Ernie's Favorite Palindromes
Ernie's Favorite Palindromes
If your favorite isn't here, or if you know other palindrome links, please
email it to me.
Palindromes in English
(Most of these were given to me by Easley Blackwood, Professor of
Music at the University of Chicago.)
- Racecar.
- Evil olive.
- Amen enema. (In The Poisonwood Bible)
- War, sir, is raw. (Thanks to Graham Watson)
- Step on no pets.
- Oh no! Don Ho!
- Rise to vote, sir.
- Dammit, I'm mad! (Thanks to Dennis)
- Draw, O coward!
- Sex at noon taxes.
- Yaweh. The way. (Thanks to Andrew Kleimeyer)
- Madam, I'm Adam.
- Lager, sir, is regal.
- Neil A. sees alien!
- Was it a rat I saw? (Thanks to Ash Ward)
- Put Eliot's toilet up.
- Do geese see God?
- Enid and Edna dine. (Thanks to Jason)
- Never odd or even.
- Won ton? Not now! (Thanks to Cate)
- Ned, I am a maiden. (Thanks to Boyd Anderson)
- no lemons, no melon. (Thanks to C. Geissler)
- Not a banana baton!
- Ma is a nun, as I am.
- I'm aloof; a fool am I. (By Elaine Lee)
- Too bad, I hid a boot.
- Todd erases a red dot.
- Flee to me, remote elf.
- Devil never even lived. (Thanks to David Amack)
- A daffodil slid off Ada. (Thanks to Mark Deev)
- He lived as a devil, eh? (Thanks to Stacey J. Lamesch)
- Poor Dan is in a droop. (Thanks to Dan Hamilton and Ivan Haffenden)
- Rats live on no evil star.
- Panic in a Titanic, I nap.
- A slut nixes sex in Tulsa.
- Ah, Satan sees Natasha. (Thanks to Mike Stevenson)
- Evil, all its sin is still alive. (Thanks to Michael Bing)
- Sit on a potato pan, Otis.
- Stab nail at ill Italian bats.
- Stop no racecar on pots! (by Mackay Jacobsen, age 8)
- Oozy rat in a sanitary zoo. (Thanks to Brian Healy)
- Dew on roses or no, wed. (By Elaine Lee)
- Al lets Della call Ed Stella. (Thanks to Rdwos)
- Nurse, I spy gypsies! Run! (Thanks to Laura)
- Sore was I ere I saw Eros.
- Able was I ere I saw Elba.
- Yawn a more Roman way.
- Madam in Eden, I'm Adam.
- Amy, must I jujitsu my ma? (Thanks to Bip)
- Gustav Klimt milk vats. Ug! (Thanks to Daisy Rockwell)
- Star comedy by democrats.
- Ten animals I slam in a net. (Thanks to Ted Bibeau)
- Plan no damn Madonna LP.
- Yo, Bob, mug a gumbo boy! (Thanks to K. Pearse)
- A dog! A panic in a pagoda!
- Tarzan raised Dezi Arnaz rat. (Thanks to Melissa)
- O, Geronimo, no minor ego!
- Mr. Owl ate my metal worm. (submitted by many, many people)
- Eros? Sidney, my end is sore.
- Tulsa night life: filth, gin, a slut. (Thanks to Andrew Weimholt)
- Dogma in my hymn: I am God. (Thanks to Bobdog)
- A dog, a plan, a canal: pagoda.
- Golf? No sir. Prefer prison flog.
- A tin mug for a jar of gum, Nita.
A man, a plan, a canal -- Panama! (Click here for some amusing variations.)
- Norma is as selfless as I am, Ron. (Thanks to Dan Balufuss)
- Draw, O Caesar! Erase a coward! (Thanks to Jason)
- No, Sir, panic is a basic in a prison. (Thanks to Bobdog)
- Wo Nemo, toss a lasso to me now. (Thanks to Carolyn (CT))
- Damn! I, Agassi, miss again! Mad!
