Dead Air

Short story The Bet, part of our Soundbook collection.   

The tale sees a banker recalling a dinner party some 15 years previous  in which he entered …

"Hello again word lovers!"  Some interesting examples of curious opposites in English in this penultimate episode of series one of Interesting …

"Hello again Word Lovers!"

In this episode we examine some words that have come into English from African. This is not as distinct from PIE roots as you mat first think.

We have many examples of animal and …

A short story by Jack London published in 1902 explores the protagonist and how he is consumed with his irrational hatred of another man, John …

Dead Air - Strange Christmas Traditions

We return at Christmas time to look at some strange traditions across the world. We discover what the Japanese eat for Christmas dinner, what Ukrainians decorate their Christmas …

"Hello again word lovers!"

As we near the end of the Interesting Etymology series Charly takes a whirlwind tour of Scottish words that have …

"Hello again Word Lovers!"

In this episode we are going to look at the names of flowers. There are different categories to consider, with words that come to English unchanged, words that have religious meanings or …

The 6th of December is the feast day of Saint Nicholas, better known to  you and me as Santa Claus. The story of this man's journey from …

"Hello again Word Lovers!"

Rather than investigate the origin of words this episode, we discover the original meaning of the letters of the alphabet. 

Saint Andrew the Patron Saint of Scotland, fisherman and a host of other  places and people is celebrated on his feast day 30th November.   

Read …

"Hello again word lovers"  

A brief by-water of etymological discussion, hybrid words. Mixing words from Latin and Greek roots.  

Associated article …

Saint Cecilia, the Saint of musicians amongst many others, celebrates her feast day on the 22nd of November.   

For the article version of this episode head over to our website

Find our program on Youtube as well.

To …

"Hello again word lovers"  

We continue our exploration of Greek with more prefixes and some interesting nods to mythology.  

Associated article is …

"Hello again Word Lovers!"

We continue our exploration of Greek as we delve into the words for people and relationships between people, numbers, academia and study.

We can start to see some words in English made by …

"Hello again word lovers"  We begin our dive into Ancient Greek with some prefixes and parts of the  body. There is a huge amount of material to cover and this is only the  beginning so strap in and away we go....

Remember, Remember the 5th of November: A cultural touchstone in Britain, Guy Fawkes night, Bonfire night or Fireworks night is celebrated every …

"Hello word lovers!"

We deviate from our usual path this episode to investigate some translation from the Bible. The word of God can be tricky and translation can be challenging.

Is the virgin birth down to a …

"Hello again Word Lovers"  

This is the third installment of words that come into English through  Old Norse. We cover some basic nouns, adjectives …

"Hello again Word Lovers"

We continue with our journey through the word horde of Old Norse that feeds into Modern English.

Some surprises in store this …

"Hello again word lovers!"

Today we will begin the first of a three part exploration of one of the major repositories of English, Old Norse. So many of our common English words come from Old Norse and we will be tracing …

"Hello again word lovers!"

Charly thinks that perhaps this should have been the first edition of Interesting Etymologies because etymology is the …

"Hello again word lovers!"

In this instalment, we head west across the Irish sea to look at words that have come to English from Irish. This episode uncovers some dark stories though, with words thought to be Scottish …

"Hello again Word Lovers!"

A little diversion today as we are going to look at Etymologists rather than Etymology! How many etymologists are there in …

"Hello again word lovers!" Today we are exploring the vocabulary surrounding the topic of heraldry. There are some genuinely interesting etymologies …

"Hello again word lovers!"

And today we will be looking at words that come from the names of people. We are not going to delve into the etymology of …

Once again we here in Zaragoza get to enjoy a local bank holiday this Monday. Let us explain all you need to know about this wonderful break from the …

Saint Valentine! A story of massacres and certainly no bed of roses. How did a third-century priest in Rome become the patron saint of flower sellers and the persecutor of all western men? As so often is the case, this …

"Hello again word lovers!"

In this show we are going to look at words that have merged from Persian. This is a relative mystery to our host Charly, who knows no Farsi (the modern equivalent language) but it seems like an …

Have you noticed cakes in shop windows that look like, ahem, well, boobs?
Have you wanted to know what this was all about but too terrified to ask?
Well, never fear, we have all the answers here. Discover the story of …

PLEASE BE ADVISED: This episode involves discussion of some terms that may cause offence.

