Susie Dent

4 weeks ago | telegraph.co.uk | Susie Dent

Similarly, it seems most people feel on "tenderhooks" these days, rather than "tenterhooks". The latter were once a common feature in cloth-manufacturing districts, for they were wooden frames erected in rows in the open air on "tenter-fields". Wet cloth would be hooked onto them to be stretched after milling, allowing it dry evenly without shrinkage. Metaphorically, to be on tenterhooks is to be as taut, tense, and in suspense as the wool itself.

1 month ago | saga.co.uk | Susie Dent

Bugbears: we all have them. Though happily not the original kind, which were hobgoblin-like creatures said to terrorise naughty children. The linguistic variety tends to be much gentler, in theory at least. Some of us still positively snarl when we hear such offences as ‘pacifically’, while others’ hackles may rise at such requests as ‘can I get a cappuccino?’ Wouldn’t it be easier, you might think, if things just stayed the same?

2 months ago | saga.co.uk | Susie Dent

Sometimes it’s easy to believe that we have become a nation of potty mouths. Swearing is freely available on TV, in the cinema, and on almost any UK high street. Which means it’s tempting to assume that we are turning the air blue like never before, and that almost any profanity, no matter how taboo, can be liberally sprinkled into conversation as readily as fillers such as ‘like’ or ‘basically’. History offers a bit more perspective.

Mar 25, 2025 | saga.co.uk | Susie Dent

A few years ago in the Countdown studio, I decided to embrace the silliness of April Fool’s Day and deliver an origin of words that was entirely made up. t involved the history of the phrase ‘the grass is greener on the other side’, for which I invented two squabbling farmers who were in intense competition over the verdancy of their land. I went into a fair bit of detail about their agricultural fisticuffs, but my tongue stayed firmly in my cheek throughout.

Feb 28, 2025 | saga.co.uk | Susie Dent

Whenever I scan a menu, I could sometimes do without descriptions such as "artisanal organic signature sourdough, toasted to a golden hue and suffused with salt-encrusted butter". Nor do I particularly need 'perfectly al dente pasta enveloped in a velvety bechamel sauce from a blend of barrel-aged cheeses and finished with a layer of hand-rubbed breadcrumbs'. Really, I’d much rather have toast and butter or mac and cheese and get straight to the point.