This is the allusionist in which I, Helen's ultimate played Boppet, was language until the batteries run out.

Coming up in today's show, a famous man who is colourfully dressed has trademark facial hair, goes by many names.

No, not prints. I have to issue a content warning. Screen this episode before listening to it with young children as there may be life spoilers.

To warm up, here's some word history. Here is where we get the word clue. It descends from the old English word clue,

spelled C-L-E-W, which meant a ball of thread or yarn, and still has various rope-related meanings in nautical and theatrical terminology,

but take a look at Greek mythology for a clue about how clues became clues.

Theesius was given a clue by Ariadne, so he could leave a trail of string to find his way back out of the labyrinth.

After he was done killing the minotaur, you see, the clue led him to a particular result.

Now though in some places, clue does still have the stringy meaning and spelling, as of the 1620s, the metaphorical sense became the dominant one,

which is usually the kind of thing that makes me think, is this a made-up etymology, but in this case no. On with the show.

Dear Kathy and Mike, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope you... I hope you... and the kids...

Oh, what next? I can't think of anything to say to these people. Why am I sending them a card at all?

Just totally meaningless communication. Look, I'm communicating with you. I'm just not actually communicating any meaning.

This card was really small before I opened it. Why is there so much blank space inside?

No, how do I sign off? From Helen.

Ah, it's cold. Love from Helen. Yeah, way too strong. I don't even like them all that much.

XOXO? That's not my style, everyone would think it's a forgery.

Ah, great. Forty-mortar go.

And this is why, many years ago, I decided to stop sending Christmas cards and I have never regretted it.

However, though I'm not one to get nostalgic, especially for times before I was even alive,

here's one case where I think things were better in a bygone era.

Some Victorian Christopher Cards are utterly bonkers. My favourite one was a Christmas card that just had some bacon attached to it.

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