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 Today,
dear logomaniacs, we explore palindromes. As you know, a palindrome is a
word or line which reads the same backwards and forwards. Simple
examples include words like “Anna”, “Glenelg”, “radar” and “wow”.
Mind
you, most people over the age of ten are interested in examples that are
longer than one word, the most famous two being:
Madam,
I’m Adam
Able
was I ere I saw Elba.
If
you are familiar with more palindromes than the above pair, you’ll agree
that far too many are unnatural and meaningless, like:
Bah!
An acetate can, Ahab!
Hot
new-age moderate? Bah! Plan on alphabet. A red Omega went 'Oh!'.
Before
we get on to some of the more ingenious long palindromes, here are a few
in other languages (French, German and Spanish):
Ésope
reste ici et se repose
(=
Aesop is resting here and relaxing)
Ein
Neger mit Gazelle zagt im Regen nie
(= A
negro with a gazelle is never faint-hearted in the rain)
Anita
lava la tina
(=
Anita washes the bathtub)
So, my
English favourites? Try these for starters — though even here the
concept of meaningfulness sometimes gets stretched a bit.
A
man, a plan, a canal – Panama!
Are we
not drawn onward, we few, drawn onward to new era?
Diana
is sure to vote Russian aid
Did I
evade gas, damask laws, sorceries, Eire crosswalks, a mad sage, Dave? I
did
Eva,
can I revolt a bat-lover in a cave?
Help
Max, Enid, in example "H"
Lisa
Bonet ate no basil
Marge,
let's use Jesus' telegram
Race
fast, safe car!
Rise,
oh smug gumshoe, sir!
Satan,
oscillate my metallic sonatas!
Sit on
a potato pan Otis!
So many
dynamos
Star
comedy by Democrats
Step on
no pets
Sums
are not set as a test on Erasmus
Tara
put up a tin, Dora put up a rod, Nita put up a rat
Ten
animals I slam in a net
Tim
must save vast summit
We dye
no honeydew.
Some
more palindromes in a later issue, perhaps.
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