Paul is a writer, author, and musician. A graduate of the University of Newcastle with a masters in English linguistics, he has published several books on word origins and language trivia, including "Word Drops" and "The Accidental Dictionary," and runs the popular language-based Twitter account @HaggardHawks. He has also contributed to The Guardian, The Independent, The Telegraph, and Mental Floss, writing primarily on etymology, language history, and obscure vocabulary. Born in South Shields, he is now based in Newcastle upon Tyne, where alongside writing he plays and teaches classical piano, drinks far too much coffee, and reads far too many vegetarian cookbooks.