160. Useless Etymology w/ Jess Zafarris

This week, Butter No Parsnips welcomes back author, podcaster, and etymological powerhouse Jess Zafarris (Words from Hell, Words Unravelled), whose latest book Useless Etymology (https://www.amazon.com/Useless-Etymology-Offbeat-Origins-Curious/dp/1399809180) proves that it is anything but!

Jess leads Kyle and Emily on an etymological expedition through the origins of everyday greetings, the sneaky influence of folk etymology, and the reason why mistakes make our language the beautiful freak that it is. Along the way, Jess shares what keeps word nerds coming back to the art of word origins, which Kyle is certain is the “word-math” of "whither" and "hither.”

With wit, insight, and only a healthy dose of pedantry, this episode is a love letter to the word-curious. If you've ever been tripped up by an eggcorn, baffled by a backronym, or found yourself preferring “ahoy” to “hello,” Useless Etymology might just be your next obsession.