Levidromes

A levidrome is a word that when spelled backwards makes another word.

Well, at least not yet. It is not in the Oxford English Dictionary.

Levi Budd is a six-year-old boy from British Columbia in Canada who has coined the term 'levidrome' after spotting that the word 'STOP' spells 'POTS' backwards. After realising that there is no such word in English for this phenomena, a social media campaign has started to get this word in popular usage (hence this post).

I wrote a short Python script this morning that will pull all of the levidromes from a dictionary file. The full list is copied below.





aa
ab
aba
abac
abba
abo
abos
abut
acca
ad
ado
ados
ae
aga
agar
agas
agenes
ah
aha
ahs
aia
aider
air
airts
ajar
aka
al
ala
alan
alif
alma
alula
am
ama
amahs
amas
amen
amene
amir
amis
amla
amman
an
ana
anal
anan
anana
anes
anew
anger
animal
animes
anna
annat
anon
ante
apod
araara
arak
arb
arbas
are
ares
arf
aril
arret
arris
arum
arval
aryl
assam
asses
at
ataata
ate
ates
aua
auks
ava
aval
avel
avid
avo
awa
ay
ayahs
ba
bac
bacs
bad
bag
bal
bals
ban
bans
bard
barf
bark
bas
bat
bats
bed
beef
ben
bens
bib
bid
big
bin
bins
bird
bis
blub
bo
bob
bobac
bobak
bod
bog
boh
bok
bon
bonk
boob
boord
bor
bos
bots
bows
boy
bra
braced
brad
brag
braw
bro
brod
bros
bru
bub
bud
bug
bulb
bun
bunk
buns
bur
burd
burg
bus
but
buts
cab
caba
cabob
cam
camus
cap
card
cares
cep
ceps
cire
cires
cis
cit
cite
cito
civic
clat
cod
cor
cos
cot
cram
cran
crem
cur
da
dab
dace
dad
dag
dah
dahs
dal
dam
dap
daraf
darb
darg
dart
darts
das
daud
daw
daws
day
de
deb
debut
decaf
decal
decarb
dedal
deed
deem
deen
deens
deep
deeps
deer
dees
deet
deets
def
defer
deffer
deffo
deg
degami
degged
deid
deified
deifier
deil
deke
deked
del
deled
delf
delis
deliver
delos
dels
deman
demit
demits
den
denier
denies
denim
denis
denned
dennets
dens
depart
deport
depot
depots
derat
derats
dere
dered
deres
deros
derris
dessert
desserts
deus
devas
devil
devils
devots
dew
dewans
dewed
dexes
deys
di
dial
dialer
dials
diaper
dib
did
died
dif
dig
dim
din
dinar
diol
diols
diram
dit
div
diva
do
dob
doc
dod
dog
doh
dohs
dol
dom
don
dons
doom
door
dop
dopa
dops
dor
dorb
dormin
dorp
dorps
dort
dorter
dos
doser
dot
doy
drab
drac
drail
dram
drap
draps
draw
drawer
draws
dray
drey
drib
drier
droob
drool
drow
drows
drub
duad
dual
dub
dud
duel
duo
dup
dups
ea
ean
eas
eat
ecad
ecce
ed
edile
edit
ee
eel
eels
een
ef
eh
ehs
eke
eked
elide
elides
elutes
em
eme
emes
emir
emit
emits
emmets
emong
emos
en
ene
enema
enes
enol
enows
er
era
ere
ered
eres
ergo
eric
eros
ervil
eses
esnes
espial
esse
et
eta
etas
etat
etats
eten
etic
etna
euk
eve
even
evil
eviler
evils
ewe
exul
eye
faced
farad
fe
fed
feeb
feer
fen
fer
fet
fid
fier
fig
fila
fir
fires
fled
flog
flor
flow
fool
fra
frab
fret
fro
gab
gad
gag
gal
gals
gam
gan
gans
gaps
gar
garb
gas
gat
gateman
gater
gats
gay
ged
gel
gelder
gem
gen
get
gib
gid
gif
gig
gins
gip
girt
girts
git
gnar
gnat
gnats
gnaw
gnaws
gnome
gnus
gob
god
golf
gon
gons
goog
gorp
gorps
gos
got
grad
gram
grub
gu
gub
gul
gulp
guls
gum
gums
guns
gup
gups
gur
gut
guv
guy
ha
habus
had
hadedah
hah
hahs
hajjah
halalah
hales
hallah
hallan
halos
han
hap
haram
hay
he
heh
henry
hep
her
hey
ho
hob
hod
hoh
hon
hoo
hoop
hop
hos
huh
hup
id
