Howzat? 4.0 / 6

Do you know what a questmonger is? What about the origin of the word ‘carpenter’? And why does ‘bemothered’ mean to be confused by something?

If you’re into etymology, then you’re in for a real treat with ‘Words Unravelled’. The podcast, hosted by word-geek YouTuber ‘Rob Words’, and authour of all things language quirks, Jess Zafarris, dives deeply into the ocean of how and why we speak the way we do, ‘innit. 

What makes this podcast series so interesting is that they each investigate the English language from different sides of the Atlantic: Rob bringing the brutish British approach, while Jess smothers on a layer of American context. 

And if you’re familiar with Rob Words’ YouTube channel, it’s also a history lesson in itself – the legacy of invasion; power imbalances between the court and commoners; and the odd rude term for the buttocks. It’s fascinating stuff. 

In this episode, as the title suggests, we hear a barrage of “lost” words and their various meanings. There are too many to list and summarise here – honestly, there’s loads – however, the lack of structure is the podcast’s strength. What we end up with are essentially two people who are passionate about all-things-words “going at it” (etymologically speaking) in a tit-for-tat breathless duel where we, the listener, are the winners. 

In a world saturated with history podcasts, Words Unravelled offers a unique way of satisfying insatiable minds who remain hungry for answers to our origins and why we act the way we act. 

Nigel Farage / GB News take note: we’re not as unique as you think and if you don’t believe me, just Google ‘proto indo european’. 

AM