Phrase by 'Susie Dent'

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German has always felt the language that I come back to. It's given a very hard time by most people for being ugly and guttural. In fact, it's one of the most melodic, lyrical languages around. And German literature is amazing. It's just a treasury for me.

Author: Susie Dent - English Scientist
  Me , People , Time , Ugly


The word 'eavesdropper' originally referred to people who, under the pretence of taking in some fresh air, would stand under the 'eavesdrip' of their house - from which the collected raindrops would fall - in the hopes of catching any juicy tid-bits of information that might come their way from their neighbour's property.

Author: Susie Dent - English Scientist
  People , Way , Stand , Fall


According to my parents, I've always liked to tune into the conversations of others. But rather than hope for a snippet of salacious gossip, it has always been the words themselves that I wanted to understand.

Author: Susie Dent - English Scientist
  Words , Understand , Parents , Hope


What I've discovered is that from football fans to undertakers, secret agents to marble-players and politicians, we all are part of at least one tribe. By tribes, I'm talking anthropologically; these groups are determined less by genes and more by the work they do or the passions they pursue.

Author: Susie Dent - English Scientist
  Work , Talking , Football , Fans


The earliest dictionaries were collections of criminal slang, swapped amongst ne'er-do-wells as a means of evading the authorities or indeed any outsider who might threaten the trade.

Author: Susie Dent - English Scientist
  Who , Trade , Outsider , Slang


Bizarrely, our English word 'sturdy' may go back to the Latin turdus, thrush. Anyone described as 'sturdy' in the 1200s was wilfully reckless and possibly as immovable as a sozzled bird.

Author: Susie Dent - English Scientist
  Back , Go , English , Bird


The notion of 'Queen's English' is usually applied to our pronunciation.

Author: Susie Dent - English Scientist
  English , Queen , Our , Notion


In the middle of the 20th century, aspirations to sound 'proper' were passionately pursued. Dictionaries as late as the Seventies include many pronunciations that could cut the proverbial glass.

Author: Susie Dent - English Scientist
  Late , Glass , Sound , Cut


English has always been a mongrel tongue, snapping up words from every continent its speakers encountered.

Author: Susie Dent - English Scientist
  Always , Words , English , Tongue


Probably my favourite winter-word of all. Apricity is the warmth of the sun on a chilly day.

Author: Susie Dent - English Scientist
  Day , Favourite , Sun , Warmth


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