Backwards And Forwards

Here's my newly learned word for this week

AIBOHPHOBIA

Well done if you worked out that it means 'fear of palindromes' I love palindromes*, there are the simple words like MUM, DAD, DEED, ABBA, ROTOR, CIVIC, ROTATOR, REVIVER. 

And then there are some amazing sentences - here are three animal related phrases

The first palindromic sentence was not

MADAM, I'M ADAM

and I doubt Napoleon ever said

Able was I, ere I saw Elba
in 1880, the canal dreamed up by De Lesseps led to

A man, a plan, Panama

I remember a very embarrassing moment when I was supply teaching. In the staff room at lunchtime, somebody started a game where we were writing favourite palindrome sentences on the whiteboard. I'd only been at the school a couple of days, and everyone was very friendly. I had come across one just a few days before. So I said "I read this last week - it is advice for anybody who has upset their spouse" and grabbing a pen, I wrote 

Lapses? Order red roses, pal

There was an uncomfortable silence. One teacher quietly rubbed out my words, and another whispered "the Head's wife has just found out about his affair" Oops! 

Along with aibohphobia, I also came across SEMORDNILAPS. These are words which forms another word or phrase when it is reversed. Semordnilap /Palindromes

Here are some pairs

dog/god , repaid/diaper, live/evil, gateman/nametag, pupils/slipup. stink/knits.... and my favourite - stressed/desserts

*Even the name of my online shop is a palindrome