Thursday, November 18, 2010

Fun with Palindromes (no relation to Sarah)

In The Hidden Sun, I use anagrams throughout the book. If you aren't familiar with an anagram, it is a word that is spelled using the same letters as another word. For example, the contest in The Hidden Sun where young men compete to become guardians is called the "Mortentaun". Not familiar with that word? That's ok--I made it up. However, if you take the letters for Mortentaun and rearrange them, you get the word "Tournament".
But anagrams aren't the only fun things you can do with words. Palindromes are also fun. A Palindrome is a word, or group of words that reads the same forward as it does backwards. Example: "I did, did I?" (granted that is a fairly lame one)
For giggles, here is a short story full of Palindromes. Can you find them all? I'll post the answers in my next blog.

Hannah looked at Bob with a level gaze. Her face was getting redder by the minute. "Desserts, I stressed!"
"Wow, calm down! I did get your note, as well as the other eight you sent. It wasn't clear. I had Otto and Dennis look at them as well. Some men interpret nine memos different ways."
Frowning, Hannah asked, "And who's radar didn't pick up on the desserts?"
"It wasn't me or Otto. I believe Dennis sinned on this one."
"Dennis? That man is as drab as a fool, aloof as a bard." Hannah said. "This civic event is going to be the end of me. Nothing is right. Did we at least get the right main course? These are the members of the salami board, after all."
Bob mumbled under his breath, "Go hang a salami; I'm a lasagna hog."
"What was that?" Hannah asked.
"Nothing."
Hannah stomped around the meeting hall. "And what about all these cats? They have to be moved! Stack cats five high if needed. I don't want us to step on no pets. Bah! These cats are crazy!"
"They aren't crazy. They are just old--senile felines. I'll move them."
"You shouldn't let Ma keep so many cats," Hannah complained.
Bob turned and faced Hannah. "She has a kind heart. So do I. Ma is as selfless as I am."
"Too soft hearted," Hannah said, nodding.
"Don't nod," Bob said. "I hate when you do that. Don't lose focus. This is a big event. What is the salami board's motto? Oh, yes. 'Are we not drawn onward, we few, drawn onward to new era?' We should be honored they chose to have the event here."
Hannah walked to the decorative fireplace. "Did the salami arrive yet?"
"No trace; not one carton."
Stomping her foot, Hannah said, "Nothing is going right! Even this place is decorated all wrong. From the goldenrod-adorned log to the tin mug to the brown kayak."
At that moment, Anna and Nita walked in.
"Yo, banana boy!" Anna called.
Bob scowled. "Don't call me that. I don't like fruit. No banana, no lemon, no melon, nothing."
"Okay, how about I say 'Yo, Bob! Mug o' gumbo, boy!' instead?"
"Stop it, you two," Hannah said. "We need to clean this area up. Speaking of mugs, Anna, get this tin mug out of here."
Anna turned to her companion. "Hmm. What to do? A tin mug for a jar of gum, Nita?"
"Yes, gum will bombard a drab mob with happy feelings." Nita replied.
Hannah approached Anna. "Did you do as I told you to get rid of the wart on your hand? We can't have you serving the salami board with a warty hand. I can get more straw if you need it."
"Straw? No, too stupid a fad; I put soot on warts," Anna replied. "It will be gone in time."
Hannah gave Anna a stern look. "It better. We can't have you looking like an oozy rat in a sanitary zoo."
"I heard that Tarzan raised Desi Arnaz' rat," Bob chimed in. "True story!"
Hannah growled at Bob. "You aren't helping! If I had a boot, I'd kick you.
"Too bad I hid a boot," Bob said, smirking.

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