Susie Dent is a recognized English lexicographer, etymologist, and television presenter. She joined Countdown in 1992 and has been the longest-serving member. Susie is also the presenter of Channel 4’s Susie Dent’s Guide to Swearing and she features on the comedy spin-off show, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, presented by Jimmy Carr, the comedian.
Lady Dent is the honorary Vice-President of the Society for Editors and Proofreaders, a position she has held since 2016. She is regarded as a dictionary expert and a mistress of words. That’s not all, she is equally an excellent writer and accomplished author with 14 published books to her credit. Susie can read and speak German and French and, is happiest when dissecting the root, history, and evolution of words.
Who Exactly is Susie Dent?
Susie Dent was born on November 19, 1964, in Woking, Surrey. Not a lot is known about her family and early childhood as she is yet to reveal any details to the public in that regard. As for her educational background, she attended a Catholic day school in Ascot called Marist Convent, before going on to Somerville College, Oxford, where she bagged a Bachelor of Arts degree in Modern Languages. She pursued a Master’s Degree in German at the prestigious Princeton University.
The lexicographer’s fascination with words began when she was five years old. She would read shampoo labels and try to match the words to see how they corresponded even though she had no idea what they meant, it was only natural that she ended up studying languages. However, her first job was as a waitress.
Moving on, she worked for a German publisher, and as a language teacher in the United States. She eventually got a job at the Oxford University Press where she worked until 2000. Susie now serves as a member of the show Countdown and is the oldest member of the team. She has made over 2500 appearances on the show since she first came on as an adjudicator and lexicographer. Her job involves offering commentary on the origin of words and phrases. She got replaced by Alison Heard as the lexicographer after she went on maternity leave.
Susie worked as a writer for a series of language reports for Oxford University Press. She also appeared in an episode of Not Going Out, a BBC sitcom, as well as a show titled Would I Lie to You? Recently, she featured in a couple of episodes on House of Games. Susie is the presenter of the popular web series, Susie Dent’s Guide to Swearing, where she explains the origin of English swear words.
Disregarding the foregoing, she has authored several books including the Language Reports for Oxford Press, Winning Words, How to Talk Like a Local: From Cockney to Geordie, Susie Dent’s Weird Words, What Made the Crocodile Cry?101 Questions about the English Language, Dent’s Modern Tribes: The Secret Languages of Britain, and Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable.
Meet Her Husband – Paul Atkins
There is not a lot of public information about Susie Dent’s love life and relationship history. But then, we do know that she is married to a man called Paul Atkins, although it is unclear when exactly the two tied the knot. Paul is the CEO of Patomak Global Partners LLC, a consulting firm for all matters concerning financial services, including risk and crisis management, regulatory compliance, litigation support, reviews, public affairs, and strategy.
The couple has two children together, daughters named Thea and Lucy. They enjoy living a quiet life away from public attention, and Susie prefers not to share intimate details about her family, but we assume all is well at home.
Other Interesting Facts about Lady Dent
Brilliant day in Dictionary Corner with Mr Barry McGuigan @ClonesCyclone. His favourite word? Perspicacious. pic.twitter.com/sy8KQLO3tA
— Susie Dent (@susie_dent) October 26, 2016
1. She was the Chief Librarian at her high school. Even though it was a geeky position, and she was really terrified when her name was announced, she got to enjoy serving the school in that capacity.
2. Susie Dent is not an extrovert, but she is also not as shy as people like to believe, and she enjoys being a part of a tribe.
3. German is her favorite language, even though most people find it very difficult. She thinks it’s a beautiful, lyrical, and melodious language.
4. Her favorite book is the Oxford English Dictionary, and if she was ever stranded on a desert, she would want to be stuck there with it.
5. Susie’s estimated net worth is $7 million, and she has been earning an annual salary upwards of $440,000 since 2016.