12 Facts About Randolph Quirk

Charles Randolph Quirk, Baron Quirk was a British linguist and life peer.

Randolph Quirk was the Quain Professor of English language and literature at University College London from 1968 to 1981.

Randolph Quirk sat as a crossbencher in the House of Lords.

Randolph Quirk's studies began in 1939 but were interrupted in 1940 by five years of service in Bomber Command of the RAF, where he rose to the rank of squadron leader.

Randolph Quirk returned to UCL as professor in 1960 and in 1968 succeeded Smith as Quain Professor, a post he held until 1981.

Randolph Quirk lectured and gave seminars at UCL in Old English and the History of the English Language.

In 1959, Randolph Quirk founded the Survey of English Usage, working with Valerie Adams, Derek Davy and David Crystal; they sampled written and spoken British English produced between 1955 and 1985.

Randolph Quirk threw himself into the social life with gusto and enjoyed singing Victorian ballads in a Cockney accent over a "couple of pints".

Randolph Quirk was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1976 New Year Honours, and was knighted in 1985.

Randolph Quirk had openly been a Labour supporter all his life, although he sat in the House of Lords as a cross-bench peer.

Randolph Quirk was President of the British Academy from 1985 to 1989 and became a life peer as Baron Quirk, of Bloomsbury in the London Borough of Camden on 12 July 1994.

Randolph Quirk sat on the boards of Pearson Education and the Linguaphone Institute.