Episodes

  • Why is English full of French words?

    Why is English full of French words?
    Jun 25 2025
    Bienvenue dans cet épisode de "Mot Décortiqué"! Rob and Jess are exploring the enormous influence French has had on the English language.
    📊What proportion of English words are French?
    🥩Why do our meats have French names?
    🇫🇷Which words have we borrowed from French twice?
    These questions answered and many, many more in another merveilleux, fabuleux Words Unravelled.

    👕 OUR MERCH 👚
    US SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.com/
    EU/UK SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.net/

    WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/PfK6C7NASqQ
    Show more Show less
    49 mins
  • Precisely how long is a 'moment'? | TIME WORDS

    Precisely how long is a 'moment'? | TIME WORDS
    Jun 18 2025
    Jess and Rob present a brief history of time words in an episode filled with chronological etymology.

    ⌚️ How did "seconds" get their name?
    🕰️ What does "clock" literally mean?
    🇫🇷 How did France's decimal calendar work?

    These questions answered – and so many more – in this timely episode of Words Unravelled.

    Our mythology episode: https://youtu.be/b8s2uxWrMhQ?si=G--tQQwAj9mKHk-S

    👕 OUR MERCH 👚
    US SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.com/
    EU/UK SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.net/


    WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/-nhPlHrJDsQ
    Show more Show less
    41 mins
  • What was the original "blockbuster"? | MOVIE WORDS

    What was the original "blockbuster"? | MOVIE WORDS
    Jun 11 2025
    Lights, camera, action! Rob and Jess are discussing movie and TV terms in this filmic episode of Words Unravelled.
    🎥 Why do Brits call movies "films"?
    🤷🏼‍♂️ Why has Allen Smithee directed so many terrible movies?
    🙀 Why is there a "dead cat" on every Hollywood set?
    These questions answered, and many more, in this episode crammed with film and television etymology.

    👕 OUR MERCH 👚
    US SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreads...
    EU/UK SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreads...

    WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/wtOpyi_xjKw
    Show more Show less
    46 mins
  • How can you tell a bug from a beetle? | ENTOMOLOGY ETYMOLOGY

    How can you tell a bug from a beetle? | ENTOMOLOGY ETYMOLOGY
    Jun 4 2025
    Time for some entomology etymology! Rob and Jess will have you in bits as they explore the literal meaning of "insect" and all manner of other term for creepy crawly.

    🕷️ Why do spiders spin "cobwebs"?
    🦋 Was a butterfly ever a "flutterby"?
    🐞 Which is older, "ladybug" or "ladybird"?

    These questions answered, and many more, a critter-crammed episode of Words Unravelled.

    👕 OUR MERCH 👚
    US SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.com/
    EU/UK SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.net/

    WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/Iw3nl9Xyjik
    Show more Show less
    42 mins
  • Why is the Pope "the daddy"? | HOLY WORDS

    Why is the Pope "the daddy"? | HOLY WORDS
    May 28 2025
    Holy heck! Rob and Jess are back with an episode of biblical proportions. Join them as they get to the gospel truth about the origins of religious words.
    ⛪️ What was kept in the very first chapel?
    🦛 Which animal was the original behemoth?
    🗝️ Where does the word "conclave" come from?
    These questions answered – and many more – in another Words Unravelled.

    👕 OUR MERCH 👚
    US SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.com/
    EU/UK SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.net/

    👀WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/Gvyn8XrBinU
    Show more Show less
    40 mins
  • Why do Brits think 'pants' are underwear? | CLOTHING WORDS

    Why do Brits think 'pants' are underwear? | CLOTHING WORDS
    May 21 2025
    Jess and Rob are unravelling the origins of our words for fabric and clothing in this highly fashionable episode of Words Unravelled.

    🩲 Why do 'pants' mean different things in the UK and US?
    👖 Which city are your jeans named after?
    🪶 What's flappy about a 'flapper girl'?
    ✈️ Is 'nylon' really named after New York and London?

    These questions answered, and many more, in our most unravelly episode of Words Unravelled.

    👕 OUR MERCH 👚
    US SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.com/
    EU/UK SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.net/

    WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/s9B1o2ydCmg
    Show more Show less
    39 mins
  • Why is there an N in "passenger"? | TRANSPORTATION

    Why is there an N in "passenger"? | TRANSPORTATION
    May 14 2025
    It's time to hit the road with Rob and Jess as they journey through the origins of words from road and rail.
    🚃 Why do Brits say "transport" and Americans "transportation"?
    🚊 What's the difference between a train and a locomotive?
    🚙 How do you actually pronounce Hyundai?
    These questions answered – and many more – in this transport[ation] special of Words Unravelled.

    👕 OUR MERCH 👚
    US SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.com/
    EU/UK SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.net/

    WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/kf81cdpXteA
    Show more Show less
    43 mins
  • Why were hatters mad? | IDIOM ORIGINS

    Why were hatters mad? | IDIOM ORIGINS
    May 7 2025
    Rob and Jess "pull out all the stops" in this episode explaining idiom origins.
    ✈️ Why do we say "balls to the wall" and "push the envelope"?
    🐘 What's so useless about a "white elephant"?
    👕 Where were the original "whole nine yards"?
    These questions answered and many more in this common sayings special of Words Unravelled.

    Here's our other idioms episode: https://pod.fo/e/2a54ba
    And the video version of this one: https://youtu.be/ca3lz3dXgW8

    👕 OUR MERCH 👚
    US SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.com/
    EU/UK SHOP: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.net/
    Show more Show less
    50 mins