Kyle and Emily find themselves boxed in this week by a word that describes the worst kind of obligation: zugzwang. It’s a bad decision no matter what as Kyle and Emily are forced to explore the German roots of this chess-inspired word.

Kyle and Emily show their true colors in this episode, exploring the history of flags of all kinds and learning the meaning and origin of the word guidon.

This episode turns Emily into a bit of a fence sitter, as she and Kyle discuss the sting of betrayal, the dangers of devil’s advocacy, and the history of the word tergiversation.

Get your pails and shovels ready! Kyle and Emily are digging into the history and usage of the word psammophile, and building a castle fit for beach grasses, kangaroo rats, and microbiologists alike.

Don’t you just love a good throwback? Emily and Kyle certainly do—and, in this episode, so do botanists, doctors, pseudoscientists, and more! Join our hosts in taking some inspiration from the past and exploring the word atavism.

Time is running out! And then running in again, but weirder! Kyle and Emily are joined by producer Seth, who helps them sort reality from fiction from nonsense, and discovers the time-bending truths of the word uchronia.

Kyle and Emily stumble into an old Shakespearean dilemma this Chump season when Seth introduces them to E-Prime. To be or not to be? That is a question, but the bigger question is just semantics.

This week, Kyle and Emily take a slippery step into the world of verglas. A sleek French borrowing with roots in poetry, peril, and absolutely eating it on the pavement. What does it have to do with medieval “Verses of Death”, physics, and the word vitriol? You may want to tread carefully.

Kyle and Emily allow their cups to spilleth over in this cheery, beery, and all around festive dive into the word ‘jorum’. From Hebrew scripture to Arabic pottery to Jesus himself, these biblical vessels are full to the brim with etymological curiosity.

Emily and Kyle enjoy a bit of a break in the weather, and bring you on a journey of a lovesick couple, gods both vengeful and kindhearted, seafaring birds, and the word halcyon.