ikat
imaged
io
iris
iron
is
it
itas
iwi
jar
kabob
kaiak
kak
kam
kara
kat
kay
kayak
keek
keel
keels
keep
keet
keets
ken
keps
kier
kips
kirks
kis
kiths
knaps
knar
knit
knits
knob
knop
knot
knots
know
knub
knuts
kob
kook
kor
korat
kow
krab
krans
kue
la
lab
laced
lacer
lad
laded
laer
lag
lager
laid
laipse
lair
lam
lamina
lana
langer
lap
lares
larum
las
laud
lava
lavra
leat
leben
led
lee
leek
leep
leeps
leer
lees
leet
leets
leg
leir
lemel
leper
les
let
leud
leva
level
lever
levins
levo
lez
liar
liard
liart
lias
lied
lies
lin
lion
lira
lit
live
lived
livre
lobo
lod
loges
loid
lone
loof
looks
loom
loons
loop
loops
loord
loos
loot
looter
loots
lop
los
lotos
lug
luxe
lyra
ma
mac
macs
mad
madam
maes
mag
mak
mal
malam
mallam
mals
mam
man
map
maps
mar
marah
marc
marcs
mard
marg
marid
marram
marrum
mart
mas
massa
mat
maws
may
me
meed
mees
meet
meets
meg
mem
merc
meter
mets
mew
mho
mid
milks
mils
mim
mined
minim
mips
mir
mis
mm
mo
mod
mom
mon
moo
mood
mool
mools
moops
moor
moos
moot
mop
mor
mos
mot
moy
mu
mug
mum
mura
mural
mures
murram
mus
mut
muton
muts
na
naan
nab
nae
nag
nah
nala
nallah
nam
named
namer
nametag
namma
nan
nana
nap
napas
nappas
naps
naras
narc
narcs
narks
nas
nat
naw
ne
neb
nebel
ned
nee
need
neep
nef
neg
nek
neks
nelis
nema
nemas
nep
net
nete
nets
neve
neves
new
nib
nid
nil
nimrod
nip
nips
nis
nit
no
nob
nod
nog
noh
noil
nolos
nom
non
nona
nonet
noo
noon
noop
noops
nori
nos
not
notes
notum
now
noy
nu
nub
nun
nur
nus
nut
nuts
nys
oat
ob
oba
obey
obo
obol
od
oda
odas
offed
offer
ogre
oh
ohm
oho
ohos
oi
oiks
om
on
ono
oo
ooh
oohs
oom
oon
oop
oor
oot
op
oppo
orb
orf
os
otic
otto
oud
ova
ovel
ow
owt
oxo
oy
pac
pacer
pad
pah
pal
palp
pals
pam
pan
pans
pap
par
pard
part
parts
pas
pat
pats
paw
paws
pay
pec
peed
peek
peel
peels
peen
peep
pees
peh
pelas
pen
peons
pep
per
perp
perts
pets
pig
pin
pins
pip
pir
pis
pit
plap
plug
po
pod
poh
pol
pols
pom
ponk
poo
pooh
pool
pools
poon
poons
poop
poor
poort
poos
poots
pop
port
ports
pos
pot
pots
pow
pows
prat
prep
prod
prog
pud
pug
puh
pullup
pup
pupils
puris
pus
put
puy
radar
rag
raga
rager
rages
raggas
rail
rait
raj
raja
ram
ramis
rang
ranid
rank
rap
raps
ras
rast
rat
rats
raw
ray
re
real
reaps
rebus
rebut
recal
recap
recaps
reccos
redder
redes
redia
redips
redleg
redraw
redrawer
reed
reef
reeks
reel
reels
reens
rees
ref
refed
refer
reffed
reffo
reflet
reflow
regal
regar
regna
regnal
regos
reh
reif
reified
reifier
reik
reiks
reined
reird
reknit
reknits
reknot
reknots
relaid
relit
relive
reliver
reman
remeet
remit
renies
rennet
rep
repaid
repaper
repel
repins
repot
repots
res
resat
resod
retag
retem
retool
retrod
retros
revel
reviled
reviler
reviver
reward
rewarder
rewets
rexes
ria
rial
rias
ribas
riel
rif
rim
rima
rime
rims
rip
rits
rob
roc
rod
rok
rolf
rom
rones
roo
rood
room
rooms
roop
roops
roots
rosies
rot
rotator
rotavator
rotor
rub
ruc
rucs
rug
rums
run
sab
sabir
sabra
sad
sadis
sado
sados
sae
sag
saga
sagas
sagenes
saggar
sail
sair
sakis
sal
salep
salles
sallets
sam
sama
samas
samen
san
sanes
sap
sapan
sappan
saps
sar
saran
saros
sarus
sat
sate
sati
sav
saved
saw
saz
scab
scam
scares
scot
scram
scran
scur
seals
seam
seat
secret
seder
sedes
sedile
seed
seeks
seel
seem
seems
seep
seer
sees
segar
segol
seil
seined
seiner
