Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris

Jess Zafarris and Rob Watts unravel the stories behind everyday words.

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Self-Improvement Education Society & Culture History

Update frequency: every 7 days
Average duration: 40 minutes
Episodes: 60
Years Active: 2024 - 2025

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Who was the first to 'spill the beans'? | IDIOM ORIGINS

In this episode, Jess and Rob 'spill the beans' about all manner of food-related idioms.

🍌 Why does 'going bananas' mean going mad?
☕️ Who is the Joe in a 'cup of Joe'?
🍏 What did we compare apples …

00:44:25 | Wed 17 Sep 2025

Why are we saying 'Caesar' wrong? | TITLES & POWER

In this episode, Rob and Jess take a right royal romp through the etymologies of eminent titles. They discuss the origins of words like "lord", "emperor", "queen" and a whole host of others:

🏛️ How …

00:43:17 | Wed 10 Sep 2025

What does 'stegosaurus' literally mean? | DINOSAUR NAMES

We’re digging into prehistoric word origins. In this episode, Jess and Rob unearth the literal meanings behind the names of the dinosaurs.

🦖 What does Tyrannosaurus rex really mean?
🦕 Why is Stegosa…

00:41:43 | Wed 03 Sep 2025

Why is England called 'England'? | COUNTRY NAME ORIGINS

We're taking a world tour of word origins. In this episode, Jess and Rob discuss how a multitude of countries got their names.

🇺🇸 Where was the original "America"?
🇬🇧 Why is Britain called "Great"?
…

00:42:51 | Wed 27 Aug 2025

Why do news anchors talk like that? | JOURNALESE

BREAKING: Rob and Jess uncover news clichés and weird journalistic words.

📺 Why do TV news anchors talk in that strange way?
🗞️ Why do newspaper journalists spell lead as "lede"?
🎤 Why do journalis…

00:45:43 | Wed 20 Aug 2025

How could one man write a dictionary? | SAMUEL JOHNSON

Samuel Johnson's 1755 dictionary was one heck of an achievement. But it is also far from perfect. In this episode, Jess and Rob discuss some of the more amusing entries within its pages, and even the…

00:43:05 | Wed 13 Aug 2025

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 …

00:47:23 | Wed 06 Aug 2025

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?
🤑 Which…

00:50:31 | Wed 30 Jul 2025

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'?
☔️ Wha…

00:43:10 | Wed 23 Jul 2025

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 exam…

00:45:25 | Wed 16 Jul 2025

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 me…

00:48:46 | Wed 25 Jun 2025

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 de…

00:41:26 | Wed 18 Jun 2025

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 ter…

00:46:28 | Wed 11 Jun 2025

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…

00:41:59 | Wed 04 Jun 2025

Why is the Pope "the daddy"? | HOLY WORDS

Holy heck! Rob and Jess are back with an episode of biblical proportions. Join them as they get to the gospel truth about the origins of religious words.
⛪️ What was kept in the very first chapel?
🦛 …

00:39:52 | Wed 28 May 2025

Why do Brits think 'pants' are underwear? | CLOTHING WORDS

Jess and Rob are unravelling the origins of our words for fabric and clothing in this highly fashionable episode of Words Unravelled.

🩲 Why do 'pants' mean different things in the UK and US?
👖 Which…

00:39:03 | Wed 21 May 2025

Why is there an N in "passenger"? | TRANSPORTATION

It's time to hit the road with Rob and Jess as they journey through the origins of words from road and rail.
🚃 Why do Brits say "transport" and Americans "transportation"?
🚊 What's the difference bet…

00:43:26 | Wed 14 May 2025

Why were hatters mad? | IDIOM ORIGINS

Rob and Jess "pull out all the stops" in this episode explaining idiom origins.
✈️ Why do we say "balls to the wall" and "push the envelope"?
🐘 What's so useless about a "white elephant"?
👕 Where …

00:50:01 | Wed 07 May 2025

Is it a restroom or a loo? | UK v. US English

Let's explore British English and American English. In another transatlantic war of words, Rob (a Brit) and Jess (an American) debate the differing words for the same things either side of the pond.

…

00:47:51 | Wed 30 Apr 2025

Did Shakespeare write all his plays? | THE BARD

We're back for a new 🇬🇧series/🇺🇸season of Words Unravelled. In this episode, transatlantic word nerds Rob and Jess tackle the truth and lies surrounding Williams Shakespeare.
✍️ Did the Bard really i…

00:33:25 | Wed 23 Apr 2025

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