What's in a Name?

By Anna and James

Word nerds Anna and James learn why we call things what we call them, then try to educate one another while you listen in.

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FAQs about What's in a Name?:

How many episodes does What's in a Name? have?

The podcast currently has 13 episodes available.

What's in a Name? episodes:

April 07, 2022 Episode 12 - Yetimology (Cryptids)
Anna and James return to investigate the uncanny world of cryptozoology - at least, in linguistic terms, we're not doing anything that might actually put us in danger or need actual work. In this episode we learn what Yetis eat, find a better name for Stonehenge, and find out that the words beast, animal and deer all derive from the same idea - but which language do we struggle to pronounce more, Cornish or Amharic? And can we finally fix the Loch Ness Monster's branding problem?

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29min
March 05, 2022 Episode 11 - That was an episode of Star Trek (Pastries)
In the post(ish) COVID world, there is one again room for word-based musings and meanderings. That's right, Anna and James are back with a new episode looking at your favourite baked goods. What does a croissant have to do with a crèche? What the hell is a Bedford Clanger? And what would YOU call a cookie if you had to come up with a new name for it? All this and more. Much more. Well not that much.
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30min
April 01, 2021 Crabcast - Episode 389 (April 1st 2021)
Crabcast - Episode 389 April 1st 2021

Opening Music: Deep And Dirty by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5045-deep-and-dirty License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Cover Art Crab photo by Fiatlux Link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/fiatlux/12687848894/ License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

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15min
January 28, 2021 Episode 10 - The Original Nymphomaniac (Greek Names)
Back for a second season (ahem) of etymological excitement, James and Anna have been playing Hades and that's why this month's episode digs into Greek myths to discover everything there is to know about the universal antidote, tricking your way out of the underworld and being given a permanent but useless erection because someone else chose the wrong winner in a beauty contest.
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28min
June 14, 2020 Episode 9 - After Judge Dredd, Before Star Trek (Architecture)
It's time to get technical as James and Anna look at the language of architecture. What has brutalism got to do with being smart? What distinguishes a gargoyle from a grotesque? Can James correctly answer ten questions about castles with no preparation? And will Anna let James coin a new Greek/Latin monstrosity without making a big deal of it?
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35min
May 08, 2020 Episode 8 - The Gentleman's Game (Sports)
This week Anna and James use their mutual love of sport (and more specifically, the not playing of it) as a springboard for their etymological enquiries. What does boxing have to do with boxes? What has fencing got to do with fences? And what has snooker got to do with snooks? Discover the answers to these questions and more on this episode.
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34min
April 17, 2020 Episode 7 - A Punk Version of Monopoly (Board Games)
Yahtzee! And indeed, chess. That's right, in this episode we investigate the origins of the oldest game. No, not that one, board games only. Anna digs into exactly why it is that Monopoly is so dull, James finds out what mahjong has to do with sparrows, and later on we propose a change the name of Scrabble that would, at least, make it easier to score higher with.
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32min
April 03, 2020 Episode 6 - Beethoven Cinematic Universe (Dog Breeds)
What's up, dog? Anna, James and special guest Katie investigate the strange world of dog breeds. Who was St. Bernard? What have puppies got to do with butterflies? And can we possibly track down the person who named the Olde English Bull Dogge and give them a stern talking to?
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37min
March 20, 2020 Episode 5 - Treesles (Diseases)
It's a social isolation special as, in the midst of a global coronavirus pandemic, we take a look at the etymology of disease names. That's right, we're redefining the concept of being a social media influenza, unpicking what COVID-19 really means, and talking too much about things... flowing.
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28min
March 13, 2020 Episode 4 - Of from gold (Cities)
In which we take a tour of the great cities of the world. And Coventry. We learn how close New York came to NOT being the Big Apple, why Paris is literally a melting pot, and then visit the fictional cities of Tolkien, CS Lewis, Milton, and the Mysterious Cities of Gold. Well, it can't all be highbrow.
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31min

FAQs about What's in a Name?:

How many episodes does What's in a Name? have?

The podcast currently has 13 episodes available.