Let me analyze these 16 words carefully. PROFANITY, CHRISTMAS, HISTAMINE, MESH SHIRT, HERRING, NECKLACE, EARRING, STIRRING, PLEATHER VEST, MYSTERY, HOUSE, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS, OUROBOROS, MOUSE Let me look for categories: 1. Words meaning cursing/bad language: PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS - these all mean bad/curse words. That seems like a solid group. 2. Things that itch/cause itching: HISTAMINE (causes itching), MESH SHIRT (itchy clothing), PLEATHER VEST (could be itchy), NECKLACE (can cause neck itch), EARRING (can cause ear irritation)... hmm 3. ___ tree: CHRISTMAS tree, MYSTERY... no. 4. Things with rings: EARRING (has "ring"), STIRRING (has "ring"), HERRING (has "ring"), OUROBOROS (is a ring/circular symbol)... Wait, let me think about words containing "ring": • EARRING: ear+RING • STIRRING: stirr+ING... no, stir+RING • HERRING: her+RING • NECKLACE: no... • CHRISTMAS: no... Words containing "RING": • EARRING - yes • STIRRING - S+TIRRING... STIRRING = STIR+RING? No, it's STIRR+ING or STIR+RING. Yes, contains RING • HERRING - HER+RING - yes, contains RING • OUROBOROS - no • NECKLACE - no Hmm, what about NECKLACE, EARRING, OUROBOROS, HERRING - things that are circular/loop shapes? Ouroboros is a snake eating its tail (circular). Necklace is circular. Earring can be circular. Herring... not circular. Wait - could the category be "things that go around your neck/body"? NECKLACE, EARRING... Let me think about OUROBOROS - it's a symbol of a snake eating its own tail. What connections could it have? What about "_____ red _____ ": RED HERRING, RED HOUSE (Hendrix), RED CHRISTMAS...? Let me think about TV shows or movies: • MYSTERY (house) • HOUSE (TV show) • MOUSE (Mickey Mouse?) What about "COMPUTER ___" or "___ pad"? What about words that can follow "HAUNTED"? HAUNTED HOUSE, HAUNTED... Let me think about "___ music": HOUSE music, CHRISTMAS music... What about "MYSTERY ___" or "___ MYSTERY"? Let me think about what OUROBOROS, CHRISTMAS, MYSTERY, HERRING could have in common... Actually, wait. Let me think about itchy things: • HISTAMINE: causes itching (allergic response) • MESH SHIRT: itchy fabric • PLEATHER VEST: itchy material • NECKLACE: can cause itchy neck • EARRING: can cause itchy ear That's 5 potential "itchy things"... maybe the category is "things that might make you itch"? What about OUROBOROS, NECKLACE, EARRING, STIRRING - things that are circular/going in circles? OUROBOROS = snake eating its tail (circular) STIRRING = circular motion NECKLACE = circular EARRING = can be circular (hoop) Hmm, that's interesting. Or maybe: things that go around something? Let me reconsider. What about "___ RED ___": RED HERRING, RED NECKLACE... Actually, what if the categories involve wordplay? MOUSE - computer mouse, house mouse, Mickey Mouse HOUSE - house music, full house CHRISTMAS - Christmas tree, Christmas carol MYSTERY - mystery novel, mystery school What about "Agatha Christie" connections? MYSTERY, HERRING (red herring is a mystery trope)... Let me think about "things that circle/wrap around": • OUROBOROS (snake in a circle) • NECKLACE (circles the neck) • EARRING (can be a hoop) • STIRRING (circular motion) Or "___ MUSIC": HOUSE music, CHRISTMAS music... What about "CAROL": CHRISTMAS CAROL, CAROL (name)... Let me think about compound words or phrases with a common word: "___ PARTY": HOUSE PARTY, CHRISTMAS PARTY, MYSTERY PARTY... What if there's a "___ BOX": MYSTERY BOX, CHRISTMAS BOX, MUSIC BOX... What about "FULL ___": FULL HOUSE, FULL CIRCLE... Actually, let me think about STIRRING differently. "STIRRING" as in exciting/rousing. STIRRING speech. What about things that can be "RED ___": RED HERRING, RED NECKLACE, RED EARRING...? Hmm, let me think about "___ SHOPPING": CHRISTMAS SHOPPING, HOUSE SHOPPING, MYSTERY SHOPPING... Wait - MYSTERY SHOPPING is a real thing! What about genres/types that can precede "NOVEL" or "STORY"? MYSTERY novel, CHRISTMAS story, HOUSE... Let me think about "OPEN ___": OPEN HOUSE, OPEN... What if the category is "things with silent letters" or "anagrams"? HERRING - anagram? MOUSE - anagram of MOUES, EUROS... CHRISTMAS - anagram? HISTAMINE - anagram? Let me try a different approach. What are the less obvious connections? OUROBOROS - snake eating itself, infinity symbol, cycles HISTAMINE - allergy/itch chemical MESH SHIRT - clothing PLEATHER VEST - clothing Fashion items that are considered tacky/itchy: • MESH SHIRT • PLEATHER VEST • NECKLACE (? - chunky necklace?) • EARRING (? - clip-on?) Hmm, what about "things associated with a specific character or person"? What about "HOUSE ___" or "___ HOUSE": FULL HOUSE, HOUSE MOUSE, OPEN HOUSE... MOUSE and HOUSE rhyme... CHRISTMAS and HISTAMINE... What words rhyme with each other here? • HOUSE / MOUSE / OUROBOROS... no • HOUSE / MOUSE (rhyme) • STIRRING / HERRING / EARRING (rhyme/near rhyme) • CHRISTMAS / HISTAMINE / MYSTERY... Wait! • HOUSE rhymes with MOUSE • STIRRING rhymes with HERRING and EARRING • CHRISTMAS rhymes with HISTAMINE? No... • MYSTERY rhymes with HISTAMINE? No... • SWEARING rhymes with HERRING? SWEARING / HERRING - swear-ing / her-ring... not quite Hmm, let me look at this differently. PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS - all mean cursing. This seems very solid. What if one of these is a decoy and the real category is different? PROFANITY - also a word itself EXPLETIVES - also a grammatical term (filler words like "there" in "there is") SWEARING - also "swearing in" (oath) FOUR-LETTER WORDS - also literally 4-letter words What if the category is "euphemisms for swearing" and includes something unexpected? Actually, all four (PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS) clearly mean bad language. I'll keep this group. Now for the remaining 12: CHRISTMAS, HISTAMINE, MESH SHIRT, HERRING, NECKLACE, EARRING, STIRRING, PLEATHER VEST, MYSTERY, HOUSE, OUROBOROS, MOUSE Let me think about what connects OUROBOROS with others... OUROBOROS is a circular symbol. What else is circular or looping? • NECKLACE (loops around neck) • EARRING (hoop earring) • STIRRING (circular motion) • OUROBOROS (circular by definition) Is "things that go in circles" a category? Or what about "self-referential things"? OUROBOROS is self-referential... MYSTERY (circular reasoning?)... What about "___ CAROL": CHRISTMAS CAROL, CAROL (A Christmas Carol)... Let me think about "BOX": MYSTERY BOX, CHRISTMAS BOX, JACK-IN-THE-BOX, MUSIC BOX... What about "MUSIC": HOUSE MUSIC, CHRISTMAS MUSIC, MYSTERY MUSIC... Hmm, what about "FULL ___": FULL HOUSE, FULL MYSTERY...no What if the category is "things that are self-referential/circular": • OUROBOROS (literally circular) • HERRING (a red herring leads you in circles) • MYSTERY (circular plot?) • STIRRING (circular motion) Or maybe "___ SHOPPING": MYSTERY SHOPPING, CHRISTMAS SHOPPING, HOUSE... What about compound words containing animal names hidden within? • CHRISTMAS: no obvious animal • HISTAMINE: no • HERRING: HERRING is a fish • OUROBOROS: contains... no • MOUSE: IS an animal • NECKLACE: no • EARRING: EAR + RING, no • STIRRING: contains... no • MYSTERY: MY + STERY... no • HOUSE: no • MESH SHIRT: no • PLEATHER VEST: no Hmm. Let me think about what MESH SHIRT and PLEATHER VEST have in common beyond being clothing. They're both tacky/cheesy fashion items. What other things might fit "tacky accessories"? • NECKLACE (chunky gold necklace?) • EARRING (large earring?) • MESH SHIRT • PLEATHER VEST Or maybe "things associated with a specific stereotype" - like a sleazy character wears MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, gold NECKLACE, EARRING... That could be it! Things a "sleazy guy" or "90s villain" might wear: • MESH SHIRT • PLEATHER VEST • NECKLACE • EARRING That would leave: CHRISTMAS, HISTAMINE, HERRING, STIRRING, MYSTERY, HOUSE, OUROBOROS, MOUSE From these 8, what groups can I find? Words containing hidden words? • CHRISTMAS: contains CHRIS, MAS, HIST... • HISTAMINE: contains HIST, AMINE, MINE, HIS... • HERRING: contains HER, RING, HERR... • STIRRING: contains STIR, RING, TIRRING... • MYSTERY: contains MYST, ERY... • HOUSE: contains HOUS... • OUROBOROS: contains BORO, OUROBOROS... • MOUSE: contains MOUS... Words containing "HIS": CHRISTMAS (CHriSTMAS?), HISTAMINE (HIS-tamine), MYSTERY (MY-STERY... no), Actually: CHRISTMAS contains "HIS": chriSTMAS... C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S... CHRIST contains "HRIST"... wait, "HIS" in CHRISTMAS: C-H-R-I-S = CHRIS, but H-I-S = positions 2,4,5? No, consecutive: C(1)H(2)R(3)I(4)S(5)T(6)M(7)A(8)S(9). HIS would need H-I-S consecutively, but we have H(2)R(3)I(4) - not consecutive HIS. HISTAMINE: H-I-S-T-A-M-I-N-E. Yes, HIS is at the start! MYSTERY: M-Y-S-T-E-R-Y. No HIS. Let me look for hidden words differently. OUROBOROS contains "BORO" - like Middlesbrough? No wait - what if these words have hidden body parts? • EARRING: EAR • NECKLACE: NECK • HERRING: HER... no, SHIN? no... • STIRRING: RIB? SHIN? no... • CHRISTMAS: ARM? C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S... no ARM... wait: ch-R-i-s-t-M-A-s - M-A... no. Actually wait: chrisTMAS... no. C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S. Hmm, RIB? No. • HISTAMINE: HIP? H-I-S-T-A-M-I-N-E... SHIN: S-H-I-N... S(3)H? No, H is first: H-I-S-T... • MOUSE: TOE? no. SHIN? no. • HOUSE: no body part obvious Let me think about "___ RING" or "RING ___": Words containing RING: • EARRING (EAR+RING) • STIRRING (STIRR+ING or STIR+RING - yes, RING is in there: sti-R-I-N-G) • HERRING (HER+RING) • What else? OUROBOROS? No. Hmm, OUROBOROS... O-U-R-O-B-O-R-O-S. Does it contain a hidden word? Actually wait - could the connection be that words contain the names of other words in the puzzle? • HISTAMINE contains... HIST... no wait. Does HISTAMINE contain MOUSE? No. HOUSE? H-I-S-T-A-M-I-N-E... no consecutive HOUSE. • CHRISTMAS: C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S... contains... STIR? no S-T-I-R, but we have S(5)T(6)... wait: R(3)I(4)S(5)T(6) = RIST, not STIR. • OUROBOROS: O-U-R-O-B-O-R-O-S... OURO... hmm Let me think differently. What if the categories involve: 1. Cursing synonyms: PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS 2. Things that make you itch: HISTAMINE, MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, + one more 3. Things in a circle/loop: OUROBOROS, NECKLACE, EARRING, STIRRING (?) 4. Some other category For "things that make you itch": • HISTAMINE (chemical that causes itch) • MESH SHIRT (itchy fabric) • PLEATHER VEST (synthetic, itchy) • NECKLACE (can cause itchy neck, especially cheap metal) • EARRING (can cause itchy ears) • WOOL? If the itchy category is: HISTAMINE, MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE or EARRING... Then the remaining would need to form groups from what's left. Let me try: if "sleazy fashion" is MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE, EARRING... And "itchy things" is HISTAMINE + three others... But what else is itchy? HERRING? CHRISTMAS? STIRRING? Hmm, what if "itchy" is a red herring and the category is actually about something else? What if the category is words that contain or relate to "RING"? • EARRING: contains RING • STIRRING: contains RING (sti-RRING or s-t-i-r-RING) • HERRING: contains RING (her-RING) • NECKLACE: doesn't contain RING, but is jewelry like a ring • OUROBOROS: is often depicted as a ring (snake ring), but doesn't contain the word Hmm, EARRING, STIRRING, HERRING all contain "RING". What's the 4th? • CHRISTMAS: C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S... no RING • HISTAMINE: no • MYSTERY: no • HOUSE: no • MOUSE: no • OUROBOROS: no • NECKLACE: no • PLEATHER VEST: no • MESH SHIRT: no • PROFANITY: no • EXPLETIVES: no • SWEARING: S-W-E-A-R-I-N-G... SWEARING contains "RING"? S-W-E-A-R-I-N-G: R(5)I(6)N(7)G(8) = RING! Yes! SWEARING contains RING! So: EARRING, STIRRING, HERRING, SWEARING - all contain the word RING! But wait, if SWEARING is in the "contains RING" category, it's not in the "cursing" category... That would mean the cursing category is: PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, FOUR-LETTER WORDS, and... one more. Hmm. What else means cursing? • BLASPHEMY? Not in the list. • OBSCENITY? Not in the list. Wait, what about OUROBOROS? No... What about MYSTERY? No... What about HOUSE? No... Actually, could CHRISTMAS be slang for cursing? Like "Christmas!" as an exclamation? That's a stretch. Or what if the cursing category is exactly PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS, and the "contains RING" category uses different words? Words containing RING from the full list: • EARRING ✓ (ear-RING) • STIRRING ✓ (stirr-ING? or stir-RING: S-T-I-R-R-I-N-G... RING = R-I-N-G... positions: S(1)T(2)I(3)R(4)R(5)I(6)N(7)G(8). RING = R(5)I(6)N(7)G(8). Yes!) • HERRING ✓ (her-RING: H-E-R-R-I-N-G, R(4)I(5)N(6)G(7) = RING. Yes!) • SWEARING ✓ (swear-ING: S-W-E-A-R-I-N-G, R(5)I(6)N(7)G(8) = RING. Yes!) • NECKLACE: N-E-C-K-L-A-C-E. No RING. • OUROBOROS: O-U-R-O-B-O-R-O-S. No RING. • CHRISTMAS: C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S. No RING. So EARRING, STIRRING, HERRING, SWEARING all contain RING. If this is a category, then cursing = PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, FOUR-LETTER WORDS + one more. What else could mean cursing? • MYSTERY? No. • OUROBOROS? No. • MOUSE? No. • HOUSE? No. • CHRISTMAS? No. • HISTAMINE? No. Hmm, maybe EXPLETIVES is actually in the "contains RING" group? Let me check: E-X-P-L-E-T-I-V-E-S. No RING. Wait, could one of PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, FOUR-LETTER WORDS be in a different category, and another word means cursing? Let me reconsider. What does OUROBOROS mean beyond the snake symbol? In games/puzzles, sometimes OUROBOROS represents something circular or self-referential. What if there's a