The other day, I was taking part in an audience Q&A when I was roundly scolded by a woman for 'allowing the BBC to ruin the English language.' Naturally I felt terrible, as I had no idea either that it was happening or that I was responsible. Sandi Toksvig More Quotes by Sandi Toksvig More Quotes From Sandi Toksvig When I was a student at Cambridge I remember an anthropology professor holding up a picture of a bone with 28 incisions carved in it. "This is often considered to be man's first attempt at a calendar" she explained. She paused as we dutifully wrote this down. 'My question to you is this - what man needs to mark 28 days? I would suggest to you that this is woman's first attempt at a calendar. It was a moment that changed my life. In that second I stopped to question almost everything I had been taught about the past. How often had I overlooked women's contributions? Sandi Toksvig women feminist past I always wanted to open a delicatessen in Jerusalem and call it 'Cheeses of Nazareth'. Sandi Toksvig nazareth jerusalem food I like frogs. I am not crazy about their legs in a buffet, but I like their casual approach to life. Sandi Toksvig buffets legs crazy You can go anywhere in the world, and people's faces light up when they put delicious food in their mouths. Sandi Toksvig you light food people Sitting on a plastic chair at night listening to the sea lapping below while sipping a cold beer is about as good as life gets. Sandi Toksvig good sea night life I'm 57 years old, and I host a quiz show every single day. I got asked in a recent interview, did I feel that hosting a quiz show helps keep my brain sharp? And I asked - would you ask Stephen Fry that question, who is exactly the same age as me? Somehow, I'm managing to stand up and stay cogent despite my incredible age. Sandi Toksvig day me you age My earliest memory is my parents forgetting my fourth birthday. My dad looked up from reading the paper and went, 'Oh my God!' So we went out, and I chose a red scooter. Sandi Toksvig memory red god birthday You have to stand for the things that you believe in. You have to stay strong inside. Sandi Toksvig stand you strong believe I cannot lie on the beach or by a swimming pool. I think I'm too Nordic to like a lot of relentless sun. Sandi Toksvig lie swimming sun beach I've had a surprising number of near-death experiences: I was nearly blown up by a landmine in Sudan; I was stranded on the Zambezi river at night; I was bucked off a rodeo horse in Arizona and had to be airlifted to hospital; and, worst of all, I once ate a Pot Noodle. Sandi Toksvig river hospital horse night 'The News Quiz' is one of the things I am proudest of in my professional life. Sandi Toksvig professional i-am news life Social media, to me, has got out of hand. Why can't we all be nice to each other? Sandi Toksvig me social-media media nice With my daughters, it didn't matter how much it was not my thing, we went through two truly horrible pink phases. I bought an awful lot of Barbie rubbish, and it was a great day when I was allowed to send Barbie's house to the skip. That was one of the best days of my life. Sandi Toksvig my-life best day life One of my life's watchwords is 'hyggelig.' It's an untranslatable Danish term for getting together with friends and family and sitting around in a cosy atmosphere with nice food and wine and candles. Sandi Toksvig family together food life I'm political in the sense that there's much to be done, but I'm apolitical in the sense that I don't think there's a party that represents anything I believe in. Sandi Toksvig think political party believe My wife and I drove across America following the Oregon Trail, which the pioneers once passed along. Sandi Toksvig trail once wife america Do you know there were two pilots made for 'Have I Got News For You' before the series started two decades ago: one hosted by Angus Deayton and one hosted by me. But I was told that they couldn't have a woman in charge of the news. Sandi Toksvig woman me you news I wish I was fitter. Sandi Toksvig fitter i-wish wish I'm absolutely obsessed with boxing. Sandi Toksvig absolutely obsessed boxing Too often, there are complaints in the British papers about the BBC. It's too left wing, too right wing, too pro-Brexit, too anti, and so on. It's only when you go abroad and try to find out what is going on in the world that everyone falls with gratitude before the BBC News. Sandi Toksvig you gratitude news world
