We chase words back to their first recorded breath
and check who wrote it down
Wording Out started as an argument about the word nice and never really ended. Two hosts, a stack of etymological references, and a rule that nothing goes on air without a date and a source.
Start with episode oneStart with episode one
Stop repeating the tidy story.
Follow the paper trail.
- Origin stories repeated because they sound satisfying
- Screenshots of dictionary entries with no dictionary
- Claims about ancient acronyms that never existed
- Confident answers where the record is genuinely unclear
- Words explained without a single date attached
- Every claim tied to a source we name on air
- Dates, roots and first attestations, every time
- Folk etymologies labelled as folk etymologies
- An index you can check long after the episode
- Listener words credited to the listener who sent them
The questions that come up most
How the show is made, how often it lands, and how your suggestions turn into episodes.
How often do new episodes land?
Every other Tuesday. Each episode covers a headline word plus a listener word and a shorter word of the week.
How many words are in an episode?
Usually three: the main word we dig into, a word a listener sent us, and a quick word of the week. All of them go into the dictionary.
Can I suggest a word?
Yes, and you do not need an account to do it. Send it through the suggestion form and it joins the public queue immediately.
Why do I need to sign in to upvote?
So the leaderboard means something. A free listener account keeps voting to one per person, per word.
Where do the etymologies come from?
Standard etymological references, historical corpora and primary printed sources, all named in the show notes for each episode.
Still curious?
Corrections, sources and arguments are all welcome. We read everything and credit the good catches on air.
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