not a palindrome but...?

Question

A plaindrome is a sequence that is the same backwards as forwards?
Is there a name for a sequence that reads one way when read forwards and another way when backwards?
Are there any examples of this?

Answer 1

semordnilap --coined by Lewis Caroll-- is one of SEVERAL names used for this type of wordplay
http://www.anagrammy.com/anagrams/faq3.html


Other terms --all plays on "palindrome" or "anagram" (since this is a peculiar type of anagram that depend (like palindromes) on reversing the letters-- are:

heteropalindromes, semi-palindromes, half-palindromes,
reversgrams, reversible anagrams, word reversals, anadromes
[Wikipedia also lists "antigram", but this term is generally used to describe a pair of anagrams with opposite MEANINGS]

(I prefer "anadrome", which nicely COMBINES anagram & palindrome)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semordnilap


Related to this, you might enjoy the following sentence -- a palindrome, but constructed with three sets of anadromes:

"rats live on no evil star"
http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/faq/aboutwords/palindromes?view=uk


The longest ones are the following eight-letter sets:

desserts – stressed
dioramas – samaroid
redrawer – rewarder


Here is a nice long list of those under eight letters
-- from http://en.allexperts.com/e/s/se/semordni...

7 letters
amaroid – diorama
Artamus – Sumatra
deifier – reified
Delians – snailed
deliver – reviled
dessert – tressed
deviler – relived
gateman – nametag
leveler – relevel
reknits – stinker
6 letters
allium – Muilla
amiced – Decima
aneles – Selena
animal – lamina
animes – semina
darter – retrad
Delian – nailed
denier – reined
denies – seined
Dennis – sinned
depots – stoped
dialer – relaid
diaper – repaid
Dibrom – morbid
dormin – Nimrod
drawer – reward
Elbert – treble
elides – sedile
elutes – setule
eviler – relive
gelder – redleg
golfer – reflog
looter – retool
manitu – utinam
nedder – redden
pupils – slipup
recaps – spacer
redraw – warder
reflet – telfer
reflow – wolfer
reknit – tinker
remeet – teemer
rennet – tenner
repins – sniper
repots – stoper
retros – sorter
scares – seracs
secret – terces
selahs – shales
sinnet – tennis
sleeps – speels
sleets – steels
sloops – spools
snoops – spoons
spirts – strips
sports – strops
sprits – stirps
struts – sturts
5 letters (common words only)
Aidan – Nadia
decal – laced
pacer – recap
ailed – Delia
draws – sward
lager – regal
smart – trams
snaps – spans
parts – strap
sprat – tarps
straw – warts
debut – tubed
rebut – tuber
deeps – speed
devil – lived
denim – mined
demit – timed
depot – toped
keels – sleek
leper – repel
peels – sleep
lever – revel
fires – serif
Eliot – toile
relit – tiler
remit – timer
nonet – tenon
repot – toper
knits – stink
snips – spins
loops – spool
pools – sloop
loots – stool
ports – strop
spots – stops
stows – swots
4 letters (common words only)
able – Elba
abut – tuba
agar – raga
ajar – raja
Amos – soma
auks – skua
avid – diva
Avon – nova
bard – drab
bats – stab
blub – bulb
bonk – knob
brag – garb
buns – snub
burg – grub
buts – stub
dart – trad
deep – peed
deer – reed
dial – laid
dies – Seid
dine – Enid
doom – mood
door – rood
draw – ward
dray – yard
dual – laud
Edam – made
edit – tide
Eire – Erie
emir – rime
emit – time
ergo – ogre
Eton – note
evil – live
flog – golf
flow – wolf
gals – slag
girt – trig
gnat – tang
gnus – sung
gulp – plug
gums – smug
guns – snug
hoop – pooh
keel – leek
keep – peek
lair – rial
leer – reel
Leon – Noel
Liam – mail
liar – rail
loop – pool
loot – tool
maps – spam
mart – tram
maws – swam
meet – teem
mils – slim
moor – room
naps – span
nips – spin
nuts – stun
pals – slap
pans – snap
part – trap
paws – swap
pees – seep
pets – step
pins – snip
port – trop
pots – stop
prat – tarp
raps – spar
rats – star
saps – spas
snit – tins
snot – tons
spat – taps
spay – yaps
spit – tips
spot – tops
stew – wets
swat – taws
sway – yaws
swot – tows
tort – trot

Answer 2

Hot turk is right:
Semordnilaps
Semordnilap is a name coined for a word or phrase that spells a different word or phrase backwards. "Semordnilap" is itself "palindromes" spelled backwards. Semordnilaps are also known as heteropalindromes, semi-palindromes, half-palindromes, reversgrams, mynoretehs, reversible anagrams [4], word reversals, or anadromes [5]. They have also sometimes been called antigrams [6], though this term now usually refers to anagrams with opposing meanings.
-MM

Answer 3

apparently the word for that is 'semordnilap' ('palindromes' backwards) but I don't believe it.

the longest example in english is stressed = desserts

Answer 4

stop pots spot tops dog god mat tam step pets star rats rat tar top pot ate eta now won ton not leg gel
I'm sure there are others.

Answer 5

You mean like god, dog? Hmmm, I don't know.