Hello! There's a sleighful of fun festive episodes of Helen's podcast the Allusionist over at the theallusionist.org and in the podplaces - episodes about Santa/Father Christmas/St Nick's many names, meaty greetings cards, what to do when kids' letters to Santa are delivered to you, and how to write a festive hit for a very Covid Christmas.

But, right here in your AMT feed are a couple of Festivelusionist highlights: Winterval, about the term that unwillingly became a byword for the War On Christmas; and How The Dickens Stole Christmas, explaining why Christmas is so damn Dickensian.

Also, we have a lot of delightful AMT festive episodes on the feed - seek out ones released in Decembers - as well as our Christmas album, available from answermethisstore.com/albums! We answered so many seasonal questions, about the Spanish shitting log tradition, the cause of Rudolph's red nose, how come there's a Flintstones Christmas episode though they lived long before Christ was born, and how artificial Christmas trees were begat by bog brushes.

Merry Winterval to one and all!

Well this is it, listeners. After 14 years and 8 months and many thousands of questions, AMT400 is the last episode of the show. But we go out on some terrific inquiries, about pigeon navigation, saving Joni Mitchell's childhood home/destroying Shakespeare's final home, the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes, diamond skulls, and eating brunch dangling 150 feet up in the air.

Huge thanks to all of you who sent in lovely messages - and songs! - with your AMT-related emotions and memories. We only included a tiny fraction of your affection in the episode, but know that we read/listened to everything. And maybe wept over it a bit too.

Find more about this episode, including a mega bonus episode of all the extra answers we didn't have room for, at answermethispodcast.com/episode400.

Keep in touch! Here's how to find the three of us: 

Olly Mann is @ollymann on Twitter. His podcasts include The Retrospectors and The Modern Mann, and you can find all of his shows at ollymann.com. 

Helen Zaltzman is @helenzaltzman on Twitter and Instagram. Her podcasts include The Allusionist and Veronica Mars Investigations.

Martin The Sound Man Austwick is @martinaustwick on Twitter and Instagram. His podcasts include Song By Song, Neutrino Watch and Maddie's Sound Explorers - and you can hear his songs via palebirdmusic.com.

This episode is sponsored by:

• Manscaped, a full range of grooming products for your furry parts. Get 20% off plus free shipping with the code ANSWER at Manscaped.com.
• Squarespace. Want to build a website? Go to squarespace.com/answer, and get a 10% discount on your first purchase of a website or domain with the code 'ANSWER'.

Stay subscribed to this feed, cos you never know what the future holds. Until the unknown future happens: bye!!!

For our very last retro AMT, we returned to a favourite from December 2011: AMT200, where we enlisted our families to answer your questions. And, well, it's a novelty not to be embarrassed just by our own past selves this time.

This episode originally appeared at answermethispodcast.com/episode200.

Episodes 1-200 are available at answermethisstore.com, where you can also get our six special albums.

• Tweet us twitter.com/helenandolly
• Facebook facebook.com/answermethis
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts iTunes.com/AnswerMeThis

Hear Helen Zaltzman's podcasts The Allusionist at theallusionist.org and Veronica Mars Investigations at VMIpod.com, Olly Mann's The Retrospectors, The Modern Mann and more at ollymann.com, and Martin Austwick's Song By Song at songbysongpodcast.com.

This episode is sponsored by Squarespace. Want to build a website? Go to squarespace.com/answer, and get a 10% discount on your first purchase of a website or domain with the code 'answer'. 

In AMT399, we find out about tuning church bells, cheetahs being given pet dogs, Olly getting lost in SeaWorld, how pickled onions inspired soft play, and which ways you might be most likely to be killed by a ball pit. We also have a Big Announcement ahead of episode 400.

Find out more about this episode at answermethispodcast.com/episode399.

For more AMT stuff, head over to answermethisstore.com, where you can get our six special albums, AMT episodes 1-200, and our Best Of compilations.

Send us your questions for episode 400, as well as your precious AMT memories - whether our answers to your questions helped or hurt your life, whether you made any friends through the podcast, whether you started your own podcast, the weirdest place or oddest thing you were doing while listening to the show, we want to hear it all! Email written words or voice recordings to answermethispodcast@googlemail.com.

Tweet us @helenandolly, and follow us on Facebook facebook.com/answermethis.

Hear our other work:
Olly Mann has a new podcast, the Retrospectors, which you can find along with his other shows at ollymann.com;
Helen Zaltzman makes the podcasts The Allusionist - theallusionist.org - and Veronica Mars Investigations VMIpod.com; and Martin Austwick's music is available at palebirdmusic.com, his Tom Waits podcast Song By Song at songbysongpodcast.com, and the music'n'science podcast Maddie's Sound Explorers, hosted by Maddie Moate, at smarturl.it/soundexplorers.