category of "things that are self-referential/recursive": • OUROBOROS (literally self-eating) • MYSTERY (mystery within a mystery?) • HERRING (red herring - misleading clue in a mystery) • MOUSE (computer mouse - connects to... ?) Or what about "___ HOUSE": MYSTERY HOUSE, CHRISTMAS HOUSE, MOUSE HOUSE... What about "Full ___": FULL HOUSE, FULL... Hmm, what about TV shows? HOUSE (M.D.), MYSTERY (various), MOUSE... What if there's a category related to "AGATHA CHRISTIE" or mystery genre? • MYSTERY • HERRING (red herring) • OUROBOROS (her novel? I think she wrote one) • MOUSE (The Mousetrap - Agatha Christie play!) Wait! "The Mousetrap" is Agatha Christie's famous play. Agatha Christie connections: • MOUSE → The Mousetrap • MYSTERY → general mystery • HERRING → Red Herring (mystery trope) • OUROBOROS → is there an Agatha Christie novel? Hmm... Actually wait - "NECKLACE": The Necklace? Not Christie. Let me think about Agatha Christie novels/works: • "And Then There Were None" • "Murder on the Orient Express" • "Death on the Nile" • "The Mousetrap" • "Crooked House" • "Hercule Poirot's Christmas" - CHRISTMAS! • "The Mystery of..." many mysteries Hmm, CROOKED HOUSE... CHRISTMAS... What about "CHRISTMAS" connections: • CHRISTMAS MOUSE (Christmas mouse story) • CHRISTMAS STOCKING • CHRISTMAS CAROL • CHRISTMAS MYSTERY What if the categories are about things that can follow or precede a specific word? "___ STOCKING": CHRISTMAS STOCKING, NYLON STOCKING... "CHRISTMAS ___": CHRISTMAS TREE, CHRISTMAS CAROL, CHRISTMAS MOUSE... What about "FULL ___": FULL HOUSE, FULL MYSTERY, FULL CIRCLE... I keep coming back to these possible categories: 1. PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, FOUR-LETTER WORDS + ??? (cursing synonyms, but SWEARING might be taken) 2. EARRING, STIRRING, HERRING, SWEARING (contain RING) 3. MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE, EARRING (sleazy fashion) - but EARRING might be in group 2 4. Something with HISTAMINE, CHRISTMAS, MYSTERY, HOUSE, MOUSE, OUROBOROS Conflict: EARRING could be in "contains RING" OR "sleazy fashion" If EARRING is in "contains RING", then what's the 4th member of "sleazy fashion"? • MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE, + OUROBOROS? (an ouroboros ring?) • MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE, + MOUSE? No • MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE, + HISTAMINE? No Hmm, this doesn't work well. Let me reconsider: maybe NECKLACE is in "contains RING" (as neckLACE... no). Or maybe the "fashion" category is: MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, EARRING, + something else. And NECKLACE belongs elsewhere. If NECKLACE contains RING... N-E-C-K-L-A-C-E. No, no RING there. What about OUROBOROS containing RING? O-U-R-O-B-O-R-O-S. No. Let me try another angle. What if the category is "things that itch": • HISTAMINE (causes itching) • MESH SHIRT (itchy) • PLEATHER VEST (synthetic, itchy) • NECKLACE (cheap metal necklace causes itching) Then "fashion/accessories" would need different members, or this IS the fashion category with the added note that they itch. Or maybe the categories are: 1. PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS (cursing) 2. EARRING, STIRRING, HERRING, NECKLACE - things that... hmm NECKLACE doesn't contain RING Wait, I miscounted. If SWEARING is in the cursing group, then the "contains RING" group needs a different 4th member besides EARRING, STIRRING, HERRING. Other words in the full list containing RING: • OUROBOROS: O-U-R-O-B-O-R-O-S → no • CHRISTMAS: C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S → no • HISTAMINE: H-I-S-T-A-M-I-N-E → no • NECKLACE: N-E-C-K-L-A-C-E → no • PLEATHER VEST: P-L-E-A-T-H-E-R-V-E-S-T → no • MESH SHIRT: no • MYSTERY: M-Y-S-T-E-R-Y → no • HOUSE: no • MOUSE: no • PROFANITY: P-R-O-F-A-N-I-T-Y → no • EXPLETIVES: no • FOUR-LETTER WORDS: F-O-U-R-L-E-T-T-E-R-W-O-R-D-S → hmm, FOUR contains... F-O-U-R, R → actually does FOUR-LETTER WORDS contain RING? No. So the only words containing RING are: EARRING, STIRRING, HERRING, SWEARING. This means either: A) The "contains RING" category uses SWEARING, and cursing has a different 4th member B) There's no "contains RING" category, and SWEARING is in the cursing group If B, what connects EARRING, STIRRING, HERRING with a 4th word? EARRING - jewelry, hearing, ear STIRRING - mixing, moving, exciting HERRING - fish, red herring What do EARRING, STIRRING, HERRING have in common besides containing RING? • They all end in ...RING? EARRING (ear-RING), HERRING (her-RING), STIRRING (stirr-ING)... Actually STIRRING ends in -ING, while EARRING ends in -RING and HERRING ends in -RING. Hmm: EARRING = EAR + RING, HERRING = HER + RING, STIRRING = STIR + RING (with double R). These all contain RING as a separate morpheme almost. What's the 4th? Maybe OUROBOROS? An ouroboros is ring-shaped but doesn't contain the word RING. Or what if CHRISTMAS contains some hidden word I'm missing? C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S... hmm, STIR? No. RING? No. OK wait, let me reconsider the puzzle structure. What if one category is "things that go around/in circles": • OUROBOROS (snake eating tail, circular) • NECKLACE (goes around neck in a circle) • EARRING (hoop earring, circular) • STIRRING (circular motion) And then: • HERRING could be in a different category (fish? red herring?) Let me think about "RED ___": • RED HERRING (common phrase) • RED HOUSE (Jimi Hendrix song) • RED NECKLACE? • RED CHRISTMAS? What about "___ CAROL": CHRISTMAS CAROL, CAROL (person's name)... Hmm, what about connections to the word "MOUSE": • COMPUTER MOUSE • CHURCH MOUSE • DORMOUSE • MICKEY MOUSE • MOUSETRAP (Agatha Christie) What if the category is "__ of the ___" type names? Or Agatha Christie works? The Mousetrap - MOUSE Crooked House - HOUSE Hercule Poirot's Christmas - CHRISTMAS ... what's the 4th? Agatha Christie novels with these words: • The Mysterious Affair at Styles (MYSTERY adjacent) • Crooked House • A Caribbean Mystery • The Moving Finger • "Necklace" - is there a Christie work with NECKLACE? • OUROBOROS? I don't think so. Actually "The Mystery of the Blue Train" - MYSTERY and... hmm Let me think about this differently. What are BBC/British TV shows? • HOUSE (American show) • MYSTERY (various) • OUROBOROS... Dirk Gently uses ouroboros? • MOUSE (? ) What about "MICKEY ___" or "___ MICKEY": • MICKEY MOUSE • MICKEY... taking the mickey? What connects CHRISTMAS, HISTAMINE, MYSTERY, HOUSE, MOUSE, OUROBOROS? CHRISTMAS - 9 letters HISTAMINE - 9 letters MYSTERY - 7 letters HOUSE - 5 letters MOUSE - 5 letters OUROBOROS - 9 letters Words with 9 letters: CHRISTMAS, HISTAMINE, OUROBOROS, MESH SHIRT (9), PLEATHER VEST (12), FOUR-LETTER WORDS (14)... MOUSE/HOUSE rhyme. MYSTERY/HISTAMINE - hm, "MY STERY" vs "HIST AMINE" OH WAIT. Let me look at this differently. What if some words are anagrams or contain other words from the list? HISTAMINE: is an anagram of... HIMANTES? ANTHEMIS? Actually: H-I-S-T-A-M-I-N-E Letters: A, E, H, I, I, M, N, S, T Anagram: HIMANTES? ANTHEMIS (a flower)? OUROBOROS: O-U-R-O-B-O-R-O-S Letters: B, O, O, O, O, R, R, S, U Is this an anagram of something? CHRISTMAS: C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S Letters: A, C, H, I, M, R, S, S, T Hmm, let me think about what OUROBOROS, CHRISTMAS, HISTAMINE, MYSTERY have in common: All contain the word "HIS"? • CHRISTMAS: C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S... H(2)R(3)I(4)S(5) - no consecutive HIS • HISTAMINE: H(1)I(2)S(3) - YES, HIS at start • MYSTERY: M-Y-S-T-E-R-Y - no HIS • OUROBOROS: O-U-R-O-B-O-R-O-S - no HIS Hmm. What if categories involve pop culture? Like TV shows named ___: • HOUSE (M.D.) • MOUSE (?) • MYSTERY (?) • OUROBOROS (?) Or "___ PARTY": HOUSE PARTY, CHRISTMAS PARTY, MYSTERY PARTY, MOUSE PARTY? Let me think about "COMPUTER ___": COMPUTER MOUSE, COMPUTER HOUSE? No. "___ TRAP": MOUSETRAP, CHRISTMAS... no. What if the category is "___ MUSIC": HOUSE MUSIC, CHRISTMAS MUSIC, MYSTERY MUSIC? Hmm. Or "___ SHOPPING": MYSTERY SHOPPING, CHRISTMAS SHOPPING, HOUSE... HOUSE SHOPPING? That's a stretch. What about compound words using the same word: "___ [WORD] ___" What word can follow CHRISTMAS, HOUSE, MOUSE, MYSTERY? • CHRISTMAS TREE, HOUSE TREE? No. • CHRISTMAS PARTY, HOUSE PARTY, MOUSE PARTY, MYSTERY PARTY - PARTY! - Actually: HOUSE PARTY ✓, CHRISTMAS PARTY ✓, MOUSE PARTY? ❌, MYSTERY PARTY? (Mystery party game) ❌ not common Hmm. What about "___ FIRE": HOUSE FIRE, CHRISTMAS FIRE? No. What about "OPEN ___": OPEN HOUSE, OPEN MYSTERY? No. What word can precede all of CHRISTMAS, HOUSE, MOUSE, MYSTERY? • FULL: FULL HOUSE ✓, FULL CHRISTMAS? ❌ • HAUNTED: HAUNTED HOUSE ✓, HAUNTED MYSTERY? ❌ • OLD: OLD HOUSE, OLD CHRISTMAS? ❌ What word can follow all of them? • CHRISTMAS ____, HOUSE ____, MOUSE ____, MYSTERY ____ - CHRISTMAS MOUSE ✓ (Christmas mouse story), HOUSE MOUSE ✓, MYSTERY MOUSE? ❌ Hmm. Let me try: What if HOUSE, MOUSE, and two others form a rhyming group? Or a "sounds like" group? HOUSE / MOUSE rhyme EARRING / HERRING rhyme CHRISTMAS / HISTAMINE... do they rhyme? No. MYSTERY / HISTAMINE... no. OUROBOROS / PROFANITY... no. What if the theme is "things that can precede or follow 'CAT'": • HOUSE CAT ✓ • MYSTERY... no • CHRISTMAS... no What about "___ CAROL" or "Carol ___": • CHRISTMAS CAROL (Dickens) • CAROL from Friends? • OUROBOROS... no I keep going in circles (appropriately enough). Let me try to be more systematic. Groups I'm fairly confident about: 1. Cursing synonyms: PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS Groups I'm less sure about but seem likely: 2. Contains "RING": EARRING, STIRRING, HERRING, SWEARING (but this conflicts with group 1) The key question: is SWEARING in the "cursing" group or the "contains RING" group? If SWEARING is in "contains RING": • Cursing group needs a 4th: PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, FOUR-LETTER WORDS + ??? • Possible 4th: MYSTERY (as in "the mystery word"?) - no • Could OUROBOROS mean something related to cursing? No. • Could BLASPHEMY be hiding? It's not in the list. • What about PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, FOUR-LETTER WORDS + OBSCENITY? Not in list. • What about CHRISTMAS as slang for a mild expletive? "Christmas!" - actually yes, people say "Christmas!" as a mild oath! Hmm, that's a stretch but possible. Or what about "CRIKEY" hidden... no. Actually wait. Could "NECKLACE" relate to cursing? Like a "cursing necklace"? No... What about HOUSE? Is "HOUSE" related to cursing somehow? No. What if MYSTERY is in the cursing group? No, that makes no sense. I think I need to accept that either: A) SWEARING is in the cursing group, and the "RING" connection involves only 3 of those words plus NECKLACE or another word I'm missing B) SWEARING is in the "RING" group, and something else is the 4th cursing word Let me check if NECKLACE contains RING: N-E-C-K-L-A-C-E. No. OUROBOROS: O-U-R-O-B-O-R-O-S. No RING. Actually, what about PROFANITY? P-R-O-F-A-N-I-T-Y. No RING. What about EXPLETIVES? E-X-P-L-E-T-I-V-E-S. No RING. What about FOUR-LETTER WORDS? F-O-U-R-L-E-T-T-E-R-W-O-R-D-S. No RING. So definitively, only EARRING, STIRRING, HERRING, SWEARING contain RING. Now, if these four form a category ("words containing RING"), what's the 4th cursing word? Let me look at all remaining words for something that could mean cursing: CHRISTMAS, HISTAMINE, MESH SHIRT, HERRING (wait - if HERRING is in RING group), NECKLACE, PLEATHER VEST, MYSTERY, HOUSE, EXPLETIVES, PROFANITY, OUROBOROS, MOUSE, FOUR-LETTER WORDS If cursing = PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, FOUR-LETTER WORDS + something: • MYSTERY? No. • OUROBOROS? No. • CHRISTMAS? Maybe as a mild oath ("Oh Christmas!")... • HOUSE? "Full of..." - no. • MOUSE? No. Hmm, what if BLASPHEMY is somehow represented? No, it's not in the list. Wait, maybe I'm wrong about RING. What if the category is "words ending in a homophone" or something else? Or what if the connection is "words that SOUND like they contain RING when spoken"? Like, all words that have a "ring" sound? Actually wait - what if the theme is different: Words that are homonyms or have multiple meanings related to a specific theme? Let me reconsider HERRING: • HERRING is a fish, but RED HERRING is a misleading clue • In a mystery context, RED HERRING is very relevant What if the category is "mystery/detective related terms"? • HERRING (red herring) • MYSTERY (obvious) • OUROBOROS (I feel like this connects to mysteries somehow) • MOUSE (Mousetrap - Agatha Christie's longest running play) OR • HERRING, MYSTERY, MOUSE + HOUSE? (Crooked House by Christie?) What Agatha Christie works: • "The Mousetrap" → MOUSE • "Crooked House" → HOUSE • "A Caribbean Mystery" → MYSTERY • "Hercule Poirot's Christmas" → CHRISTMAS That's 4! MOUSE, HOUSE, MYSTERY, CHRISTMAS could all be words in Agatha Christie titles! "The Mousetrap" (1952 play) - MOUSE "Crooked House" (1949 novel) - HOUSE "A Caribbean Mystery" / "The Mystery of the Blue Train" / etc. - MYSTERY "Hercule Poirot's Christmas" (1938 novel) - CHRISTMAS Yes! This could be the category: words that appear in Agatha Christie work titles. But then what connects HISTAMINE, NECKLACE, EARRING, STIRRING, PLEATHER VEST, OUROBOROS, MESH SHIRT? Hmm. Let me think about this more. If Christie titles: MOUSE, HOUSE, MYSTERY, CHRISTMAS... But MYSTERY is so generic. Alternatively, maybe the category is "___ MYSTERY": HOUSE MYSTERY, CHRISTMAS MYSTERY, MOUSE MYSTERY... no, that's just "___ mystery." What if it's "HAUNTED ___": HAUNTED HOUSE ✓, HAUNTED MYSTERY? ❌ Let me think about what OUROBOROS, HISTAMINE, NECKLACE, PLEATHER VEST, MESH SHIRT could form. Itchy things: HISTAMINE (causes itch), MESH SHIRT (itchy), PLEATHER VEST (itchy synthetic), NECKLACE (cheap metal causes rash/itch) That leaves: OUROBOROS, EARRING, STIRRING, HERRING, + the