# What Is This Type Of Puzzle Called? (Example In OP) **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 8, 2019, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-type-of-puzzle-called-example-in-op/836735 "2019-07-08T21:19:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-type-of-puzzle-called-example-in-op/836735/1 "2019-07-08T21:19:31Z")
What is this type of puzzle called? It’s where the way the words are arranged visually is itself a clue to the answer. Example: Infini | tive = “Split Infinitive” ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-type-of-puzzle-called-example-in-op/836735/2 "2019-07-08T21:33:18Z")
I’m pretty sure I’ve seen them called “Wacky Wordles”. But I’m not finding much from Googling. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-type-of-puzzle-called-example-in-op/836735/3 "2019-07-08T21:35:53Z")
I would say it’s a type of [rebus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebus) (which typically use pictures, but many also feature words or wordplay) ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-type-of-puzzle-called-example-in-op/836735/4 "2019-07-08T21:36:13Z")
It’s a type of rebus often called a “frame game”. Like: HEAD HEELS (Head over heels.) A typical rebus may be only words or letters arranged a particular way as a clue, or might include pictures as well. > **[Rebus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebus)** > > A rebus (/ˈriːbəs/) is a puzzle device that combines the use of illustrated pictures with individual letters to depict words or phrases. For example: the word "been" might be depicted by a rebus showing an illustrated bumblebee next to a plus sign (+) and the letter "n". It was a favourite form of heraldic expression used in the Middle Ages to denote surnames. > For example, in its basic form, three salmon (fish) are used to denote the surname "Salmon". A more sophisticated example was the rebus... If you Google “frame game” it gives many examples of rebus puzzles only showing words and letters. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-type-of-puzzle-called-example-in-op/836735/5 "2019-07-08T21:38:06Z")
Ah, and wiki sez : “A rebus made up solely of letters (such as “CU” for “See you”) is known as a [gramogram](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gramogram), grammagram, or letteral word.” You can say this for the human race : NOTHING will remain un-typified or unclassified. It is useless to resist. You will be nomenclatured. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-type-of-puzzle-called-example-in-op/836735/6 "2019-07-08T21:49:52Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > You can say this for the human race : NOTHING will remain un-typified or unclassified. It is useless to resist. You will be nomenclatured. And for a word nerd like me, that’s a good thing. A very good thing. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-type-of-puzzle-called-example-in-op/836735/7 "2019-07-08T22:36:11Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Ah, and wiki sez : “A rebus made up solely of letters (such as “CU” for “See you”) is known as a [gramogram](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gramogram), grammagram, or letteral word.” > You can say this for the human race : NOTHING will remain un-typified or unclassified. It is useless to resist. You will be nomenclatured. Except none of the examples on that page resemble what the OP was asking for. Infini | tive …is not a gramogram as defined there. A gramogram is much more narrow; you say letters and/or numbers aloud and pronounce a word or name. Kind of like how people try to squeeze a phrase onto a personalized license plate. The OP’s puzzle isn’t anything like that. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-type-of-puzzle-called-example-in-op/836735/8 "2019-07-08T23:17:08Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Except none of the examples on that page resemble what the OP was asking for. > > Infini | tive > > …is not a gramogram as defined there. A gramogram is much more narrow; you say letters and/or numbers aloud and pronounce a word or name. Kind of like how people try to squeeze a phrase onto a personalized license plate. The OP’s puzzle isn’t anything like that. I’d agree it’s not a gramogram, I’d read the definition too hastily. But one of the examples of rebuses given on the wiki page goes something like **SECRET** SECRET SECRET (answer : top secret) which is exactly like the OP’s riddle : words that can, if combined with nontextual contextual clues (here and in the OP : where the words are placed in relation to each other ; plus typography in one case and the addition of a | in the other), lead to a different word or expression. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2019, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-type-of-puzzle-called-example-in-op/836735/9 "2019-07-08T23:35:44Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > I’d agree it’s not a gramogram, I’d read the definition too hastily. But one of the examples of rebuses given on the wiki page goes something like > **SECRET** > > SECRET > SECRET > (answer : top secret) > which is exactly like the OP’s riddle : words that can, if combined with nontextual contextual clues (here and in the OP : where the words are placed in relation to each other ; plus typography in one case and the addition of a | in the other), lead to a different word or expression. Agreed, it’s definitely a type of rebus. 🙂 ---
**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:** [July 8, 2019, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-type-of-puzzle-called-example-in-op/836735/10 "2019-07-08T23:55:30Z")
Where is that maddening thread with the unresolvable letter clue? ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2019, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-type-of-puzzle-called-example-in-op/836735/11 "2019-07-09T00:30:00Z")
I remember seeing one that claimed to be on an envelope that the post office was actually able to correctly deliver. Down John Maine Andover, Maine, is quite small, so I imagine it was easy enough for them to find John Underdown even without a street address.\* - I saw this given as an example of the type of puzzle being discussed. I have no idea if this actually happened. ---
**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:** [July 9, 2019, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-type-of-puzzle-called-example-in-op/836735/12 "2019-07-09T08:57:49Z")
Rebus is correct, they are also known as Dingbats (perhaps only in the UK, and I think it may be a trademark). > [@Omniscient](#): > > Where is that maddening thread with the unresolvable letter clue? Started by a poster called mittu, the infamous 14 k of g in a f p d. But that was a ditloid, not a rebus. ---
**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:** [December 11, 2020, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-type-of-puzzle-called-example-in-op/836735/13 "2020-12-11T20:26:06Z")
BUMP So what are puzzles called that spell out a phrase using symbols? [Like this(left page)](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/fjslZP_7dn0qVqV2lnrUEDvyICFcpJTMjrFngZ9RNSszgVS7ctYPDNKQtNK9-P__pRZhDFviBns7G672JiRIX1-2YjDC6ks6vTacdjhOnd3ovQHQLBuij7bAvWdLd9RqCu_EVR01) My son loves these and I want a book of these. Most Rebus puzzles appear to be just one picture, not a phrase. ---
**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:** [December 11, 2020, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-type-of-puzzle-called-example-in-op/836735/14 "2020-12-11T21:14:16Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > [Like this(left page)](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/fjslZP_7dn0qVqV2lnrUEDvyICFcpJTMjrFngZ9RNSszgVS7ctYPDNKQtNK9-P__pRZhDFviBns7G672JiRIX1-2YjDC6ks6vTacdjhOnd3ovQHQLBuij7bAvWdLd9RqCu_EVR01) That is definitely a type of rebus; the original “Concentration” had a pair of long puzzles like that when contestants were trying to win a car. They had to solve both within a certain time limit to get the car. ---
**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:** [December 11, 2020, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-type-of-puzzle-called-example-in-op/836735/15 "2020-12-11T21:20:01Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > My son loves these and I want a book of these. Your example resembles the puzzles in this book but I can’t tell if they’re single puzzles per frame or what. > **[Fantastic Rebus Puzzles: Rebus Puzzle Books: Can You Solve All the Rebus Puzzles...](https://www.amazon.com/Fantastic-Rebus-Puzzles-Puzzle-Plexers/dp/1981103600)** > > Fantastic Rebus Puzzles: Rebus Puzzle Books: Can You Solve All the Rebus Puzzles (Plexers)? Really? \[Mccarvill, Richard\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Fantastic Rebus Puzzles: Rebus Puzzle Books: Can You Solve All the Rebus...