From: chris@questrel.com (Chris Cole)
Subject: Re: Most anagrams (on the FAQL, but hard to find)
Organization: Questrel, Inc.
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1992 21:22:29 GMT

In article <dos105-260992113935@150.203.49.43> dos105@rsphy2.anu.edu.au (Darren O'Shaughnessy) writes:
>
>   I've looked through the FAQ list, and this one isn't on it. So, which
>English words have the most anagrams (which are also English words)? For
>instance, the word "steam" has four anagrams: teams, mates, meats, and
>tames. Some might want "metas", but that one's dodgy IMHO.

This question IS on the rec.puzzles Frequently Asked Questions List (FAQL).
This points up a NEW problem with the FAQL, it is TOO big.  We need some
kind of retrieval software to post along with it to find problems more easily
than scanning the entire list.  Just what I needed, yet another project
(grumble, grumble ...).  At any rate, here goes:

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From the FAQL, the answer is:
********
english/records/spelling/operations.on.words/transposition.p
********
What exceptional words turn into other words by transposition of letters?

********
english/records/spelling/operations.on.words/transposition.s
********
   longest reversal  DESSERTS,STRESSED (8)
   longest well-mixed transposal 
    CINEMATOGRAPHER, MEGACHIROPTERAN  (15)
   longest transposition list
    APERS, APRES, ASPER, PARES, PARSE, PEARS, PRASE, PRESA, RAPES, REAPS, SPARE,
    SPEAR (12)
    ANGRIEST, ANGRITES, ASTRINGE, GAIRTENS, GANISTER, GANTRIES, GRANITES,
    INGRATES, RANGIEST, TEARINGS  (10) [SATING(ER), SIGNATE(R), TANGIER(S) (3)]
    ANORETICS, ATROSCINE, CANOTIERS, CERTOSINA, CONARITES, CREATIONS, REACTIONS,
    TRICOSANE (8)

  transposition with deletion, insertion, or substitution 
   longest well-mixed transdeletion 
    SONOLUMINESCENCES, UNECONOMICALNESSES (17/18)
   longest word transdeletable to a single letter
    CONCENTRATIONS-CONSTERNATION-CONTORNIATES-TRANSECTION-
    STENTORIAN-TRANSIENT-ENTRAINS-NASTIER-ASTERN-TEARS-SATE-TEA-AT-A (14)
   longest Baltimore transdeletion (word transdeletable on every letter)
     IDOLATERS: DELATORS, SOTERIAL, DILATERS, ASTEROID,
    STOLIDER, SOREDIAL, DILATORS, DIASTOLE, TAILORED  (9)
   shortest word that cannot be transadded to another word  SYZYGY (6)
   longest well-mixed transubstitution 
    MICROELECTROPHORESIS, SPECTROCOLORIMETRIES (20)
****
Unless noted otherwise, all words occur in Webster's Third New International
Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Springfield, MA, 1961.
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles,rec.org.mensa