Claim OwnershipWords Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris
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Β© Rob Watts & Jess Zafarris
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Jess Zafarris and Rob Watts unravel the stories behind everyday words.
Want to watch our episodes too? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8R3ZnESMdsuTevq4ib9CvA
Want to watch our episodes too? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8R3ZnESMdsuTevq4ib9CvA
73Β Episodes
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Rob and Jess are going deep undercover to unearth the origins of words from the word of espionage.π΅οΈββοΈ What's the difference between a SPY, and ASSET, and an AGENT?π What does ESPIONAGE literally mean?π¬π§ Was there ever an MI4 as well MI5 and MI6?These questions answered β and many more β in a supremely secretive episode of Words Unravelled.π₯ Dr Geoff Lindsey's COVERT vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeHRN6GlNOsπ OUR MERCH πUS SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.com/EU/UK SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.net/
Rob and Jess are talking tech! In this episode, they explore the linguistic origins of terms from technology, Sci-fi and the internet.π§ Who was the first internet troll?π€ What does 'robot' literally mean?π« Does Jedi actually mean something?β¨οΈ Are we pronouncing 'meme' correctly?These questions answered, and a whole lot more, in an extra nerdy episode of Words Unravelled.π¨ROBWORDS LIVEπ¨Ticket: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bloomsbury-theatre/events/2026/apr/evening-etymology-rob-wordsπ OUR MERCH πUS SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.com/EU/UK SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.net/π₯ WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/vrZwAuQ6X0c
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Rob and Jess are taking a surgical look at words from the world of medicine.π What is the Nocebo Effect?π©Ί Are doctors named after leeches (or the other way round)?π What does "ambulance" literally mean?These questions answered, and many more, in another wordy nerdy episode of Words Unravelled.π OUR MERCH πUS SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.com/EU/UK SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.net/π WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/KVFMuOBPjNs
Jess and Rob are exploring the etymological origins of mythical beasts and cryptids.
πΊ What does "Chupacabra" mean?
π¦ Why are we getting the name "Kraken" wrong?
π What animal was the original "dragon"?
These questions answered β and many more besides β in another Words Unravelled.
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π WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/hcVF8b2w6n4
In this episode, Rob and Jess explore the stories behind a host of common sayings.
πͺ Does anyone actually 'bury the hatchet'?
π Was there ever a 'devil's advocate'?
π« What is a 'son of a gun'?
πͺΆ Why would you have a 'feather in your cap'?
These questions answered β and many more β in another idioms episode of Words Unravelled.
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WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/d2q4bBjWmtI
This episode of Words Unravelled is not for the easily offended, as Rob and Jess explore dictionaries dedicated to underground slang.Β
Focusing first on Francis Grose's 'Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue', our hosts pick out some of the rudest, meanest and funniest words recorded in 18th century London.
They also discuss other attempts to document the everyday talk of the criminal classes, and take a special look at London's 20th century 'gay language', Polari.
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It's sometimes said that English has taken on so many Latin and French words that it is now a Romance language. Rob and Jess believe this is false, and in this episode they explain why.
Join them as they explain just how similar English is to its siblings Dutch and German and its cousins Swedish, Danish and Norwegian. Learn about the many words borrowed from other Germanic languages. And discover why English has Germanic DNA.
Enjoy another wordy, nerdy episode of Words Unravelled.
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WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/DSD_kMu1INk
What is the Baader-Meinhof effect? How many quotes are wrongly attributed to Churchill? What's Jess's funniest linguistics joke?
These questions answered, and many more, in a special episode of Words Unravelled featuring League of the Lexicon founder Joshua Blackburn.
You can find out more about his board game and accompanying book, The Language-Lover's Lexipedia, here: https://www.leagueofthelexicon.com/
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WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/TFMaxYzWvJc
In this episode, Jess and Rob get sporty as they trace the origins of the words behind our favourite games.Β
βΎοΈ What is the word "sport" short for?
π Why does American "football" barely involve your feet?
π What do Brits mean when they say something "isn't cricket"?
Expect Victorian public schools, Indigenous ball games, and a few linguistic own goals in another Words Unravelled.
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πWATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/ClRqFWMR15Y
Rob and Jess are exploring the origins of first names.Β
π© Are all MARYS actually MIRIAMS?
π΅οΈββοΈ How can JAMES, IAGO and JACOB be the same?
π‘ What do ROBERT and JESSICA mean?
These questions answered β and many more β in this nominally fascinating etymological exploration of why we're called what we're called. It's time for Words Unravelled!
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In this episode, Rob and Jess dig into the origins of the words we use for our furry, feathered, and occasionally scaly companions.Β
π Where does the word 'dog' come from?
π What does 'cat' literally mean?
πΉ Are guinea pigs even from Guinea?
These questions answered, and many more, in this edition of Words Unravelled dedicated to our beloved pets.
WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/_r2HMeiDhKA
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From mountain high to valley low, Rob Watts and Jess Zafarris are exploring the origins of geography words.
π»ββοΈ Why are the poles called 'poles'?
π» What is the difference between a hill and a mountain?
π§ What do the points of the compass literally mean?
These questions answered β and many more β in another worldly, wordy and nerdy episode of Words Unravelled.
π₯ WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/0TTPpHUVL3Y
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Internet word nerds RobWords and Jess Zafarris share 100 word facts. They met in person for the first time after Words Unravelled reached 100,000 subscribers on YouTube. Prepare for 49 minutes of pure linguistic geekery.
