antigram

An antig ram is a form of wordplay in which the letters of a word or phrase are rearranged to produce another word or phrase whose meaning is opposite or ironic to the original. It is a specialized subset of anagrams, focusing on semantic reversal rather than merely letter rearrangement.

The term antig ram is widely attributed to Dmitri Borgmann, a puzzle author who popularized the concept in mid-20th-century wordplay literature. While the exact origin of the term is unclear, antigrams have become a recognized category in discussions of anagrams and linguistic games.

Examples commonly cited include funeral and real fun, where the rearranged letters yield a phrase expressing opposite sentiment to a solemn occasion; and adultery and true lady, where the latter suggests virtue contrary to infidelity. These examples illustrate how an anagram can invert meaning despite retaining the same letters.

Antigrams can involve single words or longer phrases, and may use spaces or punctuation to enhance readability while preserving the same letter content. They are used in puzzles, humorous writing, and educational contexts to illustrate the relationship between form and meaning. In contrast to ordinary anagrams, antigrams rely on the interpretive contrast between the two forms rather than identity of letters alone.

See also: anagram, wordplay, linguistic puzzle.