cursing group If the categories are: 1. Cursing: PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS 2. Itchy: HISTAMINE, MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE 3. Agatha Christie titles: MOUSE (Mousetrap), HOUSE (Crooked House), MYSTERY, CHRISTMAS (Poirot's Christmas) 4. Remaining: OUROBOROS, EARRING, STIRRING, HERRING What connects OUROBOROS, EARRING, STIRRING, HERRING? • EARRING: jewelry worn on ear • STIRRING: mixing • HERRING: fish • OUROBOROS: snake symbol All contain RING? OUROBOROS: O-U-R-O-B-O-R-O-S. No RING. Hmm. What do these 4 have in common? EARRING - homophones or rhymes? EAR RING STIRRING - something exciting/moving HERRING - fish OUROBOROS - circular snake What if they all describe something circular? • OUROBOROS: circular snake • EARRING: can be a hoop (circular) • STIRRING: circular motion • HERRING: ...not obviously circular What if they're all "___ BONE"? • HERRING BONE (herringbone pattern) ✓ • EARRING BONE? No. • STIRRING BONE? No. • OUROBOROS BONE? No. What if they're all associated with fish? • HERRING: yes, it's a fish • EARRING: no • STIRRING: no • OUROBOROS: no What if there's a "___ SOMETHING" pattern? • RED HERRING ✓ • GOLD EARRING ✓ • STIRRING... STIRRING SPEECH? • OUROBOROS... What if each word has a hidden animal? • HERRING: HERRING is a fish itself, or contains... HER + RING... no animal • EARRING: EAR + RING, or contains "HARE"? No. E-A-R-R-I-N-G, contains ASS? No. Wait: does EARRING contain an animal? E-A-R-R-I-N-G. Contains... hmm. • STIRRING: S-T-I-R-R-I-N-G. Contains... hmm, no obvious animal. • OUROBOROS: O-U-R-O-B-O-R-O-S. Contains... OUR... OROB... hmm, BOAR? B-O-A-R? B(5)O(6)R(7)... no, O-U-R-O-B-O-R-O-S: O(1)U(2)R(3)O(4)B(5)O(6)R(7)O(8)S(9). BOAR = B-O-A-R, we have B(5)O(6)R(7) but no A between O and R. No. Actually wait, what about colors hidden in words? • HERRING: RED herring? Does HERRING contain RED? H-E-R-R-I-N-G. No RED in there. • EARRING: E-A-R-R-I-N-G. No color. • OUROBOROS: O-U-R-O-B-O-R-O-S. No color. What if the connection is "things associated with snakes"? • OUROBOROS: snake eating itself • HERRING: red herring... no snake connection • STIRRING: no • EARRING: no What if the connection is more wordplay-based, like all being anagrams of other words? • OUROBOROS: anagram? O-U-R-O-B-O-R-O-S (9 letters: B,O,O,O,O,R,R,S,U) • HERRING: H-E-R-R-I-N-G (7 letters: E,G,H,I,N,R,R) - anagram of GRINNED? No. • EARRING: E-A-R-R-I-N-G (7 letters: A,E,G,I,N,R,R) - anagram of REARING (R-E-A-R-I-N-G) ✓ or REIGNING? No: R-E-I-G-N-I-N-G has 8 letters. • STIRRING: S-T-I-R-R-I-N-G (8 letters: G,I,I,N,R,R,S,T) Hmm, anagrams seem complex. What if the connection is "words that sound like they contain a body part + something"? • EARRING: EAR + RING • HERRING: HER + RING? Or H + ERRING? • STIRRING: STIR + RING OK actually what if the connection for OUROBOROS is different? What if OUROBOROS belongs to a "famous symbols" or "Greek/Latin words" category? Let me try yet another approach. What if the 4 categories are: 1. Synonyms for cursing: PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS 2. Things that cause itching: HISTAMINE, MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, EARRING (clip-on earrings can itch!) 3. Words containing "RING": HERRING (her-ring), STIRRING (stir-ring), NECKLACE... hmm no. Wait, if the "itchy" category is HISTAMINE, MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, EARRING... Then we have NECKLACE in another group. And HERRING, STIRRING + two others (without EARRING) in a "contains RING" group. Words containing RING without EARRING: • HERRING ✓ • STIRRING ✓ • SWEARING ✓ (but taken by cursing group) • NECKLACE ✗ • OUROBOROS ✗ Hmm, that doesn't work cleanly either. Let me step back and think about what the puzzle makers likely intended. The most likely grouping scheme for a word puzzle like NYT Connections: • One group is probably wordplay (like "contains RING") • One group is probably a straightforward semantic category (like "cursing synonyms") • The others might be themed (pop culture, etc.) Given the conflict between SWEARING being in "cursing" vs "contains RING," there are two scenarios: Scenario A (SWEARING in cursing): 1. Cursing: PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS 2. Contains RING: EARRING, STIRRING, HERRING + ??? (no 4th clear option) This doesn't work cleanly. Scenario B (SWEARING in "contains RING"): 1. Cursing: PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, FOUR-LETTER WORDS + ??? 2. Contains RING: EARRING, STIRRING, HERRING, SWEARING This requires a 4th cursing word, which I can't identify. Unless... OUROBOROS is the 4th cursing word? That makes no sense. OR, what if the cursing group is only 3 of those obvious words, and the 4th is something more creative? Wait, wait, wait. What if the theme is more creative? What if the category is "words/phrases meaning 'bad language'" and includes: • PROFANITY • EXPLETIVES • FOUR-LETTER WORDS • and... "STRONG LANGUAGE" or similar? Those aren't in the list. Hmm. OR: What if it's not about "cursing" but about something else, and all four seemingly obvious "cursing" words are actually a trick? What if PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS are NOT all in the same group, and one of them belongs to a different category? That would mean 3 of them are in the "cursing synonyms" group + 1 other, and 1 cursing word is in another group. Which cursing synonym could double as something else? • PROFANITY: could be part of a different category? "PROFANITY" doesn't obviously connect to other words. • EXPLETIVES: in grammar, an expletive is a word like "it" in "it is raining" - a filler word. That's a distinct meaning. • SWEARING: contains RING, plus means cursing, PLUS means taking an oath • FOUR-LETTER WORDS: literally words with 4 letters? Like FOUR-LETTER WORDS that are in the puzzle? Hmm, FOUR-LETTER WORDS as "literally words with 4 letters": MESH, VEST, HOUSE, MOUSE! Oh! What if the category is "FOUR-LETTER WORDS" (literally 4-letter words)? And the words HOUSE (5 letters) and MOUSE (5 letters)... no, those are 5 letters. Wait: MESH (4 letters), VEST (4 letters)... but the clue says MESH SHIRT and PLEATHER VEST, not MESH and VEST separately. Hmm. What if "FOUR-LETTER WORDS" is in the puzzle as a meta-reference? Like the category might be "things that refer to censored content" or something? Actually, I think the most solid group is: PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS = synonyms for bad language/curse words And then the "contains RING" must be a group of 4 OTHER words. But the only words containing RING in the full list are EARRING, STIRRING, HERRING, SWEARING. Unless I'm missing something. Let me very carefully check each word: PROFANITY: P-R-O-F-A-N-I-T-Y - no RING CHRISTMAS: C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S - no RING (R-I but not R-I-N-G) HISTAMINE: H-I-S-T-A-M-I-N-E - no RING MESH SHIRT: M-E-S-H-S-H-I-R-T - no RING HERRING: H-E-R-R-I-N-G - yes, RING at positions 4-7 (R-I-N-G) NECKLACE: N-E-C-K-L-A-C-E - no EARRING: E-A-R-R-I-N-G - yes, RING at positions 4-7 (R-I-N-G) STIRRING: S-T-I-R-R-I-N-G - yes, RING at positions 5-8 (R-I-N-G) PLEATHER VEST: no MYSTERY: M-Y-S-T-E-R-Y - no HOUSE: no EXPLETIVES: E-X-P-L-E-T-I-V-E-S - no SWEARING: S-W-E-A-R-I-N-G - yes, RING at positions 5-8 (R-I-N-G) FOUR-LETTER WORDS: no OUROBOROS: O-U-R-O-B-O-R-O-S - no MOUSE: no So confirmed: only HERRING, EARRING, STIRRING, SWEARING contain RING. This means there IS a conflict between the cursing group and the RING group over SWEARING. In NYT Connections, the puzzle often has traps where an obvious word belongs to a different group. SWEARING looks like it belongs in the cursing group, but it might actually be in the "contains RING" group. If that's the case: • RING group: HERRING, EARRING, STIRRING, SWEARING • Cursing group: PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, FOUR-LETTER WORDS + ??? What's the 4th cursing word? Looking at remaining words: CHRISTMAS, HISTAMINE, MESH SHIRT, NECKLACE, PLEATHER VEST, MYSTERY, HOUSE, OUROBOROS, MOUSE Could MYSTERY be a type of expletive or relate to cursing? No. Could OUROBOROS? No. Could CHRISTMAS be a mild oath? "Christmas!" - actually, "By Christmas!" or just "Christmas!" is used as a mild exclamation/oath in British English! But it's a stretch. Could NECKLACE? No. Could HOUSE? No. Hmm, this is tough. Unless the cursing group is exactly 3 and the puzzle has only 3 words for that concept (unlikely for Connections which always has groups of exactly 4). Wait... what if BLEEPED OUT or CENSORED is a category title, and the group includes words that represent censoring? OR, what if the category ISN'T "cursing synonyms" but something more specific, like "phrases used when you stub your toe" - which would be more creative? OR, what if PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, FOUR-LETTER WORDS are three of the four in a category, and the 4th is something like... "OBSCENITIES" or... Oh! What about NECKLACE? No... Actually, hold on. What if the category label is something like "Words for swearing" and it includes a word I didn't expect? Could OUROBOROS be related to cursing in any way? In some contexts? No. Let me try a completely different approach. What if the "itchy things" category is: HISTAMINE, MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, + one more, and that one more is... Actually, NECKLACE can cause contact dermatitis (itchy rash from cheap metal) ✓ EARRING can also cause itchy ears ✓ So maybe: • HISTAMINE (chemical that causes itching) • MESH SHIRT (fabric that itches) • PLEATHER VEST (synthetic material that itches) • NECKLACE (can cause itchy rash from nickel) OR • EARRING instead of NECKLACE If itchy = HISTAMINE, MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE: Remaining: CHRISTMAS, HERRING, EARRING, STIRRING, MYSTERY, HOUSE, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, PROFANITY, FOUR-LETTER WORDS, OUROBOROS, MOUSE Cursing: PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS ✓ Contains RING: EARRING, STIRRING, HERRING, SWEARING (conflict!) OR if SWEARING is in RING group: Cursing: PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, FOUR-LETTER WORDS + ??? Still stuck on the 4th cursing word. Remaining (after itchy and RING groups): CHRISTMAS, MYSTERY, HOUSE, OUROBOROS, MOUSE + 3 from {PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, FOUR-LETTER WORDS} If one of PROFANITY/EXPLETIVES/FOUR-LETTER WORDS is in a different group: • PROFANITY: Could P-R-O-F-A-N-I-T-Y contain something? PROFessional? PROFIT? FANNY (UK slang for... well, it means something different)? Pro-FAN-ity? Pro-FANE? Actually wait: does PROFANITY contain FANNY? P-R-O-F-A-N-I-T-Y: F-A-N-N-Y would need two N's, but we only have one N. So no. • FOUR-LETTER WORDS: could this mean literally words with four letters? What 4-letter words are in this puzzle? MESH, VEST, HOUSE, MOUSE... wait HOUSE has 5 letters. Let me count: H-O-U-S-E = 5. MOUSE = M-O-U-S-E = 5. Hmm. What about FOUR-LETTER WORDS meaning the actual 4-letter words like "DAMN", "HELL"? Those aren't in the list. Actually, now I'm wondering: is there a category where each member is associated with a type of RING? Like: • EARRING: EAR ring (you wear on ear) • OUROBOROS: is a ring shape • NECKLACE: worn around neck (but not called a ring) • BOXING RING, CIRCUS RING... Hmm. OR what if the connection is "things that RING": • EARRING: rings in your ear (metaphorically?) • DOORBELL rings • PHONE rings • CHRISTMAS: Christmas bells ring! • OUROBOROS: a ring • STIRRING: contains RING • MYSTERY: ? What if "things associated with BELLS" or "things that ring"? • CHRISTMAS: Christmas bells • EARRING: rings in your ear • STIRRING: ? • MYSTERY: ? • NECKLACE: ? Hmm, not convincing. What if I approach this from OUROBOROS's angle? OUROBOROS specifically connects to: • Infinity • Self-reference • Circular patterns • Ancient symbolism • The concept of eternal return In pop culture: • OUROBOROS appears in alchemy, Norse mythology, gnosticism • Also appears in Jungian psychology • In video games (the symbol in various RPGs) • OUROBOROS is used in Fullmetal Alchemist (anime/manga) What if the category is "symbols or concepts representing infinity/eternity"? • OUROBOROS: infinity snake • MYSTERY: eternal mystery? • NECKLACE: loop = infinity? • CHRISTMAS: eternal celebration? That's a stretch. What if the category is "self-referential/circular concepts"? • OUROBOROS: snake eating itself • MYSTERY: a mystery that explains itself? • HERRING: a red herring that circles back? • STIRRING: stirring in circles? Still not convincing. What if there are hidden words (RING group) AND hidden body parts or something? Let me try hidden words in the remaining 12 (after removing obvious cursing group): CHRISTMAS, HISTAMINE, MESH SHIRT, HERRING, NECKLACE, EARRING, STIRRING, PLEATHER VEST, MYSTERY, HOUSE, OUROBOROS, MOUSE Hidden words: • CHRISTMAS: contains CHRIST, CHRIS, MAS, HIS... hmm • HISTAMINE: contains HIS, STAIN (H-I-S-T-A-I-N? No, it's H-I-S-T-A-M-I-N-E, no STAIN)... contains HIST, AMINE... • MESH SHIRT: contains MESH, SHIRT, HIS (in SHIRT: S-H-I-R-T) • HERRING: contains HER, RING, HERR • NECKLACE: contains NECK, LACE, ACE, NECK • EARRING: contains EAR, RING, EAR RING • STIRRING: contains STIR, RING, IRE, STIRRING • PLEATHER VEST: contains LEATHER, LATHER, VEST, HER • MYSTERY: contains MIST, MY, STER • HOUSE: contains HOSE, USE • OUROBOROS: contains... hmm ORO (Spanish for gold), OURO (Portuguese for gold)... • MOUSE: contains MOUE, USE Hmm, what if words contain HER? • HERRING: HER + ring • PLEATHER VEST: pleaTHER... P-L-E-A-T-H-E-R-V-E-S-T. HER at positions 6-8: T-H-E-R... H-E-R at positions 6,7,8? P(1)L(2)E(3)A(4)T(5)H(6)E(7)R(8)... yes, HER at positions 6-8! Wait no: PLEATHER VEST. P-L-E-A-T-H-E-R = PLEATHER (8 letters), then space, then