[upbeat music]
[bell ringing over children chattering]
I arrived at school this morning to find that my students had left me
this cryptic word puzzle on the whiteboard.
It took me a little while to solve it but I soon realised the answer was...
MAN OVERBOARD
an expression used when someone has fallen from a boat into the water.
But how does it work?
Well, in this puzzle we need to look at the relative position
of the words to find the answer.
Notice that the word MAN is positioned above or over the word BOARD.
That is, MAN is over BOARD or MAN OVERBOARD.
This type of puzzle is called a rebus and they're a great way to develop
those creative thinking skills by playing with language.
So, what’s the best way to solve a rebus puzzle?
Well, it kind of depends on the puzzle itself but here’s a few things to keep in mind
as you weave your way through the word play.
Also, don’t worry we’ve got a handful of puzzles for you to solve at the end of the video!
1. Position - observe the relative position of words and images in the puzzle.
Prepositions such as in, on, above, below, over and under are really common in rebus puzzles.
The answer to this rebus for example is…
JUST IN TIME
because the word JUST is placed ‘in’ the word TIME.
2. Size - similarly, the size of words and images can also provide clues.
The word fry written in tiny letters gives the answer…
SMALL FRY
and the word deal written in large letters gives the answer…
A BIG DEAL
3. Direction - also pay particular attention to the direction of words in rebus puzzles.
If a word runs vertically, it probably includes the word ‘up’ or ‘down’ in the answer
such as this rebus with the answer….
BUCKLE UP
and this one with the answer…
BROKEN DOWN.
Words running in the opposite direction will usually have the word
‘back’ or ‘backwards’ in the answer such as this rebus with the answer…
FLASHBACK.
4. Colour - now if your rebus has a pop of colour, heads up, it’s probably a clue.
The answer to this rebus is…
RED FLAG
and this one is…
GREEN THUMB.
5. Style - it’s also important to look at the style of the words and images used.
Is the writing crossed out as it is in this rebus with the answer…
FINGERS CROSSED.
Is the image broken as in this rebus with the answer…
BROKEN BANANA. [Buzzer sounds]
Nah, just kidding. It’s BANANA SPLIT. [Bell dings]
So, these are just some of the ways to solve rebus puzzles.
If you’re really stuck, sometimes saying the words or describing the images out loud
can help to create some associations you might have missed.
So, as promised, here’s a collection of riveting rebus puzzles
for you to solve on your own or in a group.
Good luck! Thanks for watching. We’ll see you soon.
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