doesn't juice.

Does a mangle-wurzel juice? Yeah, why not Californian can juice anything, can't they? We just need them to do it first. Regardless, says Daniel, I do think more cock and bull-shaped veg might help my market sales. I did just harvest a few bins of a white Japanese cucumber, mission accomplished, and he has sent us a picture of a large, curved white cucumber. But lacking the balls element, which brings the comedy.

Well, he can do that in the display, I suppose. Exactly, yes. Well, get back to us when you put it aside two small pumpkins, please. We have a separate question in episode 419 about ladybirds slash ladybugs, as they're known in North America. And Daniel says, also, I just tried adding a few thousand ladybirds to an aphid-covered eggplant patch and a fair few of them do seem to happily live on the bug-covered leaves, feasting and fernicating. Since you've mentioned it last episode and Martin talking about his experience of fornicating ladybirds. Not with them, just watching. I mean, that makes him sound like a pervert as well.

I've spotted some fornicating ladybirds and I'd never really noticed before. But my son saw them in the garden and came up to me and said, Daddy, they're fighting. He wanted to tear them apart. No. And I was like, how do I choose my words? He's telling me. He's telling me. and a half he can handle it but I don't want to be graphic so and also the six year old was listening so I said oh no I think they're friends I think they might be boyfriend and girlfriend leave them be and he understood he understood that was code they're fucking in the corner let them fuck so it was exciting to see because I'd never seen that long term fornication happened before yeah did it take the majors yeah I mean it was going on well in my experience yes I mean it was an hour

Later I went back and they were still there. Maybe they've been taking sex lessons from Sting. Maybe. One thing that Lady Birds don't do, of course, is Sting. Oh God. I had a bug. I don't even know what kind of bug it was, and it wasn't. It was fucking me, but it wasn't, you know, fornicating.

My youngest son had like a summer fate thing in his school, and I sat in the field in a bit that isn't really for sitting. Did you know what I mean? Like long grass. No one looks after it, wild. Got to be careful about ticks now, Olly. Yeah. The next day, honestly, I reckon.

in 30 little red bites all up my arm, which were really itchy. And I can't stop itching. I can't do that thing where people say, just don't itch them. So I hitch them until they bled. And then I had blood running down my hands, like I just squeezed something to death in my fist. Oh, gosh, how eldritch. So I'm not very pro-insects at the moment. No.

Well, they're probably not that pro-you, and that's why they told you to fuck off using the only language they know how. Yeah, yeah, sure. It's that whole thing of like, oh, let's encourage the bugs with a bug hotel. I've kind of now changed policy on that. It's like, no, I want a bug detention camp, please, not a hotel. Oh, God. You've been radicalised. Isabel is on a different page.

She says, I usually order a batch of lady bugs every year or so. And I've had similar experiences to Martin, but mine come in a bag with hundreds. Wow. I distribute them around the garden and even bring a few inside to deal with indoor aphids. They never seem to set down roots, though. So ungrateful, aren't they? Just going to enjoy them while they're there. and then assume you'll never see them again.

Yeah, like Charlotte's Webb. Yeah? You know, at the end when they all go flying off, sorry, spoiler, but yeah. Break a few hearts, why don't you, Ollie? You'll be grateful for the moments you have. The folks who sell them, says Isabel, also sell praying mantis egg sacks. Wow, why? They're a delight to hatch, an uncountable number of adorable Eldritch horrors

that cannibalize their siblings if you don't release them quick enough. Well, that does sound entertaining. Yeah. 100 to 200 hatchlings can come out of a single praying mantis egg case. Okay. So you have to be really careful not to disturb them. And then once they're out, they will just start eating each other if they don't have any other food. It's so funny, isn't it?

They're like other people would pay for an extermination company to come around and get rid of these pests. And then some people would pay to have them in their home. Well, it's like weeds, Ollie. Weeds are just plants in the wrong place, right? Wow. That's obviously a very profound way of putting it. but I agree with you so totally and I've had many arguments with my wife about this

my favourite kind of gardening is just going around desecrating everything with a pair of big cheers I just like killing things You and my dad really, it's a shame you never coincided on the stripping a garden back down to a six-inch level. I love that, just the violence. But I don't instinctively hate the weeds. That's it.

