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 healthy vs healthful
Healthy vs. Healthful

 

Why both words are equally good for you.

play hot mess
Hot Mess

 

Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings

play video ghost words
How a Ghost Word Appeared in the Dictionary

 

An imaginary word that snuck into the dictionary

play video how a word gets into the dicionary
How a Word Gets into the Dictionary

 

What our editors are looking for when they enter words in Merriam-Webster.

play video who vs whom
Who vs. Whom

 

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