V-E-S-T. So PLEATHER contains H-E-R at positions 6-8. • MYSTERY: M-Y-S-T-E-R-Y. No HER (consecutive H-E-R). • NECKLACE: no • EARRING: no HER consecutively: E-A-R-R-I-N-G • HISTAMINE: no • CHRISTMAS: no HER • HOUSE: no • MOUSE: no • STIRRING: no HER • OUROBOROS: no HER So words containing HER: HERRING (obviously), PLEATHER VEST. That's only 2. What about words containing SHE? • MESH SHIRT: M-E-S-H-S-H-I-R-T. SHE = S-H-E... positions: M(1)E(2)S(3)H(4)S(5)H(6)I(7)R(8)T(9). S-H at positions 3-4 and 5-6, but SHE needs S-H-E. Position 3-4-? = S-H-S (no). Position 5-6-7 = S-H-I (no). No SHE. What about words containing HIM? • None obvious. What about pronouns hidden in words? HIS, HER, SHE, HIM, HIS... CHRISTMAS: C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S. Contains HIS? H-I-S at positions 2-3-4? H(2)R(3)... no, H-R not H-I. Let me try a completely different angle. What if some words are brands, shows, or very specific references? OUROBOROS: • The Ouroboros is a symbol • "Ouroboros" appears as a name in many games/shows (FMA, etc.) • There's an "Ouroboros" in Xenoblade Chronicles MOUSE: • Mickey Mouse • Computer mouse • Church mouse • Mousetrap HOUSE: • Dr. House • House music • Full House • Crooked House (Christie) • House (as in abode) MYSTERY: • Mystery novel • Mystery machine (Scooby-Doo) • Mystery shopping • "It's a mystery to me" CHRISTMAS: • Christmas Carol • Christmas tree • Christmas pudding • Poirot's Christmas (Christie) • White Christmas HISTAMINE: • Allergy medication target • Causes itching What if the category is "___ SHOPPING"? • MYSTERY SHOPPING ✓ (legitimate marketing research practice) • CHRISTMAS SHOPPING ✓ • HOUSE SHOPPING? (not standard - usually "house hunting") • MOUSE... shopping? ❌ What about "___ CAROL"? • CHRISTMAS CAROL ✓ (Dickens) • CAROL (TV show 2015) - doesn't involve other words • OUROBOROS CAROL? ❌ What about "MERRY ___"? • MERRY CHRISTMAS ✓ • MERRY... CHRISTMAS, and? Not convincing. OK here's another thought. What if the theme involves "STIRRING" in a different sense? "Stirring" can mean: 1. Mixing a liquid 2. Exciting/moving (a stirring speech) 3. Beginning to be active (animals stirring in spring) And "STIRRING UP" something = causing trouble. But in British English, "stirring" means causing trouble/shit-stirring. Hmm. What if the category is "Provocative acts" or something? Let me try to think about what OUROBOROS specifically pairs with. OUROBOROS = an ancient symbol of a serpent eating its own tail = a circle, infinity, eternal recurrence. What if the category is "symbols of eternity/infinity"? • OUROBOROS: snake eating tail • NECKLACE: a circle of jewelry • EARRING: circular hoop • WEDDING RING: circular (but WEDDING RING isn't in the list) What about "circular/cyclical things"? • OUROBOROS • STIRRING (you stir in circles) • NECKLACE (circular) • EARRING (circular hoop) But these could also just be "RING" words. Hmm. I keep going in circles (pun intended). Let me try to nail down the categories differently: What is the only possible group for OUROBOROS? OUROBOROS could connect to: • Snake imagery (but what else?) • Circular patterns • Ancient symbols • Self-reference • The letter O (it starts and appears multiple times) • Alchemy • The number 8 or infinity symbol What if OUROBOROS, NECKLACE, EARRING, and something else are all "things in the shape of a circle/ring that you wear or display"? Like RING, NECKLACE, EARRING, OUROBOROS (an ouroboros ring)? Hmm, but OUROBOROS isn't something you wear typically. Unless... the category is "things that represent circles" or "ring-shaped things" as a visual category: • OUROBOROS: circle • NECKLACE: circle shape • EARRING: circle shape (hoop) • STIRRING: circular motion But STIRRING is the motion, not the shape. OK let me try a different framework. What if: • Category 1 (Yellow/easiest): Cursing synonyms: PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS • Category 2 (Green): Contains RING: EARRING, STIRRING, HERRING + ??? • Category 3 (Blue): Itchy things: HISTAMINE, MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE • Category 4 (Purple/hardest): Something with CHRISTMAS, MYSTERY, HOUSE, MOUSE, OUROBOROS But I still need a 4th for the RING category and a group from CHRISTMAS, MYSTERY, HOUSE, MOUSE, OUROBOROS. CHRISTMAS, MYSTERY, HOUSE, MOUSE - this looks like a group of 4! What do they have in common? Let me think... • CHRISTMAS MOUSE (a movie?) • MYSTERY HOUSE • HOUSE MOUSE • MOUSE MYSTERY OR what if they all precede/follow a specific word? "___ CAROL": CHRISTMAS CAROL ✓, but not the others. "___ MYSTERY": HOUSE MYSTERY? Not standard. "AGATHA CHRISTIE titles": - CHRISTMAS: "Hercule Poirot's Christmas" ✓ - MYSTERY: Many Christie titles use "Mystery" ✓ - HOUSE: "Crooked House" ✓ - MOUSE: "The Mousetrap" ✓ But maybe the connection is more specific - like they all appear in the TITLES of Agatha Christie's POIROT stories or something. OR: They can all follow "FULL": • FULL HOUSE ✓ • FULL... CHRISTMAS? ❌ • FULL MYSTERY? ❌ • FULL MOUSE? ❌ OR: They can all precede "MUSIC": • HOUSE MUSIC ✓ • CHRISTMAS MUSIC ✓ • MYSTERY MUSIC? ❌ • MOUSE MUSIC? ❌ OR: "___ TRAP": • MOUSETRAP ✓ • DEATH TRAP, not MYSTERY TRAP or HOUSE TRAP or CHRISTMAS TRAP ❌ OR: They are all types of a specific thing: • MYSTERY NOVEL, HOUSE MUSIC, CHRISTMAS CAROL, MOUSE...TRAP? Hmm, what if each word can precede or follow "PARTY": • HOUSE PARTY ✓ • CHRISTMAS PARTY ✓ • MYSTERY PARTY (murder mystery party) ✓ • MOUSE PARTY? ❌ not really What if each goes with "HUNTING": • HOUSE HUNTING ✓ • MOUSE HUNTING? (Mousehunt movie!) ✓ • MYSTERY HUNTING? ❌ • CHRISTMAS HUNTING? ❌ What about "___ NIGHT": • CHRISTMAS NIGHT ✓ / CHRISTMAS EVE • MYSTERY NIGHT? ❌ • HOUSE... ? • MOUSE...? What if they can all precede "HUNT": • MOUSE HUNT ✓ (Mousehunt) • HOUSE HUNT ✓ (house hunting) • MYSTERY HUNT ✓ (MIT Mystery Hunt!) • CHRISTMAS HUNT? ❌ (not standard) Hmm, 3/4 for HUNT. What about things that can follow "HAUNTED": • HAUNTED HOUSE ✓ • HAUNTED MYSTERY ✓? • HAUNTED CHRISTMAS? ✓? (Haunted Christmas is a thing) • HAUNTED MOUSE? ❌ What if the connection is "things that can be preceded by FULL": • FULL HOUSE ✓ (TV show, also poker term) • FULL MYSTERY? ❌ • FULL CHRISTMAS? ❌ • FULL MOUSE? ❌ Let me think about what OUROBOROS connects to... What if the group is OUROBOROS + three others and they're all things that go in circles / perpetually cycle? • OUROBOROS: eternally eats itself • CHRISTMAS: comes around every year (annual cycle) • MYSTERY: cyclical in narrative? • STIRRING: circular motion? • HERRING: ? • HOUSE: ? • MOUSE: ? Hmm. What if it's types of music? • HOUSE (music genre) ✓ • MYSTERY? No genre called mystery music • CHRISTMAS (Christmas music) ✓ • MOUSE? No What about words that follow "COMPUTER": • COMPUTER MOUSE ✓ • COMPUTER HOUSE? ❌ (well, computer house = data center? No) • COMPUTER MYSTERY? No genre • COMPUTER OUROBOROS? No What if they're all types of puzzles or games? • MYSTERY (mystery game) ✓ • HOUSE (Escape room? HOUSE game?) • OUROBOROS (puzzle game character?) • MOUSE (computer mouse for puzzles?) What if they can all precede "CALL": • HOUSE CALL ✓ (doctor makes a house call) • MOUSE CALL? ❌ • MYSTERY CALL? ❌ • CHRISTMAS CALL? ❌ • OUROBOROS CALL? ❌ What about "___ CAT": • HOUSE CAT ✓ • MYSTERY CAT? ❌ • CHRISTMAS CAT ✓ (Yule Cat / Jólakötturinn) • MOUSE: well, cats chase mice, but CAT MOUSE? What if they precede "FLY": • HORSEFLY, no • MAYFLY, no • HOUSE FLY ✓ (housefly) • MOUSE? No • CHRISTMAS FLY? ❌ What about "CAT AND ___": • CAT AND MOUSE ✓ • CAT AND HOUSE? ❌ • CAT AND MYSTERY? ❌ Let me try "___ BOAT": • HOUSE BOAT ✓ • MOUSE BOAT? ❌ • MYSTERY BOAT? ❌ • OUROBOROS BOAT? ❌ What about connections to movies or shows I might know: • OUROBOROS appears in "The Vampire Diaries" (as Kai's prison world) • OUROBOROS is in "Fringe" (TV show) • "HOUSE" is a TV show (Dr. House) • "MYSTERY" appears in many show titles • "MOUSE" could be a show What if they're all TV show titles? • HOUSE (M.D.) ✓ • MOUSE (various shows titled "Mouse") • MYSTERY (?) • OUROBOROS (?) • CHRISTMAS (?) This doesn't seem specific enough. OK, a new idea: What if OUROBOROS, HERRING, MYSTERY, and one more are all "plot devices" or "tropes in mystery fiction"? • HERRING: Red Herring (a misleading clue) • MYSTERY: the genre itself • OUROBOROS: a circular plot? Or a specific Christie trope? • MOUSE: The Mousetrap (Christie's play with a twist) • HOUSE: the setting of many mysteries ("country house mystery") Actually, "Country House Mystery" is a legitimate subgenre! And OUROBOROS... in mystery parlance, an "ouroboros plot" might mean a self-referential mystery? But I'm reaching. Let me try fresh eyes: The 16 words again: PROFANITY, CHRISTMAS, HISTAMINE, MESH SHIRT, HERRING, NECKLACE, EARRING, STIRRING, PLEATHER VEST, MYSTERY, HOUSE, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS, OUROBOROS, MOUSE What if I focus on OUROBOROS: it literally contains the word "OURO" (Portuguese/Greek for gold), and it's a snake. What if there's a category related to "things associated with gold"? • OUROBOROS: often depicted in gold • NECKLACE: gold necklace • EARRING: gold earring • CHRISTMAS: gold as a Christmas color? Hmm, or maybe things that are GOLD or associated with GOLD: • NECKLACE • EARRING • OUROBOROS (golden snake) • HERRING: GOLDEN HERRING? What about "GOLDEN ___": • GOLDEN EARRING ✓ (Dutch rock band "Golden Earring"!) • GOLDEN NECKLACE? ✓ (a thing) • GOLDEN HERRING? not a common phrase • GOLDEN MYSTERY? not common • GOLDEN HOUSE? not common • GOLDEN OUROBOROS? not common • GOLDEN CHRISTMAS? not standard OR what about "___ RING": • EARRING = EAR + RING ✓ • OUROBOROS = a ring ✓ (but isn't "___ ring") • HERRING = HER + RING ✓ • NECKLACE = neck... not ring Hmm. OH WAIT. What if the category involves "things that sound like [word]+RING" or literally "[word] ring": EAR RING → EARRING (a ring for your ear) STIR RING → STIRRING (the act of ring/stir?) HER RING → HERRING (? - "her ring"?) [SWEAR]ING → SWEARING These all literally contain "RING" as the last syllable/part! Or maybe the category description is literally "Contains the word RING": • EARRING: contains "RING" • HERRING: contains "RING" • STIRRING: contains "RING" • SWEARING: contains "RING" And the puzzle title/clue for this category would be "Contains 'RING'" or "Has a RING to it" or something punny. I think this IS a category, and it competes with SWEARING being in the cursing group. For NYT Connections, the purple (hardest) category often has a wordplay trick. The blue and green are moderate. The yellow is easiest. I think: • Yellow (easiest): PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS = "Curse words" • Green: HISTAMINE, MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE = "Things that cause itching" • Blue: HERRING, EARRING, STIRRING, ??? = "Contains RING" • Purple: CHRISTMAS, MYSTERY, HOUSE, MOUSE, OUROBOROS = one group of 4 But I need to reconcile the 4th member of "Contains RING" (since SWEARING seems needed for the cursing group) and figure out the 4 from {CHRISTMAS, MYSTERY, HOUSE, MOUSE, OUROBOROS}. UNLESS: one of {CHRISTMAS, MYSTERY, HOUSE, MOUSE, OUROBOROS} also contains "RING" somehow. OUROBOROS: O-U-R-O-B-O-R-O-S. Does this contain RING? R-I-N-G. We have R at position 3 and 7. After R(3) we have O(4). After R(7) we have O(8). No I-N-G follows any R. NO RING. CHRISTMAS: C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S. R at position 3. After R: I(4)-S(5). So R-I-S, not R-I-N-G. NO RING. None of these contain RING. SO, the groups must be structured differently than I think. Wait, I just had a new idea. What if NECKLACE belongs to the "contains RING" group somehow? Let me re-examine. NECKLACE: N-E-C-K-L-A-C-E. No. Definitively no RING. OK here's another thought: what if one of the "cursing synonyms" words actually belongs to a different group, and the cursing group has only 3 obvious members + one less obvious? What if OUROBOROS is a synonym for something related to cursing? In some cultures, serpent imagery is associated with evil/profanity? That's a massive stretch. Or what if CHRISTMAS is used as a mild oath/expletive? In British English, "Christmas!" can be used as a mild oath (similar to "Crikey!" or "Blimey!"). Wait: A-ha! What about words/phrases that are used as mild OATHS or EXCLAMATIONS: • CHRISTMAS: "Christmas!" ✓ (used as a mild oath) • MYSTERY: "It's a mystery!" → not really an oath • HOUSE: "House!" (like in bingo) → not an oath • What about "___ sake": "For goodness sake" → GOODNESS? Not in list Hmm, what about alternatives to swearing? Like "SUGAR!" instead of a swear word? What if the cursing group is PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, FOUR-LETTER WORDS + SWEARING, and the RING group needs a different 4th member? Let me think about which word (from CHRISTMAS, HISTAMINE, MESH SHIRT, NECKLACE, PLEATHER VEST, MYSTERY, HOUSE, OUROBOROS, MOUSE) might contain RING that I'm missing. One more time carefully: • CHRISTMAS: C(1)H(2)R(3)I(4)S(5)T(6)M(7)A(8)S(9) - no R followed immediately by I-N-G • HISTAMINE: H(1)I(2)S(3)T(4)A(5)M(6)I(7)N(8)E(9) - no RING • MESH SHIRT: M(1)E(2)S(3)H(4)S(5)H(6)I(7)R(8)T(9) - SHIRT contains H-I-R-T, no RING • NECKLACE: N(1)E(2)C(3)K(4)L(5)A(6)C(7)E(8) - no R at all! • PLEATHER VEST: P-L-E-A-T-H-E-R-V-E-S-T (treating as one): no RING • MYSTERY: M(1)Y(2)S(3)T(4)E(5)R(6)Y(7) - R at position 6, followed by Y. No R-I-N-G. • HOUSE: H(1)O(2)U(3)S(4)E(5) - no R at all! • OUROBOROS: O(1)U(2)R(3)O(4)B(5)O(6)R(7)O(8)S(9) - R at positions 3 and 7, both followed by O. No R-I-N-G. • MOUSE: M(1)O(2)U(3)S(4)E(5) - no R at all! Confirmed: none of those contain RING. So the puzzle MUST have SWEARING in either the "cursing" group OR the "contains RING" group, but not both. I think the trick here is that SWEARING is in the "contains RING" group, and the cursing group has a different 4th member. But what? Or