"Hello again word lovers!" In this episode we dip our toes …

"Hello again word lovers!" We have looked at words that have come to English from very far flung roots and some of the languages they have travelled through no longer exist. If we exclude Latin, Greek and Hebrew from …

San Valero, Rosconero y ventolero! All you need to know about this celebration of Saint Valero, the Patron Saint of Zaragoza, is right here.

"Hello again word lovers!" In this episode we are looking for words in English that have come from a non PIE root. A packed epsiode with a plentiful …

"Hello again word lovers!" Today we are going into the realms of myth, particulalry that of mythical beasts.

From the Phoenix to the undead. Monsters …

"Hello again word lovers!" and in this instalment we are going to look at words formed from initial letters, known as acronyms. These are not to be confused with initialisms, which do not form new words. - F.B.I, C.I.A …

Need to know : The Three Kings

Bearing gifts we travel afar....The Spanish tradition of "Reyes" that extends the magic of the Christmas season that little bit longer and brings city centres to a standstill.

All you need …

"Hello again Word Lovers!" - In this week we are taking a slight diversion as we look at words developed within English but influenced by other languages and grammar. This created a type of English within English, …

"Hello again Word Lovers!" - Long time no see, well hopefully only a week, but this expression is a calque from Chinese. To learn all about calques …

"Hello again Word Lovers!" In this instalment we are going to look at Latin words that have survived from Latin times into modern English.

Full …

"Hello again word lovers!" In this episode, we investigate the etymology of words connected to illness and disease although you will be pleased to …

"Hello again Word Lovers!" That is not a mistake, we do mean Turkic and not Turkish! Turkic is a language group, Turkish being the most obvious one in this group Turkic has given us many words, especially food words and …

"Hello again Word Lovers!" In this episode we will explore some words that come into popular use during World War II. Some of the words and terms in …

Interesting Etymologies 29 : World War One

"Hello again word lovers!" This episode is going to explore some words that come to us from World War One, …

Interesting Etymologies 28 : Fiction

"Hello again word lovers!" In this episode we will explore words that have migrated from fiction to everyday use …

Welcome to ‘Tales from the Other Side’ where we look at folklore, mythology and magic.

One of the most recognised symbols of Hallowe’en is the iconic …

"Hello again word lovers!" In this instalment, we dive into the world of cockney rhyming slang. This is a slang style that uses levels of abstraction and implied rhymes to provide coded meaning.

Once you understand the …

Welcome to ‘Tales from the Other Side’ where we look at folklore, mythology and magic. All Hallows Eve, more commonly known as Hallowe’en, is a …

"Hello again Word Lovers!" after diving into some insults (see IE23) we can explore some words and phrases that started as insults but have been …

In the second of our "Iconography of Britain" series we take a look at the globally recognised London red bus. There are in fact two iconic designs, the RT Regent and RM Routemaster, both built by AEC.

We explore the …

"Hello again word lovers" In this episode, we dip our toes in the waters of Nadsat, the invented language in the Anthony Burgess novel "A Clockwork …

"Hello again Word Lovers!" Today we look at words we use in English that come from Yiddish.

Yiddish is a curious language, it is not actually based on Hebrew although it has many Hebrew words, it is in fact Germanic. A …

"Hello again Word Lovers!" and today lots of insults! Please be warned, obviously, this episode and article features some slurs and insults and are …

Welcome to ‘Tales from the Other Side’ where we look at folklore, mythology and magic.
Throughout history and to this day there are many old wives’ …

"Hello again word lovers!"

Interesting Etymologies is back and a more modern investigation in this episode as we investigate the background to the …

The British Red Telephone Box is perhaps the most iconic piece of design ever commissioned and is recognised globally as a symbol of Britishness.

In …

Interesting Etymologies Premier League Special

"Hello again Word Lovers!" To start our return to the fascinating world of words we are going to take a …

Red-headed, folklore junky, Claire Alcock regales us with the story of Macha, a tale of treachery, revenge and a woman scorned.

