Life — March 15, 1929 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Reversed English" by Roger Remington This page presents a short story about Mr. O.W. Bulbarge, an office manager obsessed with a sign on his door reading "EGRARGLUB W.O RM"—his name spelled backwards. The illustration shows him at his desk, troubled by this reversed nameplate. The satire mocks corporate vanity and misplaced priorities. Despite running a successful toothpick company, Bulbarge becomes consumed with the embarrassment of the backwards sign, losing focus on actual business concerns. He grows depressed, loses weight, and eventually seeks psychiatric help over this trivial matter. The story's title, "Reversed English," plays on the phrase meaning indirect or deceptive communication, suggesting Bulbarge's own distorted perspective has reversed his priorities and sanity.