Dr. Johnson

Dictionaries, depression, a doctorate and a 311th birthday to celebrate…can you guess? Oh yes, this week Susie and Gyles are saluting one of their literary heroes: Doctor Samuel Johnson! We will journey from Litchfield to London and whilst liaising with the literary greats of the day (and falling in love) we will discover how Johnson's desire to halt the degradation of the English language gave us his dictionary. A tumultuous tale involving embryos, rants, hiccups and kisses and a trip to the brothel (not by Johnson himself, of course!) and a tale that has put him amongst one of the most important people in the history of recording language. A Somethin’ Else production. If you would like to nominate your word for ‘that’ sound that older people make when they sit down or stand up, or if you have any other questions for Susie and Gyles, you can get in touch at purple@somethinelse.com Susie’s Trio: Psittacism - meaningless or mechanical repetition of words and phrases Exfamiliation - exclusion from ones family Scrouging - inconvenience or discomfort someone by standing too close to them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices