Puzzlebrains

So, this last weekend (13-15) was the Annual MIT Mystery Hunt, a massive puzzle contest - and I mean massive: I believe they had over a thousand participants this year!
And whilst most of the 150+ puzzles got a bit obscure at times, I thought I'd post a few that were a little more accessible and see how folk here got on with them...

This puzzle was called PUZZLING IS MY MIDDLE NAME

Is anyone looking at this? I think I have paired up most of the names but have two left on each side with no obvious answers for them so I'm wondering if I have gone wrong.

Sorry, haven't had a chance to look yet (unexpected guests!)

You can probably solve the puzzle if you're only missing a couple of answers. (It may also be possible to guess them if you look at your list carefully. )

Well I have tried all 4 combinations but nothing is leaping out at me.

So maybe time to try to work on the next stage.

Well, I have managed to pair them all up. I don't really know what to do now though.

Was the answer BUZZ?

Yes, it was. I enjoyed this one.

Actually, it was rather nice, wasn't it?

LAT happy to check what you're missing so you can proceed.

Yes..enjoyed this this evening

This one's called PUPPY LOVE and draws from the Bunnylump school of art.

Oi! My pictures were better than these!

I would agree with that. Your pictures are usually pretty good and recognisable. Lots of these I have no idea what they are meant to be.

Me neither!

These are my guesses, but I'm not seeing anything which might tell me if they are right or wrong!
bird food?
boxes or cubes
hair
erase?
no idea
heart
trek? Can't even see what this is meant to be
office
queen or crown
boat??
marbles / peanuts
snake poo?!!
fried egg
absolutely no idea
chipmunk?
logs?
blacksmith / anvil
storm
absolutely no idea
goal
bell
Mercury
I can't see what this is

How on Earth is anyone supposed to do anything with that?

Bunnylump wrote:How on Earth is anyone supposed to do anything with that?

Same way anyone usually solves a puzzle.
For starters, there are two blocks, one with numbers and one without. You can deduce quite a lot just from knowing that and considering some standard "rules". It's true that the pictures are not the most vivid in the world, but they will tend to resolve themselves once you've got the general idea. (Also, they were drawn by a nine-year-old. Not that that excuses them. )

Well, yes, I can see that. But what I mean is that the pictures are SO difficult to even guess at, I don't know where to start. My only thoughts are that possibly, if peanuts is right for that jar of balls then maybe it was something to do with fictional dogs. But then as the only one I'm even remotely confident with is Mercury that rules that out. I suppose you get Dog's Mercury, but that doesn't seem to apply to anything else. And my final thought was that that red blob in a round thing COULD (just about) be Wilson from the film Castaway. But what the hell that has to do with dogs is beyond me!

Hmm seeing a theme here that ....still struggling with some of the pictures though

Well don't keep it a secret. The MIT Hunt is supposed to be a collaborative effort.

Ok...but for those that do want to work it out themselves....I will spoiler it.

It was mercury and queen. That helped me get going

So set of pictures without the number are bands/groups and the other set are surnames of members of the band

Now trying to link them to get message which so far I have as a?sw?r?asse? So I'm expecting this to be answer ?asse?

Of think I have answer is it basset ?