alternatively, there IS no "contains RING" group, and that's a red herring (pun intended), and the actual connection between EARRING, STIRRING, HERRING is something else. What connects EARRING, STIRRING, HERRING (without SWEARING)? • They all end in "-RING"? EARRING ends in RING, HERRING ends in RING... but STIRRING ends in ING. Wait: - EAR-RING: the ending IS "RING" - HER-RING: the ending IS "RING" - STIRR-ING: the ending is "-ING" not "-RING" OH INTERESTING! EARRING and HERRING end in the word RING, but STIRRING ends in -ING. However, all three contain RING as a substring. Hmm, but let me look at the ending vs. containing: • Words ENDING in RING: EARRING (ear+RING), HERRING (her+RING), ... • Wait: HERRING = H-E-R-R-I-N-G. The last 4 letters are R-I-N-G = RING! ✓ • EARRING = E-A-R-R-I-N-G. The last 4 letters are R-I-N-G = RING! ✓ • STIRRING = S-T-I-R-R-I-N-G. The last 4 letters are R-I-N-G = RING! ✓ • SWEARING = S-W-E-A-R-I-N-G. The last 4 letters are R-I-N-G = RING! ✓ All four end in RING! So "words ending in RING" is the connection. Now: NECKLACE doesn't end in RING. CHRISTMAS doesn't. None of the others do. So confirmed, the "ends in RING" or "contains RING" group is: EARRING, HERRING, STIRRING, SWEARING. And this means the cursing group is: PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, FOUR-LETTER WORDS + ??? I keep coming back to this. Let me look one more time at all words for a possible "mild oath" or "cursing-related" word: Could OUROBOROS be a euphemism for a swear word? Not that I know of. Could MOUSE be? No. Could HOUSE be? No. Could MYSTERY be? No. Could CHRISTMAS be? Actually... wait. People do say "Christmas!" as a mild expletive. And in the same vein: • SUGAR (instead of shit) • SHOOT (instead of shit) • FUDGE (instead of fuck) • DARN (instead of damn) • HECK (instead of hell) • CHRISTMAS (instead of... Christ? The "christ" part of Christmas is related to the oath "Christ!") • "CRIKEY" instead of "Christ" • "CRIPES" instead of "Christ" But also BLOODY HELL → BLEEDING HECK. Hmm. This is getting complex. Actually, let me reconsider the entire puzzle. What if the categories are NOT what I think? What if: • EXPLETIVES, PROFANITY, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS is a trap (they're all listed but maybe only 3 of them are in the "cursing" category) • And one of them belongs elsewhere The most likely "outsider" from that group would be EXPLETIVES (which has a grammatical meaning unrelated to cursing: expletive constructions like "there is" or "it seems") or SWEARING (which also means taking an oath, like "swearing in"). What if the category is "things you do in court"? • SWEARING (swearing an oath) ✓ • MYSTERY (jury pool selection: "it's a mystery"?) ❌ • ... That doesn't work. What if the non-cursing meaning matters? Like: • EXPLETIVES in grammar = filler words • SWEARING = taking an oath What if the category is "types of speech acts"? • SWEARING (taking an oath OR cursing) • STIRRING (a stirring speech) • ? Hmm. OK, let me try yet another approach. Let me look at HISTAMINE, MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST more carefully. These three clearly have a "scratchy/itchy" connection. The 4th itchy thing: • NECKLACE: can cause contact dermatitis ✓ • EARRING: can cause ear irritation ✓ • HERRING: not really itchy • OUROBOROS: not itchy • CHRISTMAS: "Christmas itch"? Not a thing. • MOUSE: not itchy • HOUSE: not itchy I think NECKLACE or EARRING is the 4th itchy thing. If NECKLACE: Remaining for other groups: CHRISTMAS, HERRING, EARRING, STIRRING, MYSTERY, HOUSE, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, PROFANITY, FOUR-LETTER WORDS, OUROBOROS, MOUSE Cursing: PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS Contains RING: EARRING, HERRING, STIRRING + SWEARING (conflict!) Still stuck. If EARRING is in "itchy" group: Itchy: HISTAMINE, MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, EARRING Contains RING: HERRING, STIRRING, SWEARING + ??? (only 3, need 4th, but no other word contains RING unless we use NECKLACE somehow) Hmm. Unless the 4th "RING" word is NECKLACE because NECKLACE is a type of RING/loop? But it doesn't contain the word RING. OK I'm going to try a totally different theory for the 4th group. What if: CHRISTMAS, MYSTERY, HOUSE, MOUSE are all "___ of Cards" type compound? No... What if they can all be preceded by "OPEN": • OPEN HOUSE ✓ • OPEN... CHRISTMAS? ❌ • OPEN... MOUSE? ❌ • OPEN... MYSTERY? ❌ What if they all follow "FIELD": • FIELD MOUSE ✓ • FIELD HOUSE ✓ (fieldhouse = athletic building) • FIELD... MYSTERY? ❌ • FIELD... CHRISTMAS? ❌ What if they all can follow "DORMOUSE": • No, DORMOUSE is one word. What if COMPUTER goes with some of them? • COMPUTER MOUSE ✓ • COMPUTER HOUSE? ❌ • COMPUTER MYSTERY? ❌ • COMPUTER CHRISTMAS? ❌ What about "___ MYSTERY": • HOUSE MYSTERY? ❌ • CHRISTMAS MYSTERY ✓ (a genre of book) • MOUSE MYSTERY? ❌ What if they can all follow "SCOOBY-DOO"? No... What if they can all precede "HUNTING": • HOUSE HUNTING ✓ • MOUSE HUNTING ✓ (movie) • MYSTERY HUNTING ✓ (MIT Mystery Hunt!) • CHRISTMAS HUNTING? ❌ Hmm, 3/4 for HUNTING. What if they can all follow "DEAD": • DEAD HOUSE? not standard • DEAD MOUSE ✓ → DEADMAU5 (DJ name) • DEAD MYSTERY? ❌ • DEAD CHRISTMAS? ❌ What if the connection involves OUROBOROS specifically? OUROBOROS is a concept of infinity/cycles. What else represents cyclical or infinite things? • NECKLACE (forms a loop) • EARRING (hoop) • STIRRING (circular) But if NECKLACE and EARRING are in the itchy group and RING group respectively... What if the 4th group is: OUROBOROS + three others that are all "circular/infinite" things? OK here's a new thought: what if the groupings involve ALLITERATION or some phonetic connection? M words: MYSTERY, MOUSE, MESH SHIRT H words: HERRING, HOUSE, HISTAMINE C words: CHRISTMAS ... not enough for clean groups What if the connection involves TV shows named after single words? • HOUSE (M.D.) ✓ • MYSTERY (?) • OUROBOROS (? - is there a show called Ouroboros?) • MOUSE (Norskov? There's a Norwegian show called "Norskov" but not Mouse... actually there might be a show called "Mouse") Hmm. What if the connection involves video games? • OUROBOROS (FMA game, Xenoblade, etc.) • HOUSE (Haunted House game?) • MOUSE (?) • MYSTERY (?) I keep failing to find the 4th category connection. Let me take a different approach and work backwards. If the 4 categories are: 1. PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS 2. HISTAMINE, MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE 3. EARRING, HERRING, STIRRING, ??? 4. CHRISTMAS, MYSTERY, HOUSE, MOUSE, OUROBOROS (need to pick 4 of 5) The problem is group 3 needs a 4th member. From group 4 candidates, which might contain RING or otherwise connect to EARRING, HERRING, STIRRING? • CHRISTMAS: C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S. No RING. But wait, let me check for other connections: EARRING, HERRING, STIRRING all end in double-R + ING: - earRING → ear+r+ing - herRING → her+r+ing - stirRING → stir+r+ing Do any of CHRISTMAS, MYSTERY, HOUSE, MOUSE, OUROBOROS end similarly? No. • What if the connection between EARRING, HERRING, STIRRING is NOT about RING but about something else? EARRING: ear / ring HERRING: her / ring - also a fish STIRRING: stir / ring - also moving/exciting What's the other word? What if they all contain a shorter word meaning something: • EARRING: EAR • HERRING: HER • STIRRING: STIR Hmm, EAR, HER, STIR... Or: RING in all three? Or: the first parts (EAR, HER, STIR) are all... no obvious connection. What if the first parts are all anagrams or rhymes? EAR - rhymes with HEAR, NEAR, DEAR HER - rhymes with STIR, FUR, BLUR STIR - rhymes with HER, FUR EAR and STIR don't rhyme. Hmm. OK what if the 4th word with the "RING" group is SWEARING, and the cursing group has a different 4th word? Cursing group: PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, FOUR-LETTER WORDS + one of {CHRISTMAS, HISTAMINE, MESH SHIRT, HERRING, NECKLACE, PLEATHER VEST, MYSTERY, HOUSE, OUROBOROS, MOUSE} Most plausible option: CHRISTMAS as a mild oath/exclamation? In British English, people do say "Christmas!" as a mild oath/exclamation to avoid saying "Christ!" - similar to how "Sugar!" replaces the S-word. If CHRISTMAS is the 4th cursing word (as a mild oath): Cursing: PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, FOUR-LETTER WORDS, CHRISTMAS Then the remaining groups: Contains RING: EARRING, HERRING, STIRRING, SWEARING Itchy: HISTAMINE, MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE (or EARRING) 4th group: MYSTERY, HOUSE, OUROBOROS, MOUSE + possibly EARRING or NECKLACE Wait, if the 4th group is MYSTERY, HOUSE, OUROBOROS, MOUSE: What do these have in common? MYSTERY, HOUSE, OUROBOROS, MOUSE... OH WAIT! What if these are all things that can be "HAUNTED"? • HAUNTED HOUSE ✓ • HAUNTED MYSTERY ✓? • HAUNTED OUROBOROS ✓? • HAUNTED MOUSE ✓? (like a mouse haunting a house?) Hmm, not convincing. What if they're all "___ MUSIC"? • HOUSE MUSIC ✓ • MYSTERY MUSIC? ❌ • OUROBOROS? ❌ • MOUSE? ❌ What if they can all precede "CURSOR"? No. What if they're all associated with a specific TV show or movie? • HOUSE (M.D.) • MOUSE (?) • MYSTERY (?...) • OUROBOROS (?) What if they're all Doctor Who related? • MYSTERY (The Doctor travels through mystery) • HOUSE (an episode of Doctor Who is called "The Doctor's House"? or "The Doctor's Wife" is set in "House"?) Actually there is a Doctor Who episode called "House" where the TARDIS is called House! • OUROBOROS (?) • MOUSE (?) Hmm. What if they're all related to a children's story or nursery rhyme? "Three Blind Mice" - MOUSE "This little piggy went to the... HOUSE"? "Baa Baa Black Sheep" ? What if they can all precede "TRAP"? • MOUSE TRAP ✓ • DEATH TRAP • HOUSE... no "house trap" not standard • MYSTERY TRAP? ❌ • OUROBOROS TRAP? ❌ What if they're all associated with the game "Cluedo" (Clue)? • MYSTERY (it's a mystery game) ✓ • HOUSE (it's set in a house) ✓ • MOUSE (?) • OUROBOROS (?) What if they're all associated with "Doctor Who" or "Sherlock"? What if they can all be preceded by "COMPUTER"? • COMPUTER MOUSE ✓ • COMPUTER HOUSE (data center)? Not standard • COMPUTER MYSTERY? ❌ • COMPUTER OUROBOROS? ❌ What if they're all "___ CAT"? • HOUSE CAT ✓ • MOUSE... cat chases mouse ✓ (association) • MYSTERY CAT ✓ (from "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" by T.S. Eliot - there's a "Mystery Cat: Macavity") • OUROBOROS CAT? ❌ Hmm, 3/4 for CAT connections. What if they all precede or follow "WIFE"? • MOUSE: computer mouse, not mouse wife • HOUSE: HOUSEWIFE ✓ • OUROBOROS: no • MYSTERY: no What if they're all types of "parties"? • HOUSE PARTY ✓ • MYSTERY PARTY (murder mystery) ✓ • MOUSE PARTY? ❌ • OUROBOROS PARTY? ❌ What if they all follow "CHURCH"? • CHURCH MOUSE ✓ • CHURCH HOUSE ✓ (a church building, or Church House is the headquarters of the Church of England) • CHURCH MYSTERY ✓? (mystery plays were performed in churches!) • CHURCH OUROBOROS? ❌ Hmm. What if they're all types of games? • MYSTERY (mystery game) ✓ • HOUSE (house game? like playing house) • OUROBOROS (game character/motif) • MOUSE (computer game element?) What about "MOUSE ___": MOUSE TRAP, MOUSE HOUSE, MOUSE MYSTERY, MOUSE OUROBOROS... Or "___ MOUSE": COMPUTER MOUSE, HOUSE MOUSE, DORMOUSE, CHURCH MOUSE, MINNIE MOUSE... Wait! What if the connection is "___ MOUSE"? • HOUSE MOUSE ✓ • COMPUTER MOUSE ✓ • DORMOUSE ✓ • CHURCH MOUSE ✓ • MINNIE/MICKEY MOUSE But MOUSE itself is in the list. Are the others modifiers of MOUSE? CHRISTMAS MOUSE? MYSTERY MOUSE? Or the reverse: things that can be modified by MOUSE? • MOUSE HOUSE (a house for mice) • MOUSE TRAP (for catching mice) • MOUSE MYSTERY (?) • MOUSE OUROBOROS (?) Hmm. What if the connection is "famous [WORD]s" - like famous types of something? • OUROBOROS: famous as an ancient symbol • MYSTERY: famous mystery novels/plays • HOUSE: famous houses (White House, etc.) • MOUSE: famous mice (Mickey, Danger Mouse, etc.) This is too vague. OK wait. I want to try a completely different angle on OUROBOROS. OUROBOROS when you look at the letters: O-U-R-O-B-O-R-O-S What if this is an abbreviation or acronym for something? OUROBOROS = ?? Or what if it's hidden inside another word or concept? OUROBOROS contains: OURO (gold in Portuguese), BOROS (from Greek "to devour"), OUR, BORO, ... Hmm. What if "OUROBOROS" contains a hidden connection to CHRISTMAS, MYSTERY, HOUSE, MOUSE? Actually, let me try: are any of these words related by being "words that contain other words in the puzzle"? • CHRISTMAS contains... STIR? C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S. STIR = S-T-I-R. In CHRISTMAS: R(3)I(4)S(5)T(6) = RIST, not STIR. Hmm. Or looking at it differently, does "CHRISTMAS" contain "MAS" (Spanish for more?) - irrelevant. • HISTAMINE contains... STIR? H-I-S-T-A-M-I-N-E. No STIR. • MYSTERY contains... STIR? M-Y-S-T-E-R-Y. No STIR (S-T-I-R needs I after ST, but we have S(3)T(4)E(5)R(6)). • OUROBOROS contains... MOUSE? M-O-U-S-E. OUROBOROS = O-U-R-O-B-O-R-O-S. No M. Contains HOUSE? H-O-U-S-E. OUROBOROS has no H. No. • PLEATHER VEST contains... HERRING? No, PLEATHER VEST has no double-R. Contains THER... LEATHER... VEST... LATHER... HER = yes (pleatHER or pleatHER vest) Hmm, none of these seem to contain other words from the puzzle. WAIT! Let me look at this differently. What if some words literally contain other words FROM THE PUZZLE LIST? HERRING contains... HER (pronoun). EARRING contains... EAR (body part). STIRRING contains... STIR (verb). SWEARING contains... SWEAR or SWEARING or WEAR. What if one category is "words that contain shorter action/body part words"? • EARRING: EAR ✓ • HERRING: HER ✓ (pronoun) • NECKLACE: NECK ✓ (body part) • STIRRING: STIR ✓ • PLEATHER VEST: LEATHER? VEST? LATHER? • HISTAMINE: HIS ✓ (pronoun)? HIST? AMINE? • CHRISTMAS: CHRIS? HIST? • OUROBOROS: OUR? (pronoun) • MOUSE: MUSE? MO? • HOUSE: HOSE? HO? • MYSTERY: MYST? MY? OH INTERESTING! What if words contain pronouns? • HERRING: HER • HISTAMINE: HIS • OUROBOROS: OUR? O-U-R-O... yes, OUR at positions 1-3! O(1)U(2)R(3) = OUR ✓ • MYSTERY: MY? M(1)Y(2) = MY ✓ (though it's only 2 letters) • EARRING: no pronoun? Wait: EARRING = E-A-R-R-I-N-G. Contains no common pronoun unless... no. • NECKLACE: no pronoun • STIRRING: no pronoun (well, I-T? no) • SWEARING: no pronoun • EXPLETIVES: no pronoun • MESH SHIRT: no pronoun • PLEATHER VEST: no pronoun • CHRISTMAS: no pronoun... wait, CHRISTMAS has HIS? C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S: no consecutive H-I-S (we have H(2)R(3)I(4)S(5), not H-I-S consecutively) Wait: H is at position 2, I is at position 4, S is at position 5. They're not consecutive: H-R-I-S, not H-I-S. Hmm. So pronouns: HER (HERRING), HIS (HISTAMINE), OUR (OUROBOROS), MY (MYSTERY), and possibly YOUR (?)