Episodios

  • Who was the first to 'spill the beans'? | IDIOM ORIGINS

    Who was the first to 'spill the beans'? | IDIOM ORIGINS
    Sep 17 2025
    In this episode, Jess and Rob 'spill the beans' about all manner of food-related idioms.

    🍌 Why does 'going bananas' mean going mad?
    ☕️ Who is the Joe in a 'cup of Joe'?
    🍏 What did we compare apples to before oranges?
    🧅 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

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    🎥 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
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    44 m
  • Why are we saying 'Caesar' wrong? | TITLES & POWER

    Why are we saying 'Caesar' wrong? | TITLES & POWER
    Sep 10 2025
    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:

    🏛️ How did Caesar become a title all over Europe?
    𓁏 What did 'pharaoh' mean to the ancient Egyptians?
    👑 What is the etymology of the word 'king'?
    🗳️ What is a 'timocracy' or a 'kakistocracy?

    These questions answered – and many more – in another Words Unravelled.

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    🎥 WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/MrsqUCgXGBk
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    43 m
  • What does 'stegosaurus' literally mean? | DINOSAUR NAMES

    What does 'stegosaurus' literally mean? | DINOSAUR NAMES
    Sep 3 2025
    We’re digging into prehistoric word origins. In this episode, Jess and Rob unearth the literal meanings behind the names of the dinosaurs.

    🦖 What does Tyrannosaurus rex really mean?
    🦕 Why is Stegosaurus called the “roof lizard”?
    🐦 Are dinosaurs birds or lizards?
    🦴 Are dinosaur names Latin or Greek?

    These questions answered – and many more – in another monstrous episode of Words Unravelled.

    🌐 LINKS 🌐
    Charlie the Unicorn: https://youtu.be/CsGYh8AacgY?si=s0AwwpXqwB_1_GhX
    Rob's dinosaur video: https://youtu.be/7FOamlJf-28?si=sKbN6Bjw0s7LukG7

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    🎥 WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/y0Bv7Rt2L54
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    42 m
  • Why is England called 'England'? | COUNTRY NAME ORIGINS

    Why is England called 'England'? | COUNTRY NAME ORIGINS
    Aug 27 2025
    We're taking a world tour of word origins. In this episode, Jess and Rob discuss how a multitude of countries got their names.

    🇺🇸 Where was the original "America"?
    🇬🇧 Why is Britain called "Great"?
    🇨🇦 What does "Canada" mean?
    🇩🇪 Why do the Germans call themselves "Dutch"?

    These questions answered – and many more – in another worldly wise episode of Words Unravelled.

    🌐 LINKS 🌐
    Rob's UK country names video: https://youtu.be/aXAjMlTO7Dc?si=DpZ8oZlH8h6iVX0O
    Rob's European countries video: https://youtu.be/2Pcv2ySMi40?si=4YQMmeUL4FcPBOn7

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    WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/HJVrBYFf4Ps
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    43 m
  • Why do news anchors talk like that? | JOURNALESE

    Why do news anchors talk like that? | JOURNALESE
    Aug 20 2025
    BREAKING: Rob and Jess uncover news clichés and weird journalistic words.

    📺 Why do TV news anchors talk in that strange way?
    🗞️ Why do newspaper journalists spell lead as "lede"?
    🎤 Why do journalists use clichés like "on the rise"?
    🐊 What is a "knobbly monster"?

    These questions answered – and many more – in another hot-off-the-press episode of Words Unravelled.

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    WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/Q_A1OtVd8RA
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    46 m
  • How could one man write a dictionary? | SAMUEL JOHNSON

    How could one man write a dictionary? | SAMUEL JOHNSON
    Aug 13 2025
    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.

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    📘 JESS'S BOOK 📘
    Bookshop . org: tinyurl.com/UselessEty
    Amazon: tinyurl.com/UselessEtyAZ
    B&N: tinyurl.com/UselessEtyBN

    WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/GW0em6wW15A
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    43 m
  • Why do pilots sit in a 'cockpit'? | AVIATION WORDS

    Why do pilots sit in a 'cockpit'? | AVIATION WORDS
    Aug 6 2025
    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.

    ✈️ Is it an 'airplane' or an 'aeroplane'?
    🐓 Why do pilots sit in a 'cockpit'?
    🛩️ Why is English the language of aviation?
    🔠 How did the NATO alphabet come to be?

    These questions answered – and many more – in a high-flying episode of Words Unravelled charting the etymology of flight.

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    🎥 WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/v2pWWECvdvc
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    47 m
  • How did currencies get their names? | MONEY WORDS

    How did currencies get their names? | MONEY WORDS
    Jul 30 2025
    In for a penny, in for a pound: Rob and Jess discuss money word origins in this episode of Words Unravelled.

    💰 Where did the dollar sign come from?
    💷 What is the British currency a pound of?
    🤑 Which goddess is all money named after?

    These questions answered – and many more – in another financially sound episode of Words Unravelled.

    🏆 VOTE FOR US 🏆
    The British Podcast Awards listeners' choice award: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/...

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    🎥 WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/iUnj_TSLqgw
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    51 m