Susie Dent On the Wonders of the English Language (Part 2)

Intelligence Squared

Arts, News, Society & Culture, News Commentary

4.2 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 12 January 2025

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The genius of Countdown’s dictionary corner Susie Dent is the master of the English language. Lexicographer and etymologist by training, she has spent 30 years on our screens explaining the history and origin of words on one of the world’s longest-running game shows, Channel 4’s Countdown. In November 2024 Dent came to the Intelligence Squared stage to discuss her life-long love affair with the English language and how it has culminated in her debut crime novel Guilt by Definition — a glorious celebration of the English dictionary. As all good crime novels begin, it unfolds around a mysterious disappearance. And the protagonist, Martha Thornhill, Senior Editor of the Clarendon English Dictionary, uses words, and their peculiarly precise meanings, as clues in her quest to find out what really happened. -------------- If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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1:00.3	Welcome to Intelligence Squared, where great minds meet. I'm producer Leila Ishmael. For this episode,
1:07.6	we're rejoining for part two of our conversation with Susie Dent,
1:13.3	The Genius of Countdown's Dictionary Corner.
1:18.4	She was live on stage at Kielm Theatre in London on the 30th of September, 2024, for our Intelligence Squared live event discussing her debut mystery novel,
1:24.3	Guilty by Definition.
1:25.7	Now let's rejoin our host, Alex Clark, live on stage in
1:29.8	conversation with Susie Dent. One of the things that it seemed to me that you're playing with,
1:36.2	and you mentioned that you use the word decoding, is that we, you get somewhere with our
1:43.2	fascination with code.
1:46.0	Our fascist, you know, from enigma to, you know, it doesn't have to be words.
1:50.1	You're primarily interested in words and their meaning.
1:53.7	Yeah.
	...

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