Brain Teasers
Five Spoonerisms
A spoonerism is a pair of words that can have the initial sounds switched to form new words. For example, "churning bear" is a spoonerism for "burning chair" (note that the pairs do not have to be spelled the same - only sound the same). From the definitions below, can you figure out the spoonerism pairs?
1. Thumper's cellphone...mis-named nerve.
2. Where to buy a mallard...jammed portal.
3. Grizzly relative...two pin-lovers.
4. Sad iguana...Merlin slam-dunking.
5. Wasp accelerates...Half a six-pack.
1. Thumper's cellphone...mis-named nerve.
2. Where to buy a mallard...jammed portal.
3. Grizzly relative...two pin-lovers.
4. Sad iguana...Merlin slam-dunking.
5. Wasp accelerates...Half a six-pack.
Answer
1. Bunny phone...funny bone.2. Duck store...stuck door.
3. Polar bear...bowler pair.
4. Weeping lizard...leaping wizard.
5. Bee throttles...three bottles.
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Comments
I like it! I like it!
Jan 28, 2003
I didn't read your teaser, but you are the editor of one of my teasers (Ramsey). You said that my Winnie the Pooh teasers would be impossible to answer if you didn't read Winnie the Pooh, but a lot of the teasers have answers that have to do with the United States. I am Canadian so I wouldn't know those answers. IT WAS NOT FAIR!!!!!!
I thought this brain teaser was O.K.
It didn't say that the words given were hints from which one needed to re-arrange the first parts. I thought it was 6/10.
Ingeniously clever and very hard. I too liked it. The merlin one was the best.
Liked it! These types of teasers are pretty fun.. haven't seen them anywhere else besides on this site!
Got the first two and half-got the last three... but fun!
Got the first two and half-got the last three... but fun!
At first I didn't know what I was supposed to do, but then I got it after I looked at some of the answers. Great teaser though.
I like it! Good one... At first, I was completly blank, but after a minute or so, it came to me!
Great teaser!!
Only one that threw me was the polar bear - kept thinking aunt, uncle etc. Finally got it backward from the bowlers.
Thanks for the work on this, would love to see more.
Only one that threw me was the polar bear - kept thinking aunt, uncle etc. Finally got it backward from the bowlers.
Thanks for the work on this, would love to see more.
Horrible instructions.
That's a good one. i didn't get it though.
Fun, but difficult. Now that I know how to do them, maybe the next one will be easier. I enjoyed it.
Darn, I got all of them except Duck Store. I settled on Duck Stop - Stuck Dock for some reason, even though it's not a spoonerism. I even had Duck Store at one point but didn't convert the other side to Stuck Door. I liked the puzzle! Nice difficulty but solvable.
GREAT teaser! I didn't get all of them, though...
I loved 'em I didn't really understand what to do at first, but after staring at it for about 5 min. I got the jist. Would love to see more like these very clever!
Should have been clearer that reazder needed to generate both halves.
Feb 20, 2005
Creative and fun. I loved them.
You had me laughing! Nice one!
i didnt get what to do...
but it was nice
but it was nice
You're a pretty fart smeller ... I mean smart feller. Hehehehe...
very cute... spoonerisms are fun!
Wait a minute... a wasp is not a bee!
That is awesome! Very smart.
very cool!
I thought that we were supposed to turn the words that were already there into spoonerisms. it was clever, though
I thought that we were supposed to turn the words that were already there into spoonerisms. it was clever, though
I love these types of puzzles, although I thought the difficulty rating was a tad too high (about one point!) Great job!
leaping wizard... how adorable! good job!
One through four were really fine, but five...wasp and bee...a bit of a stretch. One Spoonerisms too far, hey? Still I enjoyed the teaser.
Not too difficult, different AND a lot of fun! I liked these. Although you got me with THROTTLES and BOTTLES, POLAR and BOWLER.
By the way, loved the spoonerism by CANSTANZ above too! Made me laugh out loud.
I got some of them...
I got all but leaping / weeping. I knew it had to be "l" and "w" but just didn't think of "weeping". This was really good!!! I think there should be an example, however, I mean an ex. just like the regular questions. Very good, Thanks!!!
Brilliant! I love these spoonerisms Keep up the good work!
I guess I just don't understand what you have to do to figure out the answers. Can someone explain?
WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THIS?
Fun!! Directions could have been a bit clearer.
unclear directions,but other than that......cute one
These were fun. I hadn't tried this type of puzzle before. I got 3 of them so I was happy!
Great! Could get only one, that too after quite some thinking. Love this type of puzzles whose clues are hard to frame. Hope we get more of such teasers.
May 23, 2006
I understood the directiosn clearly and got all but one correct (#3 - polar bear bowler pair). Great job - would love to see more of these!
Only got two but it was fun......
Awesome teaser, keep it up!
LVED 'em! The only thing that would have made them better, as stated by others, would have been a clearer example in the directions - one that was constructed exactly like the teaser spoonerisms.
ThanxaMILLION for the fun!
ThanxaMILLION for the fun!
No pun intended, but I just ate up these spoonerisms. Loved them. Had trobule with polar and bowler, but otherwise they were great. Many more, please. Great job. As you can tell, I really liked these teasers.
Like this but thought they were really tough. Might have been easier if the instructions were better. I was trying to turn one part into a spoonerism for the other. Pammed Jortal? Sumper's Thellphone. Boy did I feel stupid once I saw the answers.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF imurray????
These were fun. To me they were hard since I never seen them before, but still fun. Next be clearer on directions. Thanks .
I agree with kboardma. After I read the answers I was like, "Oh, that's what we're supposed to do." The instructions didn't make sense to me.
Cool
Thought it was a little confusing at first, but then got it. HA! Great job!
immuray i am soooo sick of your snide comments. you hate every puzzle you read! if they give you so much pain, please stop coming to this site!
i really liked it though! it was fun!
i really liked it though! it was fun!
I haven't seen this before, and I did not get a one. would like to try more of these though.
nys... veri funi...
Must jump in with many others. Very well thought out puzzles, but the directions left me in the dark. One example would have made this great fun. As mentioned by others, I was caught trying to turn one part into a spoonerism for the other.
Not my cup of tea, but a very good job just the same. Instructions could have been a little better, or I could have been a little brighter. I'm not sure which.
The instructions weren't so good but still it was a good teaser, after I got it
ummm, i don't know what to say. I couldn't come up with it but, you know.... it was okay. It was challenging. but maybe i should learn to take a little challenge...
just want to point out that a wasp isn't really a bee
I like the spoonerism idea... too bad I'm horrible at them (I didn't get any right)
I like the spoonerism idea... too bad I'm horrible at them (I didn't get any right)
Excellent...very difficult.
Only for couple of these. It was fun trying to figure it out,though.
OOPS! I meant I only got a couple of these. Sorry! I'm not fully awake yet.
VERY well done. Directions were clear to me but Spoonerisms are one of my favorites.
Great job! I only got one of them (the duck store one), but I did understand the directions. Maybe because I already knew what spoonerisms are.
I can't understand why several people are always responding to immuray's comments. I'm getting more tired of them (the responding comments)thanI am of him. Don't you think he is doing this ony to "bait" you and is probably getting a chuckle out of every one that expresses annoyance with him? Why don't we all just ignore him and he'll get tired of his little game.
Aso, if every comment just said "great job!" what would be interesting about reading the comments? (I'm referring now to those who get uspset with people who express another view or explain an alternative slant on the teaser.)
I, personally, enjoy reading the comments as much as trying the brain teasers.
I can't understand why several people are always responding to immuray's comments. I'm getting more tired of them (the responding comments)thanI am of him. Don't you think he is doing this ony to "bait" you and is probably getting a chuckle out of every one that expresses annoyance with him? Why don't we all just ignore him and he'll get tired of his little game.
Aso, if every comment just said "great job!" what would be interesting about reading the comments? (I'm referring now to those who get uspset with people who express another view or explain an alternative slant on the teaser.)
