A palindrome is a word or sentence that reads the same forward as it does backward. The words a and I are perhaps the simplest and least interesting palindromes; the word racecar and the name Hannah are more interesting and illustrative. Neither spaces nor punctuation are usually taken into consideration when constructing sentences that are palindromes -- one of the most famous palindromes is "A man, a plan, a canal, Panama" -- but when the spaces are properly positioned as well, so much the better. An example would be the also famous palindrome "Able was I ere I saw Elba," purportedly spoken by Napoleon, referring to his first sighting of Elba, the island where the British exiled him. Palindromes are a type of palingram called letter palingrams. A palingram is a sentence in which the letters, syllables, or words read the same backward as they do forward. The sentence, "He was, was he?" is a word palingram, because the words can be placed in reverse order and still read the same. The sentence, "I did, did I?" is not only a word palingram but a letter palingram (or palindrome) as well. A number of interesting palindromes are given below for your amusement. Can you make up your own? Words aibohphobia

alula

cammac

civic

deified

deleveled

detartrated

devoved

dewed

evitative

Hannah

kayak

kinnikinnik

lemel

level

madam

Malayalam

minim

murdrum

peeweep

racecar

radar

redder

refer

reifier

repaper

reviver

rotator

rotavator

rotor

sagas

solos

sexes

stats

tenet

terret

testset Places Glenelg (Australia)

Kanakanak (Alaska)

Kinikinik (Colorado)

Navan (Meath, Ireland)

Neuquen (Argentina)

Ward Draw (South Dakota)

Wassamassaw (South Carolina)

Yreka Bakery (Yreka, California) Not Quite Legitimate Retteb, si flahd noces eht tub, but the second half is better.

Doctor Reubenstein was shocked and dismayed when he answered the ringing telephone, only to hear a strange, metallic, alien voice say, "Yasec iovn eilacilla temeg! Nartsa raehoty lnoenoh pelet gnig, nirehtde rewsnaehn ehw. Deya! Msid! Dnadek cohssaw nietsne buerro, tcod?" Phrases and Sentences A dog, a plan, a canal: pagoda.

A man, a plan, a canal: Panama.

A new order began, a more Roman age bred Rowena.

A tin mug for a jar of gum, Nita.

A Toyota. Race fast, safe car. A Toyota.

Able was I ere I saw Elba.

Animal loots foliated detail of stool lamina.

Anne, I vote more cars race Rome to Vienna.

Are we not drawn onward, we few, drawn onward to new era?

Are we not pure? "No sir!" Panama's moody Noriega brags. "It is garbage!" Irony dooms a man; a prisoner up to new era.

As I pee, sir, I see Pisa!

Barge in! Relate mere war of 1991 for a were-metal Ernie grab!

Bombard a drab mob.

Bush saw Sununu swash sub.

Cain: a maniac.

Cigar? Toss it in a can. It is so tragic.

Daedalus: nine. Peninsula: dead.

Dammit, I'm mad!

Delia saw I was ailed.

Denim axes examined.

Dennis and Edna sinned.

Depardieu, go razz a rogue I draped.

Desserts, I stressed!

Did I draw Della too tall, Edward? I did?

Do good? I? No! Evil anon I deliver. I maim nine more hero-men in Saginaw, sanitary sword a-tuck, Carol, I -- lo! -- rack, cut a drowsy rat in Aswan. I gas nine more hero-men in Miami. Reviled, I (Nona) live on. I do, O God!

Doc, note I dissent: a fast never prevents a fatness. I diet on cod.

Drab as a fool, aloof as a bard.

Drat Saddam, a mad dastard!

Draw, O coward!

Draw pupil's lip upward.

Ed, I saw Harpo Marx ram Oprah W. aside.

Eva, can I stab bats in a cave?

Evil did I dwell; lewd I did live.

Gateman sees name, garageman sees name tag.

Go hang a salami; I'm a lasagna hog.

Goldenrod-adorned log.

Golf? No sir, prefer prison-flog.

Harass sensuousness, Sarah.

I roamed under it as a tired, nude Maori.

Laminated E.T. animal.

Lay a wallaby baby ball away, Al.

Lepers repel.

Let O'Hara gain an inn in a Niagara hotel.

Live not on evil.

Lived on Decaf; faced no Devil.

Lonely Tylenol.

Ma is a nun, as I am.

Ma is as selfless as I am.

Madam, I'm Adam.

Madam in Eden, I'm Adam.

Marge lets Norah see Sharon's telegram.

May a moody baby doom a yam.

Meet animals; laminate 'em.

Mr. Owl ate my metal worm.

Murder for a jar of red rum.

Never odd or even.

No, Mel Gibson is a casino's big lemon.

No cab, no tuna nut on bacon.

No lemon, no melon.

No sir -- away! A papaya war is on.

On a clover, if alive, erupts a vast, pure evil; a fire volcano.

Party boobytrap.

Poor Dan is in a droop.

Reviled did I live, said I, as evil I did deliver.

Rise to vote, sir.

Saw tide rose? So red it was.

Senile felines.

So many dynamos!

Some men interpret nine memos.

Stab nail at ill Italian bats.

Stack cats.

Stella won no wallets.

Step on no pets.

Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots!

Straw? No, too stupid a fad; I put soot on warts.

T. Eliot, top bard, notes putrid tang emanating, is sad. I'd assign it a name: gnat dirt upset on drab pot-toilet.

Tarzan raised Desi Arnaz' rat.

Ten animals I slam in a net.

Too bad I hid a boot.

Was it a car or a cat I saw?

Wonder if Sununu's fired now.

Won't I panic in a pit now?

Won't lovers revolt now?

Yo, banana boy!

Yo, Bob! Mug o' gumbo, boy!

Yo, bottoms up! (U.S. motto, boy.)