Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Let's explore some dangerous punctuation. And 🌏 get an exclusive NordVPN deal + 4 months extra here → nordvpn.com/robwordsvpn It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! ✌️
Can a comma kill? Can a hyphen cost you millions? The answer to both questions is "yes". Find out why as we explore some of the most costly punctuation errors and misinterpretations in history.
Rob tells the tale Roger Casement, a.k.a. the man "hanged by a comma". Find out how the difference between "fruit-plants" and "fruits, plants" cost American taxpayers millions, and understand the curious case of Oakhurst Dairy vs. its own drivers.
🚨ROBWORDS LIVE!🚨
11th April, 1.30pm & 5pm. Bloomsbury Theatre, London
Tickets: bloomsburytheatre.com/event/2026/04/robwords-live
Camera: Manuel Vering
Editing: Martyn Williams
Everything else: Rob Watts
👕COOL TSHIRTS: robwords.com/shop
⭐️PATREON COMMUNITY: patreon.com/robwords
📝FREE NEWSLETTER: robwords.com/newsletter
Check me out on the web, on Twitter & TikTok:
robwords.com
https://x.com/robwordsYT
tiktok.com/@robwords
==CHAPTERS==
0:00 Introduction
Let's explore some dangerous punctuation. And 🌏 get an exclusive NordVPN deal + 4 months extra here → nordvpn.com/robwordsvpn It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! ✌️
Can a comma kill? Can a hyphen cost you millions? The answer to both questions is "yes". Find out why as we explore some of the most costly punctuation errors and misinterpretations in history.
Rob tells the tale Roger Casement, a.k.a. the man "hanged by a comma". Find out how the difference between "fruit-plants" and "fruits, plants" cost American taxpayers millions, and understand the curious case of Oakhurst Dairy vs. its own drivers.
🚨ROBWORDS LIVE!🚨
11th April, 1.30pm & 5pm. Bloomsbury Theatre, London
Tickets: bloomsburytheatre.com/event/2026/04/robwords-live
Camera: Manuel Vering
Editing: Martyn Williams
Everything else: Rob Watts
👕COOL TSHIRTS: robwords.com/shop
⭐️PATREON COMMUNITY: patreon.com/robwords
📝FREE NEWSLETTER: robwords.com/newsletter
Check me out on the web, on Twitter & TikTok:
robwords.com
https://x.com/robwordsYT
tiktok.com/@robwords
==CHAPTERS==
0:00 Introduction
![NUMPIRE, NAPRON, [N]EWT and other words were getting wrong](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/XBVu4CjYZmo/mqdefault.jpg "NUMPIRE, NAPRON, [N]EWT and other words were getting wrong
Did you know an umpire should actually be a numpire?
Whats more... an apron should be a napron, an adder a nadder, a newt an ewt, and a nickname an ickname. This video explains why on earth that is.
For centuries, English scholars have been accidentally rebracketing words (its also known as metanalysis). Many of their mistakes have stuck in the language, meaning we continue to get these words wrong.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Numpire, napron & nadder
0:27 Explanation of rebracketing
1:20 Newt & nickname
1:44 Evidence in other languages
2:06 Errors that didnt catch on
2:24 Bye bye")
