1/17/2025

 

Here’s your updated list:

Amanaplanacanal – A palindrome phrase derived from “A man, a plan, a canal, Panama,” which refers to the Panama Canal and is a famous example of wordplay.

Minorca – One of Spain's Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, known for its beaches, prehistoric monuments, and tranquil atmosphere.

Leroy Locke – Likely a reference to Alain Leroy Locke, an influential African American philosopher, writer, and leader of the Harlem Renaissance.

Cate Tiernan – The pen name of Gabrielle Charbonnet, an American author known for her young adult fantasy series Sweep and Balefire.

Briar – A thorny shrub or bush, often associated with roses, or a term used in fairy tales, like in Briar Rose (another name for Sleeping Beauty).

Ora pro nobis – Latin for “Pray for us,” commonly used in Catholic prayers such as the Hail Mary.

1. Jormungandr – In Norse mythology, the World Serpent, a giant sea serpent that encircles Midgard (Earth) and is destined to fight Thor during Ragnarök.

2. Alamo – A historic mission in San Antonio, Texas, famous for the 1836 Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution.

3. Douglas Carter Beane – An American playwright and screenwriter known for works like The Little Dog Laughed and the book for the musical Xanadu.

4. Sitka – A city in Alaska, known for its rich Native Alaskan heritage, Russian colonial history, and stunning natural landscapes.

5. Melissa Joan Hart – An American actress best known for starring in TV series like Clarissa Explains It All and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

6. Anita Borg – A computer scientist and advocate for women in technology, founder of the Institute for Women and Technology (now AnitaB.org).

7. Kenneth Grahame – A British author best known for his classic children’s book The Wind in the Willows.

8. Olga Tokarczuk – A Polish author and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature (2018), celebrated for novels like Flights and Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead.

Let me know if you’d like to add more or tweak these!