- Satan, oscillate my metallic sonatas.
Go hang a salami. I'm a lasagna hog.
- Cigar? Toss it in a can, it is so tragic.
- Dog as a devil deified lived as a god. (Thanks to Jason Hanson)
- Stressed? No tips ? Spit on desserts. (Thanks to Cbmac62)
- No, Sir! Away! A papaya war is on! (Thanks to Kathy)
- O Memsahib, Bart! Rabbi has memo! (Thanks to Nancy Lincoln and The Simpsons)
- Egad! A base tone denotes a bad age. (Thanks to David Zimet)
- I roamed under it, a tired, nude Maori.
- Yawn. Madonna Fan? No damn way!
- Sums are not set as a test on Erasmus.
- No, Mel Gibson is a casino's big lemon.
- Yo! Beg a clam in an animal cage, boy! (Thanks to Cate Patterson)
- Marge lets Norah see Sharon's telegram.
- Aha, Monica met a mate, Mac, in Omaha. (Thanks to David Lawler)
- God! A red nugget! A fat egg under a dog!
- "Ma," Jerome raps pot top, "spare more jam!"
- Go deliver a rat for a tar (oft a rare, vile dog). (Thanks to Bob Grand)
- Straw? No, too stupid a fad. I put soot on warts.
- Elapsed or esteemed, all Ade meets erodes pale. (Thanks to Michael Bing)
- "Reviled did I live," said I, "as evil I did deliver."
- Name tarts? No, medieval slave, I demonstrate Man!
- No, I save on final perusal--a sure plan, if no evasion.
- I, madam. I made radio! So I dared! Am I mad? Am I? (Thanks to Laura)
- Are we not drawn onward, we few? Drawn onward to new era?
- Doc, note. I dissent. A fast never prevents a fatness. I diet on Cod.
- Dennis and Edna sinned.
- Dennis, Nell, Edna, Leon, Nedra, Anita, Rolf, Nora, Alice, Carol,
Leo, Jane, Reed, Dena, Dale, Basil, Rae, Penny, Lana, Dave, Denny,
Lena, Ida, Bernadette, Ben, Ray, Lila, Nina, Jo, Ira, Mara, Sara,
Mario, Jan, Ina, Lily, Arne, Bette, Dan, Reba, Diane, Lynn, Ed, Eva,
Dana, Lynne, Pearl, Isabel, Ada, Ned, Dee, Rena, Joel, Lora, Cecil,
Aaron, Flora, Tina, Arden, Noel, and Ellen sinned. (Thanks to Rita
Manley for pointing out an error I had in this one.)
- T. Eliot, top bard, notes putrid tang emanating, is sad. "I'd
assign it a name: gnat dirt upset on drab pot toilet." (composed by
Alastair Reid.)
FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Catalan
- Argentina, la lluna anul·la la nit negra. (Argentina, the moon overturns the black
night) (Thanks to Isaiah Fanlo)
Chinese
(The tap water in Shanghai comes from the sea. Thanks to Lydia Zhang)
- Just one example from several at http://members.hknet.com/~geomancy/doc/poem/return.htm#sevenR:
Finnish
- Saippuakauppias. (Soap dealer)
- Iso rikas sika sokosakissa kirosi. (A fat rich pig cursed
in a poker gang.)
- Isä, älä myy myymälääsi. (Father, don't sell your
shop.) (Those should be umlauts over the a's.)
- tomaattimatokotamittaamot. ("tomato-worm pupa measuring places" - thanks to Santeri Palviainen)
- The following palindromes were submitted by Petri Laaksonen. Thanks Petri!
- innostunut sonni. (An excited bull.)
- ajoreittieroja. (Driving route differences.)
- Erakon ilo oli nokare. (Hermit's joy was a chunk.)
- Syy hyökätä: köyhyys! (A reason to attack: poverty.)
- Syy siittää, Pete päätti: isyys. (A reason to conceive, Pete decided: fatherhood.)
- Tunisian imaami nai sinut. (An imam of Tunisia married you.)
