The last Anagrammy of the Millenium! Another year has come to a close and it has certainly been the best year for anagrammimg ever. After a slowish start, this month's competition attracted 32 voters despite the holiday period. ---------------- GENERAL CATEGORY A big field of 14 starters here and it soon became a race between Dan Fortier and Rick Rothstein. It was close until the last day or so when Dan powered home to a good 10 point lead. It is always nice to see a very short anagram win in the General Category. This was Dan's 5th win in the Anagrammies. 1st. Dan Fortier with: 37 points Centenarian = Near ancient. eq 2nd. Rick Rothstein with: 27 points Lived a life of danger = Loved feeling afraid. eq 2nd. David Bourke with: 27 points While the cat's away, the mice will play = With what aim? Well, a cheese, typically! ---------------- ENTERTAINMENT CATEGORY This was another two horse race, with Richard Brodie and Jaybur neck and neck. Janet finished well with 3 primary votes in the last batch to win comfortably. 1st. Jaybur with: 34 points One hundred and two Dalmatians = Unhand dear, dotted animals - NOW! eq 2nd. Richard Brodie with: 22 points The impromptu, prelude, sonata, polonaise, nocturne, ballad, fantasie, mazurka, AND the concerto.= Born talented, Chopin "makes out" romantic tunes for piano. The art amazed us, all applaud "Encore!" eq 2nd. Mey Kraus with: 22 points The Biggest and Most Creative Painters of All Times: Manet: Gentle 'Barmaid''s a top sight- it's so reflective! ---------------- TOPICAL CATEGORY Like last month, there was a big field here. Rick Rothstein slowly consolidating a lead here over David Bourke. David narrowed the gap to 3 points, but Rick looked the goods all the way through. This was Rick's 4th Anagrammy in 3 months. 1st. Rick Rothstein with: 32 points I demand a recount = A dream continued 2nd. David Bourke with: 29 points Al Gore concedes = Race closed. Gone. 3rd. Tom Myers with: 19 points Florida's State Government = Voter manifesto strangled. ---------------- RUDE CATEGORY Tom Myers had several good anagrams in this category. Richard Grantham and I both liked the one below and so I put it on the final list. It was a popular choice and led all the way. Tom has had 16 wins this year and 37 all together, keeping him at 5th on the All Time Winners Table. 1st. Tom Myers with: 40 points Foreign exchange student = French! I get tongue and sex! 2nd. Mick Tully with: 30 points Office Christmas Party = City staff harms copier. 3rd. Meyran Kraus with: 28 points Amebic Dysentery = Scene may be dirty... ---------------- SPAM CATEGORY Richard Grantham and I battled this one out and he opened a good lead until the last 2 days when I picked up 5 of the last 9 primary votes. It is always something to beat Richard and Mey in this category. Thanks, folks. That is 13 wins this year, keeping my 3rd position safe on the All Time table with 44 awards. 1st. Larry Brash with: 47 Does Financial Freedom Interest You? = O, it's a scam, you indolent reefer-fiend. 2nd. Richard Grantham with: 40 See a Woman make love to a Rhino! = Ooh, I've seen two men ram a koala... 3rd. Mey Kraus with: 23 The more E-mails you send out, the more cash you will receive! = Sure, cheesy shite... Come over, I'll mutilate your wee manhood! ---------------- LONG SPAM CATEGORY Only 3 in here this month, with Richard G and Mey not posting any of their usual gems. Crash Davis led in the early stages, but David Bourke powered in with 7 of the last 10 primary votes. 1st. David Bourke with: 56 Romance Coupons.com 2nd. Crash Davis with: 50 Not an anagram - genuine request ! 3rd. Larry Brash with: 38 Save £££'s on home and car insurance. ---------------- LONG CATEGORY Some very long anagrams were nominated here and in 2001, they would end up in Special if there are over 1000 letters as they tend to dominate the "shorter" ones. David's hilarious list of Rick's net purchases led from begining to end despite a good challenge from Richard G in the middle of the contest. 