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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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Webster's Dictionary of 1864

 

The landmark edition that transformed the way dictionaries are made.

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Further vs. Farther

 

They started as same word, but their meanings have drifted apart over time.

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Ending a Sentence with a Preposition

 

An old-fashioned rule we can no longer put up with.

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How a Ghost Word Appeared in the Dictionary

 

An imaginary word that snuck into the dictionary

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Some Odd Words with ISMO: "Junk in the Trunk"

 

Comedian ISMO on what separates a boot from a trunk