He graduated from Peterhouse, Cambridge,[3] where he studied physical sciences and after which he joined BBC radio as a studio manager.

He has since written Ologies and Isms[2] (a 2002 dictionary of affixes) and Port Out, Starboard Home: And Other Language Myths (2004), published in the US as Ballyhoo, Buckaroo, and Spuds: Ingenious Tales of Words and Their Origins[n 1] His most recent book is Gallimaufry: A Hodgepodge of Our Vanishing Vocabulary (2006).

It covers a wide range of issues, including etymology, grammar, neologisms, writing style and book reviews.

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In early 2017, Quinion sent out a message to newsletter subscribers stating that for unspecified personal reasons he was suspending publication of World Wide Words.