seis
seisor
seities
sekos
sel
selah
selahs
seles
sellas
selles
seme
sememes
semes
semina
sena
senas
sene
senega
senegas
sennet
senor
sense
ser
sera
serac
seracs
seral
sere
sered
seres
seric
serif
serons
serres
serum
sese
sesey
sessa
sesses
set
seta
seton
setule
seven
sexed
sexer
sexes
sey
seys
sha
shad
shah
shahs
shakos
shales
shama
shay
shaya
she
shod
shoo
shtik
si
sib
sic
sidas
sies
sik
sikas
siled
silen
sim
sima
simar
simis
sin
sined
sinnet
sip
siri
siris
sirra
sirred
sirs
sirup
sis
sit
six
skat
skeer
skees
skeets
sken
skeps
skier
skio
skips
sklim
skool
skran
skrans
skrik
skua
slab
slaes
slag
slaid
slam
slap
sled
slee
sleek
sleep
sleeps
sleer
sleet
sleets
slim
slipup
slit
slive
slived
sloid
sloom
sloop
sloops
sloot
sloots
slop
slug
smart
smees
smew
smir
smits
smoor
smoot
smug
smur
smut
smuts
snab
snag
snap
snaps
snark
snarks
snaw
snawed
snaws
sneb
sned
sneed
sneer
snib
snig
snip
sniper
snips
snirt
snit
snivel
snod
snoep
snog
snool
snoop
snoops
snoot
snores
snort
snot
snow
snub
snug
so
sob
soba
soc
soccer
sod
soda
sodas
sog
soger
soh
soho
sokahs
sokes
sol
solah
soled
solon
solos
som
some
son
sonnet
sool
soom
soop
sop
soras
sorb
sore
sored
sorter
sos
sotol
sow
soy
spacer
spaer
spag
spam
span
spank
spans
spar
spard
spart
sparts
spas
spat
spats
spaw
spaws
spay
spaz
spec
speed
speel
speels
spek
speks
spets
spider
spik
spiks
spim
spin
spins
spirt
spirts
spit
spod
spool
spools
spoom
spoon
spoons
spoor
spoots
sports
spot
spots
sprat
sprits
sprod
sprog
spud
spug
sris
stab
stag
stang
stap
staps
star
stared
start
stat
state
stats
staw
staws
steed
steek
steeks
steel
steels
steem
stellas
stem
stemme
sten
stenned
step
steps
stet
stets
stew
stewer
stime
stimed
stims
stink
stinker
stir
stirps
stob
stonk
stonker
stool
stools
stoop
stoops
stoor
stop
stoped
stoper
stops
stot
stots
stoved
stow
stows
strad
strap
straps
straw
strep
stressed
stria
strig
strips
strop
strops
strow
struts
stub
stum
stums
stun
stunk
sturts
sub
subah
suber
succus
sued
sulu
sulus
sum
sumac
sun
sung
sup
suras
sus
susus
swad
swam
swang
swans
swap
swaps
sward
swat
swats
sway
swey
swob
swone
swop
sword
swot
swots
syed
syes
syn
ta
tab
tae
tael
taes
tag
tak
taki
taks
talc
tallat
tam
tan
tang
tanna
tao
tap
taps
tar
tared
tarok
tarp
tarps
tart
tas
taser
tat
tate
tats
tav
taw
taws
te
teed
teek
teel
teels
teem
teemer
tef
teg
tel
telfer
ten
tenet
tenner
tennes
tennis
tennos
tenon
terces
terf
terra
terret
tes
tet
tets
tew
ti
tiar
tic
tid
tide
tig
til
tiler
tils
time
timed
timer
tin
tink
tinker
tins
tip
tips
tirrit
tis
tit
toc
tocs
tod
tog
tom
ton
tonk
tonker
tons
too
tool
tools
toom
tooms
toons
toot
top
toped
toper
tops
tor
torot
tort
tot
tots
tow
tows
trad
trail
tram
trams
trap
traped
traps
trat
trats
tressed
trew
trig
trins
trips
trod
trons
troop
trop
troped
trot
trow
tsar
tub
tuba
tubed
tuber
tug
tum
tums
tun
tup
tut
two
ug
ulu
ulus
um
umu
un
urb
utu
vas
vat
vav
vid
vug
wad
wan
wang
wans
wap
waps
war
warb
ward
warder
warts
was
wat
wats
waw
way
wed
wem
wems
wen
wena
wert
wet
wets
wey
wo
wok
wolf
wolfer
won
wonk
wons
wop
word
wort
worts
wos
wot
wots
wow
xis
ya
yad
yag
yah
yahs
yak
yam
yap
yaps
yar
yard
yaw
yaws
yay
yebo
yeh
yerd
yes
yeses
yew
yews
yo
yob
yod
yom
yon
yos
yrneh
yug
yup
zaps
zas
zel
ziz
zuz
zzz


