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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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Literally

 

A word that (literally) drives people nuts

play ismo merriam webster trunk boot
Some Odd Words with ISMO: "Junk in the Trunk"

 

Comedian ISMO on what separates a boot from a trunk

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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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Words of the Year: 1066

 

English was never the same after the Norman Conquest

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The Schwa

 

The most common vowel sound in English causes many spelling problems.