When I'm choosing, well, do I want to get rid of that flower or do you want to kill that one? I can look at a weed and think, well that is beautiful. It's as beautiful as the thing we're growing on purpose next. So why am I cutting it down? And then my wife would be like, it's a weed, it's a weed. It'll take over the garden. I'm like, but it's pretty.

Why can't it take over the garden? There's one that grows every year like a tree. It's incredible. It's like a bambooish type stick thing. It's not Japanese, not weed, is it, Ollie, because that is a problem. It's not, but it's probably related, you know. And it always grows up in our chicken pen. But it is extraordinary because every winter that chicken pen goes down to just soil and

crap, literally. And then every April, there's a tree there, it grows that quickly, like sometimes six or seven foot tall before I drop it down. Wow. And I kind of feel, I feel bad. Like, I'm like, that's an amazing nature is finding a way and here I am killing it. Yeah, my dad used to be very aggravated by his lawn being mostly moss. And I was like, just surrender to the moss.

The moss is doing what the grass keeps failing to do. Yeah. And it's green and sort of pleasant to walk on and fuzzy. You're beef with the moss. I agree. But then I suppose it does attract insects and that's a reason that I should get rid of them because I, because of my arm, my poor arm. Ollie, you've got a garden, there'll be insects. Yeah, fair.

You just need to never go outside again, that's the solution. And Erica responding not to our last episode of Answer Me This, but in fact to our last episode of Answer Us Back, so not exactly very long ago, says you were having a conversation about who people look like, when you hear voices on the radio. Yes. I was saying it really can fuck people up to have to regard our corporeal existence,

having created a visage for us in their imaginations. Yes. She says, I listen to the air. illusionist for about a year before I ever saw a picture of Helen. Oh, yeah. The person that I visualised to go with your voice, Helen, looked like Nigella Lawson. Wow. Thanks. I was convinced after hearing Helen's voice that she must be one of the most beautiful people on earth. Oh no, here it comes. Then I finally saw her at a live show and, dot, dot, dot, I was right. Wow, what a charm school, Erica. That's sweet. Is it? I don't think.

she's lying. You think she's, you think she's, this is satire. I don't think she's writing in to say she thought you were horrendously ugly. I think she's saying, I certainly don't think I look like a jella, do I? She didn't say that she was right that you look like Jella. She said that she was right that you must be one of the most beautiful people on earth. Those were the vibes she got, Helen. And that's why I've gone into an audio medium. I love Nijella. I interviewed Jack Monro once and they said to me like, the reason they love Nijela is that the recipes work, simple as that. And they're for people who are actually making stuff at home.

And I feel like some of the fancier chefs forget that. Nigella does have trusty recipes. Delia Smith, I mean, what else have you got except a working recipe? You've not got pizzazz, have you? But the thing with Delia Smith is it's like, yeah, it's pragmatic, isn't it? Take the egg, put it on the toast. Whereas Nigella's like, rub it on your clit. So it's the same thing.

But it's sexier. Rubbing an egg on your clip. It's an arresting image that I'm not sure I'll recover from. Well, it seems an appropriate moment. wrap up this edition of Answer Us Back, but if you have feedback for us on anything we've discussed today or in a recent or long past episode of Answer Me This, then do get in touch for a future answer us back. Yes, and like I said, so much feedback to just answer me this 419 that we couldn't even get into the fascinating discourse upon the rough side of a greater. But hold on to your

butts. Oh, well, we'll get to that and answer me this 420, yeah. I mean, one thing you could use the rough side of grated for, of course, is making the bun cake just to bring us full circle, because there's a lot of grated coconut there. Or you could just get like a polystyrene ring and rough it up with the grater, and then you've got a permanent Tom Cruise bunt cake. Anyway, we'll see you on the last Thursday of the month for brand new, answer me this. Remember in the meantime as well that if you've enjoyed this and you'd like to hear it ad-free on a podcast feed on your favourite podcast app, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube

music, you can do that by visiting patreon.com. slash Answer Me This. And you also get the entirety of our back catalogue and all of the bonus bits that we've ever done, including a package of new ones every month. And our six special albums, including the currently relevant Answer Me This Holiday and Answer Me This Sports Day. That's right, yeah. Go off, do it now. Off you go.

Bye. Bye. Hi. Off like a ladybird. Bye.