play 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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Is 'none' singular or plural?

 

Or both? Or neither?

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'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'?

 

We're gonna stop you right there

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An Abbreviated History of American English Spelling

 

Soop, wimmen, and headake did not make the cut

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'Everyday' vs. 'Every Day'

 

A simple trick to keep them separate

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

 

And who put it there, anyway?

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What Is 'Semantic Bleaching'?

 

How 'literally' can mean "figuratively"