ETAOIN SHRDLU - Linotype History

Linotype History

The letters on Linotype keyboards are arranged by letter frequency, so "etaoin shrdlu" were the first two vertical columns on the left side of the keyboard. Because removing the erroneous matrices from the stick was time-consuming in itself, and left a pile of mats that had to be manually returned to the distribution mechanism (an even more time-consuming process), Linotype operators would generally just fill out the line and cycle it, with or without casting. Since the line with the error would be discarded and hence its contents did not matter, the quickest way to finish the line was to run a finger down the keys — a "run down", as it was termed — creating this nonsense phrase.

If the slug with the error made it as far as proofing and imposition, the distinctive set of letters served to quickly identify it for removal. Occasionally, however, the phrase would be overlooked and be printed erroneously. This happened often enough for ETAOIN SHRDLU to be listed in the Oxford English Dictionary and in the Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.