
Jess Zafarris and Rob Watts unravel the stories behind everyday words. Want to watch our episodes too? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UC8R3ZnESMdsuTevq4ib9CvA
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 81 | Founded | 2 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | EducationSociety & CultureSelf-Improvement | |||

Rob and Jess are engaged in another transatlantic war of words, pitting their British and American accents against one another.
š½ļø Why do Brits eat their entrees first?
š°š½ Why do Americans pronounce "merry", "marry" and "Mary" the same?
šæ Why can... more
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.
𤬠Is... more
What does IKEA mean? What language is HƤagen-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 ... more
Jess and Rob are digging into the origins of the words behind some of historyās biggest ideas ā 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 ... more
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Maybe itās just the recent topics, but you seem to be injecting much more āpolitically correctā commentary than you used to = makes the show less entertaining
Like lake chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg (45 letters long) or hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia (38 letters long) or pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism (29 or 30 something letters) but this overall is the one of the best podcasts I have heard
This podcast is soo fun, I love learning about words! I was wondering about the word Zenzizenzizenzic it describes a number to the 8th power. Where did it come from and why donāt we use it anymore?
Thank you for helping rewrite my wee dyslexic brain, the English language is at it. All the best! - Sorry for the bad grammar, Iām working on it. x
I want to like this show more than I do, but I find I canāt listen to it. I love listening to Rob, both on the podcast and his YouTube videos. However, I find the addition of his co-host to ruin the whole thing for me. She sounds like a teenage girl at a girlās slumber party, prattling and giggling throughout the whole show. I couldnāt tolerate her so I was unfortunately forced to remove this podcast from my list. Iāll keep up with Rob on YouTubeācohost free.
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A thoughtful exploration of words, their origins, and how language shapes culture. Hosts Rob Watts and Jess Zafarris unravel etymology, branding, and linguistic quirks across a wide range of topicsāfrom brand-name origins and city names to medical terms and idiomsāoften weaving humor with accessible explanations. Listeners can expect playful debates, deep dives into word histories, and plenty of practical takeaways for writers, marketers, educators, and curious word-lovers who enjoy learning why language evolves the way it does. A distinctive trait is the friendly dynamic between hosts and their cross-disciplinary angles, which makes complex terms feel approachable without sacrificing depth or wit.
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These podcasts share a similar audience with Words Unravelled:
1. Lexicon Valley
2. The Allusionist
3. Lingthusiasm - A podcast that's enthusiastic about linguistics
4. The History of English Podcast
5. A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over
Words Unravelled launched 2 years ago and published 81 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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Recent guests on Words Unravelled include:
1. John McWhorter
2. Joshua Blackburn
3. Mignon Fogarty
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