What are the longest symmetrical words that can be flipped like a mirror?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around identifying words that can be flipped horizontally, resembling a mirror image, while still forming other words. Participants explore the concept of symmetry in letters and words, focusing on both uppercase and lowercase forms, and the creative use of language in this context.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that words do not need to be palindromic when flipped, providing examples like "boob" becoming "dood."
  • Another participant mentions a personal anecdote about a phrase their mother used, highlighting the playful nature of the topic.
  • Several participants present examples of words and phrases that can be flipped, such as "OAT" and "TAO," and "MAY A MUd MOM bUM A YAM."
  • There is discussion about which letters are symmetrical, with some proposing that letters like A, H, and Y qualify, while others suggest mixed case may be necessary for more options.
  • Participants debate the inclusion of certain letters and their symmetrical properties, such as the interpretation of S as Z in handwritten forms.
  • Some participants express that there is no requirement for the words to be palindromic, emphasizing creativity in the arrangement of letters.
  • There is a humorous exchange regarding the concept of anti-symmetric letters, with references to N and Z, and a light-hearted mention of potential jokes related to these letters.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the playful nature of the task and the exploration of symmetrical letters, but there are multiple competing views on which letters qualify and how to interpret certain examples. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the strict criteria for symmetry and the inclusion of specific letters.

Contextual Notes

Some participants note the ambiguity in defining symmetrical letters and the flexibility in interpreting the rules of the game, which may lead to varying conclusions about acceptable words and phrases.

DaveC426913
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I want to find words that are can be flipped horizontally (like in a mirror) and still make other words.

They do NOT have to be the same words backward and forward. In Wiki, under vertically symmetical words they have ma'am and toot, but thewse words are the same words when reversed. Thids is not necessary.

eg. boob flipped horizontally is dood (not really a word but wut ev...).

What's the biggest word or words you can find?

They could be caps, or they could be lower case.
 
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Cool game. My Mom used to sign off her letters with "remember..MOM is just WOW upside down".
 
CHOICE in the mirror is CHOICE. (turn it upside down first)
 
OAT <--> TAO (for a non-palindromic attempt, and playing by the rules)

I SIN; WOT AM I? <--> I'M A TOWN, IS I? (begging some poetic freedom with the N, the spacing and the punc's)

PS: First time I've intentionally used an apostrophe in a plural noun not indicating a possessive.
 
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A h i m o t u v w x
 
A ToYoTA

I tried to make it all caps but kept coming back as "A toyota".
 
Jimmy Snyder said:
CHOICE in the mirror is CHOICE. (turn it upside down first)

Letters have to be symmetrical about the vertical axis (I see now there was some ambiguity in what I meant.).


Why am I doing this?

We have glass walls in our new office meeting room. They do double duty as whiteboards that you can write on with special markers. This results in writing that can be read from both inside AND outside the meeting room.

I want to write some message on the wall that can be read from both sides. It doesn't have to make sense, and certainly doesn't have to be the same from both sides. In fact, the more different it is, the more obvious to the reader that I'm deliberately playing with the space.

And now you can see why I can't use dood...
 
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G037H3 said:
A h i m o t u v w x

Presumably, you meant those to be uppercase, (otherwise a and h don't qualify)

If so, you forgot Y. And S=Z can qualify (since it's hand-written).


Alternately, and I like this better:

i l m n o t u v w x y
b/d p/q s/z

Since there seems to be a paucity of good words coming from either l/c or u/c, I may have to allow mixed case in order to give us enough room to maneuver.

Thus our full alphabet becomes:

A H Y
i l m n o t u v w x
b/d p/q s/z
Anyone see any more two-letter transpositions?
 
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Since it's handwritten, E / 3 could be added to the list.
 
  • #10
mood and YAW are two obvious ones.
 
  • #11
DaveC426913 said:
Presumably, you meant those to be uppercase, (otherwise a and h don't qualify)

If so, you forgot Y. And S=Z can qualify (since it's hand-written).


Alternately, and I like this better:

i l m n o t u v w x y
b/d p/q s/z

Since there seems to be a paucity of good words coming from either l/c or u/c, I may have to allow mixed case in order to give us enough room to maneuver.

Thus our full alphabet becomes:

A H Y
i l m n o t u v w x
b/d p/q s/z
Anyone see any more two-letter transpositions?

All caps automatically does that. And I don't consider Y, because I don't write it like that, and the S/Z thing is silly. >_> You're cheating. :)
 
  • #12
pA i mUll A miAmi -> i mAim All UmiAq

TUnA nUT
TOO HOT TO HOOT

Same spacing both ways:
MAY A MUd MOM bUM A YAM
 
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  • #13
G037H3 said:
All caps automatically does that. And I don't consider Y, because I don't write it like that,
Capital Y is, when correctly written, vertically symmetrical.

G037H3 said:
and the S/Z thing is silly. >_> You're cheating. :)
Silly? Cheating?? That's the most clever part! At least, p/q and b/d are. I suppose the s/z thing could be considered a bit of a reach.
 
  • #14
Borg said:
pA i mUll A miAmi -> i mAim All UmiAq

TUnA nUT
TOO HOT TO HOOT

Same spacing both ways:
MAY A MUd MOM bUM A YAM

Just so we're clear: there is absolutely no requirement - or even desire - for palindromity.
 
  • #15
DaveC426913 said:
Just so we're clear: there is absolutely no requirement - or even desire - for palindromity.
The first one wasn't meant to be a palindrome. Just showing what it reads in both directions.
 
  • #16
I just noticed there's not too many anti symmetric letters in our alphabet. N is anti symmetrc in one dimension, Z in the other, along with S. Tha seems to be about it.
 
  • #17
Pythagorean said:
I just noticed there's not too many anti symmetric letters in our alphabet. N is anti symmetrc in one dimension, Z in the other, along with S. Tha seems to be about it.

I expected a Nazi joke after you said N and Z were anti-symmetric. It would've been sweet if you could have pulled that off.
 
  • #18
leroyjenkens said:
I expected a Nazi joke after you said N and Z were anti-symmetric. It would've been sweet if you could have pulled that off.

:frown:
 
  • #19
leroyjenkens said:
I expected a Nazi joke after you said N and Z were anti-symmetric. It would've been sweet if you could have pulled that off.

:smile: Good one, leroy. Nazis are the pinnacle of anti-symmetric commentary. :biggrin:
 

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