I, personally, enjoy reading the comments as much as trying the brain teasers.
Excellent bunch of spoonerisms!
To comment on the criticism of the instructions - I can't imagine what would be the point if one side of the spoonerism was given, and you had to get the other - that would be no challenge whatsoever.
If you didn't know what to do, you could always do a web search for spoonerism to figure it out, or try out some of the other easier spoonerisms submitted already.
To comment on the criticism of the instructions - I can't imagine what would be the point if one side of the spoonerism was given, and you had to get the other - that would be no challenge whatsoever.
If you didn't know what to do, you could always do a web search for spoonerism to figure it out, or try out some of the other easier spoonerisms submitted already.
Excellent!!!!
And, by the way, the directions were quite clear to me...
I suggest that before one looks at the answers, try looking for similar puzzles in the archives...
I suggest that before one looks at the answers, try looking for similar puzzles in the archives...
Wheww! That was a brain stretch for me... I only got one...duck store.
I'm always curious as to how folks put these together. Those must have been just as difficult to create as to solve! Did you first think of a series of spoonerized words and then put the phrases together?
I just tried to create one...not easy to make them meaningful:
How about "heavy, wind; spoiled kid, chilled"
Yuck!!!
Answer: fat breeze; brat freeze
That was terrible; sorry......
I'm always curious as to how folks put these together. Those must have been just as difficult to create as to solve! Did you first think of a series of spoonerized words and then put the phrases together?
I just tried to create one...not easy to make them meaningful:
How about "heavy, wind; spoiled kid, chilled"
Yuck!!!
Answer: fat breeze; brat freeze
That was terrible; sorry......
Great teaser. I had trouble with the last 3 but got the first 2 immediately. I had to think hard on the last ones and still didn't get them completely.
Keep up the great job!!!
Keep up the great job!!!
Those were a lot of fun! I thoroughly enjoyed them. I got all except the third one. I knew the bear and pair part but was stuck on trying to come up with a relative like papa or something, but nothing fit. Never crossed my mind that it might be a relative of a grizzly like a polar bear. That was brilliant though. I love puzzles that stump me but then I'm kicking myself once I read the answer.
With regard to the directions, I myself had no trouble understanding them. However, in the future (and I hope there will be more of these in the future) it might be a good idea to give an example that follows the same format as the puzzle itself, instead of just a general spoonerism example.
With regard to the directions, I myself had no trouble understanding them. However, in the future (and I hope there will be more of these in the future) it might be a good idea to give an example that follows the same format as the puzzle itself, instead of just a general spoonerism example.
Only complaint I have is a wasp is not a bee, two different insects.
this was funny. The only problem was the instructions. It doesn't do a good job of explaining. But the answers were so cute
4 years old and still as stupid
very good teaser...dont have a lot of time this morning .so i cheated and looked at the answers.. verynice..
for those who didnt like the instrucktions...what was so hard about it?it was pretty simple ..i guess if you dont have any brain cells it would be kinda hard you.mayby you get of the pot ..that might help..
I liked it - good job!
doe - are you always miserable? Why even bother coming and commenting if you're always going to be so negative? UGH
doe - are you always miserable? Why even bother coming and commenting if you're always going to be so negative? UGH
i looked at this teaser and went straight to the answer. It looked harder than it really was. This was a great tain breezer, I mean brain teaser.
I liked it. A couple of these are right up there with my favorite Spoonerism, attributed to Reverend Spooner, himself: "The boy rode on a well boiled icicle."
I'm not very good at some of these teasers, but they are very clever
You should have given an example. I was trying to do the wrong thing.
I wouldn't go so far as Horrible
for insructions. But I didn't get them either.
1st if this kind for me. Thought I was working with 2 words - not 4.
Was on on some clues like 3 is 1/2 a 6 pack but did'nt know how to follow thru.
I will now
THANKS THO... A lot o thought went into that.
for insructions. But I didn't get them either.
1st if this kind for me. Thought I was working with 2 words - not 4.
Was on on some clues like 3 is 1/2 a 6 pack but did'nt know how to follow thru.
I will now
THANKS THO... A lot o thought went into that.
2nd posting from Rose 2ndhand
Do the puzzle creators make the sample or is it as I think BRAINGLE.
I think so . Could be wrong. To blame whoever created a good puzzle for bad instructions would then be wrong.
Let's be positive & nice ...
Do the puzzle creators make the sample or is it as I think BRAINGLE.
I think so . Could be wrong. To blame whoever created a good puzzle for bad instructions would then be wrong.
Let's be positive & nice ...
Good job!
I really like these and I think you did a great job!! Keep 'em coming!!
Nice...I've always loved these. The directions were great.
And wasps and bees are close enough for these kinds of things...if you didn't get it, just admit you didn't get it and move on. Enough with the excuses.
And wasps and bees are close enough for these kinds of things...if you didn't get it, just admit you didn't get it and move on. Enough with the excuses.
Directions were perfect and teaser fun to do. Great job!
good one
im bored
please
message me
pretty please
with a cherry on top!
im bored
please
message me
pretty please
with a cherry on top!
My brain wasn't up to the task I loved GrandaB's comments....Brat freeze..indeed
these are great! i love em! make some more please!
ummmmmm wut do not understand
really neat...i wonder which smarty pants did that... ...but i looooooooooooooooved this one
Who iz imurray...whoevery he iz...idont like his comment!!
I read the directions and the example and knew exactly what to do. I'm not sure why people thought they were confusing. These were fun to do. Hope there are more of them coming!
I didn't understand the directions, I guess, cuz made no sense to me but now that I see what the deal is , I should be able to figure out the next ones. Nice going!
Wow, these were hilarious!!! And I liked the level of challenge ... just right! Tough, but easy enough to get them and feel rewarded by the answer being great!
GREAT teasers!
Too tricky for me today
Even though it's afternoon, I can't wake up!
Too tricky for me today
Even though it's afternoon, I can't wake up!
Happy Memorial Day in US, everyone!
tricky.. bit too tricky for me.. i dont know what a duck store is.. or a bunny phone. liket he idea though. got the wizard one
Lover spoonerisms. The only one I missed was the wizard one. I read Merlin as Marlin and couldn't come up with anything with a fish in the answer
Lover spoonerisms. The only one I missed was the wizard one. I read Merlin as Marlin and couldn't come up with anything with a fish in the answer
I only got one, but had fun trying the rest. Good teaser.
I only got 1, also. These were trickier than usual I think - but still fun! Thanks!
I only got a few, they were too tough for me.
It's about 2 am (USA CST).
We are about a day ahead of you so I'll wait until beyond your "wake-up" time to comment again.
Meanwhile ... still willing to wager this won't get more than four comments.
(the BunnyBunch)
(still hilarity)
We are about a day ahead of you so I'll wait until beyond your "wake-up" time to comment again.
Meanwhile ... still willing to wager this won't get more than four comments.
(the BunnyBunch)
(still hilarity)
Almost 8 am (USA CST) and still no comments.
Very sad.
Wonder if somebody is going to "blame it on me" again ????
(the Bunnybunch) ; still "going strong" and laughing all the way.
Very sad.
Wonder if somebody is going to "blame it on me" again ????
(the Bunnybunch) ; still "going strong" and laughing all the way.
Great one! I didn't really like the first, using "cellphone" to lead to "phone", but otherwise, very good. I didn't get all of them, but most.
Fun and entertaining teaser. I got all but the last one - just could not come up with that one.
Some were a bit of a stretch, however the last one was just plain wrong:
A wasp is not a bee( totally different species ) ?
A wasp is not a bee( totally different species ) ?
I loved it... Really well made -- I think I want to try my hand at these now!
I wish I could remember where I was and what I was doing when I left my prior comment exactly 3 years ago to the day. But I stand by my ratings and my comment. Top notch teaser!
Fun and entertaining teaser. This time I got them all.
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