I'm afraid I have to offer readers of Language Log an apology. In an earlier post I admitted to being unable to remember the correct name of an excellent Swedish mystery writer named Hanking Mennell. Or that might be Manking Hennall (sp?). I can't remember. The apology is because I said that in my view there were 48 possibilities for Hanning's name. But recently I checked for one of them (Hennall Menking) to see if it was correct, and it wasn't on my list! The algorithm that I used to generate the list was wrong (I'm really not a good programmer). So I started again from scratch, and I am now confident that I have it right. There are a frightening 256 plausible-looking possibilities for this man's name.
Here's the list for reference. The correct name is somewhere in this table. Do look him up. (Sorry I can't help, but since I glanced at the table I've completely forgotten, again, which one is the correct name, so you're on your own):
| Hankall Manking | Henkall Manking | Mankall Hanking | Menkall Hanking |
| Hankall Manning | Henkall Manning | Mankall Hanning | Menkall Hanning |
| Hankall Menking | Henkall Menking | Mankall Henking | Menkall Henking |
| Hankall Menning | Henkall Menning | Mankall Henning | Menkall Henning |
| Hankell Manking | Henkell Manking | Mankell Hanking | Menkell Hanking |
| Hankell Manning | Henkell Manning | Mankell Hanning | Menkell Hanning |
| Hankell Menking | Henkell Menking | Mankell Henking | Menkell Henking |
| Hankell Menning | Henkell Menning | Mankell Henning | Menkell Henning |
| Hanking Mankall | Henking Mankall | Manking Hankall | Menking Hankall |
| Hanking Mankell | Henking Mankell | Manking Hankell | Menking Hankell |
| Hanking Mannall | Henking Mannall | Manking Hannall | Menking Hannall |
| Hanking Mannell | Henking Mannell | Manking Hannell | Menking Hannell |
| Hanking Menkall | Henking Menkall | Manking Henkall | Menking Henkall |
| Hanking Menkell | Henking Menkell | Manking Henkell | Menking Henkell |
| Hanking Mennall | Henking Mennall | Manking Hennall | Menking Hennall |
| Hanking Mennell | Henking Mennell | Manking Hennell | Menking Hennell |
| Hannall Manking | Hennall Manking | Mannall Hanking | Mennall Hanking |
| Hannall Manning | Hennall Manning | Mannall Hanning | Mennall Hanning |
| Hannall Menking | Hennall Menking | Mannall Henking | Mennall Henking |
| Hannall Menning | Hennall Menning | Mannall Henning | Mennall Henning |
| Hannell Manking | Hennell Manking | Mannell Hanking | Mennell Hanking |
| Hannell Manning | Hennell Manning | Mannell Hanning | Mennell Hanning |
| Hannell Menking | Hennell Menking | Mannell Henking | Mennell Henking |
| Hannell Menning | Hennell Menning | Mannell Henning | Mennell Henning |
| Hanning Mankall | Henning Mankall | Manning Hankall | Menning Hankall |
| Hanning Mankell | Henning Mankell | Manning Hankell | Menning Hankell |
| Hanning Mannall | Henning Mannall | Manning Hannall | Menning Hannall |
| Hanning Mannell | Henning Mannell | Manning Hannell | Menning Hannell |
| Hanning Menkall | Henning Menkall | Manning Henkall | Menning Henkall |
| Hanning Menkell | Henning Menkell | Manning Henkell | Menning Henkell |
| Hanning Mennall | Henning Mennall | Manning Hennall | Menning Hennall |
| Hanning Mennell | Henning Mennell | Manning Hennell | Menning Hennell |