Rob Watts (RobWords)
@robwords.bsky.social
YouTube word nerd. Happy host of RobWords and the podcast Words Unravelled.
https://www.youtube.com/robwords
https://www.youtube.com/@wordsunravelled
https://www.youtube.com/robwords
https://www.youtube.com/@wordsunravelled
This handsome pair interrupted filming this afternoon.
The theme of the video? The origin of the word 'dog'.
The theme of the video? The origin of the word 'dog'.
November 18, 2025 at 5:08 PM
This handsome pair interrupted filming this afternoon.
The theme of the video? The origin of the word 'dog'.
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" 💩
Note also, "cacaturient" 💩
November 9, 2025 at 7:11 AM
Great question. I dont think there is, thus I feel a pressing, urgent need to resurrect "micturient".
Note also, "cacaturient" 💩
Note also, "cacaturient" 💩
Picked up something special on my way through London. Courtesy of @jayforeman.bsky.social & @markcooperjones.bsky.social
November 2, 2025 at 4:29 PM
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!
October 26, 2025 at 10:34 PM
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.
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.
September 4, 2025 at 6:30 AM
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.
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.
August 2, 2025 at 9:06 AM
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
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
July 24, 2025 at 7:49 PM
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
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.
July 22, 2025 at 2:32 PM
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?"
"Are you not ashamed to munch your meat like a carter?"
July 8, 2025 at 3:37 PM
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?"
"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?...
If you haven't seen my video about the pseudo-magical way babies learn language, it's here: youtu.be/Frosv3oBa6Y?...
June 27, 2025 at 3:22 PM
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?...
If you haven't seen my video about the pseudo-magical way babies learn language, it's here: youtu.be/Frosv3oBa6Y?...
If it's one of these (from OED) you're alright.
June 25, 2025 at 8:59 PM
If it's one of these (from OED) you're alright.
The earlier "sculdudry" lends itself rather less well to becoming an agent noun. You need the "-er" in there.
May 28, 2025 at 8:50 PM
The earlier "sculdudry" lends itself rather less well to becoming an agent noun. You need the "-er" in there.
Here's one of the more disturbing frames from my NEW VIDEO exploring the ugliest and prettiest words.
Give it a watch: youtu.be/hh5yEKPNEtM?...
Give it a watch: youtu.be/hh5yEKPNEtM?...
May 17, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Here's one of the more disturbing frames from my NEW VIDEO exploring the ugliest and prettiest words.
Give it a watch: youtu.be/hh5yEKPNEtM?...
Give it a watch: youtu.be/hh5yEKPNEtM?...
Just discovered Minute Cryptic by @lrlr.bsky.social and now I'm going to have to do it every day.
It's a daily cryptic crossword clue. Top nerding.
It's a daily cryptic crossword clue. Top nerding.
April 30, 2025 at 6:53 AM
Just discovered Minute Cryptic by @lrlr.bsky.social and now I'm going to have to do it every day.
It's a daily cryptic crossword clue. Top nerding.
It's a daily cryptic crossword clue. Top nerding.
Today, I'm reading the book that gave us "shampoo".
The word is a British attempt at the Hindi "Čāmpo!" which loosely means "Rub me!" The original "shampoo" was a massage with fragrant oils.
In 1784, S. K. Mahomed moved to Brighton, UK, where he introduced Indian-style baths and wrote this book.
The word is a British attempt at the Hindi "Čāmpo!" which loosely means "Rub me!" The original "shampoo" was a massage with fragrant oils.
In 1784, S. K. Mahomed moved to Brighton, UK, where he introduced Indian-style baths and wrote this book.
April 28, 2025 at 7:28 AM
Today, I'm reading the book that gave us "shampoo".
The word is a British attempt at the Hindi "Čāmpo!" which loosely means "Rub me!" The original "shampoo" was a massage with fragrant oils.
In 1784, S. K. Mahomed moved to Brighton, UK, where he introduced Indian-style baths and wrote this book.