... CHRISTMAS: does it contain YOUR? C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S. No Y-O-U-R. MOUSE: M-O-U-S-E. No pronoun? HOUSE: H-O-U-S-E. Contains "HO"? Not a pronoun. No. NECKLACE: no pronoun. N-E-C-K-L-A-C-E. No. SWEARING: S-W-E-A-R-I-N-G. No pronoun. PROFANITY: P-R-O-F-A-N-I-T-Y. No pronoun. EXPLETIVES: E-X-P-L-E-T-I-V-E-S. No pronoun. FOUR-LETTER WORDS: "I" is in there but trivial. Hmm. Contains "HER"? F-O-U-R-L-E-T-T-E-R-W-O-R-D-S: R(4)→L(5)→E(6)→T(7)→T(8)→E(9)→R(10)... H-E-R? H is at... wait, FOUR-LETTER WORDS: F-O-U-R-L-E-T-T-E-R-W-O-R-D-S. I don't see H in this. EARRING: E-A-R-R-I-N-G. Contains I (pronoun) at position 5, but that's trivial. MESH SHIRT: M-E-S-H-S-H-I-R-T. Contains "HIS"? H(4)S(5)H(6)I(7)R(8)T(9) - no consecutive HIS. What about SHE? S(3)H(4)E? No, position 4 is H, position 5 is S... S-H-E would need S then H then E: S(3)H(4)...then we need E, but position 5 is S, not E. So no SHE. Actually wait: M-E-S-H = first four letters, then S-H-I-R-T. So positions: M(1)E(2)S(3)H(4)-S(5)H(6)I(7)R(8)T(9). Is there HIS? H-I-S: H(6)I(7)... then S? Position 8 is R, not S. So no HIS. PLEATHER VEST: P-L-E-A-T-H-E-R-V-E-S-T. Contains HER? H(6)E(7)R(8) = HER! ✓ Also contains... She? No. His? No. STIRRING: S-T-I-R-R-I-N-G. No pronoun (well, I at position 3, but trivial). CHRISTMAS: C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S. Contains HIM? H-I-M: H(2)...I(4)...M(7). Not consecutive. Contains HIS? H(2)-R(3)-I(4)-S(5). Not H-I-S consecutively (H-R-I-S). No. NECKLACE: No pronouns. So words containing pronouns (possessive pronouns): HER, HIS, OUR, MY (at least 2 chars): • HERRING: HER ✓ • HISTAMINE: HIS ✓ • OUROBOROS: OUR ✓ • MYSTERY: MY ✓ (if 2-letter pronouns count) • PLEATHER VEST: HER ✓ (same as HERRING case) Hmm, HERRING and PLEATHER VEST both contain HER. And MYSTERY contains MY, OUROBOROS contains OUR, HISTAMINE contains HIS. What if the category is "contains a possessive pronoun": HER, HIS, OUR, MY, YOUR, THEIR? • HISTAMINE: HIS ✓ • HERRING: HER ✓ (but HERRING is a fish...) • OUROBOROS: OUR ✓ • MYSTERY: MY ✓ These four each contain a different possessive pronoun! HISTAMINE (HIS), HERRING (HER), OUROBOROS (OUR), MYSTERY (MY)! That's elegant! And it's the kind of wordplay that NYT Connections often uses for the hardest (purple) category! HISTAMINE - HIS HERRING - HER OUROBOROS - OUR MYSTERY - MY YES! That makes sense! They all contain a possessive pronoun hidden within them! So the four categories would be: 1. Cursing synonyms: PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS 2. Itchy things: HISTAMINE, MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE (but wait, HISTAMINE is now in the pronoun group!) 3. Contains "RING": EARRING, HERRING, STIRRING, SWEARING (but HERRING is now in pronoun group, and SWEARING is in cursing group!) 4. Contains pronoun: HISTAMINE (HIS), HERRING (HER), OUROBOROS (OUR), MYSTERY (MY) CONFLICT! HERRING is in both "contains RING" and "contains pronoun HER" groups. And HISTAMINE might be in both "itchy things" and "contains pronoun HIS" groups. Let me reconsider. If the pronoun group is HISTAMINE, HERRING, OUROBOROS, MYSTERY: • The "contains RING" group would be EARRING, STIRRING, SWEARING + ??? (HERRING is taken) - What's the 4th? We established only EARRING, HERRING, STIRRING, SWEARING contain RING. With HERRING in the pronoun group, the RING group has only 3 members: EARRING, STIRRING, SWEARING. - That means SWEARING must be in this group (not cursing), and the RING group is EARRING, STIRRING, SWEARING + ONE MORE. But there's no 4th word ending in RING! Unless... OH WAIT. What about NECKLACE? N-E-C-K-L-A-C-E. No RING. What about PLEATHER VEST? P-L-E-A-T-H-E-R-V-E-S-T. No RING. What about CHRISTMAS? No RING. What about PROFANITY? P-R-O-F-A-N-I-T-Y. No RING. Hmm. So if the pronoun group is HISTAMINE, HERRING, OUROBOROS, MYSTERY, then there's no complete "RING" group. BUT WAIT! What if the "RING" group doesn't need HERRING because it uses SWEARING instead? RING group: EARRING, STIRRING, SWEARING + ??? (4th member contains RING but isn't HERRING) The only way this works is if one of the remaining words contains RING. Let me check: • PROFANITY: P-R-O-F-A-N-I-T-Y → no • CHRISTMAS: C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S → no (R-I-S-T, not R-I-N-G) • MESH SHIRT: M-E-S-H-S-H-I-R-T → no • NECKLACE: N-E-C-K-L-A-C-E → no • PLEATHER VEST: P-L-E-A-T-H-E-R-V-E-S-T → no • EXPLETIVES: E-X-P-L-E-T-I-V-E-S → no • FOUR-LETTER WORDS: F-O-U-R-L-E-T-T-E-R-W-O-R-D-S → no • HOUSE: H-O-U-S-E → no • MOUSE: M-O-U-S-E → no No luck. So if the pronoun group uses HERRING, the RING group can't have 4 members. UNLESS the RING group uses only 3 of those words + a differently connected 4th? What if CHRISTMAS is in the RING group by a stretch? Like, people ring Christmas bells? No... Or what if NECKLACE is in the RING group because a necklace can be ring-shaped? But it doesn't CONTAIN the word RING. Hmm. What if the connection for the RING group isn't "contains RING" but something else? Like "things associated with ears": EARRING (worn in ear), HERRING (red herring - a misleading sound?), STIRRING (as in something stirred up)... no. OK let me try to think about this more carefully. If the pronoun group is indeed HISTAMINE (HIS), HERRING (HER), OUROBOROS (OUR), MYSTERY (MY): Then the remaining 12 are: PROFANITY, CHRISTMAS, MESH SHIRT, NECKLACE, EARRING, STIRRING, PLEATHER VEST, HOUSE, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS, MOUSE From these 12, what are the 3 groups? Group A (cursing): PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS ✓ Group B (itchy): MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE + ??? • 4th itchy thing: CHRISTMAS? EARRING? HOUSE? MOUSE? • EARRING (can cause itching) seems most plausible Group B: MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE, EARRING (itchy things) Group C (remaining): CHRISTMAS, STIRRING, HOUSE, MOUSE What do CHRISTMAS, STIRRING, HOUSE, MOUSE have in common? CHRISTMAS PUDDING, STIRRING (stirring the pudding), HOUSE... hmm. "STIRRING" the Christmas pudding is a tradition! But how does HOUSE and MOUSE connect? "A CHRISTMAS CAROL" - contains CHRISTMAS "STIRRING CHRISTMAS TALE"? "FULL HOUSE" "MOUSE TRAP" Hmm. What if they can all precede "BOAT"? • MOUSE BOAT? ❌ • HOUSE BOAT ✓ • CHRISTMAS BOAT? ❌ • STIRRING BOAT? ❌ What if they relate to nursery rhymes? • "Jack and Jill" - no • "Three Blind Mice" - MOUSE • "This Little Piggy went to the Market... THIS LITTLE PIGGY stayed home (HOUSE)" • "CHRISTMAS is Coming, the Goose is Getting Fat" - CHRISTMAS • STIRRING - "Stirring up the porridge" (Goldilocks)? What connects CHRISTMAS, STIRRING, HOUSE, MOUSE? • They could all precede "MUSIC"? HOUSE MUSIC ✓, CHRISTMAS MUSIC ✓, MOUSE MUSIC? ❌, STIRRING MUSIC ✓ (stirring music = inspiring music) - Hmm: HOUSE, CHRISTMAS, STIRRING, MOUSE and MUSIC: - HOUSE MUSIC ✓ - CHRISTMAS MUSIC ✓ - STIRRING MUSIC ✓ (adjective, meaning rousing) - MOUSE MUSIC? ❌ not a compound What if they can all precede or follow "PARTY"? • HOUSE PARTY ✓ • CHRISTMAS PARTY ✓ • MOUSE PARTY? ❌ • STIRRING PARTY? ❌ What if they can all follow "FULL": • FULL HOUSE ✓ • FULL CHRISTMAS? ❌ • FULL MOUSE? ❌ • FULL STIRRING? ❌ What about "STIR ___": • STIR... hmm What if they're all related to "night before Christmas"? "A Visit from Saint Nicholas" / "'Twas the night before Christmas": • CHRISTMAS ✓ • MOUSE: "not a creature was STIRRING, not even a MOUSE" ✓ (both STIRRING and MOUSE are in this poem!) • STIRRING: "not a creature was STIRRING" ✓ • HOUSE: "all through the HOUSE" ✓ ("not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; stockings were hung by the chimney with care..." and "'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house...") OMG YES! "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" (A Visit from Saint Nicholas)! "'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the HOUSE, not a creature was STIRRING, not even a MOUSE..." So the category could be "Words from the opening of 'A Visit from Saint Nicholas' (Twas the Night Before Christmas)"! HOUSE: "all through the house" STIRRING: "not a creature was stirring" MOUSE: "not even a mouse" CHRISTMAS: "night before Christmas" Yes! That's 4 words from the famous poem! And this would be the tricky/creative category. So the four categories are: 1. Cursing synonyms: PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS 2. Words containing possessive pronouns: HISTAMINE (HIS), HERRING (HER), OUROBOROS (OUR), MYSTERY (MY) 3. Itchy/scratchy things: MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE, EARRING 4. Words from "Twas the Night Before Christmas": CHRISTMAS, HOUSE, STIRRING, MOUSE Wait, but what about EARRING vs NECKLACE in group 3? Let me verify: • MESH SHIRT: itchy ✓ • PLEATHER VEST: itchy ✓ • NECKLACE: can cause itchy rash (contact dermatitis from nickel) ✓ • EARRING: can cause itchy ears (nickel allergy, etc.) ✓ Both work for "itchy things." But which one is in the "Twas the Night Before Christmas" group? Neither EARRING nor NECKLACE appear in the poem. And the Night Before Christmas group needs 4 words: CHRISTMAS, HOUSE, STIRRING, MOUSE. ✓ That's exactly 4 from those groups! So: Group 1 - Cursing: PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS Group 2 - Contains pronouns: HISTAMINE (HIS), HERRING (HER), OUROBOROS (OUR), MYSTERY (MY) Group 3 - Itchy things: MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE, EARRING Group 4 - "Twas the Night Before Christmas": CHRISTMAS, HOUSE, STIRRING, MOUSE This works perfectly! All 16 words are accounted for exactly once! Let me double-check: 1. PROFANITY ✓, EXPLETIVES ✓, SWEARING ✓, FOUR-LETTER WORDS ✓ (cursing) 2. HISTAMINE (HIS) ✓, HERRING (HER) ✓, OUROBOROS (OUR) ✓, MYSTERY (MY) ✓ (pronouns) 3. MESH SHIRT ✓, PLEATHER VEST ✓, NECKLACE ✓, EARRING ✓ (itchy) 4. CHRISTMAS ✓, HOUSE ✓, STIRRING ✓, MOUSE ✓ (TNBC) All 16 accounted for! ✓ The "Twas the Night Before Christmas" connection: "'Twas the night before CHRISTMAS, when all through the HOUSE, not a creature was STIRRING, not even a MOUSE." This is a really clever puzzle! The trickiest parts are: • STIRRING looks like it's in the "contains RING" category but is actually in the TNBC group • HERRING looks like it's in the "contains RING" category but is actually in the "contains HER" group • SWEARING looks like it's in the "cursing" category but might actually be in the "contains RING" category... wait no, SWEARING IS in the cursing category per my new groupings! • MOUSE and HOUSE don't look like Christmas words at first glance • HISTAMINE and OUROBOROS containing pronouns is very non-obvious Actually wait - let me reconsider. In my final grouping: • SWEARING is in the cursing group ✓ • STIRRING is in the TNBC group ✓ • HERRING is in the pronoun (HER) group ✓ The "contains RING" connection is a RED HERRING (heh) in this puzzle! All three of EARRING, STIRRING, HERRING, SWEARING seem to point to a "contains RING" group, but actually: • EARRING → itchy things • STIRRING → TNBC • HERRING → contains HER (pronoun) • SWEARING → cursing That's a beautifully designed trap! Now, which category should I guess first? Let me go with what I'm most confident about. Most confident: Cursing synonyms (PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS) - very clear Very confident: "Twas the Night Before Christmas" (CHRISTMAS, HOUSE, STIRRING, MOUSE) - very elegant Confident: Contains pronouns (HISTAMINE, HERRING, OUROBOROS, MYSTERY) - clever wordplay Somewhat confident: Itchy things (MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE, EARRING) - makes sense I'll start with the cursing synonyms as they're most clear-cut. Actually wait, let me reconsider the itchy group vs. something else. Could NECKLACE or EARRING be in the "contains pronoun" group? • NECKLACE: N-E-C-K-L-A-C-E. Pronouns: HE? No H. SHE? No. HER? No. HIM? No. MY? No. OUR? No. YOUR? No. THEIR? No. Hmm. Contains ACE but that's not a pronoun. • EARRING: E-A-R-R-I-N-G. Pronouns: HER? No. HIS? No. OUR? No. MY? No. Contains I at position 5 but that's trivial. No, neither NECKLACE nor EARRING contains a clear pronoun. Could PLEATHER VEST be in a different group? PLEATHER VEST contains HER (pleatHER). But I already have 4 words for the pronoun group. Could MESH SHIRT be in a different group? MESH SHIRT contains... no clear pronoun. Let me check PLEATHER VEST more carefully: P-L-E-A-T-H-E-R = PLEATHER. H(6)E(7)R(8) = HER! So PLEATHER VEST contains HER. But I already have HERRING for HER. If the category is "each word contains a DIFFERENT pronoun," then only one HER word can be in the group. HERRING contains HER at: H(1)E(2)R(3) = first three letters. PLEATHER VEST contains HER at: H(6)E(7)R(8) in PLEATHER. If the category is "contains HER, HIS, OUR, MY (one of each)": • HIS: HISTAMINE • HER: HERRING or PLEATHER VEST • OUR: OUROBOROS • MY: MYSTERY Both HERRING and PLEATHER VEST contain HER. The more prominent/intended one would be HERRING (where HER is at the start and very visible). So the pronoun group is: HISTAMINE (HIS), HERRING (HER), OUROBOROS (OUR), MYSTERY (MY) And PLEATHER VEST belongs to the itchy group. Now what about CHRISTMAS? C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S. Does this contain a pronoun? • HIS: H(2)R(3)... no consecutive HIS • SHE: no S-H-E consecutively (S is at positions 5 and 9, H is at position 2: not adjacent S-H) • Actually: wait. In CHRISTMAS: C(1)-H(2)-R(3)-I(4)-S(5)-T(6)-M(7)-A(8)-S(9). Hmm. No clear pronoun. • HIM: H(2)-I?