Palindromes & Semordnilaps
Ranked #14,694 in Hobbies, Games & Toys, #222,941 overall
What's are palindromes? What's a semordnilap?
Palindromes are words or even sentences that are the same backward as forward. Palindromes can even be numbers: 54345 is a palindromic number -- see, here it is backward: 54345. An example of a palindromic word is eye. Or how about pop, peep or pup.
Below is the definition of palindromes, and we'll get to semordnilaps a little later in this lens -- perhaps you might see some clues on the way and figure it out!
Check out the "Talk Wordy to Me" mug at
http://www.zazzle.com/mug-168138786146940444?size=15oz&lon=0&rf=238690495867476147
Below is the definition of palindromes, and we'll get to semordnilaps a little later in this lens -- perhaps you might see some clues on the way and figure it out!
Check out the "Talk Wordy to Me" mug at
http://www.zazzle.com/mug-168138786146940444?size=15oz&lon=0&rf=238690495867476147
From Merriam-Webster , the definition of palindrome
Definition of PALINDROME
: a word, verse, or sentence (as "Able was I ere I saw Elba") or a number (as 1881) that reads the same backward or forward
- pal·in·drom·ic adjective
- pal·in·drom·ist noun
http://www.merriam-webster.com
Palindromes at Amazon
Study & write palindromes for fun and to increase mental agility
Find and study some palindromes to get an understanding of how they work. Read a number of palindromes of different types and you may find a new interest. Finding them is fun, but if you are a true palindome lover, you'll be hooked and you'll have to write some of your own. Here is another well-known palindrome: A man, a plan, a canal: Panama! Even more palindromes!
Even very complex palindromes have been around for centuries. Look at the Latin Sator Square, which dates to about 79 A.D. and contains the Latin words, SATOR, AREPO, TENET, OPERA, ROTAS. It reads the same top-to-bottom, bottom-to-top, left-to-right, and right-to-left..
Word nerds & grammar geeks unite!
Speak out and don't be shy
Wear your word-nerdiness proudly. I know, we once lived in our mostly solitary word worlds, wishing for that chance meeting with a scrabble enthusiast, or the one person (so it seemed) in our towns who could appreciate our puns. But now the internet has let us know that we are not alone. There are so many like each of us who revel in WORDS and all things grammarly. (and some of us love to make up our own words, too.) If you have a lens, blog or website on a word-nerdy topic, put it in the list below. If you don't have one, put one that you like by someone else. This lens is all things WORDY -- not just palindromes.
Punctuation by threeRs
Start selling my art online with zazzle.
Punctuation by threeRs
Start selling my art online with zazzle.
Websites and lenses worthy of word nerd attention
List your grammarly and word-nerdy sites here, please.
- Steer Clear of Spelling and Grammar Mistakes
- Helpful tips for writing without errors, particularly spelling and grammar mistakes.
- Top Five Palindromes
- A palindrome is a word or words that are spelled the same way forwards and backwards. Kids and people who like word play enjoy a good palindrome.
- Word Choice for Correct English Grammar
- Word Choice for Correct English Grammar
- The Most Commonly Misspelled Words
- The Most Commonly Misspelled Words
- Common Punctuation Mistakes
- Common Punctuation Mistakes
- Grammar Tips -- Correlative Conjunctions
- These grammar tips cover correlative conjunctions, which are simply words that are used together to join parts of a sentence. Examples are either or, neither nor, and both and.
- Consider Word Choice for Correct English Grammar | Suite101.com
- These tips can come in handy when a writer needs help with grammar and word choice when writing. This list can help writers use proper grammar.
- Grammar and Spelling Basics Copy Editing Forum
- Sometimes a quick review of the basics can reassure even the best copy editor. Here are some things we all learned way back when
Palindromes on eBay
Numeric plaindromes
There are also palindromic numbers: 46464, 565 or 4224.The date February 20, 2002 is a palindrome when written in this format: 20/02/2002, but not in this format: 02/20/2002. Some people find it easier to start out by writing numeric palindromes and work their way up to simple words, then phrases. Don't forget musical palindromes
Yep, there are even musical palindromes that sound the same played backward as they sound played forward. Some very famous classical composers dabbled in musical palindromes:
*Béla Bartók *Joseph Haydn
*Alban Berg *Anton Webern
And even some modern musicians, like They Might Be Giants. Their EP, "I Palindrome I," "itself contains visual, musical, word letter and conceptual (such as an ouroboros) palindromes in its lyrics." (From reference.com: http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/I_Palindrome_I)
*Béla Bartók *Joseph Haydn
*Alban Berg *Anton Webern
And even some modern musicians, like They Might Be Giants. Their EP, "I Palindrome I," "itself contains visual, musical, word letter and conceptual (such as an ouroboros) palindromes in its lyrics." (From reference.com: http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/I_Palindrome_I)
They Might Be Giants "I Palindrome I" on YouTube
and a palindromic video! WOW
Check out the video of the song, then listen to Micheal McKean's reading of the lyrics. See the explanation by a commenter on YouTube below. And finally, check out the cute palindromic video, which is exactly the same forward and backward.
Here is an explanation by a commenter on YouTube:
this entire song is actually sort of%uFEFF representing a palindrome. for the most part, its pretty obvious the singer is singing about killing his mom for inheritance. but then when it says "see the spring of the grandfather clock unwinding. see the arms of my offspring making windmills. dad palindrome dad i palindrome i." it means time passed since he killed his mom and now his kids kill him for inheritance, saying what goes around comes around, which is what a palindrome does ;)
penguinlord333 1 year ago 26
Here is an explanation by a commenter on YouTube:
this entire song is actually sort of%uFEFF representing a palindrome. for the most part, its pretty obvious the singer is singing about killing his mom for inheritance. but then when it says "see the spring of the grandfather clock unwinding. see the arms of my offspring making windmills. dad palindrome dad i palindrome i." it means time passed since he killed his mom and now his kids kill him for inheritance, saying what goes around comes around, which is what a palindrome does ;)
penguinlord333 1 year ago 26
curated content from YouTube
Weird Al Yankovich and Palindromes
Poodle Hat
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 06/02/2012)
Weird Al Yankovich is very funny, and this album contains a palindromic song he did that is a parody of Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues."
And semordnilaps are...
Although the word semordnilap is not in the dictionary, answers.com explains, "Semordnilap is a name coined for a word or phrase that spells a different word or phrase backwards. "Semordnilap" is itself "palindromes" spelled backwards."
"The longest single-word English examples contain eight letters:
* stressed / desserts
* samaroid (resembling a samara) / dioramas
* rewarder / redrawer"
Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/palindrome#ixzz1R12nBIsT
Since a pair of semordnilaps makes a palindrome, it's easy to write palindromes using or starting with semordnilaps.
"The longest single-word English examples contain eight letters:
* stressed / desserts
* samaroid (resembling a samara) / dioramas
* rewarder / redrawer"
Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/palindrome#ixzz1R12nBIsT
Since a pair of semordnilaps makes a palindrome, it's easy to write palindromes using or starting with semordnilaps.
To palindrome or not...that is the question!
Do you like palindromes or do you consider them a waste of time?
In finding links and all things palindromic, I ran across a number of comments on different sites that surprised me. Some people not only didn't enjoy palindromes -- they vehemently felt they were a huge waste of valuable time, since they are nonsensical. Wow. See how fast I slipped that palindrome in? Watch again: WOW. It's easy.
OK, since I, a certified word nerd, didn't realize that there might be people out there who consider this a fluffy and useless waste, I thought we should take a vote and see just how common (take any meaning you like) that sentiment is.
Please chime in with YOUR OPINION.
Do you like palindromes or do you consider them a waste of time?
Love palindromes and all word play!
sousababy says:
I find them lots of fun, esp. nancycarol's 'stressed spelled backwards is desserts' and of course, dog spelled backward is God.
MiddleSister says:
Playing with words is one of the joys in life!
gottaloveit says:
Yes, I love palindromes and always have!
rickmac says:
I think these are fun. Here's one: Never odd or even.
nancycarol says:
I think they're very fun and so is this lens. I have a cushion on my couch that says "Stressed spelled backwards is desserts." I believe in that utterly! Love your lens on palindromes or semordnilap.
scarlettohairy says:
Wow! Wow! You guess which way I voted!
Hate them. I just don't get why anyone would spend good time coming up with nonsensical essays.
Palindromes at CafePress
Palindromes Dark T-Shirt
Price: $26.99
Stressed/Desserts Dark T-Shirt
Price: $27.99
Dad Palindrome Infant Bodysuit
Price: $18.99
Black T-Shirt
Price: $22.89
Mom Palindrome Women's Dark T-Shirt
Price: $28.99
Links about palindromes
Be sure to read Demitri Martin's palindromic poem.
Demetri Martin creates a 224-word palindrome poem :: Culture :: News :: Paste
Demetri Martin's poster-making abilities suggest more...1 point
http://www.reference.com/browse/palindrome
Encyclopedia article of palindrome at Reference.co more...1 point
eBay
Your turn: What do you think about palindromes and semordnilaps?
-
-
JoshK47
Dec 29, 2011 @ 7:30 pm | delete
- Some of my favorite ways to play around with words - thanks for sharing! Blessed by a SquidAngel!
-
-
-
deified
Nov 1, 2011 @ 11:54 pm | delete
- i have always been a word nerd and blamed dyslexic tendencies for noticing palindromes in early childhood... some really crack me up and seem to be related somehow, for ex. diaper-repaid.. heehee.. oh, and you may notice my user name is also a palindrome. i find the numbered palindromes fascinating as well, but i don't spot them as easily as the word kind. thanks so much for a great lens!!!! :D
-
-
-
sousababy
Aug 23, 2011 @ 7:43 am | delete
- Very cool, you never know what you find in a word and plenty of great jokes have come from palindromes and semordnilaps.
-
-
-
sukkran Jul 11, 2011 @ 8:08 am | delete
- interesting topic. thanks for the links.
-
-
-
gottaloveit
Jul 6, 2011 @ 6:45 am | delete
- Fun lens! Loved it!
-
-
-
vallain Jul 3, 2011 @ 10:20 pm | delete
- An intriguing topic. It's too late in the evening for my brain to try thinking up one of these.
-
-
-
nancycarol
Jul 3, 2011 @ 7:56 pm | delete
- So, how did you come up with this very fun and interesting list? You're on a roll now girl, so go to it!
-
-
-
scarlettohairy Jul 3, 2011 @ 6:26 pm | delete
- Very interesting. I didn't know that the backward words were called that long, strange word!
-
More lenses for word nerds, educators and learners
by AJTyne
Feeling creative?
Create a Lens!
Explore related pages
- Verbs: What ARE You Doing? Verbs: What ARE You Doing?
- The Weighted Companion Cube The Weighted Companion Cube
- Reading File Folder Games Reading File Folder Games
- All Time Best Comedy Movies All Time Best Comedy Movies
- Paraprosdokian Sentences - The best kind of humor Paraprosdokian Sentences - The best kind of humor
- Turkey Shot Out of the Oven Turkey Shot Out of the Oven
