Susie Dent facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Susie Dent
|
|
|---|---|
Dent in 2012
|
|
| Born |
Susan Dent
November 1964 (age 60) |
| Education | |
| Occupation | Lexicographer and television presenter |
| Known for | Countdown (1992–present) |
| Spouse(s) |
Paul Atkins
(separated 2021) |
| Children | 2 |
Susan Dent (born in November 1964) is an English word expert and TV star. She is known for her role in "Dictionary Corner" on the Channel 4 game show Countdown since 1992. She also appears on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, a funnier version of the show.
Contents
Early Life and School Days
Susie Dent was born in Woking, a town in Surrey, England. She went to a school called the Marist Convent in Ascot. She even spent some time at Eton College to prepare for university exams.
After school, she studied modern languages at Somerville College, Oxford. Then, she went to Princeton University in the United States to study German. After finishing her studies, she taught German in New York for a year.
Susie's Career in Words
Susie Dent is famous for being the word expert on Countdown. This is a long-running game show on Channel 4. She started working on Countdown in 1992. Her boss at Oxford University Press (OUP) asked her to do it. She was working on English dictionaries at the time.
On every episode, Susie explains where a word or phrase comes from. This is called its etymology. She has been on the show for over 5,000 episodes. This makes her the longest-serving person on the show's team. Susie also works on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. This is a comedy version of the show.
Other TV Appearances
Susie has appeared on other TV shows too. She was on the BBC comedy show Not Going Out. She also presented a web series called Susie Dent's Guide to Swearing. This series looked at the history of certain English words. She has been a guest on Would I Lie to You?. In 2018, she appeared on Richard Osman's House of Games.
Podcasts and Live Shows
In 2019, Susie started a popular podcast called Something Rhymes With Purple. She hosts it with her friend Gyles Brandreth. They talk about words and their meanings. They also do live theatre shows based on their podcast.
In 2023, Susie went on her own tour called The Secret Lives of Words. She shared interesting facts about words with her audience.
Honors and Awards
Susie Dent is an honorary vice-president of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading. She has held this role since 2016. She is also an Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Linguists.
In 2024, Susie was given a special award. She was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). This award was for her great work in literature and language.
Books by Susie Dent
Susie Dent has written many books about the English language. From 2003 to 2007, she wrote a series of Language Reports for Oxford University Press. These books explored new words and how language was changing.
Some of her other books include:
- Winning Words (2005)
- What Made the Crocodile Cry? 101 questions about the English language (2009)
- How to Talk Like a Local (2010), which is about different dialects.
- Word Perfect: Etymological Entertainment For Every Day of the Year (2020)
- An Emotional Dictionary: Real Words For How You Feel (2022)
- Interesting Stories about Curious Words (2023)
Her first novel, Guilty by Definition, was published in August 2024.
Personal Life
Susie Dent was married to Paul Atkins, who is a teacher. They have two daughters together. They separated in 2021. Susie is a big fan of the Arsenal football team.
