Why does oxygen have the wrong name? | ELEMENTS
In this episode of Words Unravelled, Rob and Jess explore the fascinating stories behind the names of the elements of the periodic table. From gods and mythological creatures to places and famous scie...
18 Sep 202446min
What does antidisestablishmentarianism mean? | LONG WORDS
In this pulchritudinous episode of Words Unravelled, Rob and Jess discuss the longest words in English and beyond: from antidisestablishmentarianism to opadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrim...
11 Sep 202439min
Why are you such a nincompoop? | INSULTS
In this episode, Jess and Rob sling some mud as they explore the etymology of insults. 🐳 Does "dork" mean what people say it means? 🤬 Which was Shakespeare's rudest character? 🍆 What exactly is a "...
4 Sep 202435min
Do geese see god? | PALINDROMES
In this episode, Rob and Jess dive headfirst into the topsy-turvy world of palindromes: words, phrases, and numbers that read the same backward and forward. From the humble "wow" to a mind-boggling 1,...
28 Aug 202428min
Why is the word "dog" such a mystery? | ANIMAL WORDS
Take a walk on the wild side with Rob and Jess as they explore animal etymologies. 🐻Why were we too scared to give bears a proper name? 🐶Why don't we know where the word "dog" came from? 👻Which ani...
21 Aug 202447min
What mystery did the original "clue" solve? | MYTHOLOGY WORDS
In this episode of Words Unravelled, hosts Rob and Jess dive into the fascinating world of etymology, uncovering the surprising origins of everyday words rooted in ancient mythology. 🔍 Where did the...
14 Aug 202430min
Can a word be its own opposite? | CONTRONYMS
How can "cleave" mean both to separate AND to join together? Find out in this episode about contronyms and all manner of other -onyms! Jess and Rob delve into demonyms, retronyms, allonyms, eponyms, a...
7 Aug 202448min
Do "vegetables" technically exist? | FOOD WORDS
In this episode of Words Unravelled, Rob and Jess explore the delicious origins of our words for foods. They delve into the etymology of "dinner", "lunch" and all manner of mealtime, and ask whether "...
31 Juli 202436min
