Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris

Mar 04 2025 36 ep. 38 mins 527
Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris Podcast artwork

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

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Is this a rhetorical question? | RHETORIC & LITERARY DEVICES

Mar 04 2025 39 mins  
Who wants to learn how to talk pretty? In this episode, Rob and Jess explore the clever tricks used by poets, novelists and speechwriters to surprise, move and persuade us. Join them as they discuss rhetoric and literary devices. 😉 What are the three types of irony? ❓Do you now an anaphora from an epistrophe? 🤷🏼‍♀️ Why is tmesis so un-flippin'-believable? These q

How did our naughty bits get their names? | BODY ETYMOLOGY

Feb 25 2025 45 mins  
Let's discuss the etymology of the body from "head" to "toe". Join Rob and Jess on an adventure through anatomical word origins. 👅 Why is tongue spelt that way? 🍎 What did we originally call our Adam's apple? 🍆 How did our naughty bits get their names? These questions answered and many more in a body-positive episode of Words Unravelled. 👕 OUR NEW MERCH 👚 US SHOP: h

What's the difference between a violin and a fiddle? | MUSIC WORDS

Feb 18 2025 29 mins  
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

Who invented zero? | MATH & NUMBERS

Feb 11 2025 32 mins  
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://yo

Who was the original "goodfella"? | CRIME WORDS

Feb 04 2025 48 mins  
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 st

Who was the first to "paint the town red"? | IDIOM ORIGINS

Jan 28 2025 47 mins  
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? The

Is he Santa Claus or Father Christmas? | FESTIVE ETYMOLOGY

Dec 17 2024 38 mins  
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 EPISO

What did a "sin-eater" do? | JOB ETYMOLOGY

Dec 10 2024 47 mins  
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/L8QXVs

Is it a 'full stop' or a 'period'? | PUNCTUATION

Dec 03 2024 43 mins  
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

Is corporate jargon a synergistic value-add? | JARGON

Nov 26 2024 41 mins  
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. 🎥 WA