Puzzling rebus: giving lovers?

October 15, 2012 6:24 PM

RebusFilter: on the left, the word "giving" printed four times in a column. On the right, the word "lover" printed four times in a column. What is the solution?

My SO literally cannot sleep due to this rebus going unsolved. All we can think of is "forgiving lovers" but that doesn't feel right. Please hope!

posted by mediated self to sports, hobbies, & recreation (46 answers total)

4xgiving = forgiving
4xlover = ?

It looks like this?

giving           lover
giving           lover
giving           lover
giving           lover
posted by carsonb at 6:26 PM on October 15, 2012

I think left and right come into somehow, too. Left hand for giving, for lovers on the right? something like that?
posted by thylacinthine at 6:29 PM on October 15, 2012

Yes, carsonb.
posted by mediated self at 6:29 PM on October 15, 2012

forgiving is for lovers?
posted by b33j at 6:29 PM on October 15, 2012 [15 favorites]

Generous lover?
posted by Scottie_Bob at 6:29 PM on October 15, 2012

yeah I'd say b33j is either correct or very close... it is what I would have said.
posted by edgeways at 6:32 PM on October 15, 2012

forgiving rite for lovers ?
posted by worstname at 6:32 PM on October 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

mm hmm, thirding b33j. It's a weak one though, if indeed that's what it is.
posted by carsonb at 6:32 PM on October 15, 2012

Forgiving and forgetting (because lovers are "getting" it)?
posted by Rock Steady at 6:33 PM on October 15, 2012

forgiving is for lovers?

Yeah it seems like it should be something like this, but where does the is come from? Maybe this is just a bad rebus. I've been thinking about how the left/right might factor in...something like "lovers right for giving"...forgiving left lovers, perhaps?
posted by mediated self at 6:38 PM on October 15, 2012

Forgiving is left for lovers?
posted by teremala at 6:40 PM on October 15, 2012

A lover is right to forgive?
posted by dreamphone at 6:43 PM on October 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

Something about the blank?

Forgiving space between lovers?
Empty space between forgiving lovers?
Nothing lies between forgiveness and lovers?
posted by kellybird at 6:43 PM on October 15, 2012

Forgiving distant lovers?
posted by mediated self at 6:45 PM on October 15, 2012

Where did your SO see the rebus? Could context somehow be helpful?
posted by alms at 6:45 PM on October 15, 2012

Puzzles section of the Sunday newspaper (specifically the Orlando Sentinel, not last Sunday but two weekends ago). I've already checked their site but doesn't look like they post the solutions. The puzzles appeared under the name "Wuzzles," I suspect that Wuzzle HQ syndicates these out to papers but I haven't been able to find a web site for them, either.
posted by mediated self at 6:50 PM on October 15, 2012

And there's no colours or any other clues, just plain black on white lettering?
posted by Scottie_Bob at 6:54 PM on October 15, 2012

Update: apparently Wuzzles are a type of rebus created by Tom Ecker and syndicated in newspapers for more than 25 years. While reading an interview with the creator here this caught my eye:

Ecker came up with his own form of the puzzle, or rebus, which has a missing concept such as in, on, over, under, before, after or between.

Scottie_Bob: no colors, just black and white (and read all over, of course).
posted by mediated self at 6:56 PM on October 15, 2012

Four "giving"s, four "lover"s = Forgiving's for lovers.
posted by methroach at 7:01 PM on October 15, 2012 [13 favorites]

something about being "forthright" (fourth-right) lovers? forgiving forthright lovers?
posted by windykites at 7:02 PM on October 15, 2012

alms: I'm glad you asked where the rebus was spotted, because after looking up the Wuzzles it seems that context is very important. Now I'm thinking something like:

Nothing between forgiving lovers(?)
posted by mediated self at 7:02 PM on October 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

i wonder if the "over" part of "lover" is especially significant.
posted by windykites at 7:06 PM on October 15, 2012

Forgiving is left for lovers?

