Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris

Word collectors Rob Watts and Jess Zafarris are exploring the origins of terms for hobbies.
✏️ What does a cruciverbalist do?
✉️ Why are stamp collectors called "philatelists"?
🪴 What do you call someone who collects moss?
These questions answered – and many more – in another Words Unravelled.

📚JESS'S BOOK 'INTO THE WORDS'📚
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Into-Words-Etymologists-Plants-Animals/dp/1399821229/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0
Bookshop.org: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/into-the-words-an-etymologist-s-field-guide-to-plants-animals-and-nature-jess-zafarris/6356ac843df6624c?ean=9781399821223

🖊Do a crossword with Rob🖊
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybudcAutAa0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OsrPo6...

Jess and Rob are exploring the origins of given names.
🐝 What links PAMELA and MELISSA?
🤷🏼‍♂️ Is the name ROSS on the way out?
⚡️ And are some Japanese people really called PIKACHU?
Answers to these questions, and many more, as we get on first-name terms with some nominative etymologies in Words Unravelled.

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Curtain up! It's time for an episode about theatrical words and their origins.
🟢 What's so green about a 'green room'?
📜 Do roles have anything to do with roles?
💀 What links a "hearse" with a "rehearsal"?
These question answered, and many more, in an edition of Words Unravelled filled to rafters with dramatic revelations. Enjoy!

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English is enriched with a plethora of words from Ancient Greek, whether they were pilfered straight from source, or absorbed via Latin, French or Arabic. In this episode, Rob and Jess investigate just how many there are.

🪐 What do cosmos and chaos literally mean?
🏠 Why is your attic named after Ancient Greece?
🍇 Which fruit gave us the word sycophant?

These questions answered, and many more, in another revelatory (or should that be "apocalyptic") episode of Words Unravelled.

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Rob and Jess are investigating how some of the world's biggest brands got their names.
📸 Does KODAK mean anything?
🍟 Which Wendy is Wendy's named after?
🍗 Does Popeyes have anything do with Popeye the Sailor?
🍔 What was the Big Mac nearly called?
These questions answered – and many more – in another Words Unravelled.

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Let's explore city names in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and beyond in another etymological journey around the world. 

🇦🇺 Is Darwin really named after Charles?
🇨🇦 Is Ontario named after the lake or vice versa?
🇹🇷 Which Turkish city is just called "to the city"?
🇳🇿 What does the Māori name for Auckland mean?

This questions answered, and many more, in another globe-trotting episode of Words Unravelled.

WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/foQR0vsAAIc

OTHER CITY EPISODES
https://youtu.be/fR7IIZAy4Js
https://youtu.be/p4bB1fOPtXI

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Rob and Jess are exploring the writing systems of the ancient world.
𓀀 How do hieroglyphs work?
✍️ When did writing first begin?
🫆 And how did we solve the mystery of Linear B?
For these answers, and many more, enjoy this gloriously outdated episode of Words Unravelled.

Also, check out Stefan Milo on the Phaistos disc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PbkThIkdiM

And Rob's video about hieroglyphs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90An1dnvwyc

WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/m9AaobtBMtA

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Let's explore some funny sayings from around the world. In this episode, Rob and Jess discover other languages' equivalents of phrases like "raining cats and dogs", "cost an arm and a leg" and "one sandwich short of a picnic".

Discover idioms in languages as diverse as Korean and Russia, Quebecois and Welsh in this wordy nerdy world tour of adages from overseas.

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Rob and Jess are celebrating 100 episodes of Words Unravelled by sharing their top 100 wordy nerdy facts.

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Willkommen! Jess and Rob are exploring the German words in English. In this Zeitgeisty episode, discover:

👻 What doppelgänger literally means,
📏 The longest German word,
🤧 And why Americans say "Gesundheit!" when they sneeze. 

Satisfy your linguistic wanderlust in another wunderbar edition of Words Unravelled.

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You speak more Latin than you think. Not only are the many French words in English derived from Latin, but almost 30% of our vocabulary comes directly from the language of the Romans. In this episode, Rob and Jess explore how those words got there, what they literally mean, and whether we are using them correctly.

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==LINKS==
Rob's YouTube channel: youtube.com/robwords
Jess' Useless Etymology blog: https://u...

Rob and Jess are taking the deepest of dives into the origins of words from the ocean.
🐟 Are many fish 'fish' or 'fishes'?
🦈 Why is there a mystery around sharks?
🐠 What is a sarcastic fringehead?
These questions answered, and many more, in this subaquatic special of Words Unravelled.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 ROB EDINBURGH TICKETS: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/robwords-live

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Take a pinch of witchcraft, add a touch of sorcery, and "Hey presto!" you have a wordy nerdy episode about magical terms.