1st. David Bourke with: 38 Now, I don't want you to think I expect acknowledgements for all of my posts, 2nd. Mey Kraus with: 27 Charlie's Angels (2000) 3rd. Richard Grantham with: 26 On the Twelfth day of Christmas, ---------------- PEOPLE'S NAME CATEGORY A very solid performance from Janet in this category. Her win was never in doubt. Two awards for Janet this month boosts her total to 9 all up and moves her up to 12th on the All Time in just 12 months. 1st. Jaybur with: 43 Miss Venus Williams = I'll win massive sums! eq 2nd. Art Day with: 26 President George Walker Bush = The goal? Perks! Beer, wine, drugs... eq 2nd. santa's elves with: 26 Houdini = Hi! I undo! ---------------- OTHER NAME CATEGORY Crash Davis is having a very successful Anagrammy debut. 2nd in Long Spam and a clear winner here. His first of many Anagrammies, I suspect. 1st. Crash Davis with: 35 Brigham Young University= Being virgins may hurt you. 2nd. Richard Brodie with: 28 The Florida State Legislature = Shall it defeat Al Gore? It's true! 3rd. Tom Myers with: 22 Dictionary of American Slang = I score - man fornicating a lady. ---------------- SET CATEGORY Mey submitted a beautiful set of 8 artistic anagrams and it was a pity to split them up. He was always in the lead, but an amazing run of 10 out of 11 primary votes made this the most one-sided contest of the month. I was happy to come in 2nd. 22 wins for Mey this year and 47 altogether, maintaining his 2nd position. 1st. Mey Kraus with: 63 The Biggest and Most Creative Painters of All Times = Da Vinci: Artist left proteges the best gem, 'Mona Lisa'. Van Gogh: Became mad; titles 'Self Portrait'- it is tense. Michelangelo: Artist's 'Pieta' met finest, bravest god. Matisse: Five Trotting Girls became the top 'La Danse'. Monet: Aged master's soft 'Lilies' brighten, captivate. 2nd. Larry Brash with: 22 The carol singers = Choir angels rest. Girls reach notes. Her song, it's clear. Single orchestra. Clots rehearsing. 3rd. Rick Rothstein with: 18 Golden years = So legendary. See? Old 'n' gray! A rosy legend. Elder's agony. ---------------- SPECIAL CATEGORY An unusually close contest this month with Richard G, Richard B and David B all close throughout. All will win, but only one makes it to the Grand Anagrammy. David scored better towards the end to win his 3rd Anagrammy this month. David has had a good year with 13 wins. He is now 7th in the All Time list with a total of 18 awards. Richard B remains 4th All Time and Richard G keeps his lead. 1st. David Bourke with: 36 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house 2nd. Richard Brodie with: 32 This is a treatment of Psalm 119 that is completely different from last month's block anagram of the entire chapter. 3rd. Richard Grantham with: 32 Two carols made into anagrams of each other, followed by four-part choral arrangements of each that are also anagrams. ---------------- AWARDSMASTER'S CHOICE AWARD FOR THE BEST NON-WINNING ANAGRAM. This was an easy choice for me this month. There were several quite good short anagrams from which to pick, but It was one of the shorter long anagrams that I liked best. I had predicted it would win, but voters seem like longer anagrams best. Here is it again in its entirety: Richard Grantham with: On the Twelfth day of Christmas, My true love gave to me: Twelve drummers drumming, Eleven pipers piping, Ten lords a leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a milking, Seven swans a swimming, Six geese a laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtledoves, And a partridge in a pear tree. = And then Day Thirteen saw me Prising perverted upper-class twats from oversexed girls (and pissed male musicians), Shovelling all the vile manure from the new driveway, Finding a mean green rash on my left ring-finger, Viewing the damage bill, Making a gosling omelette, And setting up divorce suit proceedings. That gives Richard two wins this month. He should go on holidays more often and give the rest of us a chance. This was his 45th win this year and he is the first to crack the half century in the All Time Table.