Category Archives: English

Lingthusiasm Episode 114: Begonia, average coral, and sea pink – Defining colour terms with Kory Stamper

begonia: a deep pink that is bluer, lighter, and stronger than average coral (see ‘coral’ 3B), bluer than fiesta, and bluer and stronger than sweet William, called also ‘gaiety’. In this episode, your hosts Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne get … Continue reading

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The origins of common sayings

15 Apr 2026 Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris Rob and Jess explore the origins of common sayings in another episode dedicated to the stories behind idioms. 🐟 What was the first “red herring”? 🪿 Is there a goose … Continue reading

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How did English come to have different words for “ape” and “monkey”?

Photo by Leslie Low / Unsplash The etymology of our words for living primates gives some insight into how common ideas adjusted to new scientific knowledge. JOHN HAWKS JAN 06, 2019 In scientific English, today we often distinguish between “monkeys” … Continue reading

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why do we even HAVE the word “monkey”? #linguistics

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American English vs. British English

Let’s compare US and UK English. And you can download Opera for free HERE 👉 https://opr.as/Opera-browser-wordsunr… Rob and Jess are engaged in another transatlantic war of words, pitting their British and American accents against one another. 🍽️ Why do Brits … Continue reading

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Almost no names are ‘English’

Head to https://betterhelp.com/robwords to get 10% off your first month with my paid partner, BetterHelp. Therapy can be a meaningful space to reflect, grow, and create positive change in your life. Did you know there are only a handful of … Continue reading

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5 weird sounds native English speakers use

British (GB) English is often categorised as using 44 sounds. But native speakers use more – and in this video I explore 5 strange sounds that are actually everywhere: 00:00 INTRODUCTION 00:32 [ɱ] – Labiodental Nasal 01:38 [ɫ] – Dark … Continue reading

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Do you think you could pronounce these crazy British towns?! #scotlandvsengland #funnytownnames

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11 Ways Irish Accent is Similar to Jamaican Accent

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What was ‘Pepsi’ originally called?

[…] What does IKEA mean? What language is Häagen-Dasz? Who came up with the name Adidas? Why is Danone spelled Dannon in the US? These questions answered, and many more, as Jess and Rob explore the origins of brand names. … Continue reading

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