π₯ WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/uPfbuo6iP6Y
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πLISTEN: https://podfollow.com/words-unravelled-with-robwords-and-jess-zafarris
or search for "Words Unravelled" wherever you get your podcasts.
==LINKS==
Rob's YouTube channel: youtube.com/robwords
Jess' Useless Etymology blog: https://uselessetymology.com/
Rob on X: x.com/robwordsyt
Jess on TikTok: tiktok.com/@jesszafarris
In this episode, Jess and Rob 'spill the beans' about all manner of food-related idioms.
π Why does 'going bananas' mean going mad?
βοΈ Who is the Joe in a 'cup of Joe'?
π What did we compare apples to before oranges?
π§
What does it really mean to 'know your onions'?
Answers to these questions and many more as we explore the origins of commons sayings in Words Unravelled.
OTHER IDIOM EPISODES
https://youtu.be/Fkf61-j8VmQ?si=3GWneox_uAN1NsXI
https://youtu.be/ca3lz3dXgW8?si=9D_DE4-MiJ9jV5IK
π OUR MERCH π
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EU/UK SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.net/
π₯ WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/6Rr6qfIIapY
==LINKS==
Rob's YouTube channel: youtube.com/robwords
Jess' Useless Etymology blog: https://uselessetymology.com/
Rob on X: x.com/robwordsyt
Jess on TikTok: tiktok.com/@jesszafarris
In this episode, Rob and Jess take a right royal romp through the etymologies of eminent titles. They discuss the origins of words like "lord", "emperor", "queen" and a whole host of others:
ποΈ How did Caesar become a title all over Europe?
π What did 'pharaoh' mean to the ancient Egyptians?
πΒ What is the etymology of the word 'king'?
π³οΈ What is a 'timocracy' or a 'kakistocracy?
These questions answered β and many more β in another Words Unravelled.
π OUR MERCH π
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π₯ WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/MrsqUCgXGBk
Weβre digging into prehistoric word origins. In this episode, Jess and Rob unearth the literal meanings behind the names of the dinosaurs.
π¦ What does Tyrannosaurus rex really mean?
π¦ Why is Stegosaurus called the βroof lizardβ?
π¦ Are dinosaurs birds or lizards?
𦴠Are dinosaur names Latin or Greek?
These questions answered β and many more β in another monstrous episode of Words Unravelled.
π LINKS π
Charlie the Unicorn: https://youtu.be/CsGYh8AacgY?si=s0AwwpXqwB_1_GhX
Rob's dinosaur video: https://youtu.be/7FOamlJf-28?si=sKbN6Bjw0s7LukG7
π OUR MERCH π
US SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.com/
EU/UK SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.net/
π₯ WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/y0Bv7Rt2L54
We're taking a world tour of word origins. In this episode, Jess and Rob discuss how a multitude of countries got their names.
πΊπΈ Where was the original "America"?
π¬π§ Why is Britain called "Great"?
π¨π¦ What does "Canada" mean?
π©πͺ Why do the Germans call themselves "Dutch"?
These questions answered β and many more β in another worldly wise episode of Words Unravelled.
π LINKS π
Rob's UK country names video: https://youtu.be/aXAjMlTO7Dc?si=DpZ8oZlH8h6iVX0O
Rob's European countries video: https://youtu.be/2Pcv2ySMi40?si=4YQMmeUL4FcPBOn7
π OUR MERCH π
US SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.com/
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WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/HJVrBYFf4Ps
BREAKING: Rob and Jess uncover news clichΓ©s and weird journalistic words.Β
πΊ Why do TV news anchors talk in that strange way?
ποΈ Why do newspaper journalists spell lead as "lede"?
π€ Why do journalists use clichΓ©s like "on the rise"?
π What is a "knobbly monster"?
These questions answered β and many more β in another hot-off-the-press episode of Words Unravelled.
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WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/Q_A1OtVd8RA
Samuel Johnson's 1755 dictionary was one heck of an achievement. But it is also far from perfect. In this episode, Jess and Rob discuss some of the more amusing entries within its pages, and even the words that landed dear Samuel in hot water. Enjoy this cover-to-cover exploration of English's most important dictionary and the extraordinary man who wrote it.
π OUR MERCH π
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π JESS'S BOOK π
Bookshop . org: tinyurl.com/UselessEty
Amazon: tinyurl.com/UselessEtyAZ
B&N: tinyurl.com/UselessEtyBN
WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/GW0em6wW15A
Welcome aboard flight WU321 bound for Etymology Island. In this episode, Rob and Jess take to the skies and soar through the word origins of a multitude of aviation terms.βοΈ Is it an 'airplane' or an 'aeroplane'?π Why do pilots sit in a 'cockpit'?π©οΈ Why is English the language of aviation?π How did the NATO alphabet come to be?These questions answered β and many more β in a high-flying episode of Words Unravelled charting the etymology of flight.πΎBECOME A MEMBERπΎClick "join" here: https://www.youtube.com/@wordsunravelledπ OUR MERCH πUS SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.com/EU/UK SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.net/π₯ WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/v2pWWECvdvc
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There is no question in my mind that the on accident/by accident influence had to have been "Sesame Street".
What about someone who is on a fast, like Ramadan or Lent?
Buckle up, pun lovers! Today, weβre taking a joyride through the humorous highway of driving puns. Fasten your seatbelts; itβs going to be a punny ride. https://punfinity.com/driving-puns/
brilliant, grew up with British English, but think the is a lot that the Septics get right