I'm of the opinion that puzzles are more fun when you leave out the directions. For example:
Q. What are 1951 and 2017?
A. Warrior, sparrow, earworm
Answer Checker:
Hints: That introductory text isn't gratuitous! It is trying to convey a clever hint! "Leave out the directions" can also be interpreted as "Get rid of the arrows." The letters in ARROW appear in all three "answer words." So get rid of them! Then scramble the leftover letters around until you find an appropriate answer.