American English: How have we gotten here? A lecture by Susie Dent

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“I know words. I have the best words”. Whatever we think about Donald Trump, most Britons would beg to differ with the belief that any American has the better form of English. Do words like movie, diarize or cookie raise your linguistic hackles?  Do you hate to hear someone ask if they can ‘get’ a coffee? Lexicographer Susie Dent will explore the national rivalries that inform our centuries-old antipathy towards American English, and relate how many of our beliefs about its version of ‘our' language are rooted in misconception. She will ask whether it’s finally time to embrace the verve of American vocabulary, and to put our gripes and notions of ‘correctness’ to bed.

This is the second David Crystal Lecture, CIOL’s public lecture given by the winner of the David Crystal Trophy, awarded for outstanding contribution to the field of languages. The inaugural lecture was given in 2017 by Dr Lid King.

The lecture will be followed by a drinks reception, open to all attendees.

Speaker bio

Susie Dent is a writer and broadcaster on language. She recently celebrated 25 years as the resident word expert on Channel 4's Countdown, and also appears on the show's comedy sister 8 out of 10 Cats does Countdown. Susie has contributed to discussions on Radio 4's Woman's Hour, 15 x 15, Word of Mouth, Saturday Live,  More or Less, Today, and on Radio 5 Live's Breakfast and Drive programmes, and been a regular panellist of Radio 4’s Wordaholics.

Susie answers notes and queries about words and phrases in weekly columns in the Radio Times and The Week Junior. She has written for the Independent on Sunday, the Telegraph, and the Times, and is the author of several books, including her latest, Dent’s Modern Tribes. 

Susie was the 2017 recipient of CIOL’s David Crystal Trophy, awarded for outstanding contribution to the field of languages.
@susie_dent