Jess Zafarris
@jesszafarris.com
Author of USELESS ETYMOLOGY, WORDS FROM HELL, and ONCE UPON A WORD. Podcaster/cohost, Words Unravelled. Editor-at-Large, Ragan + PR Daily. Adjunct prof at Emerson. Speaker, content director, social pro, ad world wordsmith. https://linktr.ee/JessZafarris
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Jess Zafarris
@jesszafarris.com
· Jul 30
Something special arrived today!
Useless Etymology will head out into the larger world on October 7th, but in the meantime here’s a little unbox and a reflection on its reason for being.
Useless Etymology will head out into the larger world on October 7th, but in the meantime here’s a little unbox and a reflection on its reason for being.
I haven't been keeping up with film news (or films in general) lately because *gestures miserably at everything else* so I have just now come across this absolutely glorious headline by @peterbradshaw1.bsky.social.
February 19, 2026 at 7:11 PM
I haven't been keeping up with film news (or films in general) lately because *gestures miserably at everything else* so I have just now come across this absolutely glorious headline by @peterbradshaw1.bsky.social.
This is the first week since like November that the high temps have (barely) exceeded 30°F, and I keep going outside in clothes for 70° weather hoping that some semblance of light and warmth will thaw my frozen soul
No luck yet but I’m a tenacious little bitch
No luck yet but I’m a tenacious little bitch
February 19, 2026 at 5:07 PM
This is the first week since like November that the high temps have (barely) exceeded 30°F, and I keep going outside in clothes for 70° weather hoping that some semblance of light and warmth will thaw my frozen soul
No luck yet but I’m a tenacious little bitch
No luck yet but I’m a tenacious little bitch
Reposted by Jess Zafarris
Cue both Salt **N** Pepa as @robwords.bsky.social and @jesszafarris.bsky.social 🎵talk about sex, baby.. (Well, sex word origins & historical terms) I love that Rob begins with a content warning of real lurid, steamy sexiness ahead, then the episode opener is "what part of you is your *buggle-boo?*
We have so many words for 'doing it'
YouTube video by Words Unravelled
www.youtube.com
February 18, 2026 at 4:33 PM
Cue both Salt **N** Pepa as @robwords.bsky.social and @jesszafarris.bsky.social 🎵talk about sex, baby.. (Well, sex word origins & historical terms) I love that Rob begins with a content warning of real lurid, steamy sexiness ahead, then the episode opener is "what part of you is your *buggle-boo?*
In case anyone was wondering why the seismic activity has spiked around George Orwell's grave, please observe this Reddit thread from today.
February 18, 2026 at 1:57 AM
In case anyone was wondering why the seismic activity has spiked around George Orwell's grave, please observe this Reddit thread from today.
Reposted by Jess Zafarris
Rev. Jesse Jackson's "I *am* somebody..." remains one of the all-time great pieces of 20th century rhetoric / agitprop
And he could deliver it at a Black separatist meeting, the Democratic National Convention, or on god-blessed Sesame Street (see below 🥹)
RIP to the Voice of the Voiceless
And he could deliver it at a Black separatist meeting, the Democratic National Convention, or on god-blessed Sesame Street (see below 🥹)
RIP to the Voice of the Voiceless
February 17, 2026 at 11:29 AM
Rev. Jesse Jackson's "I *am* somebody..." remains one of the all-time great pieces of 20th century rhetoric / agitprop
And he could deliver it at a Black separatist meeting, the Democratic National Convention, or on god-blessed Sesame Street (see below 🥹)
RIP to the Voice of the Voiceless
And he could deliver it at a Black separatist meeting, the Democratic National Convention, or on god-blessed Sesame Street (see below 🥹)
RIP to the Voice of the Voiceless
I'm looking through lists of semi-genericized trademarks.
It's not at all a surprise that "Hacky Sack" is a brand name, but what I didn't know is that the generic name for a Hacky Sack is a "footbag."
It's not at all a surprise that "Hacky Sack" is a brand name, but what I didn't know is that the generic name for a Hacky Sack is a "footbag."