It is interesting to note that some levidromes are also palindromes. I wonder whether we need a new word to describe this phenomenon also?  Furthermore, there is no word in English for "a word that you make up in order to make another word make sense". I suggest: "emordivel" ?

The worst game I've played in a long while

I was going to call this post "Is this the worst game ever?", but it sounded like click-bait.

The Station in Dig Station is a big dig station.

Dig Station is a game for Android. The blurb states:

"Manage little station on the alien planet. Get upgrades and go for adventures!".

 It sounded fun, but one of those statements is a lie.

You start the game with a little dig station, and after a short period of familiarising yourself with the controls (there is no tutorial) you discover the main mechanic of this game - the counter in the top right indicates how much stuff your station has gathered. Soon you discover that you have to upgrade your main drill. Doing so increases the rate at which you get stuff. Everyone likes games where you get progressively better, even if it is just the rate at which you gain yellow numbers, right?

One of several upgrades in the game.

Once you have gathered 2000 'thingies' you get to further upgrades to your little station, such as hull, hydraulics, electronics, etc. The names matter little: each one does nothing but increases the rate at which you can mine 'wotsits', and by this stage you are craving ever more and more of their yellowy, numerical goodness.

After a short while you discover that this game is going to reward you for interacting with it in various ways. Soon you have devoted your entire evening to clicking the upgrade buttons rewarded each time by the counter of 'thingy-jigs' spinning over faster and faster.

After a while you have become a junky to collecting yellow numbers. You need ever higher orders of magnitude for the next upgrade and so you devote even more of your time to gathering the yellow 'somethings' required by the game. You discover that you can increase the productivity of your station through a number of ways. For example, 'click this button one hundred times and you increase the productivity by 1%'. So you do it. You actually spend the next two or three hours of your life pressing a button hundreds of times to get incrementally faster rates of 'whatchamacallits'.

You are an addict now. You will willingly accept the 'advert' button just to get ahead in the game.

Now, I don't mind 'clicker' games, if they are done well. In my thirst for ever higher mine rates in Dig Station I thought I was enjoying myself. I thought that this was a good game with an interesting mechanic. I thought I was going to be rewarded for all of my efforts. I thought there was going to be some sort of pay-off for ever-higher orders of magnitude.

I was wrong.

The developers lied. There is no pay off. No reward.

They promised 'adventure', but there was none. The game has no challenge to it at all. You simply progress through the game by giving it more and more of your time.

Eventually you have gathered an arbitrarily large amount of yellow 'numbers' and the game gives you the option of progressing to the adventure. So you do...

... but first you have to press a button one hundred times....

So you do.

Then the planet explodes. GAME OVER.

You do not even get a chance to continuing playing some more, nor start over. And worst of all, the 'adventure' you were promised from the start does not occur. the game just...stops.

