Dingbats (Whatzit) Puzzles
Dingbats, also called whatzits, hide a familiar phrase in the way words are printed. Unlike classic rebus puzzles, which swap words for pictures and symbols, dingbats play with position, spacing, spelling, and repetition. Work through these dingbats puzzles with answers, then flip on quiz mode to score yourself.
Visual dingbats drawn as word pictures
The first dozen are drawn puzzles where the layout is the clue. A phrase hides in how the letters sit on the card, and you decode it by looking, not reading.
Classic text dingbats with answers
Next come the old favorites: CYCLE CYCLE CYCLE, NOON GOOD, and the legendary YY U R. Every answer is one tap away when you need it.
Dingbats quiz questions to test yourself
The last stretch switches to multiple choice and type-in puzzles, ending with a question about how dingbats and rebus puzzles differ. Perfect for quiz night.
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1. What common phrase does this dingbat show?
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Man overboard. The word MAN sits over the word BOARD.
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2. Decode this classic dingbat.
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I understand. The letter I is under STAND.
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3. What word does this dingbat spell out?
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Downtown. The word TOWN runs straight down the page.
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4. What kind of home is this?
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Split level. The word LEVEL is split across two levels.
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5. What dessert is hiding here?
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A banana split. The word BANANA has been split in two.
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6. What breakfast order is this?
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Eggs over easy. EGGS sits over EASY.
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7. What piece of clothing does this show?
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Long underwear. LONG is under WEAR.
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8. What motivational phrase is this?
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Mind over matter. MIND is printed over MATTER.
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9. What skill does this dingbat describe?
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Reading between the lines. The word READING sits between two lines.
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10. What toy is this?
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Jack in the box. The name JACK is printed inside a box.
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11. What creative advice does this show?
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Think outside the box. The word THINK is placed outside the box.
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12. This one is a little grim. What phrase is it?
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Six feet underground. Six copies of FEET sit under GROUND.
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13. What is this dingbat? CYCLE CYCLE CYCLE
Need a hint?
Count the cycles.
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A tricycle. Three cycles.
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14. What phrase is this? ECNALG
Need a hint?
Try reading it in a mirror.
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A backward glance. The word GLANCE is written backwards.
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15. What nursery rhyme is this? M CE, M CE, M CE
Need a hint?
What is missing from each word?
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Three blind mice. Three copies of MICE with no i's (no eyes).
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16. What lovely place is this? DICE DICE
Need a hint?
Say what you see out loud.
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Paradise. A pair of dice.
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17. What saying is this? HISTORY HISTORY HISTORY
Need a hint?
How many times is it written?
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History repeats itself.
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18. What musical work is this? SYMPHON
Need a hint?
Something is missing at the end.
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An unfinished symphony. The word stops before its last letter.
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19. What breakfast is this? GESG
Need a hint?
Rearrange the letters.
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Scrambled eggs. The letters of EGGS are scrambled.
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20. What greeting is this? NOON GOOD
Need a hint?
Look at the word order.
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Good afternoon. GOOD comes after NOON.
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21. What label is this? CHIMADENA
Need a hint?
Find a hidden word inside a country.
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Made in China. The word MADE is inside the word CHINA.
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22. What footwear is this? ISSUE ISSUE ISSUE ISSUE ISSUE ISSUE ISSUE ISSUE ISSUE ISSUE
Need a hint?
Count them, then say it fast.
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Tennis shoes. Ten issues.
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23. What food is this? POT OOOOOOOO
Need a hint?
Say the letters as a word.
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Potatoes. A pot followed by eight O's.
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24. What dismissive phrase is this? GET IT, GET IT, GET IT, GET IT
Need a hint?
Count first, then read.
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Forget it. Four copies of GET IT.
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25. What phrase is this? STA4NCE
Need a hint?
Read the number as a word.
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For instance. The number 4 is in STANCE.
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26. What social problem is this? GENER ATION
Need a hint?
Mind the space.
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A generation gap. The word GENERATION has a gap in it.
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27. What watery phrase is this? C C C C C C C
Need a hint?
Count the letters and say one out loud.
Show answer
The seven seas. Seven letter C's.
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28. This classic is tough. What message is this? YY U R, YY U B, I C U R YY 4 ME
Need a hint?
Read each letter and number as its own word. YY reads as 'two Y's'.
Show answer
Too wise you are, too wise you be, I see you are too wise for me.
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29. What road sign phrase is this dingbat? T RN
The word TURN has no U in it.
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30. What phrase about friendship is this? PPOD
Two P's (peas) sit inside the word POD.
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31. What compliment is this? M1LL10N
The digit 1 appears in the word MILLION.
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32. What workplace ritual is this? COFF EE
The word COFFEE has a break in the middle.
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33. What career situation is this? JOB IN JOB
The word IN sits between two JOBs.
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34. Look closely at this alphabet: abcdefghijklmnopqrstvwxyz. What message is it?
The letter U is missing. Missing U, missing you.
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35. Quick quiz: dingbats puzzles are also known by what other name?
Whatzit is the classic newspaper name for a dingbat puzzle.
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36. What phrase is this? The word HE'S printed right next to the word HIMSELF.
Show answer
Beside himself
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37. What lunch is this? NAFISH NAFISH
Show answer
Tuna fish
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38. What spiritual idea is this? The word LIFE printed after the word DEATH.
Show answer
Life after death
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39. What is a police officer saying here? The word ARREST printed above the word YOU'RE.
Show answer
You're under arrest
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40. A dingbat and a rebus are exactly the same kind of puzzle.
Close cousins, but not twins. A rebus usually swaps words for pictures and symbols. A dingbat hides a phrase in how words are placed, spaced, spelled, or styled.
Your score
FAQ about Dingbats (Whatzit) Puzzles
What is the difference between a dingbat and a rebus?
A rebus swaps words for pictures and symbols, so you read images. A dingbat keeps the words but twists their position, spacing, spelling, or repetition. CYCLE printed three times means tricycle, and that layout trick is the whole game.
Are the answers to these dingbats included?
Yes. All 40 dingbats puzzles reveal their answer on tap, and many carry a hint if you want a nudge first. Quiz mode hides the answers and scores you instead.
Are dingbats good for parties and team games?
They are a pub quiz staple for a reason. Put one on screen, give the room thirty seconds, and award a point per phrase. The visual ones at the top of this page work especially well projected.
Cracked all 40 whatzits? The picture-based cousins are waiting in Rebus Puzzles for Adults, and if you want the layout tricks cranked up a level, try our Hard and Tricky Rebus Puzzles.