Palindromes his hobby

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34047, 10 January 1976, Page 15

Palindromes his hobby

' (A.Z. Press Association) HASTINGS, A 22-year-old Hastings Post Office clerk, Mr Jeff Grant, has made [words his hobby, and it lis a hobby he knows backwards. Mr Grant has such a way [with words that he is now well on the way to setting a 'world record for the longest palindrome, a composition 'which can be read completely I in reverse. Two years ago he wrote to one of the editors of the Guinness Book of Records, the late Mr Norris McWhirter, claiming a new record with a 510-word palindrome. At that time, the famous | book of superlatives boasted

a palindrome with a meagre i 242 words. But before his 510-word j opus could be accepted, an American submitted a 630- \ ’ word effort. Mr Grant went; .(back to his dictionaries, and ’| is now the compiler of a [ 3700-word palindrome, which •She hopes will be built up to! 5000 words before he makesa renewed bid for the world: ' palindrome title in a few! 'months. i' [ Longest word As if his palindrome opus is not enough. Mr Grant > prides himself on having the i i longest word ever used in a , I palindrome. The word is • I “ultracrepidarianism.” which 1 he says means the action of .'criticising something you ; have insufficient knowledge 1 of.

Mr Grant is also a regular. -competitor in a word-: | extension contest run each week by a national weekly ! newspaper. The contest is for [a book prize and Mr Grant estimates he has won it about !26 times. Anagram artist In the anagram field, Mr I Grant also shows amazing [skill and perserverance. I An anagram is a word I whose letters can be rearranged to make another! ; meaning. The Guinness Book of Re- : cords has recorded “inter-: i laminations” as being the; ; longest anagram in the i[world, with 16 letters. r - Two years ago the authors, i accepted “conversationists” ; as another 16-word effort. j Mr Grant responded to the-

■ challenge and within a few (days had found a 17-word ; anagram using the word (“misrepresentation” to make .' “representation ism.” Turned <!<>« n He sent his potential' world-beater to the offices of J Guinness Superlatives, Ltd. but with the palindrome title in his grasp, Mr Grant found his “representationism” anagram was not acceptable. The publishers could not (find the word in its main dictionaries so he wrote back suggesting they look where ■he did — in the Shorter Ox- : I ford Dictionary. i I The battle of words was over and his anagram claim : | was confirmed. ' ■ Mr Grant admits that he finds it hard to get anybody ■ oto play "Scrabble” with him. I