# Help me with these word puzzles! **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 31, 2010, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-these-word-puzzles/565909 "2010-12-31T04:07:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2010, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-these-word-puzzles/565909/1 "2010-12-31T04:07:43Z")
My girlfriend came across a couple of these visual word puzzles and asked me if I could figure them out. Normally I’m pretty good at this stuff but these two have me stumped. I figure the Doper braintrust can improve on my weak effort. Here’s the two puzzles as described to me: ```auto C O U G H ``` ```auto P **LOT** ``` PS - Anyone know what these types of puzzles are called? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2010, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-these-word-puzzles/565909/2 "2010-12-31T04:11:31Z")
I think the second one may be “the plot thickens.” Ask your girlfriend if the letters get progressively thicker. ETA I think the first one is “cough drop.” ---
**Author:** ![pricciar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@pricciar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pricciar)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2010, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-these-word-puzzles/565909/3 "2010-12-31T04:58:35Z")
I think these are called [rebuses](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebus). Here are a couple that I remember. Mine are a bit simpler. ```auto 2222day ``` ```auto bridge troubled water ``` ```auto momanon ``` ```auto paid I'm worked ``` ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2010, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-these-word-puzzles/565909/4 "2010-12-31T12:32:08Z")
> [@pricciar](#): > > I think these are called [rebuses](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebus). Agreed - also called dingbats, at least in the UK. > [@pricciar](#): > > Here are a couple that I remember. Mine are a bit simpler. > > ```auto > > 2222day > > ``` > > ```auto > > bridge > troubled water > > ``` > > ```auto > > momanon > > ``` > > ```auto > > paid > I'm > worked > > ``` I think the answers are: Tuesday (took me a while to get that one, it only really works with American pronunciation!), Bridge Over Troubled Water, Man In The Moon, I’m Underpaid And Overworked. ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2010, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-these-word-puzzles/565909/5 "2010-12-31T22:07:10Z")
They’re also called pictogram puzzles. They’re really a hybrid of rebuses and pictograms (since they include aspects of both, but aren’t really one or the other) presented in puzzle form. I don’t think they’ve ever been given a distinct name. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-these-word-puzzles/565909/6 "2011-01-03T13:04:30Z")
> [@Hoopy\_Frood](#): > > They’re also called pictogram puzzles. > > They’re really a hybrid of rebuses and pictograms (since they include aspects of both, but aren’t really one or the other) presented in puzzle form. I don’t think they’ve ever been given a distinct name. Ahem: > [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > Agreed - also called dingbats, at least in the UK. ---
**Author:** ![Long\_Time\_Lurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2bfe46/32.png) [@Long\_Time\_Lurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_Lurker)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-these-word-puzzles/565909/7 "2011-01-03T18:21:28Z")
> [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > Agreed - also called dingbats, at least in the UK. > > I think the answers are: Tuesday (took me a while to get that one, it only really works with American pronunciation!), Bridge Over Troubled Water, Man In The Moon, I’m Underpaid And Overworked. Your answer is certainly correct, but I convinced myself that momanon was: Family before strangers, and then thought, “That one was pretty weak.” ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-these-word-puzzles/565909/8 "2011-01-04T16:31:37Z")
This sounds exactly like the newspaper feature “Say what you see”, which is what I’d call them. It was generally printed near the bridge column, word search, etc. I haven’t read a newspaper in quite a while though. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-these-word-puzzles/565909/9 "2011-01-04T16:58:39Z")
> [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > Agreed - also called dingbats, at least in the UK. > > I think the answers are: Tuesday (took me a while to get that one, it only really works with American pronunciation!), Bridge Over Troubled Water, Man In The Moon, I’m Underpaid And Overworked. Dead Cat, How is that word pronounced in the UK?😕 ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-these-word-puzzles/565909/10 "2011-01-04T20:59:42Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > Dead Cat, > How is that word pronounced in the UK?😕 The first vowel sound is like “yew”, not “ooh”. So roughly speaking, “choose-day”. If you talk proper like, the T is enunciated more clearly before the “yew” sound, “tyewsday”.