UK lexicographer and etymologist Susie Dent, known for her regular appearances on the Channel 4 game show Countdown, has a new book just out, titled Word Perfect. Unfortunately, Dent, the Honorary Vice-President of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading, cracked it open only to find that the publisher used an old version of the manuscript that was apparently riddled with typos.
"Today I can testify to the effectiveness of 'lalochezia': the use of swearing to alleviate stress and frustration," Dent tweeted.
From The Guardian:
Her publisher John Murray also apologised. "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," it said, adding that customers needing a replacement should get in touch. However, copies have already made it to many UK bookshops.
Dent told the Times: "I just opened it up and saw there was something wrong in the acknowledgments. And then I had to close it because I felt a bit sick. There are quite a few errors. I haven't counted them and I don't really want to."
