🤔 Where do our emotions come from? In this episode of Words Unravelled, Rob and Jess dive deep into the fascinating origins of the words we use to express how we feel! From the familiar words like "sad," "mad," and "glad," to the more complex emotions of feeling "mortified" or "envious," we explore the linguistic history that shaped these terms and…

In this episode of Words Unravelled, Rob and Jess dig into the spooky origins of Halloween words. From 'ghosts' and 'ghouls' to 'warlocks' and 'witches', they uncover the hauntingly fascinating roots of supernatural lingo. 🐺 What is the 'were' in werewolf? 🧌 Why is there a 'monster' in 'demonstrate'? 🦇 What does 'vampire' literally mean? These cree…

In this episode of Words Unravelled, Rob and Jess explore the fascinating stories behind the names of the elements of the periodic table. From gods and mythological creatures to places and famous scientists, discover how history, language, and culture have shaped the names we use in chemistry today. 💨Why does oxygen have the wrong name? 🧌Which elem…

In this pulchritudinous episode of Words Unravelled, Rob and Jess discuss the longest words in English and beyond: from antidisestablishmentarianism to opado­temacho­selacho­galeo­kranio­leipsano­drim­hypo­trimmato­silphio­karabo­melito­katakechy­meno­kichl­epi­kossypho­phatto­perister­alektryon­opte­kephallio­kigklo­peleio­lagoio­siraio­baphe­trag…

In this episode, Jess and Rob sling some mud as they explore the etymology of insults. 🐳 Does "dork" mean what people say it means? 🤬 Which was Shakespeare's rudest character? 🍆 What exactly is a "plonker"? These dastardly questions answered - and many more - in another Words Unravelled! 🎥WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/60VKgSd3wM0 📕JESS'S BOO…

In this episode, Rob and Jess dive headfirst into the topsy-turvy world of palindromes: words, phrases, and numbers that read the same backward and forward. From the humble "wow" to a mind-boggling 1,300-word monster, we've got the subject covered from top to bottom (and back to front). 🔁 What's the longest known palindrome? 🔁 What's the oldest we'…

Take a walk on the wild side with Rob and Jess as they explore animal etymologies. 🐻Why were we too scared to give bears a proper name? 🐶Why don't we know where the word "dog" came from? 👻Which animal is the "ghost" of the jungle? These questions answered - and many more - in another Words Unravelled. THANKS to Martyn Williams for editing this epis…

In this episode of Words Unravelled, hosts Rob and Jess dive into the fascinating world of etymology, uncovering the surprising origins of everyday words rooted in ancient mythology. 🔍 Where did the first "clue" lead? ⚡ Which god literally inspires "panic"? 🎭 And what is the tragic tale behind "echo"? From the tales of Greek gods to Norse legends, …

How can "cleave" mean both to separate AND to join together? Find out in this episode about contronyms and all manner of other -onyms! Jess and Rob delve into demonyms, retronyms, allonyms, eponyms, aptonyms and caconyms. They explain what they are and why on earth they all exist. 🇬🇧 Why are some Londoners also called Cockneys? 🧔🏼‍♂️ Are sideburns …

In this episode of Words Unravelled, Rob and Jess explore the delicious origins of our words for foods. They delve into the etymology of "dinner", "lunch" and all manner of mealtime, and ask whether "vegetables" technically even exist. As usual, there are one or two saucy stories to be told too (wait 'til you hear what "vanilla" actually means...).…

Discover the fascinating world of "fossil words" with Rob and Jess on Words Unravelled! 🌍📚 In this episode, our hosts delve into the history and evolution of words that have stood the test of time but are no longer in common use. ❓What is a "petard" and how can you be "hoist" by yours? ❓What does the shrift in "give short shrift" mean? ❓Who were th…

In this edition of Words Unravelled, Rob and Jess resurrect some long lost words. We promise not to leave you gremed, overmirthed, nor cursed with the mulligrubs as we explore a hubble-shubble of archaic and obsolete vocabulary from centuries past. 🎥 WATCH EPISODE: https://youtu.be/_tW9pfCqIgY ==LINKS== Rob's YouTube channel: youtube.com/robwords J…

This episode of Words Unravelled is out of this world! Blast off with Rob and Jess as they explore the cosmic origins of space terms. 🌌 Where did the planets get their names? And how do you actually pronounce Uranus? What’s the difference between a meteor, a comet and an asteroid? And what’s so milky about the Milky Way? 🌠 From constellations that …

Chase the blues away and be tickled pink by another episode of Words Unravelled. In this edition Rob and Jess explore the origins of a whole spectrum of color words (or as Rob calls them, "colour words"). 🌸Does pink really exist? 💙Did the Greeks have no word for blue? ⚫️Can black actually mean white? 🐘Which spelling of grey/gray is correct? These q…

For centuries, British English and American English have been locked in a battle for supremacy. In this edition of Words Unravelled, Rob and Jess expose the linguistic differences either side of 'the pond' and try to understand why they exist. Watch this episode here: https://youtu.be/o6KlBd7TPFIBy Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris

Hello and welcome (or should that be hellcome?) to another Words Unravelled. In this episode, Rob and Jess discuss word mash-ups. - 🍊Was an orange ever a norange? - 🍔 Why do cheeseburgers make no sense? - ❓Is it okay to "aks" instead of "ask"? These questions answered and many more as we explore portmanteaus, rebracketing and metathesis. WATCH this…

Welcome, me hearties, to another episode of Words Unravelled. In this edition, Rob and Jess discuss nautical terms and pirate slang. 💩 What's so poopy about a poop deck? 🏴‍☠️ What does it mean to "shiver" someone's timbers? ⚓️ Which English idioms come from the high seas? Find out in Words Unravelled! Watch this episode here: https://youtu.be/QPcOx…

Join word nerds Jess and Rob as they uncover English's lost positives and orphaned negatives. Why can you be "nonchalant" but not "chalant"? If something perfect is "immaculate", what does it mean to be "maculate"? And if you're no longer "exasperated" are you therefore "asperated"? Find out in this edition of Words Unravelled. Watch this episode h…

Join Jess and Rob to collectively explore the weird world of collective nouns. Watch this episode here: https://youtu.be/K2MaE9tn1rk Read the Book of St Albans here: https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Boke_of_Saint_Albans/855KAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PP130&printsec=frontcover&dq=sleuthBy Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris

Jess Zafarris and Rob Watts (aka RobWords) bust some etymology myths: 💰 Does "tip" mean To Insure Promptness? 🤬 Is the F word an acronym? 🦋 Was a butterfly ever a "flutterby"? Find out in Words Unravelled. WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/FcP3Orn_rjsBy Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris

Join word nerds Jess Zafarris and Rob Watts (aka RobWords) as they discuss the amusing mis-heard phrases known as "eggcorns". Watch this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/Sucad437VDA Find us on X: Jess RobBy Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris

Word nerds RobWords and Jess Zafarris welcome you to the first ever edition of Words Unravelled with an episode all about greetings: 👋Where does the word "hello" come from? 🇮🇹What's the surprising original meaning of "Ciao!"? 🇹🇭Why did Thailand officially change its national greeting? 🇫🇷What are the yucky origins of Ça va in French? These questions…

Introducing Words Unravelled: a podcast by two of the internet's biggest word nerds. In each episode Rob Watts (aka RobWords) and Jess Zafarris unravel the stories behind everyday terms.By Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris