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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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Video: Why is there a 'c' in 'indict'?

 

And who put it there, anyway?

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Why Do People Pronounce It "Nucular"?

 

A linguistic analysis of a notorious pronunciation

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Lay vs. Lie

 

Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.

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How Do You Pronounce 'Vase'?

 

And is one way more correct than the others?

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Who vs. Whom

 

Good news for those who feel stuffy saying 'whom.'

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Pictures in the Dictionary

 

The story of those iconic illustrations.