# Restoring mundanity and pointlessness to the forum **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 6, 2026, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restoring-mundanity-and-pointlessness-to-the-forum/1033631 "2026-10-06T22:11:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restoring-mundanity-and-pointlessness-to-the-forum/1033631/21 "2026-10-07T02:54:06Z")
> [@Stratocaster](#): > > I’m still stumped New York ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restoring-mundanity-and-pointlessness-to-the-forum/1033631/22 "2026-10-07T03:01:33Z")
These sound like the names of cities in Iceland ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restoring-mundanity-and-pointlessness-to-the-forum/1033631/23 "2026-10-07T03:13:37Z")
Or Ikea purchases! ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restoring-mundanity-and-pointlessness-to-the-forum/1033631/24 "2026-10-07T03:30:42Z")
One night I was having trouble falling asleep, so I went through the state names to see which ones have an anagram. The two I came up with, with the letters listed alphabetically: **aeimnnots** and **aestx** Aside: I once had my students do a programming project to create a data structure in the C language to handle anagrams, starting with a pretty large dictionary of words. The first step was to take a word and arrange its letters alphabetically, as done in the OP. This became a hashtable entry containing a linked list that had either its first “hit” as the original unsorted word, or a list of anagrams with all of the unsorted words that shared the same anagram. It was a fun project. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restoring-mundanity-and-pointlessness-to-the-forum/1033631/25 "2026-10-07T04:45:59Z")
> [@Stratocaster](#): > > Rearranged Illinois looks closest to its standard order version than any of the others. I thought it was important to point this out. It is! But I think (my native 😍) “eeejnrswy” **sounds** most like its original form, at least among the longer and more complicated names. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restoring-mundanity-and-pointlessness-to-the-forum/1033631/26 "2026-10-07T05:04:40Z")
Ah! Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restoring-mundanity-and-pointlessness-to-the-forum/1033631/27 "2026-10-07T05:44:36Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > One night I was having trouble falling asleep, so I went through the state names to see which ones have an anagram. The two I came up with, with the letters listed alphabetically: > > **aeimnnots** I’m sure the residents of Minnesota will be delighted to hear their state name is an anagram for “a snot mine”. ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restoring-mundanity-and-pointlessness-to-the-forum/1033631/28 "2026-10-07T07:13:35Z")
I meant other than those already solved and looks similar to the clue quoted. The point is that the w didn’t belong and I spent too long trying to think of a state where it did. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restoring-mundanity-and-pointlessness-to-the-forum/1033631/29 "2026-10-07T07:43:20Z")
iiiimppssss mppssiiiiss mpsims immpss ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restoring-mundanity-and-pointlessness-to-the-forum/1033631/30 "2026-10-07T17:21:02Z")
Reminds me of one of my favorite jokes: A bus stops, and two Italian men get on. They seat themselves, and engage in animated conversation. The lady sitting behind them ignores their conversation at first, but her attention is galvanized when she hears one of the men say the following: “Emma come first. Den I come. Den two asses come together. I come once-a-more. Two asses, they come together again. I come again and pee twice. Den I come one lasta time.” “You foul-mouthed swine,” sputters the lady indignantly. In this country we don’t talk about our sex lives in public." “Hey, coola down lady,” said the man. “Who talkin abouta sexa? I’ma justa tellun my frienda how to spella Mississippi.” ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restoring-mundanity-and-pointlessness-to-the-forum/1033631/31 "2026-10-07T17:31:10Z")
I think we should change all the state names to the names on this list, and then make grade school kids memorize the 50 states! 😈 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restoring-mundanity-and-pointlessness-to-the-forum/1033631/32 "2026-10-07T17:50:20Z")
I’m pretty sure Alabama put all those extra a’s in their name just to ensure they would stay first in the list even if this happened. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restoring-mundanity-and-pointlessness-to-the-forum/1033631/33 "2026-10-07T18:01:40Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > cekkntuy I think this one’s my favorite. Sort of reminds me of how a person from there would say the name of the state. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restoring-mundanity-and-pointlessness-to-the-forum/1033631/34 "2026-10-07T18:56:18Z")
As my Italian-American husband would say, “That’s racist” but I can think of several people in his family who would find it hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restoring-mundanity-and-pointlessness-to-the-forum/1033631/35 "2026-10-07T19:13:38Z")
It may be mundane and pointless but I am glad you shared! ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restoring-mundanity-and-pointlessness-to-the-forum/1033631/36 "2026-10-07T19:28:57Z")
iiiimppssss - inane inconsequential incongruous insipid mundane pedantically pointless stuff someone should share ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restoring-mundanity-and-pointlessness-to-the-forum/1033631/37 "2026-10-07T19:37:27Z")
I’m half Italian and I thought it was pretty funny. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restoring-mundanity-and-pointlessness-to-the-forum/1033631/38 "2026-10-07T22:01:57Z")
I assumed you dropped your phone in the toilet and was waiting for it to dry out. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2026, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restoring-mundanity-and-pointlessness-to-the-forum/1033631/39 "2026-10-08T22:49:37Z")
A few other mundane pointless facts about the list: 37 state names contain the letter a. That’s 74%, or practically 3/4. 13 states do not. 3 of these 13 are on the list of the original 13 colonies. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restoring-mundanity-and-pointlessness-to-the-forum/1033631.md?page=1)