Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

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Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris

Society & Culture

Education

History

Frequency: 1 episode/10d. Total Eps: 46

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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Apple

Data updated on 04/07/2026

Recent rankings

Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.

Apple Podcasts

🇨🇦 Canada - Society & Culture
02/06/2025
#98
🇨🇦 Canada - Society & Culture
01/06/2025
#85
🇺🇸 USA - Society & Culture
05/10/2024
#89
🇺🇸 USA - Society & Culture
04/10/2024
#60
🇺🇸 USA - Society & Culture
03/10/2024
#38
🇨🇦 Canada - Society & Culture
02/10/2024
#67
🇺🇸 USA - Society & Culture
02/10/2024
#23
🇨🇦 Canada - Society & Culture
01/10/2024
#49
🇺🇸 USA - Society & Culture
01/10/2024
#13
🇨🇦 Canada - Society & Culture
30/09/2024
#40

Spotify

No recent rankings available

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

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http://youtube.com/robwords
13 shares
https://youtu.be/ThxUBOUnRLM
2 shares
https://youtu.be/Sucad437VDA
2 shares

https://uselessetymology.com/
27 shares

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RSS feed quality

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Score global : 52%

Publication history

Monthly episode publishing history over the past years.

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Latest published episodes

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Why is the Pope "the daddy"? | HOLY WORDS

Episode 45

Wednesday, May 28, 2025 • Duration 39:52

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

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Why do Brits think 'pants' are underwear? | CLOTHING WORDS

Episode 44

Wednesday, May 21, 2025 • Duration 39:03

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

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Why is there an N in "passenger"? | TRANSPORTATION

Episode 43

Wednesday, May 14, 2025 • Duration 43:26

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

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Why were hatters mad? | IDIOM ORIGINS

Episode 42

Wednesday, May 7, 2025 • Duration 50:01

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/

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Is it a restroom or a loo? | UK v. US English

Episode 41

Wednesday, April 30, 2025 • Duration 47:51

Let's explore British English and American English. In another transatlantic war of words, Rob (a Brit) and Jess (an American) debate the differing words for the same things either side of the pond.

For our new Channel Memberships click "Join" just below the video.

Our previous 🇺🇸 vs. 🇬🇧 episode
📺 https://youtu.be/o6KlBd7TPFI?si=EHmBIMV3PatoSQi9
🔊 https://pod.fo/e/240f60

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

🎥 Watch this episode: https://youtu.be/kf6zkx3Zg_4

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Did Shakespeare write all his plays? | THE BARD

Episode 40

Wednesday, April 23, 2025 • Duration 33:25

We're back for a new 🇬🇧series/🇺🇸season of Words Unravelled. In this episode, transatlantic word nerds Rob and Jess tackle the truth and lies surrounding Williams Shakespeare.
✍️ Did the Bard really invent 1,700 words?
🤬 Which insults did Willy give us?
🎭 Could he actually have written all of those plays?
These questions answered and many more, just As You Like It.

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

🎥 WATCH THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/91ZxuC2jLo4

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How do you pronounce lieutenant? | MILITARY WORDS

Episode 39

Wednesday, April 2, 2025 • Duration 41:07

There's fightin' talk in this episode of Words Unravelled, in which Jess and Rob discuss words of warcraft.
🔫 Which woman are all guns named after?
🪖 Where does the word "war" come from?
👮 Is lieutenant pronounced loo-tenant or lef-tenant?
These questions answered – and many more – in this military etymology 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/4CJRYBxDdGg

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Why do we mind our Ps and Qs? | PRINTING TERMS

Episode 38

Wednesday, March 26, 2025 • Duration 40:29

In this printing special of Words Unravelled, Jess proves herself a font of knowledge on names for typefaces and Rob makes a bit impression with the history of the printing press.

🆎 What's the difference between a font and a typeface?
😈 Who was the printer's devil?
📖 How did the printing press ruin English spelling?

These questions answered — and many more — in this cliché-free 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/cd5iFbuNKv8

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Where the f*** do swear words come from?

Episode 37

Wednesday, March 19, 2025 • Duration 50:51

It's here: the much-requested swearing episode of Words Unravelled. Join Rob and Jess as they explore the origins of all manner of profanity.

#️⃣ Where did the F word come from?
📍 Which place names originally contained swear words?
📺 What are the worst words you can say on TV?

These questions answered, and many more, in this NSFW edition of Words Unravelled.

👕WORDY NERDY MERCH👚
Our EU and US shops cover most of the world between them:
🇪🇺🇬🇧: https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.net/
🇺🇸 https://wordsunravelledshop.myspreadshop.com/

WATCH THIS EPISODE
https://youtu.be/NqvT3gVz2aw

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Which flower makes you wet the bed? | FLOWER NAME ORIGINS

Episode 36

Wednesday, March 12, 2025 • Duration 44:19

Welcome to another bloomin' wonderful episode of Words Unravelled. This time, Rob and Jess are discussing the origins of all manner of flower name.
🌻Which flower makes you wet the bed?
👁️Which flower's name means "day's eye"?
🌹What is the origin of the word rose?
🥒What did Jess name her cucumber plant?
These questions answered - and many more - in this anthology of horticultural etymologies.

🎥 Watch this episode: https://youtu.be/9Z2kjEJAscs
🤬 Merriam-Webster's flowers that sound like insults: https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/plant-names-that-sound-like-insults

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Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

YouTube50

Other11

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

YouTube50

Other11

TikTok2