An anagram is a word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of a different word or phrase, typically using all the original letters exactly once. For example, the word anagram itself can be rearranged into nag a ram, as well as the word binary into brainy and the word adobe into abode. The original word or phrase is known as the subject of the anagram. Any word or phrase that exactly reproduces the letters in another order is an anagram. Someone who creates anagrams may be called an "anagrammatist", and the goal of a serious or skilled anagrammatist is to produce anagrams that reflect or comment on their subject. Examples Anagrams may be created as a commentary on the subject. They may be a parody, a criticism or satire. For example: "New York Times" = "monkeys write" "Church of Scientology" = "rich-chosen goofy cult" "McDonald's restaurants" = "Uncle Sam's standard rot" "coronavirus" = "carnivorous" "She Sells Sanctuary" = "Santa; shy, less cruel" or "Satan; cruel, less shy" An anagram may also be a synonym of the original word. For example: "evil" = "vile" "a gentleman" = "elegant man" "eleven plus two" = "twelve plus one" An anagram that has a meaning opposed to that of the original word or phrase is called an "antigram". For example: "restful" = "fluster" "cheater" = "teacher" "funeral" = "real fun" "adultery" = "true lady" "forty five" = "over fifty" "Santa" = "Satan" They can sometimes change from a proper noun or personal name into an appropriate sentence: "William Shakespeare" = "I am a weakish speller" "Madam Curie" = "Radium came" "George Bush" = "He bugs Gore" "Tom Marvolo Riddle" = "I am Lord Voldemort" They can change part of speech, such as the adjective "silent" to the verb "listen". "Anagrams" itself can be anagrammatized as "Ars magna" (Latin, 'the great art'). History Anagrams can be traced back to the time of the ancient Greeks, and were used to find the hidden and mystical meaning in names. They were popular throughout Europe during the Middle Ages, for example with the poet and composer Guillaume de Machaut. They are said to date back at least to the Greek poet Lycophron, in the third century BCE; but this relies on an account of Lycophron given by John Tzetzes in the 12th century. In the Talmudic and Midrashic literature, anagrams were used to interpret the Hebrew Bible,