This actually makes the most sense to me.
posted by SpacemanStix at 7:17 PM on October 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

Nothing comes between forgiving lovers? Plausible, but it's still not exactly a stock phrase.
posted by alms at 7:17 PM on October 15, 2012

Here's "Tom Underwood's" website: WuzzleKing.com. It has an email address at the bottom.... I may have already shot one off to him.
posted by carsonb at 7:19 PM on October 15, 2012

I assume the solution is "someone's best evening ever."

Or "forgiving is for lovers."
posted by zippy at 7:23 PM on October 15, 2012 [4 favorites]

That's fantastic, carsonb! A lot of great ideas have been offered here, and it's exciting to think we might finally get a definitive answer!
posted by mediated self at 7:25 PM on October 15, 2012

Something something Danny Glover?

Virginia is for lovers.

Four lovers are right to forgives.

Three's a crowd, but forgive, lover.

Give your lover the gift of lover gifts so that lover gives you gift lovers.
posted by ian1977 at 7:30 PM on October 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

If you do get a response, please update us with the right answer!!
posted by Scottie_Bob at 7:47 PM on October 15, 2012

The right lovers are forgiving.
posted by ghost dance beat at 8:06 PM on October 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

I suspect y'all are overthinking this, and it's just a mediocre puzzle. There isn't really a common idiom that fits these more spatially complex interpretations.

Four (giving lover)s = forgiving lovers.
posted by zjacreman at 9:22 PM on October 15, 2012 [5 favorites]

I think methroach has nailed this one. Definitely makes the most sense.
posted by iotic at 11:00 PM on October 15, 2012

Space forgiving left forthright lovers? the problem is that any combination of vaguely plausible clues makes some kind of sense. I say it's just a bad puzzle, whatever the answer.
posted by cmoj at 1:23 AM on October 16, 2012

For lovers it is right to forgive.
posted by drlith at 3:02 AM on October 16, 2012 [3 favorites]

forgive and forget?
posted by coevals at 5:07 AM on October 16, 2012

Especially if you don't have a current copy of it, I'm wondering if maybe there was something about the font of one or both that was supposed to be a clue, too? I feel like something's missing here or maybe being misremembered at this point.

The best I can think of that actually fits a commonly-heard phrase would be something involving giving a lover some space. Unless this is a really weird variation, these are never just random "oh, I guess that makes sense" sentences, the puzzles always work out to something you've heard a million times before.

I've always heard these called pictograms or frame games.
posted by gracedissolved at 5:31 AM on October 16, 2012

forgiven and loved
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 8:41 AM on October 16, 2012

Picture of the orginal rebus here.
posted by mediated self at 9:46 AM on October 16, 2012

Looking at the photo, the space between the words is not as pronounced as we thought. Perhaps it is "forgiving lovers", i.e. 4x"giving lover" = four giving lovers.
posted by mediated self at 9:51 AM on October 16, 2012 [1 favorite]

The words are in a box. Are the words of these puzzles always in a box like that, or is the meaning of the box part of what we have to figure out?
posted by alms at 11:20 AM on October 16, 2012

These sorts of word puzzles are always in a box.
posted by mediated self at 11:33 AM on October 16, 2012

Four giving, under-standing lover (= forgiving, understanding lover)?
posted by thisclickableme at 3:12 PM on October 16, 2012

For comparison, the solution to this word puzzle is "forgive and forget", though admittedly this example is just a word puzzle, not an official Wuzzle.
posted by mediated self at 4:23 PM on October 16, 2012

Hi Carson,

It's Forgiving Lovers. (Four giving lovers.) Sorry to contribute to your nuttiness,but that's my job.

All the best,
Tom

Awesome!
posted by carsonb at 6:20 AM on October 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

Yay! I hope your SO sleeps well tonight.
posted by alms at 7:00 AM on October 18, 2012

So our initial guess was on the money...talk about overthinkin' it. Thanks, carsonb, for emailing Tom and getting to the bottom of things! Thanks to everyone for the thoughtful comments and contributions and just plain guesses! My SO can sleep at last.
posted by mediated self at 7:28 AM on October 18, 2012