Rebus facts for kids
A rebus is like a fun puzzle that uses pictures, letters, numbers, or symbols to stand for other words. The trick is that the picture or symbol sounds like the word it represents. It's a clever way to write messages!
For example, imagine you want to write "I see you tonight" in a secret code. You could use a rebus!
- A picture of an eye (⊙) could mean "I" because they sound alike.
- The letter "L" could stand for "will" (as in "I'll").
- The letter "C" sounds like "see."
- The letter "U" sounds like "you."
- The number "2" sounds like "to."
- And the word "nite" sounds just like "night."
So, "I see you tonight" becomes "⊙ L C U 2nite"! It's a bit like texting shortcuts, but much older.
What is a Rebus?
A rebus is a type of word puzzle. It combines different images and letters to make a word or phrase. The key is that the parts of the rebus sound like the words they represent. This is called a homophone.
How Do Rebuses Work?
Rebuses often use a mix of things:
- Pictures: An image of a bee might mean the letter "B" or the word "be."
- Letters: The letter "U" can stand for the word "you."
- Numbers: The number "2" can mean the word "to" or "too."
- Symbols: A plus sign (+) might mean "and."
Sometimes, the position of the letters or pictures matters. For example, if the word "stand" is written above the word "I," it could mean "I understand." This is because "stand" is "under" "I."
Where Can We Find Rebuses?
Rebuses have been used for a very long time.
- Ancient Times: Some of the earliest forms of writing, like hieroglyphs in ancient Egypt, used picture-like symbols that sometimes worked like rebuses. For example, a picture of a sun might represent the word "son."
- Heraldry: In the Middle Ages, families used rebuses on their coat of arms. This was a fun way to show their family name using pictures. For instance, a family named "Bolton" might have a "bolt" (an arrow) and a "tun" (a barrel) on their shield.
- Puzzles and Games: Rebuses are still popular today in puzzles, riddles, and brain teasers. They are a fun way to challenge your mind and think creatively about words.
- Logos and Brands: Sometimes, modern companies use rebus-like ideas in their logos to make them memorable and clever.
Rebuses show how creative people can be with language. They turn words into visual puzzles that are fun to solve!
Images for kids
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A rebus-style "escort card" from around 1865, to be read as "May I see you home my dear?"
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A German rebus, circa 1620
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Ramesses II as child: Hieroglyphs: Ra-mes-su
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A rebus sent to Voltaire by Frederick the Great – Supper tomorrow at Sanssouci?
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Bishop Oldham's owl-dom rebus as carved in the wall of his chantry in Exeter Cathedral
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A rebus for the names of Japanese provinces, from around 1800
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A bottle of Yamato Shizuku (やまと しずく, Japan droplet) sake (name spelt out at top right), with a rebus ∧ト💧 which is read as yama (山, mountain) (symbolized by the ∧) + to (ト, katakana character for to) + shizuku (雫, droplet) (symbolized by the 💧)
See also
In Spanish: Jeroglífico (pasatiempo) para niños
