backwards

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adv

Definition: towards the rear
Antonyms: forwards

The notion that walking backwards is unlucky was occasionally noted in the mid-19th century from the Lancashire/Yorkshire area: ‘[Lancashire] children are frequently cautioned by their parents not to walk backwards when going on an errand; it is a sure sign they will be unfortunate in their objects’ (N&Q 1s:3 (1851), 55). Similarly, getting out of bed backwards brought bad luck.

But recipes for love divinations, such as making the dumb cake, commonly require the participants to walk backwards when going to bed, perhaps to heighten the feeling of ‘otherness’ in the proceedings, or perhaps only to make things more difficult.

In black magic, to say or do something backwards symbolizes evil intent. Clear instances are a 17th-century curse with the name of the victim written backwards; and a Lincolnshire tradition that witches must renew allegiance to the Devil annually by walking backwards round a church on St Mark's Eve (Rudkin, 1936: 73). Nowadays, a common but none too serious idea is that one can raise the Devil by saying the Lord's Prayer backwards.

See also LEFTWARD MOVEMENT.

Bibliography
The full bibliography list is available here.

• Opie and Tatem, 1989: 422

Dansk (Danish)
adv. - tilbage, bagud, baglæns

idioms:

• backwards and forwards    frem og tilbage
• know something backwards and forwards    vide ud og ind

Nederlands (Dutch)
achterstevoren, achterlijk, achteruit, terug, achterover

Français (French)
adv. - à l'envers, en arrière, à la renverse, à contre-courant, à rebours, à reculons, en commençant par la fin, (fig) de travers

idioms:

• backwards and forwards    faire la navette entre deux endroits, marcher de long en large, aller et venir
• know something backwards and forwards    connaître qch sur le bout des doigts

Deutsch (German)
adv. - falsch herum, rückwärts, hintenüber

idioms:

• backwards and forwards    hin und her
• know something backwards and forwards    in und auswendig kennen

Ελληνική (Greek)
adv. - (προς τα) πίσω, αντίθετα, προς το χειρότερο, τα μπρος-πίσω, ανάποδα, απ' έξω κι ανακατωτά

idioms:

• backwards and forwards    πέρα δώθε, μπρος πίσω
• know something backwards and forwards    ξέρω κάτι απ' έξω κι ανακατωτά

Italiano (Italian)
alla rovescia, indietro

idioms:

• backwards and forwards    avanti e indietro
• bend over backwards    fare ogni sforzo possibile
• know something backwards and forwards    conoscere a fondo

Português (Portuguese)
adv. - para trás, oposto, inverso

idioms:

• backwards and forwards    para lá e para cá
• bend over backwards    esforçar-se duramente para ajudar ou ser agradável
• know something backwards and forwards    conhecer alguma coisa de cor e salteado

Русский (Russian)
задом наперед, назад

idioms:

• backwards and forwards    взад-вперед
• bend over backwards    лезть вон из кожи
• know something backwards and forwards    знать что-либо назубок

Español (Spanish)
adv. - hacia atrás, de espaldas, al revés, atrás, atrás y adelante, ir y venir, avanzar y retroceder

idioms:

• backwards and forwards    de acá para allá
• know something backwards and forwards    saber al dedillo

Svenska (Swedish)
adv. - baklänges, bakåt

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
向后, 往回, 向原处, 倒, 逆

idioms:

• backwards and forwards    来回地
• know something backwards and forwards    来回地了解, 彻底地了解

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adv. - 向後, 往回, 向原處, 倒, 逆

idioms:

• backwards and forwards    來回地
• know something backwards and forwards    來回地了解, 徹底地了解

한국어 (Korean)
adv. - 뒤쪽에, 거꾸로

日本語 (Japanese)
adv. - 後方に, 過去

idioms:

• backwards and forwards    前後に, しどろもどろに

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(ظرف) الى الخلف, عكس الأتجاه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adv. - ‮אחורה, אחורנית‬

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