Anagrams, Palindromes & Anadromes (Heteropalindromes) (Palingrams?)
An "anagram" is any word or phrase whose letters, when they are scrambled, create a different word or phrase. In other words, anagrams are two words or two phrases that share precisely the same letters that appear in a different order. Sometimes such words or phrases can be a great deal of fun. Other times there is interest because of some connection in logic or sentiment between the words that are anagrams of each other. To be honest, though, sometimes they're just really lame for anyone who isn't fascinated by language as I am. I offer two lists below. The first is a brief collection of anagram phrases that have been circling the internet, and they're fun. The second, more mundane list, is lengthier. I'll give greater description after the first list:
DORMITORY
ASTRONOMER THE EYES THE MORSE CODE ANIMOSITY MOTHER IN LAW A DECIMAL POINT |
DIRTY ROOM
MOON STARER THEY SEE HERE COME DOTS IS NO AMITY WOMAN HITLER I'M A DOT IN PLACE |
PRESBYTERIAN
DESPERATION ELEVEN PLUS TWO SLOT MACHINES ELECTION RESULTS SNOOZE ALARMS THE EARTHQUAKES |
BEST IN PRAYER
A ROPE ENDS IT TWELVE PLUS ONE CASH LOST IN ME LIES! LET'S RECOUNT ALAS. NO MORE Z'S THAT QUEER SHAKE |
The examples of anagrams that follow are not nearly as entertaining, but are representative of more true-to-life studies of words. It is far from exhaustive, but the examples that I have selected generally have some point of interest, as though the sharing of letters also offers some sharing in meaning or sentiment, even though, there is no real connection in any way other than letters. The are loosely alphabetized, and I've listed each word only once, so, "act" and "cat" will be found once only in order according to "act," not another time according to "cat," as some other web sites do. Further, I've eliminated two-letter words because there are only two ways to list two letters, so two-letter words that are anagrams of each other are automatically either palindromes or anadromes, the two categories that follow this list. I have also eliminated word pairs that repeat when made plural or when prefixes or suffixes are added unless one word in the pair or group is an entirely different word from before, so "blot/bolt" will not be repeated as "blots/bolts."
ACTS = CATS = CAST
ADD = DAD ADVERB = BRAVED AFIELD = FAILED AGREE = EAGER AGREES = GREASE AIDE = IDEA AIRMEN = MARINE = REMAIN ALLOY = LOYAL ALPS = LAPS = SLAP AMPS = MAPS ANTLER = LEARNT ANY = NAY APE = PEA ARE = EAR = ERA ARISING = RAISING ARM = MAR = RAM ARMS = MARS ARMPIT = IMPART ART = RAT = TAR ARC = CAR ARTICLE = RECITAL ASH = HAS ATTIC = TACIT ATE = EAT = TEA AYE = YEA BAKE = BEAK BALM = LAMB BAR = BRA BARE = BEAR BATTLE = TABLET BEING = BEGIN BELOW = BOWEL = ELBOW BEST = BETS BORES = ROBES = SOBER BLOT = BOLT BLOW = BOWL BOSS = SOBS BRAG = GARB = GRAB BRIEF = FIBER BRUSH = SHRUB BURDEN = BURNED = UNBRED BURY = RUBY CAFE = FACE CALM = CLAM CALLER = CELLAR = RECALL CANED = DANCE CANOE = OCEAN CARE = RACE = ACRE CASE = ACES CASK = SACK CATER = CRATE = REACT = TRACE CAUSE = SAUCE CHEATER = HECTARES = TEACHERS CHIN = INCH CLAY = LACY CLOUD = COULD CODES = COEDS COIN = ICON CONE = ONCE CORK = ROCK COSMIC = COMICS COVERT = VECTOR CITRUS = RUSTIC DAIRY = DIARY DARE = DEAR = READ DASHED = SHADED DEAF = FADE DEALER = LEADER DEARER = REARED = READER = REREAD DESALT = LASTED = SALTED DIAL = LAID DIAPER = REPAID DIPAERS = DESPAIR = PRAISED DICE = ICED DIET = EDIT = TIDE = TIED DISEASE = SEASIDE DISK = KIDS = SKID DOZEN = ZONED DUSTY = STUDY EARLY = LAYER = RELAY EARTHY = HEARTY EAST = EATS = SEAT = TEAS EGOS = GOES ENLISTED = LISTENED EVIL = LIVE = VILE EXIST = EXITS EXPECT = EXCEPT FARMED = FRAMED FEASTS = SAFEST FEAR = FARE FEAT = FATE FELT = LEFT FIELD = FILED FILETS = ITSELF FILLER = REFILL FINER = INFER FINDER = FRIEND FINGER = FRINGE FITNESS = INFESTS FLIER = RIFLE |
