Definitions

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Etymologies

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Examples

  • When I got it I asked it what words were available in a ERSTNL A, mis-remembering that list as the most commonly appearing letters in English apparently it is ETAOIN SHRDLU.

    Archive 2007-06-01 Ron Buckmire 2007

  • When I got it I asked it what words were available in a ERSTNL A, mis-remembering that list as the most commonly appearing letters in English apparently it is ETAOIN SHRDLU.

    Word of the Week: SALTERNS Ron Buckmire 2007

Comments

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  • ETAOIN SHRDLU is a nonsense phrase that sometimes appeared in print in the days of "hot type" publishing because of a custom of Linotype machine operators. It appeared frequently enough that it became part of the lore of newspapers.

    February 3, 2012

  • Also see comments on etaoin shrdlu.

    February 3, 2012