Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: "You're Filling Some Big Shoes!"

Date: March 23, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of the Armstrong & Getty "One More Thing" podcast is centered around the concept of "filling big shoes," combining musings on idioms with a spirited review and discussion of the debut of Saturday Night Live UK. The hosts compare British and American sketch comedy, dissect cultural differences in humor—political or otherwise—and riff on the origins and meanings of colloquial phrases. The tone is classic Armstrong & Getty: irreverent, observant, playful, and slightly off-color.

Key Discussion Points

1. The "Big Shoes to Fill" Idiom

• The episode opens with Armstrong reflecting on the oddness of the "big shoes to fill" metaphor (03:42).
  • Armstrong: "It's an odd metaphor really. Shoes aren't your size. You shouldn't wear them under any circumstances. We have a couple members of the show that just learned that, remember? Oh, that's right. Michael and Jack have been wearing undersized shoes for years." (03:42)
  • Getty quips that "someone wearing bigger shoes is not necessarily more competent either" (04:06).
• They riff on how easily idioms get misused or are taken for granted.

2. Saturday Night Live UK: First Impressions (SNL UK)

• Getty introduces the main segment: news of SNL's new London-based version and the humor style it brings (04:18).
• Both hosts discuss the challenge SNL UK faces:
  • Armstrong: "Not only do they have the big shoes of SNL to fill, but the big shoes of British comedy, which I've loved since I was a little kid." (05:39)
• Getty confirms that Lorne Michaels is likely involved but highlights the need for appropriate cultural sensibilities (05:47–05:59).

Review of SNL UK Sketches and Weekend Update

• They share clips of SNL UK, focusing on political satire:
  • Keir Starmer Impression by George Four Acres (06:24–07:36)
    • Four Acres delivers a comedic impersonation filled with British self-deprecation and awkwardness, lampooning the UK’s Prime Minister and diplomatic faux pas.
    • Armstrong: "Pretty good humor." (07:36)
    • Getty notes Starmer's low approval rating and how UK satire lands differently because of it (07:37).
  • Commentary on Politics-Driven Comedy:
    • Getty expresses mixed feelings: "I don't like that they're exporting the idea that Saturday Night Live has to be politics driven...I hate [that]." (07:37–08:08)
• Prince Andrew Segment (08:18–09:28)
  • The SNL UK announcer jokes about Prince Andrew’s scandals with sharp, edgy lines:
    • SNL UK: "Andrew's new residence, Marsh Farm, is...named after the nearby marsh where his body will be found." (08:31)
    • George Four Acres: "If Andrew is charged, found guilty, and put in prison, will he be able to keep his mouth shut? 'I hope not,' said his cellmate's penis." (09:02)
  • The hosts react with surprise, amusement, and a bit of discomfort at the rawness of the jokes.
    • Armstrong: "That was edgy. All right." (08:54)
    • Getty: "Oh, boy. Wow." (09:16)
    • Armstrong: "I did not see that coming." (09:23)
• Iran War Satire (09:43–09:59)
  • SNL UK: "We're now three weeks into the Iran war, which started with the death of one Ayatollah Khomeini and the appointment of another Ayatollah Khomeini. Khomeini 2. But one's dead now."
    • Armstrong: "That's really good. That's funny. Show a lot of politics, though, which will anger Jack." (09:59)
    • Getty: "I love sketch comedy, but it doesn't always have to be politics, you know." (10:09–10:13)

3. The Nature and Use of Expressions

• The duo segue into a discussion about odd and colorful expressions, prompted by their earlier conversation.
• Getty tells a story about using the expression "like a Christmas goose" at home, only for his 14-year-old son to admit, "I'm gonna pretend I have any idea what that means." (15:28)
• They dissect the meaning and origin via ChatGPT's explanation about "shitting like a Christmas goose" and related idioms, revealing both literal and figurative senses (16:28–17:24).
  • Getty: "It's a playful extension of the more common related phrase 'full of as a Christmas goose,' which I'd never heard before, which means full of lies or nonsense or a big liar." (16:38)

4. Book Recommendation: Swearing Through History

• Armstrong brings up a book in his newly reorganized "gentleman's lounge": "Pardon Me. Holy shit, A Brief History of Swearing" by Melissa Moore (17:35–17:59).
• They reminisce about interviewing the author and delve into how swearing and bodily functions were handled in public in earlier eras—cueing further playful, slightly juvenile banter.
  • Armstrong: "There was no privacy in for like poor people in the Middle Ages... you would do your sex and your poop and everything, and there's always somebody there just walking by and watching you." (18:01–18:42)
  • Getty: "I could more easily do that than the, you know... expulsion of waste in front of others." (18:42)

5. Family Talk: Embarrassing Realities of Old-Time Living

• The conversation veers into Raising Kids 101 and wondering about intimacy and privacy in one-room homes of the past.
  • Getty: "So, like on a Little House in the Prairie... after the first kid's born, all night long the next couple of kids are watching the first kid. Gotta watch the brothers and sisters be made, right?" (19:53–20:01)
  • Armstrong: "Well, I guess you wait till your kids are asleep probably and then be really, really quiet." (20:11)
• They laugh at how little privacy people enjoyed in prior centuries and reflect on how such living conditions shaped language and euphemism.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On SNL UK’s Challenge:
  • Armstrong: "Not only do they have the big shoes of SNL to fill, but the big shoes of British comedy..." (05:39)
• On British Political Humor:
  • Getty: "He's got a like a 10% approval rating. Kerry [Keir] Stormer. So it'd be a lot, a lot different than taking on an American president." (07:37)
• On Edgy Royal Jokes:
  • SNL UK: "Marsh Farm is... named after the nearby marsh where his body will be found." (08:31)
  • George Four Acres: "I hope not, said his cellmate's penis." (09:02)
  • Armstrong: "I feel the need to move on from this." (09:30)
• Idioms with Kids:
  • Getty: "I'm gonna pretend I have any idea what that means." (Getty quoting his son about “Christmas goose”) (15:28)
• On Swearing and Privacy:
  • Armstrong: "There was no privacy... you would do your sex and your poop and everything, and there's always somebody there..." (18:01)
  • Getty: "I could more easily do that than the...expulsion of waste in front of others." (18:42)

Key Segments & Timestamps

• Opening idiom banter ("Big shoes to fill"): 03:42–04:18
• SNL UK Introduction & Lorne Michaels discussion: 04:18–05:59
• SNL UK – Keir Starmer sketch: 06:24–07:36
• Discussion: Should sketch comedy be so political? 07:37–08:13
• Prince Andrew jokes and reactions: 08:18–09:28
• Edgy weekend update (Iran war/Ayatollah): 09:43–09:59
• Reflections on political humor and SNL’s direction: 10:09–10:45
• Idioms and 'Christmas goose' origin stories: 15:28–17:24
• Swearing, history, and book mention: 17:35–17:59
• Discussion of old-fashioned family privacy: 18:01–20:22

Tone & Takeaways

• The conversation is a loose, conversational blend of pop culture review, personal anecdotes, and language curiosity.
• Armstrong & Getty’s signature style—irreverent, a little subversive, and always quick with a quip—is on display.
• The episode ultimately serves as both a light introduction to British sketch comedy’s arrival stateside and a reminder to never take idioms (or ourselves) too seriously.
• If you enjoy jokes that veer delightfully close to the line—mixed with historical curiosities about swearing and family life in days gone by—this “One More Thing” episode is for you.