# Why is the R backwords in the Reader logo? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 1, 2009, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-r-backwords-in-the-reader-logo/508551 "2009-09-01T21:53:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-r-backwords-in-the-reader-logo/508551/21 "2009-09-06T11:48:18Z")
> [@the\_first\_supraliminal](#): > > How did you make those letters? Well, I don’t know what OS you use, but with Vista, you can enable different languages in keyboard settings. It shows up as a little box on the lower right hand corner, and when I click on it, all of the languages I’ve enabled pop up so I can switch scripts whenever it comes up. That was Bulgarian phonetic, which I like because whoever made it put the Cyrillic letters on the closest approximation to the Latin letters, so I can type nearly as quickly in Bulgarian as I can in English. I also have Hebrew, Farsi, and Russian enabled, and it’s really slow going to type in those languages. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-r-backwords-in-the-reader-logo/508551/22 "2009-09-06T17:11:16Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > Извенявай, не говоря руский. I doubt I could fit it all the way up there, but, you know, it _could_ work. (Besides, how did you know I have German ancestry?) ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-r-backwords-in-the-reader-logo/508551/23 "2009-09-06T17:56:47Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > Извенявай, не говоря руский. Joking aside, isn’t this somewhat offensive? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-r-backwords-in-the-reader-logo/508551/24 "2009-09-08T18:07:52Z")
> [@dangermom](#): > > If there’s anything that bugs me, it’s when people reverse R’s to try to look “Russian.” я is a vowel! It is not an R! Aagh! You see this kind of stuff all the time when people are trying to come up with a name in an MMORPG (e.g., World of Warcraft) or a message board. The one that bugs me is when they use ß as a “B.” It’s a German letter, and it’s pronounced as an S (or SZ). ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-r-backwords-in-the-reader-logo/508551/25 "2009-09-09T00:49:07Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > Извенявай, не говоря руский. “Izvyenyai ne govorya Russkie,” da? I’m _still_ learning the alphabet and phonics, but haven’t built up my vocabulary yet. Please, please, keep 'em coming. ETA: Wait a minute, that’s not what I saw. I saw: ```auto Извенявай, не говоря руский. ``` What gives? Tripler (How’d I do, BTW?) ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-r-backwords-in-the-reader-logo/508551/26 "2009-09-09T01:05:37Z")
**Kyla** , it would be interesting if you gave your translation of that sentence. I fear I may have gotten the wrong impression. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-r-backwords-in-the-reader-logo/508551/27 "2009-09-09T01:18:56Z")
It means “Excuse me, I don’t speak Russian.” ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-r-backwords-in-the-reader-logo/508551/28 "2009-09-09T12:41:27Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > I’m _still_ learning the alphabet and phonics, but haven’t built up my vocabulary yet. Please, please, keep 'em coming. I don’t think she will, because she read and acknowledged my post #11. twickster, MPSIMS moderator ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-r-backwords-in-the-reader-logo/508551/29 "2009-09-10T02:45:13Z")
Oh geez. . . I admit, I skimmed over that one. Tripler :smack: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-r-backwords-in-the-reader-logo/508551.md?page=1)