Actually, etaoin shrdlu is simply the order of the letters on the first two vertical rows on the left hand side of the linotype keyboard. The reason that it became so well known is also simple - bad proofreading. Often, if a linotype operator made a typing mistake, rather than being bothered to fix it s/he would simply run a finger down the first two rows of the keyboard to justify the line, with a couple of spacebands to take up the slack, then cast the line anyway. If the operator didn't diss it or the proofreaders didn't spot it, it wound up in print.

So yes, it was a cipher - but for "I screwed up", not anything more sinister!


The idiot also known as Capfka ...