-M: H is 2, I is 4, M is 7. Not consecutive. • YOUR: Y-O-U-R: no Y in CHRISTMAS. OK, CHRISTMAS doesn't contain a clear pronoun. It stays in the TNBC group. ✓ Let me also double-check OUROBOROS for OUR: O(1)-U(2)-R(3)-O(4)-B(5)-O(6)-R(7)-O(8)-S(9). OUR = O-U-R at positions 1-2-3. ✓ Clearly contains OUR. And MYSTERY for MY: M(1)-Y(2)-S(3)-T(4)-E(5)-R(6)-Y(7). MY = M-Y at positions 1-2. ✓ Clearly contains MY. Great, my groupings look solid: 1. Cursing synonyms: PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS 2. Contains possessive pronouns: HISTAMINE (HIS), HERRING (HER), OUROBOROS (OUR), MYSTERY (MY) 3. Itchy things: MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE, EARRING 4. "Twas the Night Before Christmas": CHRISTMAS, HOUSE, STIRRING, MOUSE I'll start with the group I'm most certain about: Cursing synonyms. Wait, actually: am I sure SWEARING isn't in the TNBC group? Let me check - does "swearing" appear in "Twas the Night Before Christmas"? "'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there; The children were nestled all snug in their beds; While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads; And mamma in her kerchief, and I in my cap, Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap, When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow, Gave a lustre of midday to objects below, When what to my wondering eyes did appear, But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer, With a little old driver so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled and shouted and called them by name: 'Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen! To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!' As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky; So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too— And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof The prancing and pawing of each little hoof. As I drew in my head, and was turning around, Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound. He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot; A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack. His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow; The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath; He had a broad face and a little round belly That shook, when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly. He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself; A wink of his eye and a twist of his head Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread; He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk, And laying his finger aside of his nose, And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose; He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight— 'Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!'" Checking: HOUSE ✓ ("all through the house"), STIRRING ✓ ("not a creature was stirring"), MOUSE ✓ ("not even a mouse"), CHRISTMAS ✓ ("night before Christmas") Does SWEARING appear? No. Does PROFANITY appear? No. Does any of the cursing words appear in the poem? No. Great, my groupings are confirmed. OK let me also confirm the itchy group: MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE, EARRING. • MESH SHIRT: a mesh shirt is notoriously scratchy/itchy fabric • PLEATHER VEST: synthetic leather can be hot, sticky, and irritating • NECKLACE: cheap metal necklaces cause contact dermatitis (itchy red rash from nickel) • EARRING: cheap metal earrings cause itchy ear lobes Alternatively, maybe this group is about "things you might scratch" or "things associated with an itch." Or maybe the category is more specific: "Fashion items that can cause skin irritation" or just "Itchy things." Actually, let me make sure the category isn't about something else entirely for MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE, EARRING. Could they all be related to a specific style or character? • A rockstar might wear MESH SHIRT, LEATHER/PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE, EARRING • A 90s bad guy might wear these • Like a "hair metal" rock star look: MESH SHIRT ✓, PLEATHER VEST ✓, NECKLACE ✓, EARRING ✓ The category might be "hair metal / rock star accessories" or "90s villain fashion" or simply "tacky fashion items." Or maybe the theme is more about what connects them literally - they all can be "itchy": • HISTAMINE causes itching • MESH SHIRT is itchy • PLEATHER VEST is itchy • NECKLACE causes itching (nickel allergy) • EARRING causes itching But if HISTAMINE is in the pronoun group, then it's MESH SHIRT + PLEATHER VEST + NECKLACE + EARRING for the itchy group. The category could be "things that cause itching" (4 itchy items) while HISTAMINE was the biochemical cause of itching (but it's in the pronoun group by virtue of containing HIS). This all makes sense. The categories: 1. PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS ("Curse words" or "Profanity synonyms") 2. HISTAMINE (HIS), HERRING (HER), OUROBOROS (OUR), MYSTERY (MY) ("Contains a possessive pronoun") 3. MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE, EARRING ("Itchy things" or "Scratchy fashion") 4. CHRISTMAS, HOUSE, STIRRING, MOUSE ("'Twas the Night Before Christmas" words or "Christmas poem") I'm going to start with the TNBC group because it's the most creative and unique connection, and I want to test it before committing to cursing (which might be a trap if one of those words belongs elsewhere). Actually no - the cursing group is the clearest. Let me start there. Hmm, but wait: is there any chance PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, FOUR-LETTER WORDS, SWEARING isn't a group? Let me think if any of these could belong elsewhere. • PROFANITY: could this be in the pronoun group? P-R-O-F-A-N-I-T-Y. PRO...FAN... no pronoun I can see. OUR? No O-U-R. HIS? No H-I-S. HER? No. No pronoun in PROFANITY. • EXPLETIVES: E-X-P-L-E-T-I-V-E-S. Contains HE? E... no H before E. Contains SHE? No S-H-E consecutively. HER? H-E-R? No H in EXPLETIVES. No pronoun. • SWEARING: S-W-E-A-R-I-N-G. OUR? No. HIS? No. HER? H-E-R: no H. Hmm. Any pronoun? WE? W-E at positions 2-3? W(2)-E(3) = WE! SWEARING contains WE! Oh interesting! SWEARING contains WE (a pronoun)! But so does... let me check others: • MESH SHIRT: contains WE? M-E-S-H-S-H-I-R-T. No W. • FOUR-LETTER WORDS: F-O-U-R-L-E-T-T-E-R-W-O-R-D-S. Contains WE? W(11)-O(12)-R(13)-D(14)-S(15). W at position 11, followed by O not E. No WE. • CHRISTMAS: no W. No WE. • PLEATHER VEST: P-L-E-A-T-H-E-R-V-E-S-T. Contains WE? No W. • NECKLACE: no W. No WE. • EARRING: no W. No WE. Hmm, only SWEARING contains WE. But the pronouns I identified are: HIS (HISTAMINE), HER (HERRING), OUR (OUROBOROS), MY (MYSTERY). These are possessive pronouns. WE is a subject pronoun. The category might be specifically "possessive pronouns" not all pronouns. OR maybe the category is "pronouns" in general and includes WE alongside HIS, HER, OUR, MY... but that's 5 candidates and we need exactly 4. Let me check: do HISTAMINE, HERRING, OUROBOROS, MYSTERY all contain POSSESSIVE pronouns? • HIS (possessive) ✓ • HER (possessive) ✓ - HER can be possessive ("her cat") or objective ("I saw her") • OUR (possessive) ✓ • MY (possessive) ✓ Yes, these are all possessive pronouns. WE is not a possessive pronoun. So SWEARING (with WE) wouldn't be in this category if it's specifically "possessive pronouns." OK here's one more check: do any of the "cursing" words (PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, FOUR-LETTER WORDS) contain possessive pronouns? • PROFANITY: P-R-O-F-A-N-I-T-Y. HIS? H-I-S: no H. HER? No H. OUR? O-U-R: P-R-O(3)-F-A-N-I-T-Y, O at position 3 followed by F, not U. No OUR. MY? M-Y: no consecutive M-Y... wait: P-R-O-F-A-N-I-T-Y. M? No M in PROFANITY. No MY. • EXPLETIVES: E-X-P-L-E-T-I-V-E-S. Contains no H, so no HIS, HER. O-U-R? No O. MY? No M. YOUR? Y? No Y... wait E-X-P-L-E-T-I-V-E-S. Any Y? No Y. No pronoun. • FOUR-LETTER WORDS: F-O-U-R-L-E-T-T-E-R-W-O-R-D-S. Contains OUR? O(2)-U(3)-R(4) = OUR! YES! FOUR-LETTER WORDS contains OUR! OH NO. "FOUR-LETTER WORDS" contains "OUR" (from F-OUR-...). But so does OUROBOROS (OUR at the start). Both FOUR-LETTER WORDS and OUROBOROS contain OUR. If the category is "words containing possessive pronouns" where each member has a DIFFERENT pronoun: • HIS: HISTAMINE • HER: HERRING (or PLEATHER VEST, or others) • OUR: OUROBOROS or FOUR-LETTER WORDS • MY: MYSTERY If FOUR-LETTER WORDS is in the pronoun group (as OUR), then OUROBOROS is NOT in the pronoun group, and needs to be in another group. Hmm. Let me reconsider. FOUR-LETTER WORDS contains OUR: F(1)-O(2)-U(3)-R(4)-L-E-T-T-E-R-W-O-R-D-S. "OUR" at positions 2-4: O-U-R. But wait: F-O-U-R = "FOUR" contains OUR. Yes, O-U-R is embedded in F-OUR. So both OUROBOROS and FOUR-LETTER WORDS contain OUR. Now which one is in the pronoun group? The puzzle likely intends one clean interpretation. Let me check if FOUR-LETTER WORDS is "more obviously" a cursing synonym, and OUROBOROS is "more obviously" containing OUR. Actually: OUROBOROS starts with OUR - it's very prominent. FOUR-LETTER WORDS contains OUR within "FOUR" - less obvious but present. If the pronoun group uses OUROBOROS (OUR), then FOUR-LETTER WORDS must be in the cursing group. And I already have PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS as the cursing group. If the pronoun group uses FOUR-LETTER WORDS (OUR) instead of OUROBOROS, then: • Cursing group loses FOUR-LETTER WORDS and needs a new 4th member • OUROBOROS needs to go in a different group Possible cursing group without FOUR-LETTER WORDS: PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING + ??? • Could OUROBOROS be a synonym for cursing? No. • Could CHRISTMAS? As a mild oath, maybe. • Could STIRRING? No. I think the intended puzzle has: • OUROBOROS in the pronoun group (OUR is very prominent at the start) • FOUR-LETTER WORDS in the cursing group (where it clearly belongs) The inclusion of OUR in FOUR-LETTER WORDS is a trap to make you think "wait, does FOUR-LETTER WORDS belong in the pronoun group?" But the clear intended grouping is OUROBOROS for OUR. Similarly, PLEATHER VEST contains HER (in pleatHER), but HERRING clearly contains HER more prominently. OK, I'm going with my original groupings: 1. Cursing: PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS 2. Contains pronoun: HISTAMINE (HIS), HERRING (HER), OUROBOROS (OUR), MYSTERY (MY) 3. Itchy fashion: MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE, EARRING 4. Night Before Christmas: CHRISTMAS, HOUSE, STIRRING, MOUSE Let me start with the Night Before Christmas group since it's the most clever and specific. If I'm right about it, that validates my whole theory. And it's a group where I can verify all four words appear in the famous poem opening. Actually, starting with the most confident group reduces risk. The cursing group is most unambiguous. Let me go with that first. But wait - what if the puzzle makers made a trap where SWEARING is in the TNBC group? Let me check: does "swearing" appear in the poem? "'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house..." - no swearing No, SWEARING doesn't appear in TNBC. What about NECKLACE, EARRING, MESH SHIRT, or PLEATHER VEST in TNBC? No. What about HISTAMINE or HERRING or OUROBOROS or MYSTERY in TNBC? No. The TNBC words are clearly CHRISTMAS, HOUSE, STIRRING, MOUSE. And the cursing words are clearly PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS. I'll start with the cursing group. Actually, wait. I want to make sure STIRRING isn't in the cursing group. Can STIRRING mean cursing? "Stirring up trouble" - no, it doesn't mean cursing. STIRRING ≠ cursing. ✓ And MYSTERY isn't cursing. ✓ And MOUSE isn't cursing. ✓ And HOUSE isn't cursing. ✓ The cursing group is solid. Let me go with it. Final answer order: 1. PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS (cursing) 2. CHRISTMAS, HOUSE, STIRRING, MOUSE (TNBC) 3. HISTAMINE, HERRING, OUROBOROS, MYSTERY (pronoun group) 4. MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE, EARRING (itchy) Confidence: High for groups 1, 2, and 3. Slightly lower for group 4 (itchy fashion) but it's the only remaining option. Going with group 1 first.

The cursing group was correct. Now let me proceed with my next most confident group. Remaining words: CHRISTMAS, HISTAMINE, MESH SHIRT, HERRING, NECKLACE, EARRING, STIRRING, PLEATHER VEST, MYSTERY, HOUSE, OUROBOROS, MOUSE My planned groups: 1. ✅ PROFANITY, EXPLETIVES, SWEARING, FOUR-LETTER WORDS (cursing) - DONE 2. CHRISTMAS, HOUSE, STIRRING, MOUSE (Night Before Christmas) 3. HISTAMINE (HIS), HERRING (HER), OUROBOROS (OUR), MYSTERY (MY) (contains possessive pronoun) 4. MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE, EARRING (itchy things) I'll go with the Night Before Christmas group next, as it's very specific and elegant.

Two down, two to go. Remaining words: HISTAMINE, MESH SHIRT, HERRING, NECKLACE, EARRING, PLEATHER VEST, MYSTERY, OUROBOROS My planned groups: 3. HISTAMINE (HIS), HERRING (HER), OUROBOROS (OUR), MYSTERY (MY) (contains possessive pronoun) 4. MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE, EARRING (itchy things) Let me go with the possessive pronoun group next.

Three down, one to go. The last group must be MESH SHIRT, PLEATHER VEST, NECKLACE, EARRING - the itchy things.

