MEOW #194 I'm Game (Both formats)

[DrTom]

Well, he's at it again, two different forms of the same puzzle. I created the IMPLIED version and had it tested and it worked well, but one of my testers was tentative with an answer because of the implied nature. I know how some people just don't like implicit answers (I often don't myself) so I thought, OK, I'll make an EXPLICIT version.

I had that tested and my testers (@whimsy, @benchen71 , @lbray53 , @pchow13 ) said they liked it but that they had no real feelings about which one I should go with. So, what the heck since both were made I'll post both. I don't think there is a degree of difficulty difference between them, both should play at a level 2 I'd imagine.

Kitten

*CALICO

Persian

Puma

Lion

I'm Game - Implied files:

Crosshare - I'm Game - Implied

Puz File - I'm Game - Implied

PDF - I'm Game - Implied

I'm Game - Explicit files:

Crosshare - I'm Game - Explicit

Puz File - I'm Game - Explicit

PDF - I'm Game - Explicit

Unfortunately I cannot include a picture of the files because that would tip the mechanism too much, so instead I'll just include a funny cartoon I saw:

[woozy]

Cats out of the bag. He doesn't know how though.

It'll probably come to me in the middle of the night. I sort of see enough to guess but I don't really see it all

[boharr]

The cat is explicitly gone. Thanks!

[DrTom]

ERRATA

It has been pointed out that my 44A clue on the Explicit version might have been way too obtuse, or probably just wrong. It does not affect the meta in any way but the clue should read:

44A Horace Greeley's instructions, had he been talking to a French young man

[Darth]

Implied. ;) ............. Thank you, DrTom.

[HeadinHome]

Yeah… that 44A oddity had me googling all kinds of theories on the meta.

I am completely baffled, and I did the explicit one! Have guessed all the famous dogs I can think of…. Even ones that would fit the theme well! No idea.
…..

Okay .. did the non-explicit one and that was a cinch now to go back and see how it’s done in the explicit version….
….

Yep - now i see that too sheesh how did I miss that??

BOTH puzzles very gettable Thanks Dr. Tom!

[Cinny]

The cat snuck out if the bag when I wasn't looking.
Thanks, Dr Tom! Perhaps I will try the implied one next.

[DrTom]

Yeah… that 44A oddity had me googling all kinds of theories on the meta.

I am completely baffled, and I did the explicit one! Have guessed all the famous dogs I can think of…. Even ones that would fit the theme well! No idea.
…..

Okay .. did the non-explicit one and that was a cinch now to go back and see how it’s done in the explicit version….
….

Yep - now i see that too sheesh how did I miss that??

BOTH puzzles very gettable Thanks Dr. Tom!

So, I see you saw the proverbial "Bat SIgnal"!

Thanks for persevering.

[DrTom]

The cat snuck out if the bag when I wasn't looking.
Thanks, Dr Tom! Perhaps I will try the implied one next.

Might have been chased by the dog?

[rjy]

Same path as Wendy ... stumped -> implied (aha!) -> hmm -> explicit (duh!)

(...as one who prefers derived rather than implied answers, implied certainly does have its place when done well and this is a solid, clever click)

[schmidzy]

Cat's doubly gone. Solved the implied, but of course I can't just not do a meta, so I had to look at the explicit one too!

[Bird Lives]

The implicit cat is out of the implicit bag.

[ChrisKochmanski]

Cat out!

[woozy]

It was late when I did them and there were two so I wasn't trying very hard with the implicit although I had some idea what was going on. So then I did the explicit which at first appeared to be complementing although emphasizing one thing more and another less and I didn't really see enough (it was late and I wasn't trying very hard) to do the meta but enough to say that sure looks like a plausible guess that seemed really very strong. It was correct.

Looking back this morning I see they two mechanism together.... is *not* a shortcut. One does not work for the other. But they both *strongly* hint (If you are too lazy, tired or, ahem, dim to actually *do* a meta) at an answer that feels very very strong.

Both are actually easy but together they were enough to trigger my laziness to not try hard enough mode (but also not enough to short-circuit my take shortcuts mode).

[KayW]

I tried the implicit version first. Got stuck. Tried the explicit version, and things soon fell into place. Went back to look at the implied version - doh!

Thanks for twice the fun this week, Tom!

[hcbirker]

Cat's out (explicit).

[hoover]

The implication is that the dog is out of the box.

[Jeremy Smith]

I decided to try the implied version because I'm absolutely terrible at implicit meta solutions and I'm a glutton for punishment. Whaddayouknow! I solved quickly! Thanks, Dr T!

[MatthewL]

Cat is out, on a total wild guess based on one clue in the puzzle (and not the one you think). Haven't figured out the mechanism yet, but a loose cat is a loose cat. Thanks for the puzzles, Tom!

[ajk]

Solved the explicit one on like the fourth go-round. Still no idea on how the implicit one works, but I've only stared at that one once.