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

play video hopefully
Hopefully

 

We believe the popular usage of this word is correct

play sneaked vs snuck video
Sneaked vs. Snuck

 

How the irregular 'snuck' sneaked into the dictionary

play mrs malaprop
What is a malaprop?

 

We'll tell you all the perpendiculars

play is none singular or plural video
Is 'none' singular or plural?

 

Or both? Or neither?

play contractions
On Contractions of Multiple Words

 

You all would not have guessed some of these