🧙 Can only women be witches?
🔒 What did a warlock originally do?
🪄 What is the literal meaning of 'Alakazam'?

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

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 ROB'S EDINBURGH SHOW: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/robwords-live

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We're exploring the origins of common sayings relating to numbers in this episode.

🥉 Why is the third time a charm?
⛅️ What's so great about "seventh heaven"?
🙃 Why do we say "at sixes and sevens"?

Rob and Jess explore these numerical idioms – and many more – in this magnificently mathematical edition of Words Unravelled.

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What did the Vikings do for us? Rob and Jess are exploring the words left behind by the Scandinavian invaders.

🪓 How much of English is Old Norse?
🗺️ Which place names are inherited from "the Danes"?
📝 How did the Norsemen change English grammar?

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

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Why do Americans and Brits have the accents they have? Sociolinguist, professor and author Valerie Fridland joins Rob and Jess this week to discuss why we talk funny.

🍮 Does 'caramel' have one or two syllables?
🪶 Do Americans sound more like Shakespeare than Brits?
🎩 Why do some accents sound 'posher' than others?

These questions answered, an many more, in another gloriously nerdy episode of Words Unravelled.

📘 VALERIE'S BOOKS 📕
Why We Talk Funny: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/744046/why-we-talk-funny-by-valerie-fridland/
Like, Literally, Dude: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/671558/like-literally-dude-by-valerie-fridland/

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How does an artist use a 'donkey'? What does 'Mona Lisa' actually mean? Who is the "dada" in Dadaism? Rob and Jess are explaining word origins from the art world in the latest Words Unravelled, exploring artists, artworks and art supplies.

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Rob and Jess are exploring deceptive words in other languages, like French, German and Spanish. So-called 'false friends' look familiar to English speakers but mean something very different. Watch this episode to avoid any sticky situations when you're next abroad.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 ROB'S EDINBURGH SHOW 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
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Why is it called "Rock and Roll"? Who came up with "The Beatles"? Which bands took their names from literature? Rob and Jess are answering all manner of musical etymological question in this off-beat episode of Words Unravelled.

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¡Hablas más español de lo que crees! You speak more Spanish than you think! In this episode, Rob and Jess are exploring the Spanish words that have entered English both sides of the Atlantic.

🤠 Which words entered English in the old West?
🐴 Which animals are surprisingly Spanish?
🇪🇸 Why do people in Spain sound like they have a lisp?

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

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Let's explore the mysteries of our weird alphabet. Rob and Jess are joined by Danny Bate, author of Why Q Needs U, to discuss where our letters came from and why they make the noises they make.
🅰️ How was A originally an ox?
𝑄 Why does Q always appear with U?
🦓 Is it ZEE or ZED?
These questions answered and so many more in an alphabetically astounding episode of Words Unravelled.

📖 Buy Danny's book, WHY Q NEEDS U: https://geni.us/WhyQNeedsU

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Rob and Jess are guffawing their way through a world of comedic words. 

🎭 What does 'comedy' literally mean?
🤡 Who should you hit with a 'slapstick'?
🥄 What was a spoof? (It's not a type of spoon)

These questions answered, and many many more, in this hilarious edition of Words Unravelled.

👀 WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/56YLffYfQ7M

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Rob and Jess are exploring the Arabic words hiding in English.

🛜 Who was the original ‘algorithm’ named after?
🥷 How did ‘assassins’ get their name?
🔢 Why does English use Arabic numerals?

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

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This episode is all in the mind, as Rob and Jess explore the origins of psychological terms.

💕 What did Oedipus doe to his mother?
🛋️ What did Sigmund Freud actually believe?
😳 What is "catagelaphobia"?
🥼 Why has "therapy speak" become such a problem?

These questions answered, and many more, in this psychoanalytical edition of Words Unravelled that is sure to make you think.

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Rob and Jess are touring the world and translating the names of popular foods.
🍝 What does "chow mein" mean?
👅 Which pasta is "little tongues"?
🌭 What is a Frankfurter called in Frankfurt?
These curious culinary questions answered, and many more, in another deliciously nerdy episode of Words Unravelled.

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Rob and Jess explore the origins of common sayings in another episode dedicated to the stories behind idioms.
🐟 What was the first "red herring"?
🪿 Is there a goose in a "wild goose chase"?
👮 Why is prison called "up the river"?
Find the answers to these questions and many more in another wordy nerdy episode of Words Unravelled.

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What's in a names? Jess and Rob are exploring why major cities are called what they're called and what their names literally mean.

🇩🇪 Why does BERLIN mean 'swamp'?
🇯🇵 Why are KYOTO and TOKYO anagrams?
🇿🇦 Who is the Johannes of Johannesburg?

These questions answered, and many more, in a globe-trotting episode of Words Unravelled.