FLIER = RIFLE
FLESH = SHELF FIST = FITS FLOG = GOLF FLOW = FOWL = WOLF FLUE = FUEL FORM = FROM GENITALS = STEALING GULP = PLUG HARDEST = HATREDS = THREADS = TRASHED HATE = HEAT HEIR = HIRE HOES = HOSE = SHOE HOST = SHOT HOW = WHO HUSTLE = SLEUTH HUSTLING = SUNLIGHT IDLE = LIED INKS = KINS = SINK = SKIN INCEST = INSECT = NICEST INFRINGE = REFINING INSULT = SUNLIT ITEM = TIME JEST = JETS KALE = LAKE = LEAK KISS = SKIS KITCHEN = THICKEN LAMP = PALM LASTING = SALTING = SLATING LAYS = SLAY LEAP = PALE = PLEA LESSENED - NEEDLESS LICENSE = SILENCE LIAR = RAIL LIMES = MILES = SLIME = SMILE LIST = SILT = SLIT LISTEN = SILENT LOIN = LION LOOPED = POODLE = POOLED LOST = LOTS = SLOT LUMP = PLUM LURE = RULE MACE = CAME MANURES = SURNAME MAPLES = SAMPLE MEAT = TAME = TEAM MEATS = MATES = STEAM = TEAMS METEOR = REMOTE MOIST = OMITS MUTILATE = ULTIMATE NAILS = SNAIL =SLAIN NAMELESS = SALESMEN NEAR = EARN NIGHTS = THINGS NOTELESS = TONELESS NOW = OWN = WON NUDE = DUNE NUDITY = UNTIDY ORGANIST = ROASTING ORIENTAL = RELATION PAINTER = PERTAIN = REPAINT PAWS = SWAP = WASP PEAR = RAPE = REAP PLATES = PETALS = STAPLE PORES = PROSE = ROPES = SPORE POST = POTS = SPOT = STOP = TOPS PRESENT = REPENTS = SERPENT QUIET = QUITE RARE = REAR REALIST = RETAILS = SALTIER RESCUE = SECURE RESCUED = REDUCED = SECURED = SEDUCER RESET = STEER = TREES RESIN = RINSE = RISEN = SIREN RESIST = SISTER RING = GRIN RIVAL = VIRAL ROSE = SORE SACRED = SCARED SAINTS = STAIN = SATIN SALES = SEALS SAVES = VASES SCARE = ACRES = CARES = RACES SERVE = VERSE SENATOR = TREASON SHOUT = SOUTH SPILT = SPLIT STATED = TASTED STAKES = STEAKS STRAW = WANTS SUBLET = SUBTLE SWEAT = WASTE TIRED = TRIED TRAILS = TRIALS TROUT = TUTOR UNITE - UNTIE VEINS = VINES VETO = VOTE VAIL = VIAL VOWELS = WOLVES WEATHER = WREATH WORDIER = WORRIED |
Palindrome
A palindrome is a word, phrase or sentence that reads the same backwards and forwards, so it differs from an anagram because the anagram requires the shuffling of the letters. The fun of a palindrome is not found so much in the meaning of words (with some exceptions) but in the simple surprise of realizing that these well-known words are the same backward and forwards. A brief compilation follows. I have elected to not use phrases or sentences, just single words. Enjoy.
ABBA
AIBOHPHOBIA (The fear of palindromes. Yes, it's true.) ALULA ANNA BOOB CIVIC DEIFIED DEKED DENNED DEVOVED DEWED DID DUD EME ERE EVE EWE EYE EVITATIVE GAG GIG HALALAH HANNAH KANAKANAK (Alaska) KINIKINIK (Colorado) KOOK LEVEL MADAM MARRAM MOM MUM MURDRUM NAAN NUN NOON OTTO |
PAP
PEEP PEP PIP POOP POP PULLUP PUP RADAR RACECAR REDDER REFER REIFIER REPAPER REVIVER ROTATOR ROTAUATOR ROTOR SAGAS SEES SELLES SEMEMES SEMES SEXES SHAHS SIS SOLOS STATS TENET TERET TERRET TESTSET TIT TOT TOOT TOROT TUT YAY ZEROREZ (A real carpet cleaning company) ZERIMAR RAMIREZ (A real person) |
Anadromes A. K. A. Heteropalindromes A. K. A. Palingrams
Best known as "anadrome" rather than "heteropalindrome" (I just made up "palingram"), it is a word that, like the palindrome, reads clearly backwards and forwards, but, more like the anagram, is a different word for the different order of letters. ("Anadrome" is, therefore, a portmanteau--a word that is made by combining two parts of two different words--combining the first two syllables in "anagram" with the last syllable in "palindrome.") ("Palingram" is the same idea, and, yes, I plan on adding a page of these, too.) Yet another list of words follows. Once again, though it is a lengthy list, it is far from exhaustive.
