# What is this funny pages' puzzle called?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-funny-pages-puzzle-called/256520>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [July 23, 2004, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-funny-pages-puzzle-called/256520 "2004-07-23T14:53:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Nobody\_Special](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbce88/32.png) [@Nobody\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody_Special)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-funny-pages-puzzle-called/256520/1 "2004-07-23T14:53:58Z")

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There is a puzzle that I’ve seen on the funny pages that I would like to look up, but I have no idea what its called. The puzzle consists of words and illustrations in a 2" x 2" box which represent a common phrase. For example, in the box may be the word The with the word Bridge below it and a horizontal line separating the two. The word Bridge is under the word The, so the solution would be “under the bridge.”

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**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-funny-pages-puzzle-called/256520/2 "2004-07-23T14:57:58Z")

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It’s called a [rebus](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=rebus).

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**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-funny-pages-puzzle-called/256520/3 "2004-07-23T15:39:34Z")

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Sounds more like **wacky wordies** to me.

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**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-funny-pages-puzzle-called/256520/4 "2004-07-23T16:41:53Z")

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[Wacky Wordie](http://www.norfacad.pvt.k12.va.us/puzzles/wacky.htm) appears to be the correct term, they are different from [traditional rebuses](http://efl.htmlplanet.com/rebus.htm).

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**Author:** ![Nobody\_Special](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbce88/32.png) [@Nobody\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody_Special)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-funny-pages-puzzle-called/256520/5 "2004-07-23T16:50:08Z")

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Yup, it’s Wacky Wordie. Thanks.