Countdown's Susie Dent apologises after early copies of new book 'Word Perfect' are 'not word perfect'
Countdown's word expert Susie Dent has said she's "so sorry" that her new book, Word Perfect, has been published with typos.
On Thursday, Dent said she'd discovered the initial printing of her book had accidentally used an early, pre-edited version of the text.
“I’m so sorry about this. I’ll be in touch as soon as I can with details on how we’re going to fix it,” said Dent on Twitter.
She later joked that she attests the effectiveness of "lalochezia: the use of swearing to alleviate stress and frustration".
Dent is a lexicographer who has appeared on Countdown's Dictionary Corner for over 25 years.
Her new book is described as a "brilliant linguistic almanac full of unforgettable true stories tied to every day of the year".
Dent's publisher, John Murray, has also apologised for the error.
"We’re very sorry that, due to a printing error, early copies of Word Perfect are not word perfect. We’re taking urgent steps to recall these copies, reprint and resolve this swiftly."
Dent has said that since yesterday, she has received plenty of kind feedback from most people, who "have given nothing but support and smiles over [her] book-printing brouhaha".
Via Twitter, the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) said to her "your words are always wonderful! It's great to see that your publishers have put a fix in place, though it highlights the complexities of the publishing production workflow."