February 16, 2026 at 1:55 PM
I'm looking through lists of semi-genericized trademarks.
It's not at all a surprise that "Hacky Sack" is a brand name, but what I didn't know is that the generic name for a Hacky Sack is a "footbag."
It's not at all a surprise that "Hacky Sack" is a brand name, but what I didn't know is that the generic name for a Hacky Sack is a "footbag."
Fable is such a happy little soul!
February 15, 2026 at 5:46 PM
Fable is such a happy little soul!
What else should I do while I'm in Austin? I'm there March 9-12, and my schedule is pretty stacked (a talk or book signing or media collab every day), but I need food and entertainment recommendations for both me and my artist/museum curator sister, who's coming along with me.
If you’re a Dazed and Confused fan and you have time while in town, hit up Top Notch on Burnett Road. This little drive-in dive appeared in the film and there’s some memorabilia by the register inside the restaurant. It’s where they are in the below scene.
a man is driving a car and pointing at the camera while another man sits in the back seat .
ALT: a man is driving a car and pointing at the camera while another man sits in the back seat .
media.tenor.com
February 14, 2026 at 4:10 AM
What else should I do while I'm in Austin? I'm there March 9-12, and my schedule is pretty stacked (a talk or book signing or media collab every day), but I need food and entertainment recommendations for both me and my artist/museum curator sister, who's coming along with me.
Look at this little bean in her post-surgery onesie that she hates so much 🩵
February 13, 2026 at 4:46 PM
Look at this little bean in her post-surgery onesie that she hates so much 🩵
Reposted by Jess Zafarris
It was believed in medieval times that hedgehogs had spikes so they could roll over fruit to carry home to their children, which is not true but is a really cute idea
February 13, 2026 at 11:26 AM
It was believed in medieval times that hedgehogs had spikes so they could roll over fruit to carry home to their children, which is not true but is a really cute idea
This is pretty cool!
February 13, 2026 at 4:02 PM
This is pretty cool!
That would be the work of the brilliant @martynmnw.bsky.social, without whom this show simply would not exist. He’s the off-screen editing and musical wizard making it all happen, and he both composed and performed our theme music.
@jesszafarris.bsky.social and @robwords.bsky.social:
i love how the music on this channel is a comforting, meandering idea of what would happen if the charlie brown piano guy slowly reinterpreted that song about how happiness is finding a skate key. genuinely calming and enjoyable.
i love how the music on this channel is a comforting, meandering idea of what would happen if the charlie brown piano guy slowly reinterpreted that song about how happiness is finding a skate key. genuinely calming and enjoyable.
February 12, 2026 at 10:56 PM
That would be the work of the brilliant @martynmnw.bsky.social, without whom this show simply would not exist. He’s the off-screen editing and musical wizard making it all happen, and he both composed and performed our theme music.
Reposted by Jess Zafarris
An etymological journey into the origin of words that don't exist. Very "Yesterday, upon the stair, I met a man who was not there/He wasn't there again today/how I wish he'd go away". Surprising lack of Seuss or Carrol references on sound-based-gaps! w the delightful
@jesszafarris.bsky.social
@jesszafarris.bsky.social
Why don't we have words for these things?
YouTube video by Words Unravelled
www.youtube.com
February 11, 2026 at 6:18 PM
An etymological journey into the origin of words that don't exist. Very "Yesterday, upon the stair, I met a man who was not there/He wasn't there again today/how I wish he'd go away". Surprising lack of Seuss or Carrol references on sound-based-gaps! w the delightful
@jesszafarris.bsky.social
@jesszafarris.bsky.social
Hey! I'm about to do a live word nerdy game thing with Joshua Blackburn of @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social! Join in the fun: www.thatwordchat.com
That Word Chat | A Language Celebration
That Word Chat is a wordy celebration of editing and all things lexical, featuring fun conversations with interesting guests.
www.thatwordchat.com
February 10, 2026 at 9:17 PM
Hey! I'm about to do a live word nerdy game thing with Joshua Blackburn of @leagueofthelexicon.bsky.social! Join in the fun: www.thatwordchat.com
Post-spay recovery time for Fable 🩵
February 10, 2026 at 8:25 PM
Post-spay recovery time for Fable 🩵
I ain’t no political scientist, but if’n I were to name such an era as was characterized by state-sanctioned brand supremacy alongside the dismantling of legally protected media institutions and the obfuscation of objective truth by way of inexpert influencers, I’d call it The Great Impression.
February 9, 2026 at 11:37 PM
I ain’t no political scientist, but if’n I were to name such an era as was characterized by state-sanctioned brand supremacy alongside the dismantling of legally protected media institutions and the obfuscation of objective truth by way of inexpert influencers, I’d call it The Great Impression.
Who else will be in Austin for SXSW?? I'm a Featured Speaker at SXSW EDU on March 9th and will be staying until March 13th. I'm also doing a couple of signings/talks at local bookstores while I'm there (details TBD, but one will be at 7pm at Book Woman).
February 9, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Who else will be in Austin for SXSW?? I'm a Featured Speaker at SXSW EDU on March 9th and will be staying until March 13th. I'm also doing a couple of signings/talks at local bookstores while I'm there (details TBD, but one will be at 7pm at Book Woman).
The bleachers where the fans watch the Dinner Olympics and the Foodper Bowl.
February 8, 2026 at 10:32 PM
The bleachers where the fans watch the Dinner Olympics and the Foodper Bowl.
How cold is it?
Too.
Too.
February 7, 2026 at 9:50 PM
How cold is it?
Too.
Too.
Here is an etymologist’s impression of an owl: It is the word owl, from Proto-Germanic *uwwalon-, which is a diminutive of the Proto-Indo-European root *u(wa)l-, which is imitative of an owl's hoot.
February 7, 2026 at 7:08 PM
Here is an etymologist’s impression of an owl: It is the word owl, from Proto-Germanic *uwwalon-, which is a diminutive of the Proto-Indo-European root *u(wa)l-, which is imitative of an owl's hoot.
An artist, Damon Soileau of Oiseau Metal Arts in Tennessee, asked to use my book to model his sterling silver bookmarks, and boy are they gorgeous!!
Check out his shop: www.etsy.com/shop/oiseaum...
Check out his shop: www.etsy.com/shop/oiseaum...
February 5, 2026 at 4:58 PM
An artist, Damon Soileau of Oiseau Metal Arts in Tennessee, asked to use my book to model his sterling silver bookmarks, and boy are they gorgeous!!
Check out his shop: www.etsy.com/shop/oiseaum...
Check out his shop: www.etsy.com/shop/oiseaum...
As an extrovert who loves making friends with introverts, it always stumps me when two wonderful but introverted friends don't get along for basic personality reasons. I like basically everyone who isn't pushy or cruel, so it doesn't quite compute when good person 1 just isn't fond of good person 2.
February 5, 2026 at 12:25 AM
As an extrovert who loves making friends with introverts, it always stumps me when two wonderful but introverted friends don't get along for basic personality reasons. I like basically everyone who isn't pushy or cruel, so it doesn't quite compute when good person 1 just isn't fond of good person 2.
Obi has a little heart-shaped spot on his chest.
February 4, 2026 at 7:40 PM
Obi has a little heart-shaped spot on his chest.
As a kid I had ALL of the Wishbone books (most acquired via Goosebumps trades from my school's Scholastic Book Fair) and a plush Wishbone that you could dress up in four outfits: Odysseus, Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes, and Romeo.
Wishbone is also adorable!
February 4, 2026 at 2:36 AM
As a kid I had ALL of the Wishbone books (most acquired via Goosebumps trades from my school's Scholastic Book Fair) and a plush Wishbone that you could dress up in four outfits: Odysseus, Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes, and Romeo.
These are the best modern adaptations of The Odyssey ever created and I will not be dissuaded (and yes I do rank both of them slightly above the 1997 miniseries, which is also very good)
February 4, 2026 at 12:39 AM
These are the best modern adaptations of The Odyssey ever created and I will not be dissuaded (and yes I do rank both of them slightly above the 1997 miniseries, which is also very good)