Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Jess Zafarris

@jesszafarris.bsky.social

3.3K followers 250 following 1.9K posts

Author of USELESS ETYMOLOGY, WORDS FROM HELL, and ONCE UPON A WORD. Podcaster/cohost, Words Unravelled. Editor-at-Large, Ragan + PR Daily. Adjunct prof at Emerson. Speaker, content director, social pro, ad world wordsmith. https://linktr.ee/JessZafarris

linktr.ee

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Jess Zafarris @jesszafarris.bsky.social · Jul 30

Something special arrived today!

Useless Etymology will head out into the larger world on October 7th, but in the meantime here’s a little unbox and a reflection on its reason for being.

23 38 220

Jess Zafarris @jesszafarris.bsky.social · 14h

Cold, rainy days are a new and unwelcome experience for Fable.

9 3 71

Jess Zafarris @jesszafarris.bsky.social · 19h

Whoa!

Jess Zafarris @jesszafarris.bsky.social · 20h

One of my neighbors has a dog named Waffles, and I ADORE him and his name!

1 1

Jess Zafarris @jesszafarris.bsky.social · 1d

Thank you so much my friend!

Jess Zafarris @jesszafarris.bsky.social · 1d

Oh that’s so funny!

scooby doo from the scooby doo show is smiling and looking at the camera

ALT: scooby doo from the scooby doo show is smiling and looking at the camera

media.tenor.com

Jess Zafarris @jesszafarris.bsky.social · 1d

Aww I love it!

Jess Zafarris @jesszafarris.bsky.social · 1d

He’s perfect!

Jess Zafarris @jesszafarris.bsky.social · 1d

Great names!!

Jess Zafarris @jesszafarris.bsky.social · 1d

I love that show! Good choice.

Jess Zafarris @jesszafarris.bsky.social · 1d

Amazing!

Jess Zafarris @jesszafarris.bsky.social · 1d

She’s lovely!

Jess Zafarris @jesszafarris.bsky.social · 1d

Incredible! I love her!

Jess Zafarris @jesszafarris.bsky.social · 1d

I love Cornbread!

Jess Zafarris @jesszafarris.bsky.social · 2d

I love this

1 3

Jess Zafarris @jesszafarris.bsky.social · 2d

💙🩵💙

Reposted by Jess Zafarris

neilcar.bsky.social @neilcar.bsky.social · 2d

"One surprising thing about the study of language and linguistics: The more you learn, the less pedantic you become and the more you revel in the glorious, rip-roaring chaos of iterative creativity."

- @jesszafarris.bsky.social, Useless Etymology

My relationship with English in a paragraph.

5 6 31

Jess Zafarris @jesszafarris.bsky.social · 2d

I love this story.

Jess Zafarris @jesszafarris.bsky.social · 2d

I love his ears!!

Jess Zafarris @jesszafarris.bsky.social · 2d

Oh I love this one.

1 3

Jess Zafarris @jesszafarris.bsky.social · 2d

My new pup is named Fable. It sounds silly, but before I got her, I had a dream about a little black and white dog with that name, and I loved its whimsy and the fact that it evokes storytelling.

Tell me the story behind your pet’s name!

(Your story might appear in an episode of Words Unravelled!)