Anagrams

Way back in 1989 my friend M@ and I used to work at a font company called Kingsley/ATF Type Corporation. One evening after work—actually we were still at work, physically speaking—we began to consider the subject of anagrams of the company name. After running off the necessary letters (in 100pt ITC Galliard all caps from an Adobe Type 1 font, using Microsoft Word 4.0 on a Mac SE, printing to a 300dpi Apple LaserWriter NTX) and cutting them out (I forget the brand name of the scissors) we set to with gusto.

The results you can see below. Some phrases are innately anagrammable and some aren’t. KINGSLEY/ATF and KINGSLEY/ATF TYPE CORP had vast possibilities, some (SLAG TYPE FIN?) stretching the limits of comprehensibility, others (ALFKE GIN STY, ITSY FLAN KEG, TINTY SLOG) proving so useful that they worked their way into our daily conversation. I’ve highlighted my favorites in boldface.

KINGSLEY / A.T.F.

table{margin: 12px 0 12px 0; width: 100%; border: 1px dashed #DDD; font-size: smaller;}.
|FISKY TANGLE|FLY EATS KING|G.I’S FELT YANK|FINKS GET LAY|
|INKY F.L. STAGE|YET FIG SLANK|SKY LIFE TANG|FILA SKY GENT|
|GEAKY S.F. LINT|K.Y. FLING SATE|KATEY FLINGS|SKATEY FLING|
|*TINKLY SAFE “G”*|E.G., YAK FLINTS|STAG, FLY NIKE|*K.Y. ANGEL FIST*|
|*ITSY FLAN KEG*|FLYING SKATE|*LIFE’S TANGY K*|F.Y.I.: KENT GALS|
|SLANTY IF KEG|SKANTY IF LEG|TYKE FINS LAG|GLINTY FAKES|
|*TINGLY FAKES*|SET FLAY KING|GET SKIN FLAY|*ALFKE GIN STY*|
|TYKES IN FLAG|STINGY ALFKE|STINGY FLAKE|FLAKEY STING|
|*KINGLY FATES*|FINKY G. TESLA|F.Y.I.: LEG STANK|F.Y.I.: TANK LEGS|
|SLY KING FATE|INK GETS A FLY|*FEY SLAT KING*|STINKY F. GALE|
|FINKY G. STALE|SKY FELT GAIN|FINKS YET LAG|SKIN FELT GAY|
|*SING, FELT YAK!*|SLAG TYKE FIN|I STANK, E.G. FLY|SAY “KING FELT”|
|SAY “FIG KNELT”|KNIFE STY GAL|*E.G., FAT SLINKY*|SKIN YET FLAG|

KINGSLEY / A.T.F. TYPE CORP.

table{margin: 12px 0 12px 0; width: 100%; border: 1px dashed #DDD; font-size: smaller;}.
|*YES, FLATTEN PORKY C. PIG!*|YA KEPT FLYING COPTERS|
|*P. ALFKE C PROGS YET TINY*|FINER TYPES LACK O.T. GYP|
|*SPANK EGYPT? TRIFLE COY*|*PINK EGYPT FELT SO RACY!*|
|GECKO PREY-NIFTY SPLAT|FLAT TYPES GROPE INKY “C”|
PECK FELT SIN PAY “GROTY”|PLATTY FINGERS KEY COP|
|CLIFT’S PERKY PET AGONY|*SNOTTY GRAPE FLICK? YEP*|
|G.Y. LIKE CRAP TYPE FONTS|PICKY SYNGE LEAPT FOR T|
|*YIKES! CRAPPY FONT GELT*|YETI FLOGS CRAPPY KENT|
|CATS PRONG KEY ELF. PITY!|FELT PANTIES: CORKY GYP?|
|CORK PIG FELT Ye PANTIES|LACK OF TEENY-PIGSTY P.R.|
|GOY PAINTER KEPT S.C. FLY|FIG PLANTERS COPY TYKE|
|FRANCE, EGYPT: SPIKY LOT!|FINKY PLATER GETS GOPY|
|*SOFT, INKY GEL-TYPE CRAP*|SLY KENT OF PEPTIC GRAY|
|CLONE REG. FATTY SKIPPY|GEEKS FLY IN COPT PARTY|
|EGYPT FIRES LANKY COPT|FLY, TANTRIC PEP—GO, KEYS!|
|TYKE FOGS TEN CRAPPILY|YEP, GREY FONT PACK SLIT|
|*FAKE PEP CRY: “TINTY SLOG!”*|IF TYPE GONE SLACK, TRY P.|
|PLOY GETS PANICKY FRET|PETS PAY FLYING ROCKET|
|*FLYING ROCKET: SPAY PET!*|*GOT PEPTIC? FRANKLY, YES*|
|CG, SPIN PETER ALFKY TOY|*CG TO PETER ALFKY: SPINY*|
|YO, PETER ALFKY: STING P.C.!|PRONG, IF SLACK, YET TYPE|
|*YELTSIN, PACK FOR EGYPT*|*TINY FLACKS GROPE TYPE*|
|FLOG, SPIT, CRANKY PETEY|TYKE FLIPS ORANGY PECT|
|N.Y. GIPPER - TOASTY FLECK|*YO! FAT N.Y.C. GRIPS PET ELK!*|
|PECK FATTY PRINGLES: OY!|YIPPY KEN FELT COG STAR|
|SPANGLY FEET PRICK TOY|LEAKY P.C. FROG, TINY PEST|
|*POPES TRY ICKY FLANGE T*|PEG TO FRY ICKY PLANETS!|
|TASTY KING CREEPY FLOP|PETTY ELF, SPANKY CORGI|
|STRANGLE ICKY FOP TYPE|INGEST FLOPPY RYE TACK|
|LEPROSY TANGY IF PECK’T|TANGY PRICK FELT POESY|
|PICKY POETS FELT ANGRY|PERKY FACTIONS GET PLY|
|GAL PERFECTS PINKY TOY|FESTERINGLY POKY CAPT.|
|POLK (TEENY FAT PIG) CRYS|

INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY

Here’s a list I found back in 1995:

table{margin: 12px 0 12px 0; border: 1px dashed #DDD; font-size: smaller;}.
|HEY, IGNORAMUS —WIN PROFIT? HA!|
|OH-OH, WIRING SNAFU: EMPTY AIR|
|I’M ON A HUGE WISPY RHINO FART|
|ENORMOUSE HAIRY PIG WITH FAN|
|WHEN FORMING, UTOPIA’S HAIRY|
|A ROUGH WHIMPER OF INSANITY|
|OH, WORMY INFURIATING PHRASE|
|INSPIRE HUMANITY, WHO GO FAR|
|WAITING FOR ANY PROMISE, HUH?|
|HI-HO! YOW! I’M SURFING ARPANET!|
|NEW UTOPIA? HORRIFYING SHAM|

(Information Superhighway anagrams copyright©1995 by the author, Mike Morton. All rights reserved. You may reproduce this, in whole or in part, in any form provided you retain this paragraph unchanged.)

Make Your Own Anagrams

The correct way to generate anagrams is to write or print the source word/phrase in large type, cut out the letters, and push them around. But if you’re feeling lazy, you can try an automatic anagram generator. Of course, you’ll still have to pick through a huge list of anagrams for the few that actually make any sense at all.