Let this episode be music to your ears as Rob Watts and Jess Zafarris explore the melodic origins of all manner of musical words.

👦 Which instrument used to be called a "ho boy"?

🎤 What does "karaoke" literally mean?

🎷 Who is the saxophone named after?

🎶 How good is Rob's theremin impression?

These questions answered, and many more in another Words Unravelled.

WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/Kbvsg8ZPstg

Join Rob and Jess as they explore the origins of a myriad of mathematical terms and innumerable number words.

💯 What number was the original "hundred"?

♾️ What is the infinity symbol called?

🕚 Why does English have weird words for 11 and 12?

These questions answered - and numerous others - in an incalculably fun episode of Words Unravelled.

WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/ey38pmqPBnM

Rob and Jess are on the wrong side of the law in this criminal episode of Words Unravelled. Join them as they discuss the origins of all manner of words for felony, misdemeanour and malfeasance.

🏴‍☠️ What is so black about blackmail?

🏚️ What is the "burg" in burglary?

💰 What's the difference between "robbery" and "theft"? 

🎩 What Victorian prison slang are we still using today?

Those questions answered and many more in this episode filled with criminal etymology.

WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/KjQABENyZg0

In this episode, Rob and Jess debunk some myths about the origins of common sayings, and prevent the even more fascinating true stories behind the idioms we use day-to-day.

🔴 Who was the first to "paint the town red"?

🌩️ How can someone's "thunder" be "stolen"?

🐕 What's the (horrible) origin of "to screw the pooch"?

🥃 Where did the phrase "on the wagon" come from?

These questions answered and many more in another Words Unravelled.

WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/Fkf61-j8VmQ

Join Rob and Jess for a festive feast of Christmas etymology.

🎅🏼 Is Santa Claus an Americanism?

🎩 Who was Sir Christmas?

🦌 How did the Santa's reindeer get their names?

🎶 Is it "four calling birds" or "four colly birds"?

These questions answered and many more as we deck the halls with linguistic intrigue in another episode of Words Unravelled.

👀WATCH THIS EPISODE 👀 https://youtu.be/9A0hAxeFyo4

Let's explore our words for jobs, professions and trades.

🪵What did carpenters originally make?

🐐Which animal did butchers originally butcher?

💩Where did a "gong farmer" actually farm?

🛒What is so gross about a grocer?

These questions answered and many more in another Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris.

👀WATCH THIS EPISODE👀 https://youtu.be/L8QXVs2DNFk

Join Rob and Jess for a period as they get straight to the point about punctuation.

🏛️ Which punctuation mark came first?

💀 How can you punctuate sarcasm?

❓ Why does a question mark look like that?

These questions answered - and many more - in another punctilious episode of Words Unravelled.

👀WATCH THIS EPISODE👀 https://youtu.be/DLBBiY5w8qM

Time to bust some jargon in another Words Unravelled. In this episode, Rob and Jess wade their way through the sea of business speak and legalese.

🦍Which joke created the "800-pound gorilla"

🪶Is all jargon a modern invention?

🏛️What do legal Latin phrases literally mean?

These questions answered and many more in another wordy nerdy episode of Words Unravelled.

🎥 WATCH THIS EPISODE 🎥 https://youtu.be/ZqBYXlunxds 

In this playful episode of Words Unravelled, Rob and Jess dive into the fascinating world of fun and games. Ever wondered why we call it "chess" or how "poker" got its name? From the origins of classic card games to the strategic world of board games, our hosts uncover the surprising stories behind the words we use for play.

♠️ Who is the Jack in a pack of cards?

♟️ What exactly is a pawn?

🌍 How did Jenga get its name?

🅾 What's the best possible Scrabble word?

These questions answered and more! ♖ Whether you’re a chess master or a card shark, this episode is your backstage pass to the etymology of entertainment.

🎥WATCH THIS EPISODE🎥 https://youtu.be/vBa8CIltJ24  

==LINKS==

Rob's YouTube channel: youtube.com/robwords

Jess' Useless Etymology blog: https://uselessetymology.com/

Rob on X: x.com/robwordsyt

Jess on TikTok: tiktok.com/@jesszafarris

#etymology #wordorigins #chess

❗️HEADS UP❗️ This episode includes much alcohol talk 🍻 Rob and Jess are getting a round in at the bar in this episode crammed with boozy etymology. Let's explore the origins of our words for beers, wines and spirits, and delve into the stories behind the names of cocktails.

🍺 Where does the word "beer" come from?

🍹 How did the "negroni" get its name?

🥴 How many words for "drunk" to Brits actually have?

Grab a nip of your favourite liquor, mix yourself a mocktail or pull yourself a pint, and enjoy another episode of Words Unravelled.

👀WATCH THIS EPISODE👀 https://youtu.be/b5O7JqRT7u8