A photo of the book Roots of Happiness against a tree surrounded by leaves.

Article-Card-Roots-of-Happiness-Favourite-Words

Extracts

8 of our favourite words from Roots of Happiness by Susie Dent

100 words to bring us together

The Roots We Share

Susie Dent, bestselling author, broadcaster and word expert, is on a mission to find 100 words and phrases to bring people together. 
 
Sometimes it can feel like the world is more divided than ever. But there are so many more things that unite us than divide us. Susie has searched far and wide to unearth words and phrases that, in some cases, are long forgotten, while others have only just been discovered - words that celebrate harmony, unity and the universal languages that connect people across the world. 
 
Whether you want to conjobble (chat with a friend over some food), to be goodwilly (a kind, generous, cheerful person), to atone for a mistake (become 'at' 'one' with someone again) or simply head off on a coddiwomple (a journey with no destination), this joyous collection of words celebrates friendship, love, peace, community, music, food, the stars and the many other things that unite us.

Susie Dent (Author) 
Susie Dent is a writer and broadcaster on language. She recently celebrated 25 years as the resident word expert on C4's Countdown, and also appears on the show's comedy sister 8 out of 10 Cats does Countdown. Susie comments regularly on TV and radio on words in the news. 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. She is a spokesperson for Oxford University Press, and has been a judge on the Costa Book Awards and on the Academy Excellence Awards. Susie regularly delivers key-note speeches to both small companies and major corporations on language and communication. 
 
@susie_dent 
 
Harriet Hobday (Illustrator) 
Harriet Hobday is an extraordinary new talent, a recent graduate of the MA Children's Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art. Currently based in Edinburgh, she was highly commended in the Macmillan Prize 2015 and runner-up for The Batsford Prize 2018.

Susie Dent, bestselling author, broadcaster and word expert, is on a mission to find 100 words and phrases to bring people together. 
 
Sometimes it can feel like the world is more divided than ever. But there are so many more things that unite us than divide us. Susie has searched far and wide to unearth words and phrases that, in some cases, are long forgotten, while others have only just been discovered - words that celebrate harmony, unity and the universal languages that connect people across the world. 
 
Whether you want to conjobble (chat with a friend over some food), to be goodwilly (a kind, generous, cheerful person), to atone for a mistake (become 'at' 'one' with someone again) or simply head off on a coddiwomple (a journey with no destination), this joyous collection of words celebrates friendship, love, peace, community, music, the stars and the many other things that unite us.

Susie Dent

Harriet Hobday

I enjoyed this so much.  As a pessimistic lover of words, this was both comforting and heart-warming.  I always think that learning about etymology is a way to appreciate the secret code of the world, and Susie is the perfect guide and companion and lexical cheerleader.

Susie Dent's way with words always makes me happy.  This is my kind of book.  There's positivity on every page.

100 Words for Joy and Hope from Britain’s Most-Loved Word Expert

Susie Dent, bestselling author, broadcaster and word expert, is on a mission to find light in the deepest, darkest corners of our language. 
 
It takes just a short browse through the dictionary to spot how it is filled with negative words. But Susie has searched far and wide to unearth happy and uplifting words and phrases that, in some cases, are long forgotten, while others have only just been discovered. 
 
Paired with beautiful illustrations, this is the perfect book to lift you out of your mubble fubbles (a slightly sad mood), make you grin like a gigglemug (someone who never stops smiling), and have you feeling forblissed (extremely happy) in no time. 
 
This joyous collection of 100 positive words will show readers young and old just how wonderful language can be - and how you can use your words to make the world a happier place.

Susie Dent

Praise for Roots of Happiness

I enjoyed this so much. As a pessimistic lover of words, this was both comforting and heart-warming. I always think that learning about etymology is a way to appreciate the secret code of the world, and Susie is t ...

Susie Dent's way with words always makes me happy. This is my kind of book. There's positivity on every page.

Books by Susie Dent

Articles featuring Susie Dent

8 of our favourite words from Roots of Happiness by Susie Dent

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter