The alt.anagrams FAQ
[email protected] (Lardy FAQ-Poster) 29 Dec 2025 13:07:20 +0000 (GMT)
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Welcome to alt.anagrams
- The USENET group alt.anagrams = Unearth top language masters! -
alt.anagrams lets you pull up a chair in one of the friendlier,
wittier, more intelligent USENET newsgroups.
This FAQ is posted to alt.anagrams every few weeks, and an HTML
version is available in http://theanna.org/grams/ .
Most content compiled by Larry Brash, William Tunstall-Pedoe, and
Anna Shefl. Other specific contributions are noted below.
Last updated on 23 January 2023, by Anna Shefl.
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to the members for their assistance in providing
information for this FAQ. They provided many of the examples and
pointers to the anagram generators and books. Many thanks to
everyone else who has sent suggestions, corrections, and positive
comments. Specific acknowledgements are noted in each section of this
FAQ.
If there are items you feel should be included in this FAQ or
changed, please feel free to post them to the group for
discussion, preferably in the same thread as the FAQ.
=
"Here, then: I'll suggest three unique alterations.
* The home address of Larry "The Yeti" Brash.
* Naff embedded sounds.
* Risque hot pics of a fat female police officer.
- The Pope."
(Equinox Tetrachloride, 2002)
Most alt.anagrams members use their real names, but it is not
compulsory to do so. However, we do like to anagram new members'
names as part of their initiation.
This FAQ ...
Frequently Asked Questions = Quit! End one's flaky requests.
Table of Contents
Anagrams
1.1 What is an anagram?
1.2 What are some examples?
1.3 What is a pangram?
1.4 Are there any unusual varieties of anagrams?
1.5 What is the longest one-word anagram?
1.6 What set of letters has the most one-word anagrams?
1.7 What is the history of anagrams?
1.8 What is the point of anagrams?
Their creation and fine-tuning
2.1 How do you create anagrams?
2.2 What are the hallmarks of a good anagram?
2.3 Where can one find anagram generators, books, and Web sites?
Group convention
3.1 Would you anagram my name, please?
3.2 What do you do with spam in this newsgroup?
3.3 Is there anything that I should not post here?
3.4 What should I do before posting here?
3.5 Is there any other netiquette that I should observe here?
Anagrams across time and space
4.1 How can I find other anagramists?
4.2 Where can I find anagram archives?
4.3 How else can I show the world my anagramming genius?
=====
Anagrams
1.1 What is an anagram?
An anagram is the apposite transposition of the letters of a word,
name, phrase, sentence, title, or the like into another word or
phrase.
ALL the letters of the name or phrase must be used ONCE and
only ONCE. Putting the first half of this basic rule of anagramming
another way:
"By our definition it's not really an anagram when ~
you bin a half (any remaining letters not in a word)"
(Horrid Stretchy Pus, 2007)
The best anagrams are meaningful and relate in some way to the
original subject. They can be funny, rude, satirical, or flattering,
as the examples in the next section of the FAQ demonstrate.
People sometimes confuse palindromes and acronyms with anagrams.
Palindromes are words or phrases that are spelt the same forwards
and backwards (e.g., 'A man, a plan, a canal, Panama!'). Palindromists
have their own newsgroup, called - appropriately - alt.tla . The
Fun-with-words site at http://www.fun-with-words.com/ has a useful
section on palindromes.
Strictly speaking, acronyms are words that are formed by the
initials of a place, organisation, or the like, e.g., MASH (Mobile
Army Surgical Hospital). However, the meaning of the word 'acronym'
has undergone some change with the advent of the Internet and the
use of the TLA (three-letter acronym), such as 'BTW' (by the way).
These are really abbreviations or initialisms rather than true
acronyms.
1.2 What are some examples?
Anagrams that tend to be preferred by anagramists are those that
are related to, or give insight into, the text being anagrammed.
Here are some examples of discoveries or re-discoveries by members
of alt.anagrams :
Some general ones
* A Chevrolet = Love the car! (Meyran Kraus, 1998)
* Gin and Vermouth = Hung over, damn it! (Art Day, 1999)
* Stipend = Spend it. (Jon Gearhart, 1999)
* Stone age = Stage one. (John Morahan, 1999)
* A carton of cigarettes = I got a taste for cancer. (Meyran Kraus,
2002)
* Adult novels = Love and lust! (Tom Myers, 2002)
Political commentary
* Adolf Hitler. = Heil, old fart! (Jean Fontaine, 1998)
* A journalist = Just a liar, no? (Santi Spadaro, 2002)
* George Bush. = He bugs Gore. (Don P. Fortier, 1999)
* George "Dubya" Bush = Boy, he'd bugger USA. (Andrew MacCormack,
2000)
* The Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic = Damning evil policy,
Serbs voted asshole out. (Rick Rothstein, 2000)
* Osama bin Laden = A bad man (no lies). (Larry Brash, 2001)
* Usama bin Laden = Damnable in U.S.A.! (Zoran Radisavlevic, 2001)
Famous places & things
* Harley Davidson Motorcycles = Very costly old road machines.
(Larry Brash, 2000)
* Seven Eleven Incorporated = Open it and never ever close! (Meyran
Kraus, 2001)
* United States Of America. = Its cause: attain freedom. (Dan
Fortier, 1999)
* Medicinal marijuana. = A cure? I'm in a damn jail. (Larry Brash,
1999)
* The great pyramid of Cheops = My God! Perfect Pharaoh site!
(Richard Brodie, 2000)
* Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei = The elite
pure-racist Hitler-based Nazi association. (Richard Grantham,
2001)
* United States of America = Mac and Fries Eat-out Site. (Larry
Brash, 2001)
* A Nintendo Gameboy = Made to be annoying. (James H. Young, 2001)
Famous people
* Chairman Mao. = I am on a march. (Mick Tully, 1998, Wayne Baisley,
1999)
* Diana, The Princess of Wales = Elton's idea is crap. He fawns.
(Larry Brash, 1998)
* Elvis Aaron Presley. = Seen alive? Sorry, pal! (David Bourke,
1999)
* Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. = A famous German waltz god. (Earle
Jones, 1999)
* Robert Schumann. = Brahms' Nocturne. (Meyran Kraus, 1999)
* Thomas Alva Edison = Aha! Ions made volts! (Larry Brash, 1999)
* William Shakespeare = I'll make a wise phrase. (Richard Grantham,
2000)
* World champion Sebastian Vettel = This lad was never in bottom
place. (Meyran Kraus, 2011)
* The Israeli general, Moshe Dayan = Hail, great hairless one-eyed
man! (Richard Grantham, 2000)
* Sir Peter Paul Rubens = Superb painter rules. (Jaybur, 2000)
* Miss Venus Williams = I'll win massive sums. (Jaybur, 2000)
* Yasmin Le Bon = Mainly bones. (Adrian Hickford, 2001)
* William Butler Yeats = Sit, write me a lullaby. (Meyran Kraus,
2001)
Entertainment
* The Artist formerly known as 'Prince' = No first-rate workmanship
recently! (William Tunstall-Pedoe, 1998)
* I Can't Get No Satisfaction. = A fantastic song - notice it! (Paul
Lusch, 1998)
* "Treasure Island" by Robert Louis Stevenson = A lesson's been due,
boy! Silver turns traitor. (Steve Krakowski, 1999)
* The Three Stooges: Larry, Curly and Moe. = Actors? Lord, they're
an ugly threesome! (Larry Brash, 1999)
* Sydney Pollack's "Tootsie" = Testicles on lady? Spooky... (Meyran
Kraus, 1999)
* Eurovision Song Contest. = I vote on cretinous songs. (Kevin Hale,
1999)
* Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. = Crap LP sung by the
LSD-prone Beatles. (David Bourke, 1999)
* Miss America Pageant. = I'm a greasepaint scam! (Tom Myers, 1999)
* Charles Dickens's 'Oliver Twist' = The classic writer's kids'
novel! (Meyran Kraus, 2001)
* 'The Lord of the Rings' by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien = Thrilling
nether-land journey of three old books. (Richard Grantham, 2001)
Famous quotes
* Religion is the opium of the masses. = Sometimes, if theologian is
pusher. (Larry Brash, 1998)
* If at first you don't succeed. = Try deft, if cautious, second!
(Michael Jeans-Jakobsson, 1998)
* I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. = Tony's sham tribute -
"Ciao, ciao, Emperor!" (Larry Brash, 1998)
Longer quotes
* Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
=
He, Lewis, grabbed the vibrant role,
Assembled dreams and rhymes with glee,
But vowed that one most mighty goal:
Originality.
(Mike Keith, 2001)
* "To be or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?"
=
Is a befitting quote from one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies.
But why won't Hamlet's inspiring motto toss our stubborn hero's
tortuous battle for life, on one hand, and death, on another?
(Larry Brash, 1998)
* "Preamble to the United States Constitution"
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more
perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility,
provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and
secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do
ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of
America.
=
Columbus to Perry, Edison to Einstein, Ruth to Ryan, Reuter to
Hoffa, Disney to Spielberg: O honored pioneers! Adventurous to
timid, carefree to burdened, refined optimists to crude
pessimists, enfeebled to health nuts; Republicans to Democrats,
Christians to Jews; Harlem to Watts, Queens to Glendale, Fifth
Avenue to Main Street, Atlantic to Pacific: no lie, 'tis home to
the free! (Richard Brodie, 1999)
And many would consider these among the shorter of long anagrams.
The group sees song lyrics transformed into academic discussion,
sonnets turned into other sonnets, and so forth. Even Jon
Gearhart's 18,870-letter anagram of 'The Hunting of the Snark' by
Lewis Carroll is short by some standards. The longest known
anagram is Mike Keith's treatment of /Moby Dick/, which can be
found at http://www.anagrammy.com/literary/mkeith/poems-dom21.html
and weighs in at a hefty 935,763 letters. It unseated Richard
Brodie's piece paraphrasing Jonathan Swift's /Battle of the Books/,
at http://www.anagrammy.com/literary/rb/poems-rb16.html .
For some tips on creating long anagrams, many recommend the
article on The Art of Long Anagramming at
http://www.anagrammy.com/art-long.html .
Nor do I think the group would mind a specific question or two.
1.3 What is a pangram?
A pangram is a short sentence containing all 26 letters of the
alphabet. Some reserve the term for sentences containing exactly
26 letters, sometimes referred to as perfect pangrams. By our
definition of an anagram, all letters must be used once and only
once, so only a 26-letter pangram is an anagram of the English
alphabet.
The most well-known pangrams are these:
* The quick brown fox jumps over a lazy dog.
* Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.
* The five boxing wizards jump quickly.
Each is shorter than the last, but letters are still repeated.
To arrive at a perfect pangram, the use of obscure foreign words and
abbreviations is often required, as seen in these examples:
* TV quiz drag nymph blew JFK's cox.
* Cwm fjord-bank glyphs vext quiz.
where 'Cwm' is Welsh for a circular valley, a glyph is a carved
figure, 'vext' is a poetic spelling of 'vexed', and a quiz is an 18th
century term for an eccentric. Thus, 'carved figures in a valley on a
bank of a fjord irritated an eccentric person'. Not all pangrams
need be so contrived. One of the better examples is this perfect
pangram, where more commonly used abbreviations are used:
* My kind zap Fox TV, squelch GWB Jr.! (Meyran Kraus, 2005)
1.4 Are there any unusual varieties of anagrams?
(Adapted from /Words at Play/ by O.V. Michaelsen, and with
additional material from William Tunstall-Pedoe)
An antigram, or antonymous anagram, has an opposite meaning to the
subject text. Such anagrams are quite uncommon and often accidentally
discovered. Here are some great examples:
* Funeral = real fun!
* Antagonist = not against.
* Evangelists = evil's agents.
* The Oscar Nominations = It's not a cinema honor.
* Protectionism = nice to imports.
* Saintliness = entails sins.
* Sweltering heat = the winter gales
* Within earshot = I won't hear this.
and Mick Tully's treatment of a slightly more taboo subject:
* Unite Against Fascism -- Antisemitic fun's a gas.
A word that is spelled backward to become a new word, a word
reversal, has been called an anadrome. This term combines 'ana-'
from anagram and '-drome' from palindrome. Lewis Carroll called
this a semordnilap ('palindromes' spelled backwards). Older sources
(Dudeney, 1929) referred to these as antigrams. Examples of this
genre include:
* Evian = naive.
* Pat = tap.
* Samaroid = dioramas.
A word or phrase that forms an alternative word or phrase purely
through manipulation of space characters is called a redivider.
During the early growth of the Internet, several reinterpretations
of domain names gained fame in this category.
* expertsexchange.com: Experts Exchange = expert sex change
* penisland.net: Pen Island = penis land
* therapistfinder.com: Therapist Finder = the rapist finder
* whorepresents.com: Who Represents = whore presents
Transposed couplets, or pairagrams, are single-word anagrams that
placed together create a short meaningful phrase.
* Actors co-star.
* Best bets.
* Demo mode.
* Elvis lives.
* Float aloft.
* Latent talent.
* American Cinerama.
* Lovely volley.
* Nameless salesmen.
* Oriental relation.
* Outer route.
* Streaming emigrants.
And, finally, a triplet or trianagram:
* Discounter introduces reductions.
1.5 What is the longest one-word anagram?
Which is the longest anagram of a single word into another single
word depends on the amount of transposition of letters that is
acceptable and also whether using rather contrived technical,
scientific, or medical names is acceptable.
According to the /Guinness Book of Records/, the longest
non-scientific English words that form anagrams are the
18-letter ones below; however, they require no more than a simple
swap of two letters.
conversationalists = conservationalists
The longest scientific anagram is 27 letters, but this involves just
the simple movement of one letter.
Hydroxydeoxycorticosterones =
Hydroxydesoxycorticosterone.
Our list of 12- to 17-letter words that can be anagrammed into
another word was compiled by William Tunstall-Pedoe and Larry
Brash. Being on the list requires that no more than three consecutive
letters from the original be repeated in sequence in the anagram,
but the list does include unusual or technical words. It can be
found at http://theanna.org/grams/12to17.html .
1.6 What set of letters has the most one-word anagrams?
One problem in answering this question is that there is no one
authority as to what constitutes a legitimate word. Ross Eckler's
/Making the Alphabet Dance/ lists 24 anagrams of the letters 'aest',
but many of these are quite obscure and they are drawn from a wide
range of sources.
Merriam-Webster's unabridged dictionary contains entries for these
14 words:
anestri, asterin, eranist, nastier, ratines, resiant, restain,
retains, retinas, retsina, sainter, stainer, starnie, stearin
Other wordplay sources omit some of these words and/or add others,
including the multi-word anagrams 'tin ears' and 'in tears'.
Word Ways has for some years been collecting anagrams of 'aeginrst'.
William Tunstall-Pedoe indicates that a whopping 157 of these have
some justification.
1.7 What is the history of anagrams?
(Adapted from /The Anagram Dictionary/ by Michael Curl and /Words
at Play/ by O.V. Michaelsen)
According to some historians, anagrams originated in the 4th
century B.C. with the Greek poet Lycophron, who used them to flatter
the rich and mighty. Other sources suggest that Pythagorus, in the
6th century B.C., used anagrams to discover philosophical meanings.
Plato and his followers believed that anagrams revealed divinity
and destiny. Alexander the Great dreamed that he had caught a satyr
the night before the siege of Tyre. His advisors told him it was a
good omen because the Greek word for satyr anagrammed to 'Tyre'. The
city fell the next day.
Anagrams were often believed to have mystical or prophetic meaning
in Roman and early Christian times. History then mentions little of
anagrams until the 13th century A.D., when the Jewish Cabalists
again found mystical significance in them.
In the Middle Ages in Europe, anagrams became popular. However, the
principal activity of anagramists in the Middle Ages was in
forming anagrams on religious texts. For example:
* Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum [Hail Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.] =
Virgo serena, pia, munda et immaculata [Virgin serene, holy, pure,
and immaculate]
or, more irreverently:
* Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum =
A virgo intacta and a mum? Presume a lie! (Larry Brash, 1998)
Many authors anagrammed their names to make pseudonyms. Francois
Rabelais became Alcofribas Nasier, and Calvinus became Alcuinus ('v'
and 'u' were interchangeable in Latin). The two wrote abusive
anagrams of each other's names.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, scientists, such as Galileo,
Huygens, and Robert Hooke, often recorded their results in anagram
form to stake their claim on a discovery and prevent anyone
claiming the credit.
At the height of the French monarchy, Louis XIII appointed a Royal
Anagrammatist, Thomas Billon, to entertain the Court with amusing
anagrams of people's names.
The 19th century brought about the vogue of anagramming the names of
famous persons. Lewis Carroll gave us:
* Florence Nightingale = Flit on, cheering angel
* Disraeli = I lead, sir
This era also gave us the cognate anagram, where the anagram has
some relevance to the original, e.g.,
* Astronomer = Moon starer
British naturalist Sir Peter Scott believed in the existence
of the Loch Ness Monster so strongly that in 1978 he gave it a
scientific name. Scottish MP Nicholas Fairbairn later anagrammed
it:
* Nessiteras rhombopteryx = Monster Hoax by Sir Peter S.
Today, one finds anagrams mainly in cryptic crosswords and, of
course, here in alt.anagrams.
1.8 What is the point of anagrams?
Essentially, anagramming is a recreational activity. Great pleasure
can be obtained when one finds a witty anagram in someone's name.
For example, a 'visitor' to alt.anagrams presented a false name, so
we attempted to find the 'hidden truth' in it:
* Matthias N. Ritchie. = I am the Antichrist! (Mick Tully, 1998)
(Practical joking is not unknown in alt.anagrams.)
An important aim is to find a relevant or apt anagram that is
amusing, poignant, or abusive in content, and one that either
paraphrases the original text or creates an 'antigram', an anagram
with the opposite meaning to the subject text.
Occasionally anagram puzzles are presented to be solved, e.g., a
book title and author. It is a great feeling when you crack the
code.
Topical anagrams from current events are frequently a source of
interest. For example:
* Bosnian War Crimes. = Serbian racism won. (Tom Myers, 1999)
* Whitehouse Intern Miss Monica Samille Lewinsky =
Hey! William Clinton arouses me. Hi! I'm Ken's witness! (William
Tunstall-Pedoe, 1998)
Occasionally this newsgroup is belittled by outsiders who think
that it is all a waste of time and that we 'are stupid geeks and
should get a life'. Such criticism is dealt with in our usual way.
We anagram the crap out of the critic!
Their creation and fine-tuning
2.1 How do you create anagrams?
There are two basic ways: manually and with an anagram generator
program (Anagram generator = Got a name arranger?).
Some regulars here prefer to anagram manually, using a pencil and
paper or with Scrabble tiles. Others use anagram generator programs
see section 2.3). The main advantages of using a computer program are
speed and the generator's dictionary. They will generate hundreds or
thousands of anagrams in a minute or two. Most will be meaningless,
and one has to wade through them, find the most appropriate
combinations of words, arrange the words, etc.
There has been debate in the group as to whether using an anagram
generator is 'cheating'. Sometimes, generators will quickly reveal a
great anagram, but there is always a modicum of luck and a lot of skill
needed to find the best anagrams. The consensus here is that it is
not cheating. Programs have also been written that juggle items in a
long list (recording artists, aphorisms, etc.) between the 'left' and
'right' side until an anagram is formed; while opinions vary as to the
artistry and merit of anagrams generated in this way, there is room
in the group for such anagrams and civil discussion of them.
2.2 What are the hallmarks of a good anagram?
These are hallmarks of a good anagram, mostly as gleaned from erudite
postings on this subject by Richard Brodie, William Tunstall-Pedoe,
Richard Grantham, and Jean Fontaine. Examples from the folk in
alt.anagrams are included.
(1) Meaningfulness. It must be more than just a series of unconnected
words in no particular order. It must 'sound' like a meaningful
phrase or a sentence, however condensed. Condensations that sound
like newspaper headlines are quite acceptable. Simply reordering
the words can make a difference.
Male chauvinism =
Valium machines -- is quite bizarre and meaningless.
Ah, masculine vim -- is a bit better.
I'm such a vile man. -- makes great sense.
(Jaybur, 2000)
(2) Aptness, relevance, or reference to the original phrase. This
may involve the use of synonyms, paraphrasing the original phrase,
or a commentary or joke about the original. The more relevant the
anagram is to the original phrase, the better it will be regarded.
It may even be the direct opposite in meaning (an antigram).
Examples might also include a question in the original phrase that is
answered in the anagram.
Madonna Louise Ciccone =
Anomalous coincidence -- not very apt.
Musical? Done cocaine? No! -- is getting more relevant.
One cool dance musician. -- this one is very relevant.
(David Bourke, 2000)
(3) Explanation. An anagram should be self-explanatory,
self-sufficient; it should not need any extra explanation or
comment. Occasionally, such as when the subject matter is
obscure/regional or the anagram refers to a little-known aspect of
the original, it may validly be accompanied by some brief details;
however, in most cases, the anagram is weak if an explanation is
required.
Tam-o'-shanter = One smart hat.
(Janet Muggeridge, 1999)
Visa revocation = Vacation is over.
(Anna Shefl, 2014)
(4) Avoidance of incorrect or uncommon spellings. These detract
from the quality of the anagram and make it seem contrived or the
author seem semi-literate. Old-fashioned spellings (hath, doth,
aye, nay, 'tis) are often acceptable. So too are shortened words like
'n' (for 'and'), e'er, or ma'am, particularly if appropriate to the
style of the anagram.
Gastroenterologist =
I let go torrents o' gas. -- the use of the shortened form of 'of' is a
minor flaw.
(Larry Brash, 2000)
Even non-words can be used to good effect on occasion:
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End =
The noble epic of bandits was rated "Arr!"
(Meyran Kraus, 2007)
(5) Avoidance of repetition of words in original phrase. Repeating
a key word from the original in its anagram detracts from
the cleverness of the result. The repetition of 'the' and
other short non-key words is quite OK, of course. Occasionally, the
repetition is acceptable. Such an anagram is sometimes referred to
as a parallelogram.
These girls are barely legal =
The "girls" are really beagles. -- repetition is used for a funny
effect.
(Richard Grantham, 2000)
(6) Humour, be it rude, witty, sarcastic, or abusive, will always
improve an anagram, especially when the punchline contains a real
surprise. WARNING: Eating and drinking whilst reading alt.anagrams
can lead to the contents of your oral cavity being sprayed over your
monitor or drinks being spilt onto your keyboard.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease =
My ass blew fire, I moaned a lot. -- is very funny, you would have
to admit.
(Meyran Kraus, 2000)
(7) Grammatical correctness is the one area where some of us are
pedantic. Many a good anagram has failed because of poor grammar.
For example, nouns starting with a vowel sound must have 'an'
rather than 'a' before them. Minor discrepancies can be overlooked
if the anagram excels in all other areas. Long anagrams should have
impeccable grammar because having so many letters allows great
flexibility in construction.
Wile E. Coyote and The Roadrunner =
Try a cartoon duel where none die! -- good grammar despite a short
subject.
(Meyran Kraus, 2000)
(8) Clever use of punctuation. The use of punctuation has its
critics, the purists who disapprove of any punctuation at all.
However, good use of punctuation can improve an ordinary anagram
and change it into an extraordinary one, if cleverly done.
The Immaculate Conception =
Pathetic cult... I mean, come ON!
(Meyran Kraus, 2006)
Perhaps the ultimate in flow allowed through punctuation is an
anagram with the phrase in the left side continuing on in the
right-hand side, for one coherent thought. One side may be a
set phrase, though it needn't be. Two examples:
If love isn't here ~ then life is over. (Meyran Kraus, 2009)
Races can ruin ~ car insurance! (Joe Fathallah, 2002)
(9) Minimal use of interjections. Whilst the use of 'oh', 'eh',
'hey', 'ah', 'ahem', 'shhh', and so on can be a handy way of
getting rid of those annoying left-over letters, many believe that
the excessive use of this device will damage an anagram. The use of
one interjection in an otherwise great anagram is often considered
acceptable. The key is for the word to be well-integrated rather
than tacked on. Even the much-maligned 'hi' can sometimes enhance
an anagram.
The German neurologist Dr Alois Alzheimer =
Memories going, lost in a rather dull...er...haze.
-- Here, the 'er' looks like it belongs and is not merely a way to
get rid of two 'extra' letters. It is in keeping with the topic
and adds a bit of humour.
(David Bourke, 2004)
(10) Avoidance of contrived subject text. The best anagrams are
those where the subject text is a familiar phrase or a real name.
Using highly contrived subject text to create a clever anagram
considerably weakens the result. Using minor contrivances, such as
adding the definite or indefinite article to the text, is a much
less serious flaw.
A McDonald's burger =
Real dog and crumbs. -- adding an 'A' to the subject made this one
work.
(Mick Tully, 1998)
(11) Well-known subject text. The more famous the name of the
person or thing being anagrammed, the better the result is likely
to be.
Leonardo DiCaprio =
Ocean idol, or a drip? -- Nearly everyone has heard of him!
(David Bourke, 2000)
(12) Selectness. An anagram should represent your best efforts with
the given letters. Don't make hundreds of readers sift through your
efforts to find the good ones (or quit in disgust): do the
selection yourself, though you may solicit readers' opinions on which
of a couple wording options works best. Remember: if you've done
twenty anagrams on the same base phrase, at least ten of them are
crap. No, don't tell us how you were experimenting with different
approaches, and don't add comments to explain their glories. At
least ten of them are crap.
Restrain yourself. If you find it hard to choose your favorites,
why are you dumping the pain on others? One small exception: the
whole can be better than the sum of its parts if the anagrams
cohere into a poem, story, or joke.
'Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing left to add, but
when there is nothing left to take away.' - Antoine de
Saint-Exupery in /Wind, Sand and Stars/
2.3 Where can one find anagram generators, books, and Web sites?
1. Where can I find an anagram generator?
Several programs are available, and more are being written all the
time to meet specific needs. Many of our regular contributors have
developed or are developing anagram generators and checkers
themselves. This is only a partial list of the programs available:
One of the most popular is Anagram Genius, a commercial
Mac/Windows package. Information and a categorised archive of
anagrams discovered with Anagram Genius is available at
http://www.anagramgenius.com/ .
Another major player is Anagram Artist, (see
http://www.anagrammy.com/resources/anagram_artist.html ),
freeware for Windows 98 and XP that is designed more with longer
anagrams in mind.
A relative newcomer is the cross-platform (Windows/Linux/UNIX)
Nanagram, available (along with sample online generator) via
http://www.voidspace.org.uk/python/nanagram.html .
Mac users can try on the shareware Anagrams program for size. It
can be found at http://www.trevorrow.com/anagrams/ .
an is a very fast multi-platform anagram generator (for Linux,
UNIX, Windows, and DOS). The source code and package, as well
as a simple graphical front end, are available via
http://fatphil.org/words/an.html .
Anagram Ferret is a freeware program for Windows which comes as
a single file that is used with supplemental dictionaries. It
is available at http://website.lineone.net/~6hoopers/ .
Also for Windows, Ana!Banana is a free Unicode-based anagram
finder supporting most world languages. It is available via
http://www.arosmagic.com/Ana!Banana/ .
wscr (Linux/UNIX) is available at
http://www.gtoal.com/wordgames/wscr/ .
It comes with source code.
Shareware for UNIX and DOS, the venerable Wordplay forms the
backbone for many of the online anagram generators. Details are
at http://hsvmovies.com/static_subpages/personal/wordplay/ .
Manarags 2 (for DOS/Windows, written in 32-bit C++) is available
from Tom 7's download page at
http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/~twm/mana/ .
Also, at http://www.gtoal.com/wordgames/anagrams.html you will
find - if the site is having a good day - a list with links to
various other anagram generators' source code, available from the
gtoal.com site.
Various of these programs support languages other than English,
often through the use of supplemental dictionaries (as is the case
with an). In addition, it is worth noting that:
Ulf Lunde has created a version of Wordplay which can be used to
produce anagrams in Norwegian. For a copy, one can e-mail him at
[email protected] .
For Dutch anagrams there is Maanrag, Windows freeware available
for download at http://www.xs4all.nl/~onnoz/maanrag/download.html .
Anagram Generator includes dictionary files for anagram
generation in Japanese, Italian, French, German, Spanish, and
English. A trial version of this commercial program for Windows
9x/NT/2000 is available at
http://www.softology.com.au/anagram.htm .
Also, various anagram aids exist. One is the Maryana
pattern-anchored anagrammer, describing itself as "extremely useful
for cheating at Scrabble". It is available for download at
http://runslinux.net/projects/margana/margana-1.1.tar.gz . In
addition, several people have written anagram checker programs that
determine the difference in letters of the subject text and the
anagram-in-progress, letting you know how many of each letter are
still available for use. Information on some anagram checkers, as
well as further details on many of the anagram generators mentioned
above, can be found at
http://www.anagrammy.com/resources/generators.html .
2. Can you point me to an online anagram generator?
One of the best and most well-established is at
http://www.wordsmith.org/ , and Arrak's online anagram generator
at http://www.arrak.fi/en/ag offers nine langauge options, among
them the less commonly found Finnish and Latin. There are many
others in addition to these (a partial list can be found at
http://www.anagrammy.com/resources/online.html ).
However, if you plan to be doing a lot of anagramming, you might
want to use anagramming software on your own computer rather
than increase the load on these sites. Some anagram generation
sites have been closed down or become unusable on account of
high traffic.
3. What are the best books on anagrams?
Among the books recommended by posters to the group are
Michaelsen's /Words at Play/, a highly regarded work devoting
several chapters to anagrams (including their history);
/Palindromes and Anagrams/ from Dover Publications, which
includes many anagrams from the pre-electronic age; the
anagram collection /Anagram Genius/, available via the
Anagram Genius site; and Robert Hale's /Anagram Dictionary/,
most noteworthy for its section on cognate anagrams. All of
these were still available for purchase as of 2007.
4. What are some good anagramming-related Web sites?
The Anagrammy site has a page with links to several pages,
most of which were created by alt.anagrams members:
http://www.anagrammy.com/resources/websites.html .
Group convention
3.1 Would you anagram my name, please?
Most certainly! It would give us great pleasure. Your name, your
friends' names, and relatives' names are all welcome. Give a middle
name, if possible, as well, in case the first and last name don't
generate much on their own.
'All men are created anagrammable, but some are more anagrammable
than others' - Earle Jones.
Sometimes, the resultant anagrams can be rude and even insulting,
but please take them in the fun spirit of the newsgroup and don't
take offence. For example:
* Frank Scott Leshoguine =
Rotten fucking asshole! (Larry Brash, 1998)
Occasionally, people will find funny anagrams from their own
names:
* Michael Lepore =
Hello! I'm a creep! (Michael Lepore, 1998)
3.2 What do you do with spam in this newsgroup?
Spam includes 'Make money fast!' schemes, unsolicited commercial ads,
or any other off-topic posts (advertising your Web page, long-winded
diatribes about politics, and so forth). Although there has been
relatively little spam in the group of late, alt.anagrams is near the
beginning of the alt newsgroups alphabetically and can thus receive
the first volleys of any large USENET spam run.
Like everyone else, we get annoyed by spam, but our revenge is to
recycle it into an anti-spam or other related anagram - which we call
a spamagram - and post it as a reply to the spam. Some also send their
spamagrams to the spammers. Some of them don't like it. Our hearts
bleed for them.
Spamagrams tend to be longer than most anagrams. The freedom thus
allowed might be one reason that most in the group recycle the
numerals in the spam also.
Here is a short example of this genre:
* You can earn $50,000 or more in the next 90 days sending e-mail.
Seem impossible? Read on for details. =
Dear friends, I lost all my money, i.e. exceeding $9,500,000, on
this one spam. I am one true-born sad-arse. (Larry Brash, 2000)
3.3 Is there anything that I should not post here?
Unprovoked criticism of this newsgroup is likely to get you
bombarded with seriously abusive anagrams.
Requests for pirated copies of commercial anagram generators will
be dealt with with the contempt that they deserve. The software
author concerned is most likely to be a regular here and will not
appreciate such a request. The rest of us have paid for our copies;
so should you.
Posting test messages in alt.anagrams is inappropriate and will be
dealt with by severely anagramming the perpetrator. Test groups,
such as alt.test and misc.test , were created for test posts...
Alt.anagrams is not a binary group. Do not send any files other
than text or you may end up getting anagrams like this one:
* Posted a file to the alt.anagrams newsgroup. =
Not a smart shot. Please grow up and get a life. (Tom Myers, 1998)
Crossposting to other newsgroups is not recommended even if you
think that the anagram might interest another newsgroup. It
so often leads to misunderstandings, flame wars, or off-topic
threads. Apparently, not everyone appreciates anagrams as we do.
Check the headers and make sure that your reply will go to
alt.anagrams only.
Content of anagrams: There are no 'sacred cows' for the group.
That said, the group is made up of individuals, and tastes
differ. Some like to provide warnings if an anagram is likely to
cause offence. A good rule to follow is to use your common
sense.
The anagrams listed below are widely known and are often posted to
alt.anagrams by people who have never bothered reading this FAQ.
If you have just discovered one of these anagrams and desperately
want to share it with the world, PLEASE DO NOT POST IT HERE. Most
alt.anagrams readers have heard these dozens of times! Almost every
anagram book and Web site includes them. If you are silly enough to
post them, expect a severe anagramming of your name for your
misdemeanour.
* Clint Eastwood = Old West action
* Debit card = Bad Credit
* Spiro Agnew = Grow a penis
* Ronald Wilson Reagan = Insane Anglo Warlord
* Axl Rose = Oral sex
* Jim Morrison = Mr Mojo Risin'
* Dormitory = Dirty room
* Desperation = A Rope Ends It
* The Morse Code = Here Come Dots
* Slot Machines = Cash lost in 'em
* Animosity = Is no amity
* Mother-in-law = Woman Hitler
* Snooze alarms = Alas! No more Z's
* The public art galleries = Large picture halls, I bet
* A decimal point = I'm a dot in place
* The earthquakes = That queer shake
* Alec Guinness = Genuine class
* Eric Clapton = Narcoleptic
* President Boris Yeltsin - Rent boy stirs idle penis
* Margaret Thatcher - That great charmer
* Virginia Bottomley = I'm an evil Tory bigot.
* Pentium Processor = Computerises porn
* Apple Macintosh = Laptop machines
* Eleven plus two = Twelve plus one.
* President Clinton of the USA = He finds interns to copulate.
Another list of well-known anagrams is at
http://www.anagrammy.com/hall-of-fame/index.html ,
though there are several other such lists online (see the
next section).
Well-known anagram riddles too become old quickly. One example is
'What ten-letter word familiar to a five- or six-year-old uses the
letters ROAST MULES?' (the answer is 'somersault'). If you're not
sure if a riddle is well-worn, Google or Google Groups might know.
3.4 What should I do before posting here?
If you are posting to alt.anagrams for the first time, please
consider the following advice:
As one should do when first posting to any newsgroup, it is
recommended that you 'lurk' (read and not post) for a week or two
to get a feel for how the group works. This will give you an
opportunity to understand the group's netiquette, rules, and
dynamics. And, of course, the basic netiquette guidelines for
USENET, and using the Internet in general, apply.
Also, you should read this FAQ in detail before first posting. In
particular, you should read section 3.3 (directly above), on
well-known anagrams. People often receive e-mail or find sites
listing these classic anagrams and think that we will be interested.
Sorry, but we know them already.
If in doubt, you should check to see if an anagram is on the
above-mentioned lists. It is also a good idea to check the Google
Groups (formerly Dejanews) USENET archive to see whether the
anagram has been posted here before. Also, there are several
online anagram archives you can check to check whether you have
re-discovered a classic anagram. They are listed in section 4.2.
3.5 Is there any other netiquette that I should observe here?
The usual convention, here in alt.anagrams, is to write the original
name/phrase followed by an '=' and then place the anagram(s) on the
line(s) under that. Witty, explanatory comments may follow each
anagram on the same line, in [square brackets].
Another small piece of netiquette for posting here: if you have
the answer to an anagram puzzle, please leave a good-sized 'spoiler
space' (e.g., 20+ blank lines) before your answer. This hides the
answer from view and allows everyone else a chance to solve the
puzzle.
If you post an anagram quiz, it is helpful to add a template of
the answer, in a format such as this: '---, -- -------.' You might
wish to add the template after a spoiler space.
alt.anagrams is a broad-minded and pretty tolerant group. However,
profane or obscene anagrams may cause offence to some members. We
recommend that you add something like 'RUDE ANAGRAMS!' in the
subject line.
Here are provided two rude anagrams to demonstrate the crudity
to which some members of alt.anagrams will sink:
* Coitus interruptus. = Cunt users rip it out! (Larry Brash, 1998)
* The President stuck cigars into my vagina. =
Cunt? Depict it smoking. Give her an ass tray. (Richard Brodie,
1998)
Anagrams across time and space
4.1 How can I find other anagramists?
You have already found one way - alt.anagrams has posters from
all over the place. Those wishing to participate in an online
anagram competition with monthly voting can post their work to
the Web-based Anagrammy Forum at http://www.anagrammy.com/forum/ .
As far as 'real-life' anagram associations are concerned, members
of this group sometimes arrange small, informal gatherings.
If you know of any national or international groups of
anagramists, let me know. Information on them can be added to
the FAQ.
4.2 Where can I find anagram archives?
In addition to the books mentioned elsewhere in this FAQ,
the most well-known online anagram archives are William
Tunstall-Pedoe's archive including - but not limited to - anagrams
generated using his Anagram Genius software and the Anagrammy
archives at http://www.anagrammy.com/archives/ . The Anagram Genius
archive is at http://www.anagramgenius.com/archive/ .
Google Groups (formerly Dejanews) contains more-or-less complete
archives of alt.anagrams posts. On a good day, the advanced search
page at http://groups.google.com/advanced_search should be of use
for finding anagrams on a particular topic, checking to see
whether your anagram is a re-discovery, etc.
4.3 How else can I show the world my anagramming genius?
If the online fora aren't enough but you don't want to write
a book, you can contribute your work to puzzle and wordplay
magazines, many of which deal with anagrams. 'Wordplay'
might be another helpful keyword.
If you have come up with anagrams of, say, a product name, you
can follow the practice of some current alt.anagrams posters and
send your work - perhaps only the more complimentary anagrams -
to the company in question and, if you like, share any feedback
you receive with the group.
And don't let those suggestions keep you from finding other
ways to work as an ambassador for the art of anagramming.
--
A n n a S h e f l - For email, substitute 'usenet' for its anagram
- "Never eat more than you can lift." --Miss Piggy -
alt.anagrams FAQ: http://theanna.org/grams/
Weird news archive and more: http://theanna.org/