Origins in Five

About Origins in Five

Origins in Five is a short podcast for curious minds. Each episode explores the origin of a single word — where it came from, how its meaning evolved, and what history it carries today. These five-minute stories reveal the hidden history of everyday language.

Publisher

Origins in Five

Category

education · history · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

22 Mar 2026

Latest episode

10 Jun 2026

Latest episodes

31 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   10 Jun 2026

   Influenza and the Flu: How the Stars Named a Disease

   Why do we call it influenza—and how did the flu get a name connected to the stars? In this episode of Origins in Five, we trace the word from medieval Latin and Italian belief in celestial “influence” to the modern illness we know today. Questions? Comments? Email us at originsinfive@gmail.com.

2. 

   8 Jun 2026

   Sabotage: The Wooden Shoe Myth

   Did sabotage really come from French workers throwing wooden shoes into factory machines? In this episode of Origins in Five, we unpack the famous story, why it’s probably a myth, and the more revealing origin behind a word that began with clumsy work, slowdowns, and deliberate resistance. Questions? Comments? Email us at originsinfive@gmail.com.

3. 

   3 Jun 2026

   From Reverence to Insult: The Story of Awful

   In this episode of Origins in Five, we trace the surprising history of the word awful. Once a word of reverence and fear—closely related to awesome—it slowly drifted from sacred praise to everyday insult. Questions? Comments? Email us at originsinfive@gmail.com.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Contact Origins in Five

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.