AH = HA
AL = LA AM = MA ANIMAL = LAMINA ANIMES = SEMINA ARE = ERA ARES = SERA ADVI = DIVA BAD = DAB BAG = GAB BAN = NAB BAT = TAB BATS = STAB BID = DIB BIN = NIB BIRD = DRIB BOG = GOB BONK = KNOB BRAG = GARB BRO = ORB BUD = DUB BUN = NUB BUR = RUB BURG = GRUB BUS = SUB BUT = TUB BUTS = STUB DAB = BAD DAM = MAD DEB = BED DEBUT = TUBED DEEP = PEED DEEPS = SPEED DEER = REED DEIFIER = REIFIED DEKE = EKED DEL = LED DELIVER = REVILED DELS = SLED DEMIT = TIMED DENIER = REINED DENIM - MINED DEPOT = TOPED DEPOTS = STOPED DESSERTS = STRESSED DEVAS = SAVED DEVIL = LIVED DEW = WED DIAL = LAID DIALER = RELAID DIAPER = REPAID DIM = MID DIVA = AVID DOC = COD DOG = GOD DON = NOD DORMIN - NIMROD DRAB = BARD DRAW = WARD DRAWER = REWARD DRAWS = SWARD DRIB = BIRD DUAL = LAUD DUB = BUD DUEL = LEUD DESSERT = STRESSED DOOM = MOOD EDIT = TIDE EEL = LEE EKED = DEKE EM = ME EMIT = TIME EMITS = STIME ERA = ARE ERGO = OGRE EROS = SORE EVIL = LIVE EVILER = RELIVE FACED = DECAF FLOG = GOLF FLOW = WOLF GAB = GAB GAL = LAG GAN = NAG GARB = BRAG GAS = SAG GAT = TAG GATEMAN = NAMETAG GATS = STAG GEL = LEG GIB = BIG GIP = PIG GNAT = TANG GNATS = STANG GNAWS = SWANG GNUS - SUNG GOB = BOG GOD = DOG GOLF = FLOG GRUB = BURG GUL = LUG GULP = PLUG GULS = SLUG GUM = MUG GUMS = SMUG GUNS = SNUG GUT = TUG |
HOOP = POOH
IMAGED = DEGAMI IRON = NORI KAY = YAK KEEL = LEEK KEELS = SLEEK KEEP = PEEK KNAPS = SPANK KNITS = STINK KNOB = BONK KNOW = WONK LACED = DECAL LAG = GAL LAGER = REGAL LAID = DIAL LAMINA = ANIMAL LAP = PAL LAUD = DUAL LED = DEL LEE = EEL LEEK = KEEL LEER = REEL LEES - SEEL LEETS = STEEL LEG = GEL LEPER = REPEL LEUD = DUEL LEVER = REVEL LEVINS = SNIVEL LIAR = RAIL LIT = TIL LIVE = EVIL LIVED = DEVIL LIVER = REVIL LOOF = FOOL LOOP = POOL LOOPS = SPOOL LOOT = TOOL LOOTS = STOOL LUG = GUL MA = AM MACS = SCAM MAD = DAM MAP = PAM MAPS = SPAM MAR = RAM MARC = CRAM MARCS = SCRAM MART = TRAM MAWS = SWAM MAY = YAM ME = EM MEED = DEEM MEG = GEM MID = DIM MINED = DENIM MOOD = DOOM MOOR = ROOM MUG = GUM NAB = BAN NAMETAG = GATEMAN NAP = PAN NAPS = SPAN NET = TEN NEVE = EVEN NEVES = SEVEN NIB = BIN NIMROD = DORMIN NIP = PIN NIPS - SPIN NO = ON NOD = DON NORI = IRON NOT = TON NOW = WON NUB = BUN NUTS = STUN OGRE = ERGO ON = NO OOHS = SHOO ORB = BRO OY = YO |