Trying to work out which 17th century accent can excuse rhyming "America" with "day".

I think the meaning of "exciting" might have changed a bit since 1884.

[hic]

Preparing to pickle your pigeons? BONE them neatly.

Need a pretty sauce for your woodcock? Here.

I spent part of yesterday trying to draw a sexy verb. Please make my efforts worthwhile by reading today's newsletter, featuring the glamorous origins of "grammar". open.substack.com/pub/robwords...

HEFTY NEWS! I’m taking my wordy nerdy show to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. I’ll be doing 10 nights at the Assembly George Square Studios from 6th to 16th August. I can barely ruddy believe it! I’d love to see you there. Tickets: assemblyfestival.com/whats-on/rob...

I want this beautiful shorthand diagram on a poster.

I wouldn't normally touch this kind of opportunity with a bargepole, but the personal touch has got me tempted.

It's worrying that I just allowed this man to feed me. The perils of filming at a Berlin market. From my new video about contronyms, here: youtu.be/wopcJoJIoJE?...

On Words Unravelled, @jesszafarris.com and I discussed the origins of "to beat around the bush". It relates to the practice of shaking a bush in order to scare animals out into the open (in order to shoot them), and I've just stumbled across this vivid reference of the process from 1672.

The first ever RobWords Live shows were an absolute blast. Thank you so much if you were among the hundreds of word nerds who made me feel so welcome in London.

As of today, RobWords is now on the streaming platform Nebula! Subscribers can access ad-free versions of my videos and other goodies, as well as those of hundreds of other creators. My fancy link gives a big old discount, too: go.nebula.tv/robwords

English is crawling with goats. My latest newsletter: substack.com/@robwords/no...

Unfortunate frame from my next video.

I'm not above shaming someone for a 400-year-old typo. The editor of the English edition of Mercator's first "Atlas" really should have picked this one up.

Blimey! We've had to add another performance to RobWords Live. If you can be in London on April 11th, do come and join me for a couple of hours of etymology and word nerdery. Tickets here: www.ucl.ac.uk/bloomsbury-t...

I am tremendously excited about this. Join me for evening of word-nerdery at London's Bloomsbury Theatre. Tickets just went on sale here: www.ucl.ac.uk/bloomsbury-t...

Some very literal German names for animals. From my latest newsletter: open.substack.com/pub/robwords...

Wait, what? From 1586.

This handsome pair interrupted filming this afternoon. The theme of the video? The origin of the word 'dog'.

Great question. I dont think there is, thus I feel a pressing, urgent need to resurrect "micturient". Note also, "cacaturient" 💩

Picked up something special on my way through London. Courtesy of @jayforeman.bsky.social & @markcooperjones.bsky.social

It does seem to be have been a word for toad. Cool!

Word Unravelled just hit 100k subscribers on YouTube! For such a geeky little channel, that is fabulous. Thank you if you subscribed. And thanks to @jesszafarris.bsky.social & @martynmnw.bsky.social for making it all so fun.

Join my Patreon where the fun never stops.

FLIPPIN' HECK!! Words Unravelled has been nominated for a BRITISH PODCAST AWARD! How's about that @jesszafarris.bsky.social ? Thank you so much if you have listened or watched. And extra thanks to our third word nerd, editor @martynmnw.bsky.social

In French, to point out that a word is feminine you have to use the masculine form of the word feminine.

I was looking up whether 🇬🇧 MUNCH and 🇫🇷 MANGER are related (answer: maybe) and now can't get this 1530 quote out of my head. "Are you not ashamed to munch your meat like a carter?"

Very cool to get a mention in today's @1440daily.bsky.social newsletter. If you haven't seen my video about the pseudo-magical way babies learn language, it's here: youtu.be/Frosv3oBa6Y?...