Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchWhy do pilots sit in a 'cockpit'? | AVIATION WORDS
Episode 53
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 …
Published on 2 months, 4 weeks ago
How did currencies get their names? | MONEY WORDS
Episode 52
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…
Published on 3 months ago
Does English use the wrong word for clouds? | WEATHER WORDS
Episode 51
Jess and Rob have got their heads in the clouds, exploring the origins of our words for weather.
☄️ Why don't meteorologists deal with meteors?
☁️ How are we using the wrong word for 'cloud'?
☔️ Wha…
Published on 3 months, 1 week ago
Exposing grammar myths and mistakes with Grammar Girl
Episode 50
Is it "on accident" or "by accident"? Should "red, white, and blue" have that second comma? Is "10 items or less" okay? Jess and Rob are joined by the internet's Grammar Girl, Mignon Fogarty, to exam…
Published on 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Why is English full of French words?
Episode 49
Bienvenue dans cet épisode de "Mot Décortiqué"! Rob and Jess are exploring the enormous influence French has had on the English language.
📊What proportion of English words are French?
🥩Why do our me…
Published on 4 months, 1 week ago
Precisely how long is a 'moment'? | TIME WORDS
Episode 48
Jess and Rob present a brief history of time words in an episode filled with chronological etymology.
⌚️ How did "seconds" get their name?
🕰️ What does "clock" literally mean?
🇫🇷 How did France's de…
Published on 4 months, 2 weeks ago
What was the original "blockbuster"? | MOVIE WORDS
Episode 47
Lights, camera, action! Rob and Jess are discussing movie and TV terms in this filmic episode of Words Unravelled.
🎥 Why do Brits call movies "films"?
🤷🏼♂️ Why has Allen Smithee directed so many ter…
Published on 4 months, 3 weeks ago
How can you tell a bug from a beetle? | ENTOMOLOGY ETYMOLOGY
Episode 46
Time for some entomology etymology! Rob and Jess will have you in bits as they explore the literal meaning of "insect" and all manner of other term for creepy crawly.
🕷️ Why do spiders spin "cobwebs…
Published on 5 months ago
Why is the Pope "the daddy"? | HOLY WORDS
Episode 45
Holy heck! Rob and Jess are back with an episode of biblical proportions. Join them as they get to the gospel truth about the origins of religious words.
⛪️ What was kept in the very first chapel?
🦛 …
Published on 5 months, 1 week ago
Why do Brits think 'pants' are underwear? | CLOTHING WORDS
Episode 44
Jess and Rob are unravelling the origins of our words for fabric and clothing in this highly fashionable episode of Words Unravelled.
🩲 Why do 'pants' mean different things in the UK and US?
👖 Which…
Published on 5 months, 2 weeks ago