
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 | 90 | Founded | 2 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | Society & CultureEducationSelf-Improvement | |||

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.
👕 OUR MERCH 👚
US S... more
¡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 ... more
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 app... more
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... more
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A comforting joy. It's like hearing very kind and smart friends chat over coffee (or tea).
Jess and Rob work well together. Love hearing the roots of words we use today.
Maybe it’s just the recent topics, but you seem to be injecting much more “politically correct” 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 don’t we use it anymore?
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Apple Podcasts | #92 | |
Apple Podcasts | #243 |
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A warm, approachable deep-dive into word origins, language history, and etymology. The show blends scholarly roots with playful banter as two hosts trace how everyday terms, brand names, city names, and cultural phrases evolved across languages and centuries. Episodes cover topics from Arabic influence on English to spoofed phrases in pop culture, often debunking myths while highlighting insightful connections between language, history, and society. Noteworthy are the accessible explanations, cross-continental perspectives, and a consistent emphasis on curiosity and clarity that makes linguistics feel welcoming to both casual listeners and word nerds.
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These podcasts share a similar audience with Words Unravelled:
1. A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over
2. The Allusionist
3. Lexicon Valley
4. Lingthusiasm - A podcast that's enthusiastic about linguistics
5. You're Dead to Me
Words Unravelled launched 2 years ago and published 90 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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