52. Zemblanity

This week, Emily and Kyle look at a real doozy of a word, zemblanity, and its equally delightful companion word, serendipity.

They find out how these two words are linked to the island nation of Sri Lanka, and to a cozy Persian fairy tale about a trio of lucky princes. And the winding tale of these words leads them to a famous Walpole, and his involvements in politics, gothic architecture, and letter-writing.

They explore zemblanity’s inevitable origin in a book called Armadillo and an island off the coast of Russia. They also hone in on exactly how serendipity and zemblanity are opposites. Last, but certainly not least, they touch on the idea of serendipitous discovery and invention, and reveal the greatest of all dinosaurs.