Word Perfect: Etymological Entertainment For Every Day of the Year

Susie Dent

tet 2020 · John Murray · Treguar nga Susie Dent

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'Susie Dent is a one-off. She breathes life and fun into words and language' Pam Ayres

Lexicographer and all-round word expert, queen of Countdown's Dictionary Corner for over twenty years; regular columnist for the Independent,Radio Times and The Week, Susie Dent is a national treasure. Her warm witty tweets reintroducing us to the words that we all need more in our lives from scurryfunge (frantically tidying up by shoving things into a cupboard just before visitors arrive) to apricity, (the warmth of the sun on a winter's day) are among the internet's most shared - now she's turning them into a linguistic almanac.

From 1 January to 31 December the reader will discover a curious coinage or a fascinating etymological fact linked that particular day -- from the dramatic true story behind stealing someone's thunder to the original Jack the Lad. Word Perfect. gathers all her very best discoveries from the true origin of freelancer which comes from knights who were FREE to use their LANCE for whoever paid most, rather than being tied to a single lord. (Also secretaries kept your SECRETS so were SECRETries).

Sticks and stones should probably be still avoided but words, especially in the hands of Susie Dent, will never hurt you. We don't have to choose the negative, Word Perfect offers a vivid reminder that you can be gruntled, ruthful, couth, ruly, kempt, pecunious, toward, whelmed, and full of gorm. And we all need a bit more of that in our lives.

(P) 2020 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd

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Susie Dent is the resident word expert in Dictionary Corner on C4's Countdown and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, and has been on every programme about words: 15 x 15, Word of Mouth, and More or Less. Susie also writes regularly for the Radio Times, The Week Junior and The I, and her Word of the Day has attracted over 1,000,000 followers on Twitter.