This episode looks into the language of tabloid journalism, starting with the surprising pharmaceutical origins of the word tabloid itself. The British Daily Mail and Daily Mirror were the first newspapers to adopt the format, offering condensed news in both style and content. They were both founded by Alfred Harmsworth. Find out why gossip is called "tea", how the word gossip has roots in godparents, and why press photographers came to be known as paparazzi. Also examined are the origins of terms for sources of information, including snitch, rat and whistleblower.

This time we're looking at terms related to independence and free will, as Americans prepare to celebrate Independence Day. The episode opens with a brief look at the events leading to America's break from Britain, followed by the origins of words like declaration, independent and sovereign. We also look at countries such as Sri Lanka, Belize and Zimbabwe, which changed their names after gaining greater independence. Belize's former British name came via Spanish and referenced the surrounding waters. Learn how the word bondage is related to husband, and uncover the unexpected linguistic connection between defying convention and dentistry.

This episode traces the origins of words for the places we eat, from the soupy history that gave us restaurant to the unknown roots of bistro, which entered English in the early 20th century, and brasserie, with its connection to beer. Discover the links between parlours and politicians, and how the word batch has its origins in baking. Find out why a military dining area is called a mess, and how buffet is tied to furniture. You'll also learn the meaning behind Mixue, the Chinese bubble tea chain that has overtaken McDonald's in outlet numbers, and the cultural confusion that gave us the phrase 'Going Dutch'.

This time we're uncovering the origins of espionage-related terms, from bug, alias, and surveillance to eavesdrop and secret, tracing how they entered the English language (and words they are related to). Staying under the radar is a classic spy skill - the word radar began as an acronym for radio detecting and ranging. Discover why James Bond's watch of choice is named Omega, and learn about the earlier names and organisations that eventually became MI5 and the CIA, the British and American intelligence services. Also explored are the English terms that shares linguistic roots with the French jeu de cache-cache and the Spanish el escondite, both names for the childhood game hide and seek.

This episode takes a look at terms and phrases that trace back to biblical roots. To "wash your hands of something/someone" has origins linked to the crucifixion, while a commonly misquoted phrase about money also comes from the Bible. Ancient towns mentioned in biblical texts have given rise to modern English terms (one of which remains controversial), and a queen's name has become a label for an immoral woman. The word missionary refers to spreading the word of God, and its more adult meaning surprisingly stems from the same origin. Listen to learn how the term scapegoat originates from a religious ritual involving real goats.

This episode looks at the origins of names used in common sayings, uncovering the theories behind how these phrases came about and tracing the names to their historical linguistic roots. Gordon Bennett is linked to the son of a newspaper entrepreneur, while Flash Harry may have been inspired by a well-known conductor. The phrase Bob's your uncle could have ties to a popular music hall song from the early 20th century. Jack the Lad refers to a real historical figure whose reckless lifestyle led to an early demise — find out how Jack became a familiar form of the name John. A saintly person might be playfully called Mother Teresa; listen to uncover the meaning behind her real birth name.

This episode is all about size, tracing the origins of words related to 'bigness' such as massive, monumental, enormous and gigantic. Discover how gargantuan and Brobdingnagian have literary beginnings, and how juggernaut and jumbo are thought to stem from Indian and West African rituals. Learn why the word for aubergine differs across regions, with Americans calling it eggplant, and hear about the largest one on record weighing in at nearly 4 kilograms. Also explored are the roots of terms used to describe larger body types, including portly, voluptuous, buxom and chubby.

This time we're tracing the origins of colour names and the terms and phrases linked to them. Learn how conditions like grapheme-colour synesthesia, where people associate letters or numbers with colours, and tetrachromacy, the ability to see a wider range of colours, got their names. Discover how colour terms like turquoise, taupe, maroon, indigo and orange entered the language, why green screen is becoming an anachronistic term, and how Queen Victoria played a role in popularising white wedding dresses, alongside other influences. Also featured are the origins of the expressions 'paint the town red' and 'red herring'.