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backward index mystery
Words Matter

The True Story of the Backward Index

These people needed a computer

There it sits, hidden in plain view on a set of shelves in the basement of the Merriam-Webster offices: the Backward Index. But why would anyone type out 315,000 words spelled in reverse?

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play backward index mystery
The True Story of the Backward Index

 

These people needed a computer

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Old-School Grammar

 

Many of today's grammar rules can be traced to the opinions of one 18th century writer.

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Is It 'day today' or 'day-to-day'?

 

What about Day Tomorrow?

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How Do You Pronounce 'Vase'?

 

And is one way more correct than the others?

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What is a malaprop?

 

We'll tell you all the perpendiculars

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How to Use a Dictionary

 

The best way to find information in the dictionary

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Webster's Dictionary of 1864

 

The landmark edition that transformed the way dictionaries are made.

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Which Came First? Vol. 2 “Tighty-whities” or “loosey-goosey”? “J...
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