Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris
Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris
Show overview
Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris has been publishing since 2024, and across the 2 years since has built a catalogue of 99 episodes, alongside 1 trailer or bonus episode. That works out to roughly 70 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a fortnightly cadence.
Episodes typically run thirty-five to sixty minutes — most land between 40 min and 47 min — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language Society & Culture show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 3 weeks ago, with 29 episodes already out so far this year.
From the publisher
Jess Zafarris and Rob Watts unravel the stories behind everyday words. Want to watch our episodes too? Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8R3ZnESMdsuTevq4ib9CvA
Latest Episodes
View all 99 episodesWhich German terms are in the English zeitgeist? | GERMAN WORDS
Why is English full of Latin? | LATIN WORDS
Are sharks named after people? | OCEAN WORDS
Does 'Abracadabra' mean anything? | MAGIC WORDS
What's so great about 'seventh' heaven? | NUMBER IDIOMS
Words the Vikings left behind | OLD NORSE
Are you pronouncing 'caramel' wrong? | ACCENTS (ft. Valerie Fridland)
What does 'Mona Lisa' even mean? | ART WORDS
False Friends: Dangerous words in other languages
How did The Beatles get their name? | ROCK 'N' ROLL
Spanish words hiding in English
The origins of the alphabet
Who should you hit with a 'slapstick'? | COMEDY WORDS
The Arabic words hiding in English
What was so "complex" about Oedipus? | PSYCHOLOGY TERMS
The literal meaning of 'tiramisu' | WORLD FOODS
Why is a false clue a "red herring"? | IDIOM ORIGINS
Ep 81Why does Berlin mean 'swamp'? | CITY NAME ORIGINS
What's in a names? Jess and Rob are exploring why major cities are called what they're called and what their names literally mean.🇩🇪 Why does BERLIN mean 'swamp'?🇯🇵 Why are KYOTO and TOKYO anagrams?🇿🇦 Who is the Johannes of Johannesburg?These questions answered, and many more, in a globe-trotting episode of Words Unravelled.👕 OUR MERCH 👚US SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.com/EU/UK SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.net/👀 WATCH THIS EPISODEhttps://youtu.be/p4bB1fOPtXI
Ep 80Why do Brits eat their entrees first? ? UK v US ENGLISH
Rob and Jess are engaged in another transatlantic war of words, pitting their British and American accents against one another.🍽️ Why do Brits eat their entrees first?👰🏽 Why do Americans pronounce "merry", "marry" and "Mary" the same?🚿 Why can't we agree on whether to "have" or "take" a shower?These questions answered, and many more, in another Words Unravelled.Evan Edinger: https://www.youtube.com/evanLost in the Pond: https://www.youtube.com/lostinthepond👕 OUR MERCH 👚US SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.com/EU/UK SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.net/👀 WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/IvWUmPs12UU==LINKS==Rob's YouTube channel: youtube.com/robwordsJess' Useless Etymology blog: https://uselessetymology.com/Rob on X: x.com/robwordsytJess on TikTok: tiktok.com/@jesszafarris
Ep 79Slurs and taboos with Professor John McWhorter
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. 🤬 Is "the R word" becoming even more taboo?🤐 Are we "unaliving" our way to a new era of self-censorship?🔄 Can a slur ever be truly "reclaimed"?These questions answered, and many more, in a fascinatingly frank episode of Words Unravelled.More about John: https://johnmcwhorter.org/📕 Nine Nasty Words: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/624619/nine-nasty-words-by-john-mcwhorter/👕 OUR MERCH 👚US SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.com/EU/UK SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.net/Watch this episode: https://youtu.be/6JYqGa_-UZE