- No, oikotie vei Tokioon! (Well, a shortcut took to Tokyo!)
- Tilaa kakku, kanna kukkakaalit. (Order a cake, carry cauliflowers.)
- Isä! Isä! Katso naisia! Nosta käsiäsi! (Father! Father! Look at the women! Raise your arms!)
- Naku sika haki sukan. (A naked pig fetched a sock.)
- Aave sanoo: nasevaa. (A ghost says: witty.)
- Ylevä kisa: aasikävely. (A sublime game: donkey walk.)
- Ota maksua, hauska mato. (Take some fee, funny worm.)
- Naku iho jäätyy; hyytää jo hiukan. (Naked skin will freeze; it's getting cold
already -- thanks to Kati Heposaari)
- Atte, kumiorava varo imuketta. (Atte, the rubber squirrel, be careful with that cigarette holder - thanks to Eric Roston)
French
- Elu par cette crapule. (Elected by this... ? [Thanks to Celine Sanjuan])
- Esope reste ici et se repose. (Esope stays here and lies down)
- "...et la marine va venir ŕ malte."
- Engage le jeu que je le gagne. (Begin the game so that I may win
-- thanks to Gino)
- Léon émir cornu d'un roc, rime Noël. (*)
- Ce satrape repart ŕ sec. (*)
- La mčre Gide digčre mal. (*)
- A Noël, elle te traça la carte telle Léona. (*)
* From
Alain Zalmanski's palindrome page, where there are many more.
German
(thanks to Katya MacDonald for translation help)
- Ein ledergurt trug Redel nie.
(A leather belt never carried Redel; thanks to hzok for corrections)
- Eine treue Familie bei Lima
feuerte nie. (A loyal family near Lima never fired) (Thanks to Bill
O'Toole, and correction from hzok)
- Ein Neger mit Gazelle zagt im Regen nie. (A black man with a gazelle does not hesitate in the rain) (Thanks to many people!)
Ancient Greek
(found on a baptismal font)
Modern Greek
- HPEMA TA KAKA TA MEPH. (Bad places are calm -- thanks to Christos Tzimas)
(Save us right now! thanks again to Christos Tzimas)
Hungarian
-
Kis erek mentén, láp sík
ölén, oda van a bá(ny)a rabja, jaj Bara(ny)ában a vadon élő Kis
Pálnét nem keresik. (Along the small streamlets, in the marshlands, the
prisoner of the mine is lost, oh, no one is looking for the wife of Pál
Kiss, living in the wild. Thanks to Péter Bratincsák)
- Geza, kek az eg. (Geza, the sky is blue; thanks to Nandor)
- Mar ujra var a varju ram. (Once again, the crow is waiting for me; thanks to Nandor)
- Indul a ku(ty)a s a (ty)uk aludni. (The dog and the hen go to sleep; note that (ty) denotes one Hungarian letter; thanks to Nandor)
- Rám német nem lel, elmentem én már. (No German will find me, I've already gone; thanks to Tom Tom)
- Indul a görög aludni. (The Greek starts to go to sleep; thanks to Elmer Teleki)
Latin
- Subi dura a rudibus. (Endure rough treatement from
uncultured brutes)
- Sator Arepo tenet opera rotas. (The sower Arepo works with
the help of a wheel.)
- A Nap, a Lamb, ab mal ap ana. (He who is holy shall not nap with lambs)
- Sum mus. (I am a mouse -- thanks to Benjamin)
- In girum imus nocte et consumimur igni.
(We enter the circle after dark and are consumed by fire -- thanks to Cate)
- Roma tibi subito motibus ibit amor.
