Why do pilots sit in a 'cockpit'? | AVIATION WORDS
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 an ...
6 Aug 202547min
How did currencies get their names? | MONEY WORDS
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? 🤑 Whi...
30 Jul 202550min
Does English use the wrong word for clouds? | WEATHER WORDS
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'? ☔️ What...
23 Jul 202543min
Exposing grammar myths and mistakes with Grammar Girl
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 exami...
16 Jul 202545min
Why is English full of French words?
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 m...
25 Jun 202548min
Precisely how long is a 'moment'? | TIME WORDS
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 deci...
18 Jun 202541min
What was the original "blockbuster"? | MOVIE WORDS
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 t...
11 Jun 202546min
How can you tell a bug from a beetle? | ENTOMOLOGY ETYMOLOGY
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...
4 Jun 202541min
