(Word art by Laura Lorenz)

UChicago anagrams

To twist shrewd is a (UChicago) test with words.

Ever Google “anagram”? The result is a page of nearly 12 millions suggested links along with an autocorrect prompt: “Did you mean: nag a ram.” In the Harry Potter books, “I am Lord Voldemort” is an anagram for “Tom Marvolo Riddle.” Even in translation, he-who-shall-not-be-named has an anagrammatized identity. To make “Je Suis Voldemort” work, his French name is Tom Elvis Jedusor. All shook up, indeed.

While Google developers and J. K. Rowling translators entertain, here at the Magazine we love it when anagrams connect to each other, e.g., “dormitory/dirty room,” “listen/silent,” “eleven plus two/twelve plus one,” “software/swear oft,” and “Madam Curie/radium came.”

How good are your wordsmithing skills? Can you solve these UChicago-themed anagrams?

  1. Literary beginners
  2. Cracks DNA to win
  3. Win, dear geek
  4. i.e., I’m for CERN
  5. Zero in pleb
  6. Moron hates
  7. Toughest ethical commotion
  8. Ooh, big co. chat
  9. Lecture is a toxic rant: sic caveat*
  10. A scenic if vigor youth

Answers: 1. Regenstein Library  2. Watson and Crick  3. Reading Week  4. Enrico Fermi  5. Nobel Prize  6. The Maroons  7. Committee on Social Thought  8. Chicago Booth  9. Crescat scientia vita excolatur  10. University of Chicago


Updated 03.14.2016: Our print issue included an incorrect anagram for 9. We provided an alternative anagram from Edward C. Hirschland, MBA’78, who first noticed the original printed clue’s missing “v” and third “i.” We regret the error.