I was left with a feeling of loss for the several hours of my life I had dedicated to clicking buttons on my screen for what turned out to be simply a vehicle for adverts.

This game is click-bait. Literally and figuratively.

It isn't the worst game ever. The graphics have a lovely retro feel and if you really want to waste four or five hours of your life, then there are worse ways, but the developers have been disingenuous in their description. I can't help but feel disappointed and fail to see the funny side of the time wasted.

If you want to play a good 'clicker' - one that rewards you with challenging puzzles and a real sense of the game developing, then do try Candy Box if it still exists. For a great 'digger' game with a rewarding end (and the ability to carry on doing what you want even when the game ends) then check out Motherload on miniclips.

Minus one geek experience point awarded to C6H6. I've never taken geek experience points away before, and I wouldn't do so just for a poor click-baity game, but if you read through the developers comments to poor reviews in the app store, then you will see why these developers need their geek status reducing.

That's all for now. Rant is over, but if you are still will us, then you might want to read about that time I found Usbourne's book of Computer space games from the 80's; or you may be in the mood to waste your time in a fun and rewarding way.

Can I look after a goldfish?

The short answer is no. Good bye!

Still here? Oh, well, you see I would love to look after a living creature, but unfortunately I would be a bad parent. I would forget to feed it, or neglect its little tank and turn its environment into a dank, poisonous and murky abyss even worse than Darlington. With this self-realisation comes wisdom though, for now I seek my animal companionship through virtual pets.

My current favourite is iQuarium by Infinite Dreams for Android.

My pet fish, John.

This is a really beautiful app. The fish looks very lifelike and the developers have clearly spent a lot of time making the fish move like a real animal. Unlike in many virtual pet apps, there are no gimmicks. You simply have to remember to feed your fish each day and that's it. There are no daft games to play to increase its 'happyness', and no muck to clear out. Each day you just get to watch your fish swimming around its virtual world. It is very relaxing.

The way you treat your fish will affect its personality, apparently. I do not know if this is true, or not, because so far I have been treating my fish very well. John is a seemingly happy and well-adjusted four-week old fish.

You can interact with your pet. If you press on your screen he will follow your finger. If you tap him he will turn and stare at you. Other than that, your fish is its own person and will do its own thing.

The longer you keep your fish, the more points you score. Various new artifacts, plants and backgrounds are available the longer you play.

Here you can see John hard at work coming up with ideas for his own blog.

If you are looking for a realistic fish simulator with no gimmicks then to look at iQuarium for Android. It is a shame that there is no Windows 10 version though.

+1 Geek experience point awarded to Infinite Dreams.

If you are still here, then you might like to read all about that time I was the god of my own planet, or have a look at my other virtual pet posts.

DesignEvo

Candy from PearlMountain got in touch recently and asked me to do a review of DesignEvo. I don't often get asked to review software. I prefer to showcase stuff I find interesting as and when I find it myself, but Candy asked nicely, so here we go.

DesignEvo is a very easy to use tool for creating vector logos. After a brief tutorial you are deposited on a blank 500 x 500 canvas with three tabs one the left hand side. Candy promises me professional looking logos in seconds and she doesn't disappoint.

A very intuitive interface with over one million icons available through search.

There are three main elements to your design: Icons, text and shapes. These can then be freely arranged on your canvas. I had a go at creating a new logo for HaveSpellWillTravel. I started my stop watch at the end of the tutorial and I had produced the following design after 48 seconds.

Let's check those credentials again. "Professional-looking logo" - CHECK. Created in seconds - YOU BET! 48 seconds in fact.

Some really nice features include:

• Dotty green guidelines on the canvas to help you position your stuff.

• The ability to download your logo - for FREE in JPEG, PNG and transparent format, although they do ask that you credit the source back to DesignEvo, which I guess is only fair. A link along the lines of: Logo made with DesignEvo is required.

• The preview feature allows you to see how your logo as it would appear on your headed notepaper or tee-shirt.

See how your logo would look on your employees' chests, or in the foyer of your HQ in Silicon Valley. 

Our review summary: This is a really easy to use tool that would be perfect for school projects.

Our rating: 5/5 and +1 Geek Experience Point for PearlMountain.

If you came here looking for logos, then you might like our reviews of other logo software. If you just parachuted in looking for something fun, then you might like this stuff or that stuff. Either way, I'll see you soon for more geeky stuff.