Word Rebus

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A Word Rebus, sometimes called Word Arithmetic, is a form of wordplay in which words and letters are added and subtracted to produce a new word or phrase. There are three rules. (1) The words and letters are added and subtracted in order from left to right. (2) When a word or letter is added, it is appended to the right end of the letters already present. (3) When a word or letter is subtracted, the first occurrence of each letter is deleted from the letters present.

Here is an example,

A + FLEA + CHAIR + MERITS - IRIS - EACH - ART = FLAME

Here are the steps by which the answer is formed,

AFLEA + CHAIR + MERITS - IRIS - EACH - ART

AFLEACHAIR + MERITS - IRIS - EACH - ART

AFLEACHAIRMERITS - IRIS - EACH - ART

AFLEACHARMERITS - RIS - EACH - ART

AFLEACHAMERITS - IS - EACH - ART

AFLEACHAMERTS - S - EACH - ART

AFLEACHAMERT - EACH - ART

AFLACHAMERT - ACH - ART

FLACHAMERT - CH - ART

FLAHAMERT - H - ART

FLAAMERT - ART

FLAMERT - RT

FLAMET - T

FLAME

This type of wordplay often appears with the words replaced by simple pictures. In the rebus above, for example, the word CHAIR might be replaced by a picture of a chair. This form is usually called a Picture Rebus.

There are no clear boundaries between the different types of rebus. For example, the form of wordplay in which words are placed in various relative positions to suggest common phrases, such as TIMETIME to represent TIME AFTER TIME, are also sometimes called Word Rebuses.