Skip to content

Victoria boy still trying to add levidrome to dictionary

Third-grader Levi Budd coined the term for a word that spells a different word backwards
13850955_web1_181005-OBN-LevidromeOneYearAnniversary_2
(Submitted by Robert Budd)

One year in, Canadian acting legend William Shatner continues his support for the word levidrome via his Twitter account, both tweeting levidromes himself and also encouraging others to do the same — from simple stop and pots to full phrase levidromes.

Levidrome is a term coined by Victoria third-grader Levi Budd. One year ago he launched a video, with the help of dad Robert ‘Lucky’ Budd to get the word in the dictionary. A levidrome is a word that spells another word backward, such as desserts and stressed. While some suggest palindrome emordinlap (palindrome backward) there is no current word to describe the English phonomenon in the dictionary. And that’s why Levi wants levidrome to be included.

RELATED: Phillips spring beer boosts levidrome brand

RELATED: Levidrome slides into everyday lexicon

“It is very tough to put a timeline together since we first posted the levidrome video last Oct. 9, but here are some highlights of how the word has spread, so to speak,” said Lucky.

Celebrities spreading the word on social media inlcude Shatner, Don Cheadle, Patricia Arquette, Simon Whitfield, Bif Naked, Tegan and Sara, various politicians, a local social media favourite Grammar Girl (in podcasts) and UNICEF.

“Let’s not forget a personalized letter from Frindle author Andrew Clements and children’s author David LaRochelle,” Lucky said.

The word was quickly added to the online Urban Dictionary, Webster’s Open Source, Bananagrams, Oxford Word Watch and various mentions by OxfordWords, Wiktionary.

RELATED: Video keeps levidrome front-of-mind on social media

RELATED: William Shatner boosts B.C. Boy’s bid to get levidrome in the dictionary

It’s even inspired beer: Levidrome Lager by Malmo Brewing in Malmo, Sweden; Levidrome Belgum IPA in Chicago and Levidrome Regal Lager by Victoria-based Phillips.

It’s garnered international coverage and inspired songs and cartoons online.

”Levidromes are global,” Lucky said. “We have transcripts from radio shows discussing them in New Zealand, Australia, Germany. And we are seeing lists of Levidrome words in well over 20 languages including French, Italian, Russian, the languages of the Philippines.”

Oxford continues to consider the word, issuing a video last year.

“Levi there are many new words every year. Some very clever ones and some very useful ones. We don’t add all of these words to our dictionary, we’d never sleep if we did. Instead we only add the words that get used by a lot of people for a long time,” said Oxford editor Rebecca Juganaru last June.



c.vanreeuwyk@blackpress.ca

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter



Christine van Reeuwyk

About the Author: Christine van Reeuwyk

I'm dedicated to serving the community of Oak Bay as a senior journalist with the Greater Victoria news team.
Read more