# Three Things in Common **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 1, 2008, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-things-in-common/443472 "2008-04-01T01:30:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-things-in-common/443472/1 "2008-04-01T01:30:19Z")
One person lists three words that all form common two-word phrases or compound words with the same word: Examples: 1. Q: hot, head, cent A: Red Explanation: red-hot, redhead, red cent (note that a hyphenated word, a compound word, and a two word phrase can all be part of the answer) 2. Q: pot, red, talking A: Head E: pothead, redhead, talking head (Note that the “common” word can be first or last) 3. Q: thumb, putting, peace A: Green E: green thumb, putting green, Greenpeace (Note that the “common” word can start some pairs and end other pairs in the same trio. Proper nouns/names are fine e.g. Greenpeace) When you guess an answer to a trio, you should use you own judgment about going ahead and posting the next trio. If you are confident, go ahead. (Sometimes trios have more than one solution - any that results in 3 common phrases should be accepted) Sometimes though, you’ll be confident that your answer works for 2 of the words, but think the 3rd one is iffy - just post your answer and await clarification from the person who listed the trio before posting the next puzzle. An easy one to get this started: phone note text ---
**Author:** ![Strinka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strinka/32/512_2.png) [@Strinka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strinka)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-things-in-common/443472/2 "2008-04-01T02:04:15Z")
Book. Phonebook, notebook, textbook. Another easy one: calculator, watch, protector ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-things-in-common/443472/3 "2008-04-01T02:07:43Z")
[QUOTE=Strinka] Another easy one: calculator, watch, protector [/QUOTE] Pocket. Brando, Gable, Gibson. Just kidding - the phrase they have in common is “Fletcher Christian” Rose, cereal, over. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-things-in-common/443472/4 "2008-04-01T05:47:09Z")
[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers] Rose, cereal, over. [/QUOTE] Bowl. New, dog, shine. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-things-in-common/443472/5 "2008-04-01T05:57:15Z")
[QUOTE=Pochacco] Bowl. New, dog, shine. [/QUOTE] Shoe? Mill, pin, wright. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-things-in-common/443472/6 "2008-04-01T11:51:25Z")
[QUOTE=Pochacco] Bowl. New, dog, shine. [/QUOTE] I’m thinking this might be moon. New moon, moondog, moonshine. (I don’t really know what a moondog is though - wasn’t there a character on The Dobie Gillis Show called Moondoggie? ;)) No clue on **Zabali\_Clawbane** ’s post. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-things-in-common/443472/7 "2008-04-01T15:39:07Z")
[QUOTE=Zabali\_Clawbane] Shoe? Mill, pin, wright. [/QUOTE] Wheel? Paper, quarterback, cloth. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-things-in-common/443472/8 "2008-04-01T16:06:49Z")
[QUOTE=Dolores Reborn] I’m thinking this might be moon. [/QUOTE] Moon it is. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-things-in-common/443472/9 "2008-04-01T16:45:36Z")
Darn you, **It’s Not Rocket Surgery!**! I have to go to work now, & I’m going to be distracted _all day!_ (or, until I figure it out.) ---
**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:** [April 1, 2008, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-things-in-common/443472/10 "2008-04-01T18:14:54Z")
[QUOTE=It’s Not Rocket Surgery!] Wheel? Paper, quarterback, cloth. [/QUOTE] Sack (paper sack, quaterback sack, sackcloth) mind, piece, quarter ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-things-in-common/443472/11 "2008-04-01T18:50:07Z")
This one is tough! My mind is totally stuck on quarterback, and peace of mind… ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-things-in-common/443472/12 "2008-04-01T20:45:24Z")
[QUOTE=Dolores Reborn] (I don’t really know what a moondog is though - wasn’t there a character on The Dobie Gillis Show called Moondoggie? ;)) [/QUOTE] James Darren played Moondoggie in the film _Gidget_. The character’s name (actually nickname) was inspired by disk jockey Alan “the Father of Rock and Roll” Freed, who called himself “The Moondog” or “King of the Moondoggers” after his show’s theme song, [_Moondog Symphony_.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Freed#.22The_Moondog.22) ETA: I just thought of “master” for the last puzzle – mastermind, masterpiece, quartermaster. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-things-in-common/443472/13 "2008-04-01T21:06:48Z")
Your turn to post one, then! Thanks for the info, too. I would have looked it up eventually, maybe… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2008, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-things-in-common/443472/14 "2008-04-01T23:15:11Z")
[QUOTE=Sternvogel] James Darren played Moondoggie in the film _Gidget_. The character’s name (actually nickname) was inspired by disk jockey Alan “the Father of Rock and Roll” Freed, who called himself “The Moondog” or “King of the Moondoggers” after his show’s theme song, [_Moondog Symphony_.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Freed#.22The_Moondog.22) [/quote] And the Moondog Symphony was named for the original [Moondog](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moondog). ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-things-in-common/443472/15 "2008-04-02T02:12:11Z")
[QUOTE=Hoopy Frood] Sack (paper sack, quaterback sack, sackcloth) [/QUOTE] Correct! ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-things-in-common/443472/16 "2008-04-02T02:54:51Z")
Me next! Over, stick, scratch. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-things-in-common/443472/17 "2008-04-02T07:45:08Z")
over & out, stick out, scratch out? talking over, talking stick, talking scratch? Somehow, neither of them seems right. ---
**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:** [April 2, 2008, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-things-in-common/443472/18 "2008-04-02T17:35:23Z")
[QUOTE=Sternvogel] ETA: I just thought of “master” for the last puzzle – mastermind, masterpiece, quartermaster. [/QUOTE] Yep. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-things-in-common/443472/19 "2008-04-02T19:58:58Z")
[QUOTE=Beware of Doug] Me next! Over, stick, scratch. [/QUOTE] Pool? (Overpool Station, pool stick, scratch pool) ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-things-in-common/443472/20 "2008-04-02T22:36:05Z")
It occurs to me that all three could be treated as imperatives instead of nouns – over _there_, stick _there_, scratch _there_. No? I didn’t think so. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-things-in-common/443472.md?page=2)