Daily Archives: August 9, 2016


Helen Zaltzman presents … the Etymolympics! Her adventures in language take on the world’s largest sporting event. What are the origins of words such as ‘stadium’, ‘hurdles’, ‘steeplechase’ and, of course, ‘Olympic’. It is just a short podcast this week but packed with sporting etymology. It is presented as a spoof on sports commentary, which made me laugh.

The Allusionist | Episode 40 – Olympics