#FunFact etaoin shrdlu
This nonsensical couple of words is a remnant of a different era, when printing was not done with laser but rather physical letters.
In particular there was a machine called linotype, in which every line was typed arranging matrices and then the cast was created out of lead on the spot. This method was quite quicker than the previous method: arranging each letter by hand.
When mistyping occurred instead of a long and inconvenient process to restart the people who typed filled instead the line by using the characters in the leftmost columns therefore creating this "sentence". (see picture)
This column was the one containing the most commonly used letters.
The combination of nonsensical words has entered the common culture, being featured in music and literary references.
A personal favourite of mine is the homonym short story by Fredric Brown, in which a linotype machine becomes sentient.
This nonsensical couple of words is a remnant of a different era, when printing was not done with laser but rather physical letters.
In particular there was a machine called linotype, in which every line was typed arranging matrices and then the cast was created out of lead on the spot. This method was quite quicker than the previous method: arranging each letter by hand.
When mistyping occurred instead of a long and inconvenient process to restart the people who typed filled instead the line by using the characters in the leftmost columns therefore creating this "sentence". (see picture)
This column was the one containing the most commonly used letters.
The combination of nonsensical words has entered the common culture, being featured in music and literary references.
A personal favourite of mine is the homonym short story by Fredric Brown, in which a linotype machine becomes sentient.