Words Unravelled with RobWords and Jess Zafarris Getting quizzed on the quirks of English (with Joshua Blackburn)
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Nov 19, 2025 Join Joshua Blackburn, creator of the board game League of the Lexicon and author of The Language-Lover's Lexipedia, as he dives into quirky linguistic discussions. Discover the fascinating Baader-Meinhof effect and the only country named after a woman—Saint Lucia. Joshua reveals the peculiarities of convict slang and misquotes like those wrongly attributed to Churchill. With laughter, he quizzes the hosts on unique words and their meanings, while sharing enlightening and humorous language tidbits that will spark your curiosity!
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Hobson-Jobson Is Cultural History
- Hobson-Jobson is more than a dictionary: it's history, sociology, and etymology of Anglo-Indian words.
- Its title reflects anglicized native festival cries, exemplifying colonial-era linguistic adaptation.
Convict Lexicographer James Hardy Vaux
- James Hardy Vaux wrote an early Australian slang dictionary while imprisoned and repeatedly transported.
- He dedicated the slang glossary to the prison governor to explain prisoners' language.
18th‑Century Scams Mirror Modern Cons
- Vaux's glossary lists named scams like the snuff racket, where thieves blew snuff into victims' faces to rob them.
- Many historical cons mirror modern online scams, showing continuity in deception tactics.
