"Small Animals" November 3, 2023

[TeamDoubleTow]

Late to shore.... But nice to see the beach even though the sun set a while ago!

[TheKater]

Still keeping Isaac company - found what I thought was step one and step two and then… Oh well, I like having something to look forward to on Monday morning!

[mheberlingx100]

Getting late, time to submit my Hail Mary. I’ve gone down so many rabbit holes. I’m dying to see the solution.

[Plymouthrock]

Stumped

[Ann]

On the shore!

[Bob cruise director]

Good evening muggles
Our final count is 21 on the ship and 124 on the shore

Good luck winning the mug and I will see you next Thursday

[ReB]

On shore following a rescue from the Last Call crew.

[chriscross]

Anyone around to give a nudge? I’m not submitting but I would like to feel I figured something out rather than just looking at the answer tomorrow morning (which I’ve been doing too much lately)

[LittleGood]

I submitted. Not 100% pleased with my answer. Tough one. Will see in the morning.

[HoldThatThought]

Nudges available for maybe the next hour.

[Hidden in 3D]

I'm staying on the ship this weekend. I haven't spent much time on this one and after reading the comments on the forum, it's probably just as well. My husband and I have been helping our daughter and SIL, who recently moved into a new house. After the many relocations we made while Mr. Hidden was in the Navy, we thought we had seen it all, but nothing can compare with the horrible experience they have been through. I look forward to seeing the solution tomorrow!

[Momo]

Well I guessed based on two weak clues. What’s a three letter word for rabbit? That’s what I should have picked. Spent all weekend down their holes!

[CAe39]

Ashore after a late start.

[hcbirker]

[DrTom]

Boy did I find some alleys on this one:
REI and REID
AVA and LAVA
Then nothing
REI and PEI
SAT and SAD
TAR and ARI
Then nothing

Small animal in the one log entry DOG but none in the others, BUT
CHAT = CAT + H
SCOW = COW + S
SASS = ASS + S
ROOT = ROO + T

I thought sure that was the path because I had 4…but no. Plus if the animals name wasn’t formed from a three letter word (making it by definition a three letter animal) what else could I do. I never considered what Matt eventually did and it was a masterstroke.

My fault for not looking for other animals hidden in other words (esp. since I hid YAK almost the exact same way in one of my own puzzles). I got myopic looking for what I thought would have to be the mechanism, not what was. Still took me a while to give up on ROO as an animal but I couldn’t find KOALA or WOMBAT in the grid so eventually I abandoned it.

Fun journey even if I di need someone to put me back on the road (thanks @Wendy Walker)

[meowmiao71]

I submitted EEL because I wound up with AC DC (ass, cat, dog, cow) and thought it was (electric) EEL. Oh well!

[escapeartist]

Focusing on the four across animals, in order the first letters spell ACDC, which led me to EEL.

I did not look beyond that.

[FrancesY]

Wow. I got the right answer but was stunned to see the method. I started with the six three-letter animals. So far so good. But I took the first letter of the Across animals to get AC DC and of the Down animals to get BY, so I must be looking for a song by AC/DC, right? (Plus the line connecting the A-C-D-C is a lightning bolt.) Apparently they have a hit song “Back in Black” which leads to spelling backwards 42D Black gunk or TAR to get RAT.

[mheberlingx100]

I saw intimidate/cow and scarf/boa, but never would have made a torment/dog or an hombre/cat connection. My Hail Mary was ape. No good reason except I could almost spell chimp with animal substitutes for some answers. Knew it was wrong but it was the eleventh hour and I had to submit something.

[hoover]

I was stuck on S-for-small followed by an animal, as in S-ASS, S-COW. I was looking for a S-T* so I could have CAT.