DOG: for my $dog (@_) { my $remaining = $letters; $remaining =~ s/$_//i or next DOG for split //, $dog; push @remain, $remaining; push @dogs, $dog; } while( my $dog = shift @dogs ) { dogtree( "$tree $dog", shift @remain, @dogs ); } #### "A(11),B(3),C(2),D(8),E(6),F(1),H(8),I(10),J(1),K(1),L(6),M(1),N(10),O(9),P(2),R(7),S(6),T(9),U(7),V(1),W(1),X(1),Z(2)";