Anatoly Liberman, a leading etymologist and author of *Origin Uncertain*, takes listeners on a journey through the tangled roots of English words. He discusses the fascinating complexities of etymology and the challenges of tracing word origins. The conversation includes playful guessing games that illustrate the quirks of language and how it evolves. Liberman also highlights how biases can influence grading in education, connects linguistic sound symbolism to cultural perception, and explores new terms relevant to technology and AI.