Red headed, Irish folklore enthusiast Claire Alcock explores the various passage tombs and burial mounds of Mountain Knocknarea, who is buried there …

"Hello again Word Lovers!" in this episode we are going to look at words in English that have come from Spanish!

escaramuza - A smaller fight within a battle, skirmish
emboscada - in the woods or bush, ambush
escorbuto - …

"Hello again Word Lovers!" on this outing we are going to step out of the history of words and take a look at the symbols of mathematics!

( The round …

More folklore, mythology and magic in 'Tales from the Other Side.' Red headed, Irish enthusiast, Claire Alcock explores the rituals and customs …

A fascinating story of art, mystery, deception, love, modern folklore and the spawning of a new age...the armchair treasure hunt...

"Hello again Word Lovers!" on this outing into the world of words we head into the world of music, with the words that come to us from the age of …

In British folklore, there are wraiths, ghosts, demons and damnation. For a coin and some bread, the Sin-Eater will absolve all...

In the British edition we visit the forgotten folklore of the British Isles, it's place names, spirits, tales, supernatural entities, superstitions …

"Hello again Word Lovers!" In this episode we are going to explore the etymological treasures of a rather special city, the city of Venice.

Arsenal : …

More folklore, mythology and magic in 'Tales from the Other Side.' Red headed, Irish enthusiast, Claire Alcock explores the origin story of the …

More folklore, mythology and magic in 'Tales from the Other Side.' Red headed, Irish enthusiast, Claire Alcock explores the deep and often dark …

"Hello again Word Lovers!" We are in the Easter season and so it seems a sensible time to look at the etymology of the word "Easter"

Easter: The …

More folklore, mythology and magic in 'Tales from the Other Side.' Red headed, Irish enthusiast, Claire Alcock regales us with the ancient story of …

"Hello again Word Lovers!" This episode is going to explore the world of Angels & Devils!

Beelzebub : We kick off with some different theories on the origin of the name Beelzebub. It seems t be accepted that this is …

"Hello again Word Lovers!" Surprisingly few words have come into English from Welsh, Scots or Irish, especially considering the proximity. English was imported to the British isles and has accepted words from many …

This is an audio version of a video interview, for the full experience please check out our youtube version here : https://youtu.be/mGmegIT0mfM The …

Guest and Irish enthusiast, Claire Alcock, takes us on a journey into Irish folklore. We are visited by a handful of folk characters and hear the …

"Hello again Word Lovers!" we will be exploring words of unknown origin in this episode. Charly opens by saying if he was a Mathematical institute he …

The Vampire story has always fascinated film makers and now that journey is explored in a new exhibition in the Caixa Forum in Zaragoza from 23 Feb …

"Hello again Word Lovers!" We continue our look at the words for colours as we return to our investigation of Black:

Black: blac in Old English which …

"Hello again Word Lovers!"

Crimson:
Red was covered in the PIE again episode but we can take a look at Crimson to start here. Carmesí in modern Spanish, from Cremesinus in Latin,- inus is an indicator that it was adapted …

"Hello again Word Lovers!"

Or should we say "Konichiwa" as today we are looking at Japanese. Charly doesn't know if you speak Japanese, but actually …

"Hello again Word Lovers!"

"Are you an idiot, by any chance? Are you naughty or are you nice? Or are you silly?" This episode starts in a rather aggressive tone as Charly sets out to explore the original meanings of some …

"Hello again Word Lovers!"

In this episode we take a look at the etymology of the names of places.

Like so many of the topics explored in this …

"Hello again Word Lovers!"

This week Charly digs into the mysterious world of PIE (Proto Indo European) language.

To understand a little better how …

"Hello again Word Lovers!"

This week we focus on the etymology of two very English pasttimes, cricket and football

Cricket

Charly investigates to …

This week we dive into words that we have come to us through games!

Chess & Draughts

An obvious starting point is a game previously mentioned in …

The Tell Tale Heart is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe recounted by an unnamed narrator who is attempting to convince the reader of his sanity while …

Hello again Word Lovers!

Charly has returned, wearing a red tunic and a fake beard, smothered in mince pie crumbs as he tells us about the etymology …

The local and national authorities have confirmed the Christmas restrictions so we run through what you need to know for the coming festive season

…

The signalman is an eerie horror suspense story by Charles Dickens, first published as part of a collection of railway-themed stories called The …

An overview of the latest restrictions in Aragón, the trend of young people renting flats for weekend parties and the reclassification of the Spanish language in education.

