Round one - the answers

So, the post you've been waiting for - it's Monday evening and here are the answers:

Number 1

Basketball

I think everybody got this one correct. Just a starter to ease you into the game.









Number 2

Pothole

This one caused a few more problems. Incorrect, but plausible answers included polycotton (which I thought was very inspired).









Number 3

Tealeaf

Now I apologise for this one. Tea-leaf is hyphenated sometimes and sometimes two words and therefore not strictly a compound word. Mea culpa. But most people did get it right.
A few guesses of spotless for this one, which I totally see the logic behind.






Number 4

Chopstick

Almost all guessed correctly.










Number 5

Neckline

Caused a few problems. Hey, they couldn't ALL be straightforward!

Number 6

Nightclub

Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Number 7

Blackberry

I worried about this one. Rightly, it seems. Plenty of correct answers, but also lots for coffeebean, with a few other random guesses thrown in.








Number 8

Dishcloth

Didn't think this would cause as many problems as it did. We had plum duff, fruitcake, fivefold (inspired guess) and plumline.









Number 9

Summertime

A tough one. Baywatch, stopwatch, snacktime, sundial, playtime, snacktime, daytime. All plausible, but not what we were after.









Number 10

Lipstick

So obvious once you got it. But we also had dipstick, ubend, panstick and heartbroken (which took me a while to see, but oh, yeah).








Six clever people got all 10 correct with their original guesses - Sue, Amanda, Libby, Meg, Louise and Val. Bravo all of you! Look out for an email from me soon.

And to everybody, thanks so much for playing along. It was really good fun from my end and I hope it was for you too. Somebody suggested a festive theme for round 2, which might be fun - what do you think?

Also, thanks to those brave souls who have volunteered as photographers for the next round - if you feel you'd be able to photograph one of the words next time out, please do drop me an email.

Round One Completed

Okay, so it might have overheated your brain, caused you to pull your hair our, or suffer intolerable smugness from your spouse and offspring, but you've done it!

You should have a lovely list of ten compound words and now you are itching to see if they are correct, I'm sure! Here's what to do.

• Drop me an email at alisonhudson03@hotmail.com

• Please make the subject line CWP - Round 1 answers

• Include a list of ONE answer only for each diptych - no hedging your bets now!

I will let you know by return email how many you got correct.

On Monday evening, I will make all the answers available on the blog. At that point you can have a free for all in the comments section and vent about the ones you just couldn't guess!! 

And I am sitting here, crossing my fingers that at least one bright spark has got all ten correct and earned themselves a little prize - I will, of course, let you know who.

Good luck Compound Wordsters, and thanks for making my week an awful lot of fun! Fancy a Round 2 at some point?

Number Ten

So, Round 1 comes to an end with this one.

Photos by Katie and Jo (Two Owls)

Hopefully, your list of 10 should now be completed! Hang tight for instructions on how to enter the competition.

And can I just take a moment to say a big thank you to all the wonderful photographers who took the time to play along and interpret their words in images (with varying degrees of devilish quirkiness). We couldn't have played without you guys.

Number Nine

Almost at the finish line now.

Photos by Megan and Amanda

Do you want my top tip for solving the diptychs you are struggling with? Deal with one picture. Get yourself into the mind of a photographer who has been asked to illustrate a word. Once you have a few ideas of the single word one photo might illustrate, think of any compound words which use that word and see if one ties in with the second image.

Tomorrow, I'll publish the final diptych of Round One and let you know how to enter the competition! Hope you have your answers ready to go.

Number Eight

And into the home stretch, with this one...

Photos by Annie and Janet

Only two more to go!

Number Seven

Lucky for some. And any arguments about botanical accuracy should be addressed to Emma and not me! Hope that doesn't constitute a clue...

Photos by Lesley and Emma

Number Six

I sense confidence dipping - here's a booster ...

Photos by Tess and Jo (French Knots)

Better?

Number Five

This one signifies the half way point of round one. Are you enjoying yourselves? I feel a little bit cruel, reading the teeth gnashing comments when folk can't get one, while I smugly know what it is. But the flip side is witnessing the glorious triumph when the answer suddenly becomes clear!

Hoping this one provides just the right amount of head-scratching.

Photos by Rachel and Joanne

Number Four

Roping in children and husbands appears to be one of the keys to success with this game! If you are joining the party and need to know how to play, the instructions are here. The more, the merrier.

So, on with the next one...

Photos by Sue and Simone

The juxtaposition of these photos does stir up for me obscure images of farm animals in full make-up - perhaps I'm just odd. Or it is the subconscious efforts of my brain trying to make logical links between the two. Anyway, as you were...

Number Three

So, it seems some diptychs are easier than others. Don't despair if you don't get one straight away - it may come to you in a flash of inspiration later. How about this one ....

Photos by Lina and Jennie

Have you got three out of three now?

And thank you so much for all of you who have been helping to spread the word about The Compound Word Project. It's fun to think of people from hither and thither, puzzling over the same images. 

Number Two

Don't want you to think they're all going to be easy peasy. Try this one...

Photos by Ali H (unexpectedly!) and Val 

Got it? Keep noting down those answers, and ssh, don't tell.

Number One

Right, kicking off the game, a straightforward one to get you started...

Photos by Beki and Ali C 

Remember, note down your guess, don't spill the beans in the comment section (though a smug 'got it!' is just fine). You need to collect 10 answers by the end of this week to win. Full details are on How to Play.

Bonne chance!

How to play

We're kicking off round one on Monday 12th November. Here's how you can play....

• During the week, 10 diptychs will be posted on this blog - each will represent a compound word. 

• Take a look and guess a word for each one (but please, don't be tempted to post your guess in the comments section).

• When you have seen all ten, drop an email with one answer for each diptych to me {alisonhudson03@hotmail.com}. There's a little prize for one person who guesses all ten correctly.

Really hoping you enjoy the chance to join in. Please help get the word out about the game - if this round goes well, it would be great to have a whole heap more photographers and words for rounds 2 and beyond.

Most of the photographers in this first round have lovely blogs of their own. Links to all of them are in the sidebar. Why not pay them a visit?

And for this of you who'd like a little practice, try this one... do you think you got it?

The background

Way back in 2006, I played along with the original Compound Word Project - it was started by Shari, who has given her blessing for another round of the Compound Word Project to take place. Yay - we're open to play again.

The idea is a simple one. A group of photographers have been issued with a word to illustrate. Those photographs have been paired up into diptychs, which illustrate a compound word. Your challenge is to guess the word!

Simple? Well, the idea is. Any idea what compound word this diptych represents? Don't guess in the comments section - no spoilers allowed!

Like it? Want to play some more? Game on... we begin on Monday 12th November. Are you going to play?