The word is a British attempt at the Hindi "Čāmpo!" which loosely means "Rub me!" The original "shampoo" was a massage with fragrant oils.
In 1784, S. K. Mahomed moved to Brighton, UK, where he introduced Indian-style baths and wrote this book.
It's weird, right? We Brits skip the "to" if we mention what we're writing ("I wrote her a letter").
I don't think the "to" was added later. These examples show prepositions with "write" way back: "til" and "unto". I guess we just picked a side.
@jesszafarris.bsky.social One for our AmE v BrE ep?
I don't think the "to" was added later. These examples show prepositions with "write" way back: "til" and "unto". I guess we just picked a side.
@jesszafarris.bsky.social One for our AmE v BrE ep?
April 14, 2025 at 5:33 PM
It's weird, right? We Brits skip the "to" if we mention what we're writing ("I wrote her a letter").
I don't think the "to" was added later. These examples show prepositions with "write" way back: "til" and "unto". I guess we just picked a side.
@jesszafarris.bsky.social One for our AmE v BrE ep?
I don't think the "to" was added later. These examples show prepositions with "write" way back: "til" and "unto". I guess we just picked a side.
@jesszafarris.bsky.social One for our AmE v BrE ep?
NO, French. A word shouldn't look like that.
April 1, 2025 at 11:39 AM
NO, French. A word shouldn't look like that.
Just been laughing my head off at this alternative phonetic alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie etc.).
You can play around with it here: web.cs.dal.ca/~jamie/Words...
You can play around with it here: web.cs.dal.ca/~jamie/Words...
March 26, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Just been laughing my head off at this alternative phonetic alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie etc.).
You can play around with it here: web.cs.dal.ca/~jamie/Words...
You can play around with it here: web.cs.dal.ca/~jamie/Words...
This is official Paris Marathon advice. The final item.
March 24, 2025 at 12:58 PM
This is official Paris Marathon advice. The final item.
Today's word of the day is ZUMBOORUK.
Meaning: a camel-mounted cannon.
Etymology: from the Persian "zambūr" meaning "hornet".
Seriously, this thing is real.
Meaning: a camel-mounted cannon.
Etymology: from the Persian "zambūr" meaning "hornet".
Seriously, this thing is real.
March 21, 2025 at 8:34 AM
Today's word of the day is ZUMBOORUK.
Meaning: a camel-mounted cannon.
Etymology: from the Persian "zambūr" meaning "hornet".
Seriously, this thing is real.
Meaning: a camel-mounted cannon.
Etymology: from the Persian "zambūr" meaning "hornet".
Seriously, this thing is real.
I've got a German exam in 10 minutes, but all I can think is "This is literally Berlin's Watergate".
March 19, 2025 at 1:19 PM
I've got a German exam in 10 minutes, but all I can think is "This is literally Berlin's Watergate".
A little more recently than that (check out Thomas Jefferson getting beevie), but it evokes a meaning we don't use now. A beef was an ox. Beeves were oxen.
March 17, 2025 at 7:54 PM
A little more recently than that (check out Thomas Jefferson getting beevie), but it evokes a meaning we don't use now. A beef was an ox. Beeves were oxen.
The plural of beef is beeves.
March 17, 2025 at 7:40 PM
The plural of beef is beeves.
I can only apologise to @jesszafarris.bsky.social for creating such an awkward moment in our latest episode about flower names.
Watch the full thing here: youtu.be/9Z2kjEJAscs?...
Watch the full thing here: youtu.be/9Z2kjEJAscs?...
March 12, 2025 at 1:11 PM
I can only apologise to @jesszafarris.bsky.social for creating such an awkward moment in our latest episode about flower names.
Watch the full thing here: youtu.be/9Z2kjEJAscs?...
Watch the full thing here: youtu.be/9Z2kjEJAscs?...
The offspring of a swan and a goose is called a swoose.
Do with that information what you will.
Do with that information what you will.
March 12, 2025 at 10:26 AM
The offspring of a swan and a goose is called a swoose.
Do with that information what you will.
Do with that information what you will.