[Solution] Lizard Breath

This word search consists entirely of variations of the name Elizabeth – both shortened versions and foreign analogues. In alphabetical order, the hidden names are:

  • Betsy
  • Eliza
  • Ellie
  • Elsa
  • Elsie
  • Elspeth
  • Ilsa
  • Libby
  • Liesl
  • Lilibet
  • Liz
  • Liza
  • Lizzy

The completed grid looks like this:

The highlighted words connect to each other to form letters, spelling out the solution, BETH.

[Solution] Common Ground

Each Venn diagram consists of two overlapping circles, each of which consists of words which share a characteristic. Each is missing an answer word which fits in both circles, represented by a number, which also has its length given in parentheses. Each identifying number appears twice in the puzzle. In each case, it represents the same word.

  • 1) Female farm animals (Hen, Mare, Sow) & Words spelled entirely using compass letters (Essense, Newness, News) → EWE
  • 2) Cue sports (Billiards, Pyramid, Snooker) & Sports venues (Arena, Stadium, Track) → POOL
  • 3) Vegetables (Carrot, Lettuce, Tomato) & Fruits missing their final letter (Banan, Melo, Orang) → PEA
  • 4) Firefly characters (Book, Jayne, Wash) & Phoenix siblings (Liberty, Rain, Summer) → RIVER
  • 5) Homophones of letters (Ewe, Pea) & Bodies of water (Pool, River) → SEA
  • 6) ____ Bug (June, Lightning, Stink) & Members of the tank gang from Finding Nemo, reversed (Hcaep, Llig, Selbbub) → BED
  • 7) Logical operators (Nand, Xor, Xnor) & Coordinating conjunctions (But, For, Yet) → NOT (And/Or are also possible answers, but they are given in the diagram.)
  • 8) Words consisting of B, K, N, and some number of vowels (Bikini, Ikebana, Knob) & Synonyms for nonsense (Balderdash, Hogwash, Nonsense) → BUNK
  • 9) Synonyms for decompose (Decay, Putrefy, Spoil) & Synonyms for nonsense (Balderdash, Hogwash, Nonsense) → ROT
  • 10) Places to sleep (Bed, Bunk) & Words ending in _OT (Not, Rot) → COT
  • 11) Fictional captains (America, Crunch, Planet) & Comic book publishers (Dark Horse, DC, Image) → MARVEL
  • 12) Pets (Dog, Hamster, Parrot) & Felines (Jaguar, Lynx, Tiger) → CAT
  • 13) Words ending in _ACLE (Barnacle, Oracle, Tabernacle) & Singular forms of words for eyewear (Glass, Goggle, Shade) → SPECTACLE
  • 14) ____ Ink (Black, India, Squid) & Not seen (Hidden, Imperceptible, Unseen) → INVISIBLE
  • 15) Synonyms for phenomenon (Marvel, Spectacle) & ____ Woman comic characters (Cat, Invisble) → WONDER
  • 16) Synonyms for fan (Aficionado, Devotee, Fan) & Synonyms for polish (Burnish, Polish, Shine) → BUFF
  • 17) Anagrams of BETA (Abet, Bate, Beta) & Synonyms for defeat handily (Defeat, Rout, Vanquish) → BEAT
  • 18) Horse colorings (Palomino, Pinto, Roan) & Trees (Maple, Oak, Walnut) → CHESTNUT (As well as the given Bay.)
  • 19) Eye ____ body parts (Ball, Brow, Lid) & Synonyms for tie (Bind, Fasten, Tie) → LASH
  • 20) Shades of brown (Buff, Chestnut) & Synonyms for whip (Beat, Lash) → TAN

The final Venn diagram in the center of the page contains the words SEA and WONDER on the left, and COT and TAN on the right. The left side are things that are commonly given in a list of seven (seven seas, seven wonders), and the right side are abbreviations for trig functions. The answer is the three-letter word which fits in both groups, namely SIN.

[Solution] The French Connection

Each word on the left can be combined phonetically with a word on the right to form a new word or phrase. For example, ALL + SEW = ALSO. The pairs are shown here:

The lines connecting the words spell out the French translation of the new, combined English word, with one letter added.

  • ALL + SEW = ALSO = AUSSI + O
  • AWK + SHUN = AUCTION = ENCHÈRES + I
  • DISK + HOVER = DISCOVER = DÉCOUVRIR + L
  • EYE + SCREAM = ICE CREAM = GLACE + V
  • FORE + TEA = FORTY = QUARANTE + Y
  • MISS + US = MRS. = MADAME + E
  • PURR + PULL = ALSO = VIOLET + W
  • SEE + SUN = SEASON = SAISON + E

Sorting the French words alphabetically and taking the extra letters in that order gives OLIVE YEW. This is a misheard version of I LOVE YOU, which becomes JE T’AIME in French. Since the JE is given, the answer is T’AIME.