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Rob and Jess are engaged in another transatlantic war of words, pitting their British and American accents against one another.
🍽️ Why do Brits eat their entrees first?
👰🏽 Why do Americans pronounce "merry", "marry" and "Mary" the same?
🚿 Why can't we agree on whether to "have" or "take" a shower?
These questions answered, and many more, in another Words Unravelled.

Evan Edinger: https://www.youtube.com/evan
Lost in the Pond: https://www.youtube.com/lostinthepond

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Rob and Jess are joined by the brilliant John McWhorter to discuss words you're not allowed to use. Professor McWhorter has written extensively about taboos, slurs and profanities and brings his unparalleled expertise on the English language. 

🤬 Is "the R word" becoming even more taboo?
🤐 Are we "unaliving" our way to a new era of self-censorship?
🔄 Can a slur ever be truly "reclaimed"?

These questions answered, and many more, in a fascinatingly frank episode of Words Unravelled.

More about John: https://johnmcwhorter.org/
📕 Nine Nasty Words: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/624619...

What does IKEA mean? What language is Häagen-Dasz? Who came up with the name Adidas? Why is Danone spelled Dannon in the US? These questions answered, and many more, as Jess and Rob explore the origins of brand names.

Enjoy some more trademark word nerdery in this episode of Words Unravelled exploring Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Lego, Shell, ExxonMobil, Aldi and other famous product names.

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Jess and Rob are digging into the origins of the words behind some of history’s biggest ideas – from stoicism and cynicism to logic, ethics, and metaphysics. Along the way, they trace how ancient Greek schools of thought shaped the language we still use to argue, reason, and disagree today. Enjoy this particularly pensive episode of Words Unravelled.

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Jess and Rob are discussing "the shaking of the sheets". Join them to explore the origins of words for 'doing it' and a host of historic terms for firkytoodling, quiffing and dancing Moll Peatley's Jig. Welcome to a very sex episode of Words Unravelled.

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Why doesn't English have a word for someone who is alive? Or a general term for your aunties and uncles? Should we bring back the word 'uhtceare' from Old English or steal 'Torschlusspanik' from German?

Rob and Jess answer these questions and more as they investigate the words that English has forgotten to invent. Join them to explore silly sniglets, outrageous orphaned negatives and untranslatable terms in another nerdy episode of Words Unravelled.

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Is necessity the mother of invention? NO! Latin is, etymologically speaking. That's just one of many revelations as Jess and Rob investigates words for innovations.

🛗 Could you 'escalate' something before the escalator?
🍞 When was sliced bread actually invented?
🩹 What connects zippers, band aids and aspirin?

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

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Rob and Jess are touring the US and the UK in search of the most interesting city name origin stories.

💨 Does 'Chicago' have anything to do with wind?
🗽 Is New York actually named after York?
🚇 Does anyone know what 'London' means?
🏹 And what was Nottingham's hilarious old name?

Find out as we climb aboard the etymological city-hopper in another wordy, nerdy Words Unravelled.

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Rob and Jess are going deep undercover to unearth the origins of words from the word of espionage.
🕵️‍♀️ What's the difference between a SPY, and ASSET, and an AGENT?
🔍 What does ESPIONAGE literally mean?
🇬🇧 Was there ever an MI4 as well MI5 and MI6?
These questions answered – and many more – in a supremely secretive episode of Words Unravelled.

🎥 Dr Geoff Lindsey's COVERT vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeHRN6GlNOs

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Rob and Jess are talking tech! In this episode, they explore the linguistic origins of terms from technology, Sci-fi and the internet.
🧌 Who was the first internet troll?
🤖 What does 'robot' literally mean?
🔫 Does Jedi actually mean something?
⌨️ Are we pronouncing 'meme' correctly?
These questions answered, and a whole lot more, in an extra nerdy episode of Words Unravelled.

🚨ROBWORDS LIVE🚨
Ticket: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bloomsbury-theatre/events/2026/apr/evening-etymology-rob-words

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Rob and Jess are taking a surgical look at words from the world of medicine.
💊 What is the Nocebo Effect?
🩺 Are doctors named after leeches (or the other way round)?
🚑 What does "ambulance" literally mean?
These questions answered, and many more, in another wordy nerdy episode of Words Unravelled.

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Jess and Rob are exploring the etymological origins of mythical beasts and cryptids.
🐺 What does "Chupacabra" mean?
🦑 Why are we getting the name "Kraken" wrong?
🐉 What animal was the original "dragon"?
These questions answered – and many more besides – in another Words Unravelled.

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In this episode, Rob and Jess explore the stories behind a host of common sayings.

🪓 Does anyone actually 'bury the hatchet'?
😈 Was there ever a 'devil's advocate'?
🔫 What is a 'son of a gun'?
🪶 Why would you have a 'feather in your cap'?

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

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