Whac-A-Mole
Bop emerging critters
Whac-A-Mole is an arcade game where plastic moles pop up randomly from holes and players score by hitting them with a mallet before they disappear.
The name has become a metaphor for any frustrating situation where solving one problem causes another to appear: Border enforcement is a game of whac-a-mole—seal one crossing and migrants find another.
Soft-headed striking tool
- timingArt of choosing moments
- reflexInvoluntary stimulus response
- speedRate of motion
- anticipationState of awaiting something
hand-eye · coordination · pop-up · holes · targets · levels · difficulty · score
Enclosed storage furniture
- malletSoft-headed striking tool
- tokensCurrency substitutes
- quartersAssigned living accommodations
- coin-opRequires inserted currency
highscore · scoreboard · leaderboard · ticketbooth · prizes · skeeball · pinball · foosball
Appearing suddenly, briefly
- plasticCapable of being molded
- holesOpenings through material
- burrowAnimal's dug dwelling
- gopherBurrowing North American rodent
critter · head · target · cartoon · silly · squeaky · colorful · animatronic
Equidistant from both ends
- funfairTraveling amusement attraction
- fairgroundOutdoor amusement venue
- amusementPleased entertainment state
- boothTemporary enclosed compartment
prizes · tickets · stuffed-animals · barker · lights · crowd · festivity · family
Lack of purpose
- recurringHappening repeatedly over time
- persistentContinuing despite difficulty
- endlessWithout termination or boundary
- frustrationDispleasure from blocked efforts
ineffective · suppression · reappearing · unsolvable · repetitive · cycle · pointless · systemic
mallet
Soft-headed striking tool
anticipation · hand-eye · coordination · pop-up · holes · targets · levels · difficulty · score · combo
cabinet
Enclosed storage furniture
coin-op · highscore · scoreboard · leaderboard · ticketbooth · prizes · skeeball · pinball · foosball · redemption
pop-up
Appearing suddenly, briefly
gopher · critter · head · target · cartoon · silly · squeaky · colorful · animatronic · spring-loaded
midway
Equidistant from both ends
- funfairTraveling amusement attraction
- fairgroundOutdoor amusement venue
- amusementPleased entertainment state
booth · prizes · tickets · stuffed-animals · barker · lights · crowd · festivity · family · children
futility
Lack of purpose
- recurringHappening repeatedly over time
- persistentContinuing despite difficulty
- endlessWithout termination or boundary
frustration · ineffective · suppression · reappearing · unsolvable · repetitive · cycle · pointless · systemic · inefficiency
Whac-A-Molestrategic planning
Defining organizational direction systematically
one-and-done · preventive action · holistic approach · systems thinking · silver bullet
Whac-A-Moledecisive victory
Overwhelming win, clear outcome
checkmate · knockout blow · master stroke · surgical strike · coup de grâce
Whac-A-Molechess
Strategic board game
strategy game · Go · puzzle · skill game · poker