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What does this rebus mean?

12356789 KOOL

Hint #1:

The answer has to do partly with the fact the 4 is MISSING, not JUST that the 4 is special itself.

Hint #2:

The phrase "look back" is correct and is in the answer. (Obviously it's not the entire answer though) You also have to be a bit creative with the whole number thing. Happy guessing!

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    $\begingroup$ Would I have to get "creative" with my spelling to get the answer? $\endgroup$
    – question_asker
    Nov 10, 2015 at 21:55
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    $\begingroup$ What do you mean by that? $\endgroup$
    – Xandawesome
    Nov 10, 2015 at 21:56
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    $\begingroup$ Hard to describe exactly what I mean. What I see in this rebus makes me think of four words, where if you mash the first two together, they sound kind of like a different word, which works with the remaining word to make the answer. Does that make sense? $\endgroup$
    – question_asker
    Nov 10, 2015 at 22:04
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    $\begingroup$ I understand but I don't think you're thinking of what the answer is. $\endgroup$
    – Xandawesome
    Nov 10, 2015 at 22:13
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    $\begingroup$ Missing numbers are KOOL and the phrase has 12 letters. 12 is divisible by 3. Half Life 3 confirmed! $\endgroup$
    – Irishpanda
    Nov 11, 2015 at 18:15

12 Answers 12

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OK, I'm prrrrrrrretty sure this isn't the answer, but in the spirit of the site, this is what I was getting at in my comment on the OP:

Never look back

because

given absurdly liberal leeway in pronunciation, "no four" sounds kinda almost a little but not really but just enough like "never"

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    $\begingroup$ Oh, well then... You evidently got it correct! Good job, we have a winner! I wouldn't really call it ABSURD pronunciation... It's not like I made "Hello" into "Her Law" or something. If it's too easy then ya know, everyone will solve it in 1 minute, but if it's too hard, you got a problem that's honestly taking like a month or longer to solve, and... You know... But anyways this just popped up in my head and I thought I'd post it on the site. Hope you enjoyed it! :D $\endgroup$
    – Xandawesome
    Nov 11, 2015 at 21:06
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    $\begingroup$ @Xandawesome: Too much of a leap IMO. They don't sound remotely alike to me. $\endgroup$
    – Deusovi ♦
    Nov 11, 2015 at 22:14
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    $\begingroup$ @Xandawesome I have to agree that it is absurdly liberal; in fact your example ("hello > her law") seems slightly less liberal. $\endgroup$
    – Hellion
    Nov 11, 2015 at 22:18
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    $\begingroup$ @Xandawesome I had considered this answer, but determined that there was no way that you could expect anyone to get "never" from "no four", so I never posted it. $\endgroup$
    – GentlePurpleRain
    Nov 12, 2015 at 5:53
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    $\begingroup$ @Xandawesome I personally don't think it's as big a deal as others are making it out to be. At least the answer to this one is a common phrase - I've seen a number of """rebuses""" here that just seem to be arbitrary sentences. $\endgroup$
    – question_asker
    Nov 12, 2015 at 18:07
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I'll take a stab:

"Look back, it's a foregone (4 gone) conclusion"

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  • $\begingroup$ No, but you're getting closer! $\endgroup$
    – Xandawesome
    Nov 10, 2015 at 23:19
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    $\begingroup$ I love how I got the Nice Answer badge for one that isn't even correct, lol! $\endgroup$
    – Irishpanda
    Nov 11, 2015 at 15:54
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Just a guess...

Look back, not forward.

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    $\begingroup$ I bet that's the closest yet, just not sure where the -ward would come from. $\endgroup$
    – Irishpanda
    Nov 11, 2015 at 13:48
  • $\begingroup$ Like Irishpanda guessed, this is the closest so far! You're really close! $\endgroup$
    – Xandawesome
    Nov 11, 2015 at 14:24
  • $\begingroup$ The only other thing I can thing of is "Never look back". If you slur your words, "no four" sounds kinda like "never".......... $\endgroup$
    – APrough
    Nov 11, 2015 at 14:46
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    $\begingroup$ @APrough this is the answer I was getting at in my comment on the OP! $\endgroup$
    – question_asker
    Nov 11, 2015 at 16:13
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    $\begingroup$ @question_asker, you should put it as an answer. $\endgroup$
    – APrough
    Nov 11, 2015 at 16:32
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Maybe it is

Look back, not foreseen

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  • $\begingroup$ Good twist on the missing 4, didn't think of that one. $\endgroup$
    – Irishpanda
    Nov 11, 2015 at 15:55
4
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might the answer be

"Not four Skool"

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  • $\begingroup$ No, that's not it, but welcome to puzzling! $\endgroup$
    – Xandawesome
    Nov 11, 2015 at 0:41
4
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Is it

foregone conclusion?

Because

The four is missing from the count, 4 gone->foregone and KOOL is look backwards -> lookback which is a synonym for conclusion

After Second Hint

Is it

Look back for missing numbers?

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4
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Is it

Number School because there are a bunch of "numbers" + "kool" and put together "Numberskool" -> "Number-skool" -> "number-school"

After second hint:

Look back, for numbers are left. (Four has left and the numbers are to the left side of look back.)

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3
  • $\begingroup$ No, but nice try! $\endgroup$
    – Xandawesome
    Nov 10, 2015 at 22:35
  • $\begingroup$ Is the missing "4" intentional? $\endgroup$
    – mchoy25
    Nov 10, 2015 at 22:38
  • $\begingroup$ Yep! It definitely is! $\endgroup$
    – Xandawesome
    Nov 10, 2015 at 22:44
3
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Some guesses:

  • Not Looking forward to
  • Look before you leap
  • Look forward to
  • Looking back for ______

In decreasing order of plausibility

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2
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Guess

Before Count foregone his look back

Explanation

Before (It happens 'before' kool) Count (Meaning count Dracula or sesame street count, because 12356789 is counting) foregone (meaning given up -- because the four is gone from the list) look back (meaning remember or recall) So, "Before the Count has given up on thinking of the past"

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2
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Is it

Count forward, look back

Because

You're counting in order without a four; and look is reversed

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2
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I'm gussing

go forth before look back

Explanation

four is gone so gone forth, or go forth, and look is backward so look back. and 12356789 is before kool, hence my answer.

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1
  • $\begingroup$ Nice try, everyone is really close! $\endgroup$
    – Xandawesome
    Nov 11, 2015 at 18:11
2
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Is it?

Look back for nothing then

Because

Look is reversed and the number 4 is not in the 10 numbers

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1
  • $\begingroup$ I see eight numbers, even with 4 that would be nine numbers. Unless you are counting the eight numbers and the O's in KOOL? I'm assuming you were using "Ten" as "Then" in your answer? $\endgroup$
    – Timmy
    Nov 11, 2015 at 20:49

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