[Solution] Resupply

Each of the different shops encodes a number in a different way, clued by the title. Using the five given clues, it is possible to figure out the encoding and the cost for the final item.

  • APPETIZERS (First letter – A=1, B=2…): Antipasto = A = 1
  • COMMUNICATIONS (Morse code – dot for i; dash for t): Civic Radio = … = S = 19
  • BOOKS & LETTERS (Lengths of each word): A Newspaper = 19
  • TREASURE HUNTERS (Position of the X in each item): Deluxe Shovel = 5
  • CHEMICAL SUPPLIES (First letters of each word as element symbol, take atomic number): Carbon Atoms = Ca = 20

Translating the numbers to letters, using A=1, b=2, etc., gives the answer, ASSET.

[Solution] Mixed Signals

Each of the given images is two international maritime signal flags overlaid on each other. This picture shows the given images in the first row, and the two distinct flags in rows two and three.

Solving this puzzle requires noticing that one of the flags in each pair in order (shown in row two above) spells out the word ANSWER. The remaining flags spell out the answer FINIAL.

[Solution] Terrible Teeth

These sets of teeth can be paired up into tops and bottoms that fit together exactly.

Once assembled, the Morse code on the teeth can be read. Each string starts with a number. The teeth in the image above are sorted by that number. The Morse code reads 1G, 2N, 3A, 4W, 5E, 6R, 7S, and 8. In numerical order, the letters spell out the answer GNAWERS.

[Solution] Programming

This puzzle gives pseudocode instructions for the little marker in the lower left corner. The program has been translated into Snap! Programming here, albeit with a couple shortcuts to avoid the “WHILE tile has not been visited before” logic. To view it properly, click on the stop button in the upper right corner, followed by the two arrows in the top middle, and finally the two footprints to the left of that. Now if you click the green flag, the program will start again, activating step-by-step.

Importantly, this implementation leaves a green dot on each tile it visits. When the program reaches its final loop, the visited tiles spell out the answer, BOT.

It is not significantly more difficult to solve this puzzle by hand, though it will take a good deal more time.

[Solution] Laundry Day

This puzzle contains overlapping images of five different types of laundry: caps, pants shirts, socks, and ties. The different clothing types are highlighted in the following sequence of images:

The flavor text references “head to foot”. Counting the number of each type of clothing in order from head to foot gives 19 caps, 8 ties, 9 shirts, 18 pants, and 20 socks. Translating each number into a letter using A=1, B=2, etc. gives the answer SHIRT.

[Solution] Seven Puzzles for Seven Dwarfs

Each of the seven puzzle answers over the last two months can be split into two parts. One of the parts is a synonym for the name of a dwarf from Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The images give an order for the answers, with the pairings shown here:

  • Happy – MERRIE Melodies
  • Doc – Brain SURGEON
  • Dopey – GOOFY Goober
  • Grumpy – ANGRY Birds
  • Sneezy – ALLERGIC Reaction
  • Sleepy – DROWSY Chaperone
  • Bashful – FlutterSHY

The number of gems pictured with each dwarf can used as an index into the other half of the answers (i.e., the first letter of MELODIES is M). The answer to the metapuzzle is MAGICAL.

[Solution] Babysitting

This is a relatively straightforward logic puzzle with a number of possible solving paths, one of which is given here:

Start by placing Daniel on Day 1. Additionally there must be a three-day sequence which is Snoring, Nevaeh, Chris. Since Eloise is watching the snorer, this cannot happen from days 1-3, and must happen on days 2-4 or 3-5. Briony must watch Octavia on the other day, either 2 or 5.

By process of elimination, Aldwyn must be the one to babysit Nevaeh. By the third clue, Yoshi must have been watched in the first three days, with the only options being Daniel or Eloise. The first clue tells us that Eloise must have watched Asher or Joseph, so Daniel watches Yoshi on day 1. By the first clue, the activity must be Drawing Pictures or Eating Dinner, and clue 3 narrows that to Eating Dinner. Briony and Octavia must have been Drawing Pictures, which by the second clue puts them on day 2.

The only way to satisfy the penultimate clue is to have Using the Tablet on day 4 and Joseph on day 5, leaving Asher on day 3 and Collecting Rocks on day 5.

Here is the final grid:

DayBabysitterChildActivity
1DanielYoshiEating Dinner
2BrionyOctaviaDrawing Pictures
3EloiseAsherSnoring
4AldwynNevaehUsing the Tablet
5ChrisJosephCollecting Rocks

The day numbers can be used to index into each of the answers, giving the bolded letters above, which spell out DROWSY CHAPERONE reading down the columns.