# Please help me solve this Rebus. **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 6, 2011, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-solve-this-rebus/573672 "2011-03-06T08:45:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2013, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-solve-this-rebus/573672/101 "2013-09-16T01:33:30Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Seriously, does anyone live close enough to go ask? Just email him. > **[NameBright - Domain Expired](http://www.mutinyonline.com/)** ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2013, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-solve-this-rebus/573672/102 "2013-09-17T02:40:40Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > Just email him. > > [http://www.mutinyonline.com/](http://www.mutinyonline.com/) Thanks, I have. I will report anything I learn. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2013, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-solve-this-rebus/573672/103 "2013-09-17T17:25:17Z")
I think the answer is [Reince Prebus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priebus). ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2013, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-solve-this-rebus/573672/104 "2013-09-17T18:08:59Z")
I meant Priebus! Jebus! ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2013, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-solve-this-rebus/573672/105 "2013-09-18T00:36:34Z")
Can you explain that? ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2013, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-solve-this-rebus/573672/106 "2013-09-18T01:21:28Z")
Let me half-explain it, and see if the rest of you can figure out the other half. So, Priebus: the puzzle has a pepper shaker marked with a P, followed by an equal sign. What does the whole thing equal? Why, a rebus, of course. Hence P.+rebus, or Priebus. If this seems implausible, consider the time context of the OP: early March, 2011. In that OP, \*\*Fofer \*\*says he’d been puzzling over the thing for weeks. Now, we’ll note that Reince Priebus was elected as head of the RNC in mid-January of 2011, and so was in the news at that time. It’s also worth noting, in this context, Post #78 above. I quote: “According to reviews of the bookstore in question, the proprieter is a bit of a hipster with political themed art on display. Maybe some political message in there?” ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2013, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-solve-this-rebus/573672/107 "2013-09-18T02:01:47Z")
Okay, so how are you getting Reince out of Gorbachev, an eye, and subtracting bugs? ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2013, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-solve-this-rebus/573672/108 "2013-09-18T13:21:59Z")
In the cold light of a new day, the solution I had doesn’t seem very satisfactory to me, and won’t be very satisfactory to the rest of you, either. The main problem is that it’s totally at variance with the clues given in the OP. Now, I’m a bit skeptical about those clues, in the sense that they don’t seem to have helped one iota with the solution of the puzzle. That said, any solution that disregards them entirely won’t be taken seriously. So the safest course here is just to admit I was wrong. Sorry! ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2013, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-solve-this-rebus/573672/109 "2013-09-18T16:46:09Z")
I have heard nothing regarding the answer yet. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2013, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-solve-this-rebus/573672/110 "2013-09-18T17:58:19Z")
/brainstorming . . . This being Colorado the “flies” could refer to fly-fishing bait. These can be poppers, emergers or nymphs depending upon the configuration. There are also dry flies and wet flies, though that’s not really a synonym. If he got really esoteric (which seems possible) could be a million things - [here](http://www.orvis.com/intro.aspx?subject=2011) for some examples. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2013, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-solve-this-rebus/573672/111 "2013-09-18T18:00:27Z")
I found this post, also by Fofer on Reddit, with just a few more clues: > [@](#): > > The solution to this rebus is a three word phrase. In English, and recognizable by all. > > The word identified via pic #1 is a hateful nickname for Mikhail Gorbachev’s birthmark. It’s a childish taunt, one that you might hear in a playground. It’s in English, it’s not a curseword, but apparently a very insulting way to have referred to Gorbachev back in the 80’s when he was in power. **The nickname doesn’t have the word “red” in it; in fact, the nickname really has nothing to do with Russia or Communism or even politics.** It’s just a very mean nickname for the splotch on Gorbachev’s forehead. The puzzler made it clear, it’s a nickname for the splotch itself. In some cases, when someone wanted to be especially cruel they may have even called Gorbachev this nickname as well, as a way of reducing him. **It’s not “Nevus flammeus” or “port wine stain.”