26 Sept 2026
Let’s explore a world of names. And you can start speaking a new language in 3 weeks with Babbel 🎉. Get 20% OFF a Lifetime subscription ➡️ https://bit.ly/RobWordsSept
Our names aren’t normal. The structure of [first name] + [optional middle name] + [family name] is not how much of the world does it. Other cultures squeeze in extra information such as tribal names, ancestral villages, nicknames, and even grandparents’ names. Many don’t include a family name at all.
In this video, Rob explores naming conventions from across the globe. Places covered include Japan, Korea, Vietnam, China, Greece, India, Portugal, Spain, Iceland and Russia.
By the end of it, you may well be wishing your parents had called you something a little more informative!
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23 Sept 2026 #Etymology #PhraseOrigins #EnglishLanguage
Why do we say someone is **“dead as a doornail”**? And what on earth does a doornail have to do with being dead?
In this episode of *Fascinating Words & Phrases*, Gareth and Dex investigate the surprisingly old history of this familiar expression. You might think Shakespeare invented the phrase, but its story goes back much further — to the 14th century!
We look at the earliest known uses of **“dead as a doornail”**, why old-fashioned door nails might have inspired the expression, and the different theories about how the phrase came to mean completely dead.
We also discover how *Charles Dickens* helped bring the expression back into the spotlight in *A Christmas Carol*, where Jacob Marley is famously described as “dead as a doornail”.
So, why a doornail? Is there a connection with coffin nails? And why does “dead as a doornail” sound so much better than “dead as a rock”?
If you enjoy **etymology, word origins, phrase origins, idioms, expressions and the history of the English language**, this one’s for you!
Have you got a word, phrase or saying you’ve always wondered about? Let us know in the comments and we might investigate it in a future episode.
Subscribe for more fascinating word and phrase origins every Wednesday!
#Etymology #PhraseOrigins #EnglishLanguage
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