This episode is sponsored by:

• Wondrium, the streaming library of tutorials, lectures, documentaries, how-to videos, travel, craft and much more! AMT listeners get 14 days' free access to the whole library at wondrium.com/answer.
• Squarespace. Want to build a website? Go to squarespace.com/answer, and get a 10% discount on your first purchase of a website or domain with the code 'ANSWER'.

We're settling a lot of couples' disputes in AMT398. Potato in tacos: Y/N? Did all animation used to be worse, or specifically just in Disney's straight to video sequels? And who's from the biggest village? 

Find out more about this episode at answermethispodcast.com/episode398.

For more AMT stuff, head over to answermethisstore.com, where you can get our six special albums, AMT episodes 1-200, and our Best Of compilations.

Send us your questions for future episodes: email written words or voice recordings to answermethispodcast@googlemail.com.

Tweet us @helenandolly, and follow us on Facebook facebook.com/answermethis.

Hear our other work:
Olly Mann has a new podcast, the Retrospectors, which you can find along with his other shows at ollymann.com;
Helen Zaltzman makes the podcasts The Allusionist - theallusionist.org - and Veronica Mars Investigations VMIpod.com; and Martin Austwick's music is available at palebirdmusic.com, his innovative new podcast Neutrino Watch at neutrinowatch.org, his Tom Waits podcast Song By Song at songbysongpodcast.com, and the music'n'science podcast Maddie's Sound Explorers, hosted by Maddie Moate, at smarturl.it/soundexplorers.

This episode is sponsored by:

• Manscaped, a full range of grooming products for your furry parts. Get 20% off plus free shipping with the code ANSWER at Manscaped.com
• Squarespace. Want to build a website? Go to squarespace.com/answer, and get a 10% discount on your first purchase of a website or domain with the code 'ANSWER'.

In AMT397, questioneers want to know when meerkats got so popular, why you'd wear an albatross around your neck, what you do when your friends think you're a pennypincher, and whether Mary Shelley had sex on her mother's grave.

Find out more about this episode at answermethispodcast.com/episode397.

For more AMT stuff, head over to answermethisstore.com, where you can get our six special albums, AMT episodes 1-200, and our Best Of compilations.

Send us your questions for future episodes: email written words or voice recordings to answermethispodcast@googlemail.com.

Tweet us @helenandolly, and follow us on Facebook facebook.com/answermethis.

Hear our other work:
Olly Mann has a new podcast, the Retrospectors, which you can find along with his other shows at ollymann.com;
Helen Zaltzman makes the podcasts The Allusionist - theallusionist.org - and Veronica Mars Investigations VMIpod.com; and Martin Austwick's music is available at palebirdmusic.com, his Tom Waits podcast Song By Song at songbysongpodcast.com, and the music'n'science podcast Maddie's Sound Explorers, hosted by Maddie Moate, at smarturl.it/soundexplorers.

This episode is sponsored by:

• The Great Courses Plus, the streaming library of courses on topics from piano to mystery-writing to formal logic to Italian. AMT listeners get a free fortnight at thegreatcoursesplus.com/answer.
• Squarespace. Want to build a website? Go to squarespace.com/answer, and get a 10% discount on your first purchase of a website or domain with the code 'ANSWER'.

In AMT396, questioneers are concerned about crabs eating their babies, The Addams Family, and whether their voodoo doll of their office nemesis worked out a little too well. 

Find out more about this episode at answermethispodcast.com/episode396.

For more AMT stuff, head over to answermethisstore.com, where you can get our six special albums, AMT episodes 1-200, and our Best Of compilations.

Send us your questions for future episodes: email written words or voice recordings to answermethispodcast@googlemail.com.

Tweet us twitter.com/helenandolly
Facebook facebook.com/answermethis

Hear our other work: Helen Zaltzman's podcasts The Allusionist at theallusionist.org and Veronica Mars Investigations at VMIpod.com; Olly Mann's five podcasts including The Modern Mann, The Week Unwrapped, and Four Thought at ollymann.com; and Martin Austwick's music at palebirdmusic.com, his Tom Waits podcast Song By Song at songbysongpodcast.com, and the music'n'science podcast Maddie's Sound Explorers, hosted by Maddie Moate, at smarturl.it/soundexplorers.

