A palindrome is a word, number, phrase, or other sequence of symbols that reads the same backwards as forwards, such as the sentence: "A man, a plan, a canal – Panama". Following is a list of palindromic phrases of two or more words in the English language, found in multiple independent collections of palindromic phrases.
As late as 1821, The New Monthly Magazine reported that there was only one known palindrome in the English language: "Lewd did I live, & evil I did dwel (sic)"."On Palindromes", The New Monthly Magazine 2:170-173 (July–December 1821) In the following centuries, many more English palindromes were constructed. For many long-attested or well-known palindromes, authorship can not be determined, although a number can tentatively be attributed to a handful of prolific palindrome creators.Howard W. Bergerson, Palindromes and Anagrams (1973), p. 82-90. Because of the popularity of palindromes as a form of word play, a number of sources have collected and listed popular palindromes,Michael Donner, I Love Me, Vol. I: S. Wordrow's Palidrome Encyclopedia (1996).Rod L. Evans, Tyrannosaurus Lex: The Marvelous Book of Palindromes, Anagrams, and Other Delightful and Outrageous Wordplay (2012), p. 25-29.Richard Lederer, The Word Circus: A Letter-perfect Book (1998), p. 82-87.Ursula Dubosarsky, The Word Snoop: A Wild and Witty Tour of the English Language (2009), p. 69-71.A. J. Augarde, Tony Augarde, The Oxford Guide to Word Games (Oxford University Press, 1986), p. 101."'Truth' Puzzle (No. 55). Assorted Specimens-Good, and Otherwise", Truth, Vol. 7 (1880), p. 317-318. and palindrome-constructing contests have been held.
Notable palindromic phrases in English
Palindrome Notes Source(s) Able was I ere I saw Elba Fancifully attributed to Napoleon, who was exiled to Elba. Digital version: A dog! A panic in a pagoda! Elinor Miller, A Banner Handbook for Homeschoolers (2009), p. 76. Ah, Satan sees Natasha A man, a plan, a canal – Panama! Devised by Leigh Mercer, a noted British word play expert.A. Ross Eckler: Leigh Mercer, Palindromist. In: Word Ways. Volume 24, Issue 3, 1991, Article 2, p. 131–138 .Published in Notes and Queries, 13 Nov. 1948, according to The Yale Book of Quotations, F. R. Shapiro, ed. (2006, ). Joel Sherzer, Speech Play and Verbal Art (2010), p. 71.David Fuhrer, Marvin Silbermintz, Backwords: The Secret Language of Talking Backwards (2007), p. 64.A man? A prisoner! A cage? Iron! Did Noriega care? No, sir! Panama!Devised by project management theorist Steve "The Bajan" Devaux A ToyotaorA Toyota's a Toyota Hemant Katara, The Doormat Of English (2021), p. 109-111."Palindromes make sense from both directions", The Charlotte Observer (May 17, 2002), p. 2A. Dennis sinnedorDennis and Edna sinned Numerous variations insert additional names. Doc, note: I dissent. A fast never prevents a fatness. I diet on cod Written by mathematician Peter Hilton Martin Gardner, Colossal Book of Mathematics: Classic Puzzles Paradoxes And Problems (2001), p. 26-27. Do geese see God? Richard Elliott, Michael Bull, The Sound of Nonsense (2017), p. 75.Randall E. Auxier, Douglas R. Anderson, Bruce Springsteen and Philosophy: Darkness on the Edge of Truth (2011), p. 90. Do nine men Interpret? Nine men I nod Drab as a fool, aloof as a bardorDrab as a fool, as aloof as a bard José Vergara, All Future Plunges to the Past: James Joyce in Russian (2021), p. 143, n. 84. Draw, o coward! David Crystal, Language Play (2001), p. 67-68. Egad, a base tone denotes a bad age God, a red nugget, a fat egg under a dog Alex Horne, Wordwatching: One Man's Quest for Linguistic Immortality (2011), p. 11. Go hang a salami, I'm a lasagna hog Coined by musician Baby Gramps. I, man, am Regal, a German am I If I had a hi-fi Lewd did I live & evil I did dwel; or Lewd did I live, evil I did dwel Coined by poet John Taylor, in 1614. Lid off a daffodil Lived on decaf, faced no devil Lisa Bonet ate no basil Lonely Tylenol Madam, I'm Adam Fancifully attributed to the biblical figure, Adam. Ma is as selfless as I am May a moody baby doom a yam? Mr. Owl ate my metal worm Kelley Dos Santos Kremer, Thinking Games and Activities: Making Critical Thinking Fun for the Classroom (2011), p. 18. Name now one manorName no one man Naomi, I moanorNaomi, did I moan? or Naomi, sex at noon taxes I moan. Never odd or even No lemons, no melonorNo lemon, no melon No one made killer apparel like Dame Noon. Coined by palindromist Jon Agee. No devil lived on Not a banana baton Now I see bees, I won Betty G. Birney, Surprises According to Humphrey (2009), p. 143."Guardian Comic: Backwards and Forwards", The Guardian (December 13, 2008), p. 2. No X in NixonorNo X in Mr. R. M. Nixon Nurse, I spy gypsies, run! O Geronimo, no minor ego Oh no! Don Ho! Oozy rat in a sanitary zoo O, stone, be not so Pa's a sap Pull up if I pull up. Race car Race fast, safe car Rats live on no evil star Rise to vote, sir Satan, oscillate my metallic sonatas. Irvine, W. (1987). Madam I'm Adam and Other Palindromes. United Kingdom: Scribner's. Senile felines Sir, I'm Iris Sit on a potato pan, Otis! Step on no pets Stop pots Swap God for a janitor; rot in a jar of dog paws.Very well-knownand countless more T. Eliot, top bard, notes putrid tang emanating, is sad; I'd assign it a name: gnat dirt upset on drab pot toilet. Written by Scottish poet Alastair Reid. Brendan Gill, published in Here At The New Yorker, (1997, ). Too bad I hid a boot Too hot to hoot UFO tofu Title of the 1992 Béla Fleck and the Flecktones album, UFO Tofu. William Shurtleff, Akiko Aoyagi, History of Tofu and Tofu Products (965 CE to 2013) (2013), p. 1510. Warsaw was raw Kevin Young, David Lehman, The Best American Poetry 2011 (2011), p. xii. Was it a cat I saworWas it a car or a cat I saw? Many variations of the middle word(s) are possible. We panic in a pew Won't lovers revolt now? Zeus sees SuezorZeus saw 'twas Suez
See also List of palindromic places
Notes
References
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