** It’s something very hateful, not medical. The puzzler encouraged me to keep my thoughts simple, to think like an immature kid, who might be making fun of another for having an unfortunately prominent birthmark… and that’s all. > > about pic #2 – I am fairly confident the word identified there is “eye.” No synonym or word trickery there. > > As far as pic #3 goes, the word meant to be identified is a synonym for “flies.” The creatures pictured are indeed flies, but for the sake of this rebus, we’re meant to think of another word for them. This is when I started to ask about his rebus construction. **He did, in fact, confirm that whatever the word is for pic #3, it will be subtracted from the combined sounds of pic #1 and #2.** > > Lastly, with pic #4, he agreed with the notion that it’s not simply “pepper” otherwise it wouldn’t be illustrated on it’s side like that. It’ll be something more along the lines of “spill” or “sprinkle” or "seasoning. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-solve-this-rebus/573672/112 "2013-09-20T12:22:05Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Seriously, does anyone live close enough to go ask? If the OP had to push just to get hints, I seriously doubt the guy is just going to give away the answer. I also cannot come up with any vulgar name a kid would call a prominent birthmark. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-solve-this-rebus/573672/113 "2013-09-20T20:32:53Z")
The only slang I can think of for a birthmark is “witches’ mark” which doesn’t fit the nickname bit. Do Coloradans use “waste” to mean “spill” or is that just a DC thing. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-solve-this-rebus/573672/114 "2013-09-20T21:20:10Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I also cannot come up with any vulgar name a kid would call a prominent birthmark. Shitstain? ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2013, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-solve-this-rebus/573672/115 "2013-09-21T15:10:10Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > If the OP had to push just to get hints, I seriously doubt the guy is just going to give away the answer. > > I also cannot come up with any vulgar name a kid would call a prominent birthmark. Gorbachev was nicknamed _Mecheny_ in Russia, which translates as the Marked One. (Or just “Marked”) ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2013, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-solve-this-rebus/573672/116 "2013-09-21T15:16:55Z")
> [@Gukumatz](#): > > Gorbachev was nicknamed _Mecheny_ in Russia, which translates as the Marked One. (Or just “Marked”) Never mind, I saw this was mentioned earlier, didn’t read thoroughly enough. I was just thinking of the Mark of the Beast when I made the connection. ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2014, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-solve-this-rebus/573672/117 "2014-01-09T11:41:38Z")
Time for a bump! ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2014, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-solve-this-rebus/573672/118 "2014-01-09T12:49:58Z")
Returning to the subject of the second rebus (because maybe it will tell us something about how the guy’s mind works), there is a clear image of it at [Tome Traveling: Book Nerds' Big Day Out (aka Book-a-palooza)](http://tometraveling.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/book-nerds-big-day-out-aka-book-palooza.html) [Direct link to the image](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ANq6K-H6XOs/TijnhKK5yjI/AAAAAAAAAh4/eC-7kEXIBes/s1600/100_3298.jpg) SpongeBob - some cartoon character + rat or mouse. ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2014, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-solve-this-rebus/573672/119 "2014-01-09T16:20:24Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > Returning to the subject of the second rebus (because maybe it will tell us something about how the guy’s mind works), there is a clear image of it at [Tome Traveling: Book Nerds' Big Day Out (aka Book-a-palooza)](http://tometraveling.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/book-nerds-big-day-out-aka-book-palooza.html) > > [Direct link to the image](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ANq6K-H6XOs/TijnhKK5yjI/AAAAAAAAAh4/eC-7kEXIBes/s1600/100_3298.jpg) > > SpongeBob - some cartoon character + rat or mouse. Cartoon character seems to be from Archie comics. Girlfriend of Moose. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2014, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-solve-this-rebus/573672/120 "2014-01-10T01:00:52Z")
I think the “cartoon character” is supposed to be his black eye, not the character itself. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-solve-this-rebus/573672.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-solve-this-rebus/573672.md?page=7)