Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast.
Word History is a podcast for people who enjoy words and history.
Each episode takes a small set of words linked to a theme. You'll hear what they mean, where they come from and which familiar words share the same linguistic roots, along with stories from the past related to their use.
Listen for words that sharpen expression, and brief histories that show how ideas and practices, as well as language, took shape. Across an archive of more than a hundred episodes, you'll find explanations of word, name and phrase origins.
The majority of etymologies featured return to Old English, Ancient Greek, Latin and Old French, providing a look into languages of the past that underpin English.
New episodes on Sundays.
Get in touch: https://etymoleon.com
Etymoleon is produced by Leon Bailey-Green.
Etymoleon - Word History, the etymology podcast.
123. Boredom
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This podcast returns on June 28th 2026. An experiment suggests most people would rather give themselves an electric shock than sit alone with boredom. Excavations reveal students were being punished with the monotony of writing lines thousands of years ago. The computer game millions of office workers have used to kill time was created by an intern.
Alongside these histories, this episode traces the origins of words such as monotony, ennui, onychophagy, ad nauseam, flâneur, meander and cliché.
Transition sound by https://audionautix.com
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/60360466
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/a-noble-experiment-how-solitary-came-to-america/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/travel/article/20191027-the-word-that-encapsulates-frenchness
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/guy-wrote-windows-solitaire-did-231250280.html