Norwegian
- Agnes i senga. (Agnes in bed - thanks to Camilla W Moe)
Polish (in LaTex Notation for now; {\l} is an 'l' with a slash through it)
- Koby{\l}a ma ma{\l}y bok. (A mare has small side; thanks to Daniel Wojcik)
Portugese
- Socorram-me, subi no onibus em Marrocos. (Help me, I stepped into the bus at Morrocos;
Thanks to Silvio Silva)
- Roma me tem amor. (Rome has love for me; Thanks again to Silvio Silva)
- Luz Azul. (Blue light -- thanks to Eric Moitinho for this and the next six)
- Ato idiota. (Stupid act)
- O treco certo. (Right stuff)
- A bola da loba. (The wolf's ball)
- A diva da vida. (Life's diva)
- Luza Rocelina, a namorada do Manuel, leu na Moda da Romana: 'Anil é cor
azul'. (Luza Rocelina, Manuel's girlfriend, read on Moda da Romana: 'Indigo
is blue')
- Me vę se a panela da moça é de aço, Madalena Paes, e vem. (See for me if
the lady's pan is of steel, Madalena Paes, and come)
Romanian
(Thanks to Tavi for these; he has more at his palindrome page.)
- Ele fac cafele ("They make coffee")
- Ene purta patru pene. ("Ene wore four feathers")
- Era nuda la Dunare. ("She was naked at the Danube")
- Sa nu iei un as. ("Do not take an ace")
Russian
- For lots and lots more, I refer you to the following great page of Russian Palindromes.
Spanish
- Anita lava la tina. (Anita washes the tub)
- Dabale arroz a la zorra el abad.
- Átale, demoníaco Caín, o me delata! (Tie him up, demoniac Cain, or he'll
betray me!) (by Julio Cortázar; thanks to Isaiah Fanlo)
- Son robos, no sólo son sobornos. (They are robberies, not only briberies) (by Darío
Lancini; thanks to Isaiah Fanlo)
- No te comas la salsa, mocetón! (Don't eat the sauce, little guy!) (Thanks to Isaiah Fanlo)
- żAmor sodomita? ˇA ti modos, Roma! (Sodomitic love? no one'll teach you manners, Rome!) (Thanks to Isaiah Fanlo)
- Adán o Eva? Ya veo: nada... (Thanks to Isaiah Fanlo)
- Sé orar -- raro es. (I can pray -- it's strange.) (Thanks to Isaiah Fanlo)
- Raza, oh cese de dones, seres! Eres seno de desecho azar. (Race, oh stopping of gifts and beings! Shattered fate is inside you.) (Thanks to Isaiah Fanlo)
- Aji traga la lagartija. (Thanks to Patrica Escobar)
- Ella te dara detalle. (Thanks to Angel E. Parra)
- The following were submitted by Virginia Lustig (the first two are hers). Thanks Virginia!
- Ojo! Con ese no cojo. (Hey! I won't [sleep with; take] that one. [first is regional and somewhat vulgar; second more standard])
- Salta ese atlas. (Jump that Atlas)
- Alli trota la tortilla. (There jogs the tortilla)
- Dios, oid! (God, listen)
Swedish
- Ni talar bra latin. (You speak good Latin)
- I Reval sitta ni alla i natt i slaveri. (In Reval, you'll all sit tonight, enslaved. Thanks to Patrik Martinson!)
- Dromedaren Alp Aron, allena vid sidan av vanadisdivan Ella Nora, planerade mord. (The dromedary Alp Aron, alone next to the vanadis diva Ella Nora, was
planning murder. Thanks to Niklas E!)
- God apa gavs galna anlag svag apa dog. (Good monkey was given bad genes; weak monkey died. Thanks to Jenny Johansson.)
Turkish (Thanks to Gamze Er)
- Anastas mum satsana. (Anastas, sell candles!)
- Ey Edip Adana'da pide ye. (Oh Edip, eat pita in Adana [a city].)
Welsh
- Lladd dafad ddall. (Kill a blind sheep -- thanks to Gwydion Gruffudd for correcting the spelling)
OTHER
- Click here for a palindromic poem.
OTHER PALINDROME PAGES I'VE SEEN
If your favorite isn't here, or if you know other palindrome links, please
email it to me.
Back to Ernie's home page.
GMU Nonlinear Science Group