Latest restrictions

The Aragón Government …

Our latest news round up podcast covers the uncomfortable development of potential return to national lockdown alongside some other local stories, including the Cocaine shipment intercepted by the Zaragoza city …

Hello word lovers! Part 2 explores words that have a definitive Arabic origin.

We await the next political decision which will have profound implications on ll our lives, but, at least, not until next week...Read more at our …

Local news update for Aragón, Spain in English. Impending lockdown restrictions - Pilar festival cancelled - Christmas...cancelled and some good news.

Resident etymologist Charly Taylor explores the mysterious origins of Arabic words in English.

In this short instalment, we take a look at some recent words that have come into being. Charly manages to surprise us all with the unexpected …

Our series continues with an exploration of some common "folk etymologies" in English. Many of these come from French. These are words where we all …

A short tour of diacritics in English, and their absence. The circumflex accent and the acute are often substituted for a missing letter. What looks like an impenetrable and intimidating topic can quickly be understood …

Episode two in our series of Interesting Etymologies with Charly Taylor. In this episode we explore the story behind everyday words such as …

The first in our new series discussing interesting etymologies in English with our resident interesting guy, Charly Taylor. In this first episode, …

Operation Black Buck was the audacious RAF raid on the occupied Port Stanley airfield in 1982 at the start of the Falklands conflict. A mission against all the odds, a true tale of bravery and determination when a fleet …

The Dambusters of 617 Squadron were made famous by the film of the same name. On the seventy fifth anniversary of the suicide mission to attack Germans dams with audacious engineering and obscene flight and navigation …

We travel to the Somme to tour the battlefield and uncover the horror and futility of one of the most painful and emotional events in British …

Ben sat down with Shihan Fernando Pérez to talk about his twenty five years running his Karate club in Zaragoza and the secrets behind the mystique of eastern martial arts. Fernando shares his insights on and passion …

In March we ventured deep into the heart of the unknown as we attended our first ever Roller Derby game, between Zaragoza and Murcia. A growing and …

Merrick being injured with broken ribs was unable to play football with his 7 a side Sunday League team, so he dragged Ben and their microphone to the match to ask people why they turn out come wind, rain or shine to …

The first ever Gaelic Football matches in Zaragoza and the birth of a new Gaelic Football team in the city. An invitational tournement to blood their …

The first ever Gaelic Football matches in Zaragoza and the birth of a new Gaelic Football team in the city. An invitational tournement to blood their …

Ben and Merrick reconvene at Bulldog Towers to discuss alternatives to the sickly sweet Christmas films you may watch every year. We wish you all a …

We discuss strange BRITISH CUSTOMS and TRADITIONS. Join us as we explore Shin Kicking, Worm charming, Viking torchlit processions and the world renowned CHEESE ROLLING festival. Sit back and relax, no worksheets for you …

We sit down with Earl Bronson of local Zaragoza funk outfit The Bronson as they release the music video for new single "The Funky Robot". We talk …

The team head out onto the mean streets of Zaragoza for this episode as they try a Beer tasting session at Craft Beer Bar Hoppy (www.hoppy.es). An episode rich in descriptive language and atmosphere. chance to learn a …

2017 is here, and it's gonna be great, it's gonna be great! We have got the best words for you here as we hurtle head long into a new and uncertain …

The year approaches an end and the trio come together to celebrate Christmas and look back at the year in typical Bulldog style, that is, without …

The gang have returned after the Summer break for the new series and we kick off with a particularly grizzly exploration of one of England's oldest …

We're all going on a Summer Holiday Episode 1.6 Yes oh yes oh yes! The heatwave of the Spanish summer is upon us and as the team lose their body …

The team return to ostensibly discuss television shows to improve your English but the Gambas inevitably rear their ugly heads once more.. Activity …

Merrick, Ben and Claire discuss Easter traditions in their families and the delights of the Holy Week in Zaragoza...including a special "on the …

Once again, the gang converge to discuss the burning issue of the month. After news has emerged of a Spanish civil servant failing to turn up to work …

Merrick, Ben and Claire return with news of the winner of our first competition and a conversation regarding new year traditions and resolutions …

Merrick, Ben and Claire welcome you to the very first "Dead Air" podcast as they talk about Christmas and festive traditions in their own family …