Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchWhich was the original 'football'? | SPORTS WORDS
Episode 64
In this episode, Jess and Rob get sporty as they trace the origins of the words behind our favourite games.
⚾️ What is the word "sport" short for?
🏉 W…
11 months, 1 week ago
What does your name mean? | FIRST NAMES EXPLAINED
Episode 63
Rob and Jess are exploring the origins of first names.
👩 Are all MARYS actually MIRIAMS?
🕵️♀️ How can JAMES, IAGO and JACOB be the same?
💡 What do ROB…
11 months, 2 weeks ago
Are pets called 'pets' because we pet them? | PET WORDS
Episode 62
In this episode, Rob and Jess dig into the origins of the words we use for our furry, feathered, and occasionally scaly companions.
🐕 Where does the …
11 months, 3 weeks ago
Can a hill be taller than a mountain? | GEOGRAPHY WORDS
Episode 61
From mountain high to valley low, Rob Watts and Jess Zafarris are exploring the origins of geography words.
🐻❄️ Why are the poles called 'poles'?
🗻 Wh…
1 year ago
100 Word Facts... and Rob & Jess meet!
Episode 60
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 sub…
1 year ago
Who was the first to 'spill the beans'? | IDIOM ORIGINS
Episode 59
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 i…
1 year, 1 month ago
Why are we saying 'Caesar' wrong? | TITLES & POWER
Episode 58
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", "empe…
1 year, 1 month ago
What does 'stegosaurus' literally mean? | DINOSAUR NAMES
Episode 57
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…
1 year, 1 month ago
Why is England called 'England'? | COUNTRY NAME ORIGINS
Episode 56
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 origin…
1 year, 1 month ago
Why do news anchors talk like that? | JOURNALESE
Episode 55
BREAKING: Rob and Jess uncover news clichés and weird journalistic words.
📺 Why do TV news anchors talk in that strange way?
🗞️ Why do newspaper journ…
1 year, 2 months ago