What do you call these types of puzzles?

Quimby · October 3, 2012, 5:15pm

They are visual word puzzles. Here’s an example:

DEDROWNINGBT

Answer: Drowning in Debt

Often they will also have words on top or under each other or in different shapes.

I like them and would like to find more but not sure what to look for. Any suggestions?

DCnDC · October 3, 2012, 5:47pm

You mean an anagram?

Palooka · October 3, 2012, 5:52pm

Rebus, maybe?

tdn · October 3, 2012, 5:53pm

I’ve heard them called several things, but I don’t know if there’s an official name. Polish IQ test, College IQ test, College entrance exam…

Sailor
CCCCCCC

Inner_Stickler · October 3, 2012, 6:00pm

Sailor on the seven seas.

I had one middle school teacher call them wuzzles (word puzzles) and I’ve seen them called webus (because a rebus is pictures so a webus uses words.).
cut
the rest

tdn · October 3, 2012, 6:03pm

That got me this fun link. This was just awful:

O_ER_T_O_

Painless operation

Dave_Hartwick · October 3, 2012, 6:04pm

I googled “visual word puzzle” and found some sites. One calls them Dingbats and there was a series of books called Word Winks.

tdn · October 3, 2012, 6:10pm

A cut above the rest.

Myself I’m

hogarth · October 3, 2012, 6:15pm

I’ve heard them called Wacky Wordies.

Quimby · October 3, 2012, 6:33pm

I’m beside my self. You guys got what I am talking about

Ponch8 · October 4, 2012, 2:54am

I’ve seen them called Whatzits, but I think that’s a trademarked name.

Dead_Cat · October 4, 2012, 2:27pm

Definitely Dingbats - the Mail on Sunday (UK newspaper) has them on their puzzle page every week. Though quite possibly “Dingbats” is a trademark as well - I’m pretty sure there’s a board game version.

ETA: I feel I must point out that I rarely read (much less buy) the Mail on Sunday :).