diff --git a/changelog.d/draft-notice-wording.changed.md b/changelog.d/draft-notice-wording.changed.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d54aa2107
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/draft-notice-wording.changed.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+- The held-draft notice now says which message it means and why in a full
+  sentence: "your plain-speech message starting "…" was not sent and is
+  instead held as draft d-… because there was an explicit send in the same
+  round as the plain speech". Several drafts are each named with their
+  opening words. The drafts tool's listing keeps its wording.
diff --git a/src/framework.ts b/src/framework.ts
index 2df4807f1..33d63a54c 100644
--- a/src/framework.ts
+++ b/src/framework.ts
@@ -14395,8 +14395,15 @@ export class AgentFramework {
     bounced: 'routing prefix bounced',
   };
 
+  /** Why the held-draft notice's drafts were held, as the clause after "because". */
+  private static readonly DRAFT_REASON_BECAUSE: Record<DraftReason, (many: boolean) => string> = {
+    'explicit-send': () => 'there was an explicit send in the same round as the plain speech',
+    'no-destination': (many) => `${many ? 'they' : 'it'} had no destination — after a routing envelope failed, ` +
+      'plain speech waits for a new valid target',
+    bounced: (many) => `${many ? 'their' : 'its'} routing prefix bounced`,
+  };
+
   private draftsHeldNotice(agentName: string, held: Draft[], reason: DraftReason): string {
-    const ids = held.map((d) => d.id);
     const many = held.length > 1;
     const quoted = (ds: Draft[]): string => ds.map((d) => `"${d.id}"`).join(', ');
     // Words copied from a draft that may already have been posted resend
@@ -14411,12 +14418,23 @@ export class AgentFramework {
       ...risky.map((d) => `${this.riskText(d)}, so resending ${d.id} could post it twice ` +
         `(to send it anyway: drafts(action: "resend", draftIds: ["${d.id}"], destination: "#channel", confirmDuplicate: true))`),
     ];
-    // Named: residents that share one message slot (#197) share this window.
+    // Each draft is named with its opening words, so the resident can tell
+    // which of its messages this is.
+    const opening = (d: Draft): string => AgentFramework.draftPreview(d.text, 50);
+    const named = held.map((d) => `${d.id} (starting ${opening(d)})`);
+    const which = many
+      ? `your ${held.length} plain-speech messages`
+      : `your plain-speech message starting ${opening(held[0]!)}`;
     // "Not sent" only when no copied words may already have been posted.
+    const status = risky.length > 0
+      ? `${many ? 'are' : 'is'} held as`
+      : `${many ? 'were not sent and are' : 'was not sent and is'} instead held as`;
+    const heldAs = many
+      ? `drafts ${named.slice(0, -1).join(', ')} and ${named.at(-1)}`
+      : `draft ${held[0]!.id}`;
+    // Named: residents that share one message slot (#197) share this window.
     return (
-      `[drafts] ${agentName}: ${risky.length > 0 ? '' : 'not sent — '}` +
-      `${many ? `${held.length} plain-speech segments` : 'a plain-speech segment'} ` +
-      `held as draft${many ? 's' : ''} ${ids.join(', ')} — ${AgentFramework.DRAFT_REASON_TEXT[reason]}. ` +
+      `[drafts] ${agentName}: ${which} ${status} ${heldAs} because ${AgentFramework.DRAFT_REASON_BECAUSE[reason](many)}. ` +
       `${resend.join('; ')}; drafts(action: "dismiss", draftIds: [${quoted(held)}]) sets ${many ? 'them' : 'it'} aside.`
     );
   }
@@ -14426,7 +14444,7 @@ export class AgentFramework {
     return formatZonedDateTime(t, this.timeZone).replace(/:\d\d\.\d{3}/, '');
   }
 
-  /** A draft's opening words, for the drafts tool's listing only. */
+  /** A draft's opening words, for the drafts tool's listing and the held-draft notice. */
   private static draftPreview(text: string, max = 80): string {
     const flat = text.replace(/\s+/g, ' ').trim();
     return JSON.stringify(flat.length > max ? `${flat.slice(0, max)}…` : flat);
diff --git a/test/prose-drafts.test.ts b/test/prose-drafts.test.ts
index 05dbd0a30..71ea13fbd 100644
--- a/test/prose-drafts.test.ts
+++ b/test/prose-drafts.test.ts
@@ -584,9 +584,11 @@ describe('held prose drafts, end to end', () => {
       assert.equal(h.publishes().filter((p) => p.text === 'scout words').length, 0);
       // Residents of one framework share a message slot (#197), so the
       // notice is visible there too; it names whose drafts it means.
-      const held = h.texts('scout').find((t) => t.startsWith(`[drafts] scout: not sent — a plain-speech segment held as draft ${mine.id}`));
+      const held = h.texts('scout').find((t) => t.startsWith('[drafts] scout: '));
       assert.ok(held);
-      assert.ok(!held!.includes('scout words'), `the held-draft notice quotes none of the draft's words: ${held}`);
+      assert.ok(held!.startsWith(`[drafts] scout: your plain-speech message starting "scout words" was not sent and is instead ` +
+        `held as draft ${mine.id} because there was an explicit send in the same round as the plain speech. `),
+        `the held-draft notice names the message by its opening words, and why it was held: ${held}`);
     } finally {
       await h.close();
     }
@@ -2167,7 +2169,9 @@ describe('held drafts: exact runs, hybrid envelopes beside a send, and turn-end
       const notice = h.messages().find((m) => (m.metadata as { kind?: string; draftIds?: string[] } | undefined)?.kind === 'prose-drafts'
         && (m.metadata as { draftIds?: string[] }).draftIds?.includes(copy.id))!;
       const words = notice.content.map((b) => (b as { text?: string }).text ?? '').join('');
-      assert.ok(words.startsWith(`[drafts] scout: 2 plain-speech segments held as drafts ${free.id}, ${copy.id} — `), `no "not sent" over words that may be out: ${words}`);
+      assert.ok(words.startsWith(`[drafts] scout: your 2 plain-speech messages are held as drafts ${free.id} (starting "plain words") ` +
+        `and ${copy.id} (starting "possibly sent and a new line") because there was an explicit send in the same round as the plain speech. `),
+        `no "not sent" over words that may be out: ${words}`);
       assert.ok(words.includes(`drafts(action: "resend", draftIds: ["${free.id}"], destination: "#channel") delivers it unchanged`), words);
       assert.ok(words.includes(`${copy.id} includes the words of ${original.id}, and ${original.id}'s attempt to #room (Guild One) (${ROOM})`), words);
       assert.ok(words.includes(`so resending ${copy.id} could post it twice (to send it anyway: drafts(action: "resend", draftIds: ["${copy.id}"], destination: "#channel", confirmDuplicate: true))`), words);