This episode is sponsored by:

• The Great Courses Plus, the streaming library of courses on topics from piano to mystery-writing to formal logic to Italian. AMT listeners get a free fortnight at thegreatcoursesplus.com/answer.
• Squarespace. Want to build a website? Go to squarespace.com/answer, and get a 10% discount on your first purchase of a website or domain with the code 'ANSWER'.

Put your arm out, palms up, now touch your biceps, cradle the back of your head, hand on hip, other hand on other hip, pat each buttock and JUMP because in AMT395 we're learning about the Macarena dance! As well as Rita Ora's hats, wearing sports merch for a team you don't support, and winning a car at the airport.

Find out more about this episode at answermethispodcast.com/episode395.

For more AMT stuff, head over to answermethisstore.com, where you can get our six special albums, AMT episodes 1-200, and our Best Of compilations.

Send us your questions for future episodes: email written words or voice recordings to answermethispodcast@googlemail.com.

Tweet us twitter.com/helenandolly
Facebook facebook.com/answermethis

Hear our other work: Helen Zaltzman's podcasts The Allusionist at theallusionist.org and Veronica Mars Investigations at VMIpod.com; Olly Mann's five podcasts including The Modern Mann, The Week Unwrapped, and Four Thought at ollymann.com; and Martin Austwick's music at palebirdmusic.com, his Tom Waits podcast Song By Song at songbysongpodcast.com, and the music'n'science podcast Maddie's Sound Explorers, hosted by Maddie Moate, at smarturl.it/soundexplorers.

This episode is sponsored by:

• The Great Courses Plus, the streaming library of courses on topics from piano to mystery-writing to formal logic to Italian. AMT listeners get a free fortnight at thegreatcoursesplus.com/answer.
• Squarespace. Want to build a website? Go to squarespace.com/answer, and get a 10% discount on your first purchase of a website or domain with the code 'ANSWER'.

In AMT394, listeners are struggling with questions about genies' feet, treadmills in shoe shops, and their own children's mediocrity.

Find out more about this episode at answermethispodcast.com/episode394.

For more AMT stuff, head over to answermethisstore.com, where you can get our six special albums, AMT episodes 1-200, and our Best Of compilations.

Send us your questions for future episodes: email written words or voice recordings to answermethispodcast@googlemail.com.

Tweet us twitter.com/helenandolly
Facebook facebook.com/answermethis

Hear our other work: Helen Zaltzman's podcasts The Allusionist at theallusionist.org and Veronica Mars Investigations at VMIpod.com; Olly Mann's five podcasts including The Modern Mann, The Week Unwrapped, and Four Thought at ollymann.com; and Martin Austwick's music at palebirdmusic.com, his Tom Waits podcast Song By Song at songbysongpodcast.com, and the music'n'science podcast Maddie's Sound Explorers, hosted by Maddie Moate, at smarturl.it/soundexplorers.

This episode is sponsored by:

• The Great Courses Plus, the streaming library of courses on topics from piano to mystery-writing to formal logic to Italian. AMT listeners get a free fortnight at thegreatcoursesplus.com/answer.

• Squarespace. Want to build a website? Go to squarespace.com/answer, and get a 10% discount on your first purchase of a website or domain with the code 'ANSWER'.

New year, new questions, about naming ravens at the Tower of London, how glow sticks work, did pirates really walk the plank, and how come prawn cocktail-flavour Pringles bring out one listener in the sweats.

Find out more about this episode at answermethispodcast.com/episode393.

For more AMT stuff, head over to answermethisstore.com, where you can get our six special albums, AMT episodes 1-200, and our Best Of compilations.

Send us questions for 2021 episodes: email written words or voice recordings to answermethispodcast@googlemail.com.

Tweet us twitter.com/helenandolly
Facebook facebook.com/answermethis

Hear our other work: Helen Zaltzman's podcasts The Allusionist at theallusionist.org and Veronica Mars Investigations at VMIpod.com; Olly Mann's five podcasts including The Modern Mann, The Week Unwrapped, and Four Thought at ollymann.com; and Martin Austwick's music at palebirdmusic.com, his Tom Waits podcast Song By Song at songbysongpodcast.com, and the music'n'science podcast Maddie's Sound Explorers, hosted by Maddie Moate, at smarturl.it/soundexplorers.

This episode is sponsored by:

• The Great Courses Plus, the streaming library of courses on topics from chess to mystery fiction to yoga to formal logic to dog training. AMT listeners get a free month at thegreatcoursesplus.com/answer.
• Squarespace. Want to build a website? Go to squarespace.com/answer, and get a 10% discount on your first purchase of a website or domain with the code 'ANSWER'.