Let me analyze these 16 words and find 4 groups of 4 related words. Words: MONKEY, PRINCESS, APOLLO, ECHO, REFEREE, CANDLES, LAG, FREEZE, DROP, PARROT, MIME, GENIE, FANTASTIC, PRISONER, SAILOR, SAMURAI Let me think about possible categories: 1. Silent types / People who don't speak: MIME (silent performer), PARROT (mimics), ECHO (repeats)... hmm 2. "See no evil, hear no evil" monkeys? 3. Spice Girls: PRINCESS (no), SAILOR (no)... 4. _____ Moon: SAILOR MOON, APOLLO MOON... 5. Jeff Bezos / Amazon: PARROT? 6. "Silence" related: MIME, ECHO, PARROT... 7. Party games: FREEZE (freeze dance), DROP (drop the handkerchief?), LAG... 8. Lag, Freeze, Drop - these could be internet connection issues (lag, freeze, drop)... 9. Connection issues / Gaming terms: LAG, FREEZE, DROP, DISCONNECT? 10. "Mr. ___": MR. FANTASTIC, MR. FREEZE, MR. T... Wait, let me think about "___ Man" or "Man ___": 11. Fantastic Four characters: MR. FANTASTIC... 12. "___ Voyage": FANTASTIC VOYAGE, BON VOYAGE... 13. Apollo (Greek god/NASA), Echo (Greek nymph), Genie (magic lamp)... 14. Characters that grant wishes or are magical: GENIE, ... 15. Types of "cop": REFEREE (officiant)... 16. "Drop the ___": DROP THE MIC? 17. Birthday related: CANDLES (birthday candles), ... 18. "Happy Birthday" elements: CANDLES, ... 19. "Freeze" tag, "Drop" - children's games? Let me think about "___ Jack": • CRACKER JACK • FLAPJACK • LUMBERJACK 20. "___ Moon": • SAILOR Moon (anime) • APOLLO (moon mission) - 21. Sailor Moon characters: SAILOR MOON, ... 22. "Dead ___": DEAD DROP, DEAD PARROT (Monty Python), DEAD RINGER... 23. Monty Python: DEAD PARROT, ... 24. Ninja types: SAMURAI, ... 25. "___ bar": MONKEY bars, CROW bar... 26. Costumes: PRINCESS, SAILOR, SAMURAI, REFEREE (Halloween costumes)? 27. "Seven Nation Army" / White Stripes? No... 28. "Village People" members?: No... 29. "Dress up as ___": PRINCESS, SAILOR, SAMURAI, REFEREE... these could all be costumes! 30. "___'s Creed": ASSASSIN'S CREED (SAMURAI)... 31. Roger ___: ROGER MOORE, ROGER FEDERER (REFEREE?)... 32. "Fantastic" ___: • FANTASTIC FOUR • MR FANTASTIC • FANTASTIC VOYAGE 33. Mr. ___: MR. FREEZE, MR. FANTASTIC, MR. T... 34. "Captain ___": CAPTAIN AMERICA, CAPTAIN FANTASTIC... 35. "___ Sam": UNCLE SAM... 36. "___ Moon": • SAILOR Moon • APOLLO (moon mission) • FULL MOON • CRESCENT 37. Amazon Echo, Amazon Parrot, Amazon Monkey? Amazon products: ECHO (Amazon Echo), FIRE, ALEXA... 38. "___ bar": MONKEY bars, CROW bar... Wait, let me think about "Lamp" related: GENIE (comes from a lamp), CANDLES (light), ... 39. Light sources: CANDLES, ... 40. "Aladdin" characters: GENIE, PRINCESS (Jasmine), PARROT (Iago), MONKEY (Abu)! YES! Aladdin characters: • GENIE (Robin Williams' character) • PRINCESS (Jasmine) • PARROT (Iago) • MONKEY (Abu) That seems like a strong category! 41. Now for the remaining 12: APOLLO, ECHO, REFEREE, CANDLES, LAG, FREEZE, DROP, MIME, FANTASTIC, PRISONER, SAILOR, SAMURAI 42. "___ Moon": • SAILOR Moon (anime) • APOLLO (Moon missions - Apollo 11 etc.) • ECHO (Echo? No...) • CANDLES ("Light My Candles") 43. "Fantastic ___": • FANTASTIC FOUR • FANTASTIC VOYAGE 44. "Mr. ___": • MR. FREEZE (Batman villain) • MR. FANTASTIC (Marvel) • MR. T? • MR. MIME (Pokémon!) • MR. REFEREE? No... Wait! Pokémon: • MR. MIME (Pokémon) • ... 45. "Mr. ___" characters: • MR. FREEZE (Batman) • MR. FANTASTIC (Marvel) • MR. MIME (Pokémon) • MR. T (TV) • MR. REFEREE? Hmm no Actually wait: • MR. FREEZE • MR. FANTASTIC • MR. MIME • Could REFEREE be "MR. REFEREE"? Unlikely. 46. Let me think of "___ Number 9" - no... 47. "Lap ___": LAPTOP, LAP DOG... 48. "Drop the ___": 49. "Cannonball ___": 50. "___ Cop": 51. Body language / non-verbal communication: MIME, PARROT (repeating), ECHO (repeating)... 52. "Apollo ___": Apollo 13 (movie), Apollo Creed (Rocky)... 53. "Rocky" characters: APOLLO (Creed), ... 54. Creed movies: APOLLO... 55. "Creed" connection: APOLLO Creed, REFEREE, ... 56. Let me think about "5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ___": FREEZE!, DROP!, ... 57. Commands in games/exercises: FREEZE!, DROP!, LAG?... 58. "Simon Says" type commands: FREEZE, DROP, ... 59. "___ Dead": DEAD DROP, DEAD PRISONER, ... 60. "Jail/Prison": PRISONER, ... 61. "The ___": THE PRISONER (TV show), THE REFEREE, THE FANTASTIC? 62. TV Shows: THE PRISONER, ... 63. "___ Six": FANTASTIC FOUR... OCEAN'S ELEVEN... 64. Numbers: FANTASTIC FOUR... 65. "Fantastic Four" members: MR. FANTASTIC, INVISIBLE WOMAN, THING, HUMAN TORCH 66. "___ Four": FANTASTIC FOUR, PRISONER... Hmm, let me think differently. 67. "Apollo ___": Apollo 13, Apollo Creed, Apollo (Greek god)... 68. Greek/Roman mythology: APOLLO, ECHO (nymph), ... 69. NASA missions: APOLLO, ... 70. "___ program": APOLLO program (NASA)... 71. Networking/Computer issues: LAG, FREEZE, DROP, CRASH... Actually, LAG, FREEZE, DROP + one more could be internet/gaming issues. What's the fourth? DISCONNECT? But that's not here. Could BUFFER be the fourth? No... What about CANDLES? No... What about ECHO (echo cancellation in audio)? Actually, in streaming/gaming: • LAG (latency issues) • FREEZE (video freezes) • DROP (packet drop / frame drop) • BUFFER? Hmm, what other word could relate to streaming issues? 72. "Packet ___": PACKET DROP, PACKET LOSS... 73. Actually, thinking about this differently - what if they're all "___ something" or "something ___"? 74. "Egg ___": EGG DROP (soup), EGG... 75. "Drop ___": DROP LAG? DROP FREEZE? 76. "___d": LAGGED, FROZEN, DROPPED, MIMED? 77. Let me think about "Roller ___": ROLLER COASTER... 78. "___ Jack": CRACKER JACK, FLAPJACK, LUMBERJACK, BLACKJACK, MONKEY (no)... SAILOR (no)... Wait - "Captain Jack" connection? PIRATES? 79. Pirates: PARROT, SAILOR, ... 80. Hmm, let me think about "Sailor ___": • SAILOR MOON • SAILOR JUPITER • SAILOR MARS 81. "___ Moon": • SAILOR Moon (anime character) • APOLLO (moon landing) • ECHO (Echo... not sure) • CRESCENT 82. Let me reconsider. What about "Fantastic Mr. ___"? Actually, "Mr. ___" is a strong theme: • MR. FREEZE (Batman villain) • MR. FANTASTIC (Reed Richards, Marvel) • MR. MIME (Pokémon #122) • MR. T? Not in the list... • MR. REFEREE? No... • MR. PRISONER? No... • MR. PARROT? (Monty Python - "Dead Parrot" but not Mr. Parrot) Hmm. What about: • MR. MIME ✓ • MR. FREEZE ✓ • MR. FANTASTIC ✓ • MR. APOLLO? No... • MR. ECHO? No... • MR. REFEREE? No... • MR. T? Not in the list Wait - what about CANDLES? "Mr. Candles"? No... What about SAMURAI? "Mr. Samurai"? No... LAG? "Mr. Lag"? No... DROP? "Mr. Drop"? No... PRISONER? "Mr. Prisoner"? No... SAILOR? "Mr. Sailor"? No... Hmm. I'm not finding the fourth "Mr." easily. 83. Wait - what about "___ Jack" again? • CRACKER JACK • FLAPJACK • BLACKJACK • FROG Hmm... 84. "Candles" - where does this fit? Birthday connection: CANDLES (on a cake)... 85. "Blow out ___": CANDLES... 86. "Yankee Doodle" / Patriotic songs? 87. What about "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" party elements? 88. Let me try another angle. What if the categories are: A) Aladdin characters: GENIE, PRINCESS (Jasmine), PARROT (Iago), MONKEY (Abu) B) "Mr. ___": FREEZE, FANTASTIC, MIME, + one more C) Gaming/streaming problems: LAG, FREEZE, DROP, + one more D) Something else The overlap issue: FREEZE could be in both B and C. 89. What if it's "Vanilla Ice" songs? - ICE ICE BABY... 90. What about "Ice ___": • ICE DROP • ICE CANDLES? No • ICE FREEZE (redundant) 91. What about "COLD" related? • COLD FREEZE? • COLD DROP? 92. Let me think about "Tag" games / party games: • FREEZE TAG • DROP (drop the handkerchief) • ... 93. "___ dance": FREEZE DANCE, LAP DANCE, ... 94. "Tap ___": TAP DANCE, TAP WATER... 95. Hmm, what about "___ STOP": • FULL STOP • BUS STOP • NON-STOP • FREEZE? DROP? LAG? 96. Let me try thinking about "Apollo ___": • APOLLO CREED • APOLLO 13 • APOLLO THEATER 97. What about "Creed"? APOLLO Creed (Rocky), PRISONER (no), ... 98. "Rocky" characters: APOLLO (Creed), REFEREE, ... 99. Hmm, what about "___ program" or space missions: • APOLLO • ECHO (NASA's Echo satellite was a passive communications satellite!) • CANDLES? No... • GEMINI, MERCURY, APOLLO, ECHO... Actually, Echo was a NASA satellite. What about other NASA satellites/programs in this list? 100. "NASA programs/missions": APOLLO, ECHO, ...and? 101. What about "Amazon ___": • AMAZON ECHO (smart speaker) • AMAZON PRIME • AMAZON DROP? No... 102. "___ effect": • ECHO EFFECT • FREEZE (freeze frame) • LAG (time lag) • DROP (drop rate) 103. Let me think about SAMURAI. Where does SAMURAI fit? • SAMURAI Jack (cartoon) • SAMURAI Cop (movie) • SAMURAI Pizza Cats 104. "___ Jack": • SAMURAI JACK (cartoon!) • CRACKER JACK • FLAPJACK • BLACKJACK • MONKEY? (no) • SAILOR? (no) SAMURAI JACK is a cartoon character. What other "___ Jack" do we have? Hmm: • SAMURAI JACK ✓ • FLAPJACK? But FLAPJACK isn't one word here • What about REFEREE... REFEREE JACK? No. Wait - let me check the words again: MONKEY, PRINCESS, APOLLO, ECHO, REFEREE, CANDLES, LAG, FREEZE, DROP, PARROT, MIME, GENIE, FANTASTIC, PRISONER, SAILOR, SAMURAI Hmm. 105. "Captain ___": • CAPTAIN FANTASTIC (movie/comic) • CAPTAIN AMERICA • CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW (PARROT connection) 106. "___ Jack": • SAMURAI JACK • CRACKER JACK (PARROT? Like a cracker connection? No) - 107. Let me think about "___ Moon" more carefully: • SAILOR Moon ✓ • APOLLO (Moon mission) ✓ • ECHO (Echo... hmm, not directly) • CANDLES (Candles in the Wind? No) • PRISONER? No • FREEZE? No • FANTASTIC? No What about "Fly Me to the ___"? MOON songs? 108. "Paper ___": PAPER DROP? PAPER PRISONER? No... 109. Let me reconsider. Let me think about "FREEZE" specifically: • Brain freeze • Freeze frame • Freeze tag • Mr. Freeze • Deep freeze • Freeze! (command) • Wage freeze 110. And "LAG": • Jet lag • Culture lag • Lag time • Lag (in gaming) • Price lag 111. And "DROP": • Drop the mic • Drop kick • Name drop • Rain drop • Tear drop • Drop the ball • Drop zone • Belly drop • Egg drop 112. Hmm. What if LAG, FREEZE, DROP, and another word are all types of something else? Wait - "FREEZE, DROP, ROLL" (stop, drop, and roll - fire safety)! So STOP, DROP, AND ROLL. Is there a STOP here? No... but there's LAG... no. 113. What about "Ice ___": ICE DROP, ICE FREEZE... 114. What about "Temp drop", etc.? 115. Let me think about whether these could be "___ out": • FREEZE OUT ✓ • DROP OUT ✓ • LAG OUT? (not common) • PRISONER? No 116. "___ out": • FREEZE out ✓ • DROP out ✓ • BURN out • BAIL out • MIME out? No 117. Hmm. Let me try a different approach and think about what connects REFEREE, PRISONER, CANDLES, APOLLO... 118. "___ of War": PRISONER of War, ... 119. "Number ___": 120. Let me think about TV shows: • THE PRISONER (classic British TV show) • APOLLO (various) • SAMURAI (various) 121. "Striped ___": 122. Let me think about "___ Cop": • SAMURAI Cop (movie) • ROBOCOP • COP DROP? No. 123. What about "___ Pizza": • SAMURAI Pizza Cats 124. What about "___ Champloo": • SAMURAI Champloo (anime) 125. Hmm. Let me try yet another approach. "ECHO" connections: • Echo (Greek myth - nymph) • Echo (Amazon device) • Echo (sound phenomenon) • Echo chamber • Echo (NASA satellite) "APOLLO" connections: • Apollo (Greek god) • Apollo (NASA program) • Apollo Creed (Rocky) • Apollo Theater "SAMURAI" connections: • Samurai Jack (cartoon) • Samurai (Japanese warrior class) • Samurai cop "SAILOR" connections: • Sailor Moon • Sailor (profession) • Sailor (costume) "PRISONER" connections: • Prisoner (incarcerated person) • The Prisoner (TV show) • Prisoner of War • Prisoner of Azkaban (HP) 126. What if some of these can follow or precede a specific word? "___ Moon": • SAILOR Moon ✓ • HONEY Moon (no HONEY) • FULL Moon (no FULL) • NEW Moon (no NEW) • CRESCENT Moon (no CRESCENT) Hmm, only SAILOR seems to work directly. "___ Girl": • SAILOR Girl? Not common • PRISONER Girl? No • PARROT Girl? No "___ Man": • SPIDER-MAN • FREEZE? No "Super ___": • SUPER FANTASTIC? No • SUPER MARIO? 127. What about songs or movies? "Fantastic ___": • Fantastic Mr. Fox • Fantastic Voyage • Fantastic Four "Candles ___": • Candles in the Wind "Birthday ___": • Birthday candles • Birthday party 128. What about the word CANDLES specifically? • Birthday candles • "Candles" (song by various artists) • Sabbath candles • "Happy Birthday" has candles 129. What connects APOLLO, ECHO, PARROT, GENIE? Wait! What if these are all things that repeat? • ECHO repeats sounds • PARROT repeats words • MIME (doesn't repeat, imitates) • ... Or what if they're all Amazon products/brands? • ECHO (Amazon Echo) ✓ • PARROT (not Amazon specifically, but there's Parrot brand drones) • FIRE (not listed) • PRIME (not listed) 130. What about "Dead ___": • DEAD PARROT (Monty Python sketch) • DEAD DROP (spy term) • DEAD FREEZE? No • DEAD PRISONER? No • DEAD RINGERS? No 131. What about "___ cage": • NICOLAS CAGE • PRISONER (in a cage) • PARROT (in a cage) • MONKEY (in a cage) • CANDLE (no) 132. Hmm, PARROT, MONKEY, and what else might be in a cage or be a pet? 133. What about Pirate-related: • PARROT (pirate's parrot) ✓ • PRISONER (captive) • SAILOR ✓ • CANDLES (pirates used candles) • MONKEY (pirates had monkey companions?) Hmm, that's loose. 134. What about "Jack ___": • JACK FREEZE? No • JACK RABBIT? No 135. What about a "Cracker ___" or "___ cracker": • CRACKER? 136. Wait, I wonder if GENIE, ECHO, PARROT, MONKEY are all mimics/copiers in some sense? Echo copies sound, Parrot copies speech, but GENIE and MONKEY don't really copy. 137. Let me reconsider the Aladdin connection more carefully: • GENIE ✓ (character) • PARROT: In Aladdin, the villain Jafar has a parrot named Iago ✓ • MONKEY: Aladdin has a monkey named Abu ✓ • PRINCESS: Princess Jasmine ✓ These four all seem to clearly be Aladdin characters (or types of characters): GENIE, PARROT, MONKEY, PRINCESS 138. Now for remaining 12: APOLLO, ECHO, REFEREE, CANDLES, LAG, FREEZE, DROP, MIME, FANTASTIC, PRISONER, SAILOR, SAMURAI 139. Let me think about "Mr. ___" (famous Mr. characters): • MR. FREEZE (Batman villain) ✓ • MR. FANTASTIC (Reed Richards, Fantastic Four) ✓ • MR. MIME (Pokémon) ✓ • MR. T? Not listed • MR. ECHO? "Mr. Eko" (Lost) - maybe? • MR. CANDLE? No • MR. APOLLO? No • MR. REFEREE? No • MR. LAG? No • MR. DROP? No • MR. PRISONER? No • MR. SAILOR? No • MR. SAMURAI? No Hmm, only 3 clear "Mr." connections: FREEZE, FANTASTIC, MIME 140. What if it's "Captain ___"? • CAPTAIN AMERICA • CAPTAIN FANTASTIC (movie 2016) ✓ • CAPTAIN APOLLO (Battlestar Galactica!) ✓ • CAPTAIN MIME? No • CAPTAIN CANDLES? No • CAPTAIN REFEREE? No • CAPTAIN SAMURAI? No • CAPTAIN ECHO? Hmm • CAPTAIN PRISONER? No • CAPTAIN SAILOR? No • CAPTAIN DROP? No • CAPTAIN LAG? No Hmm, CAPTAIN FANTASTIC and CAPTAIN APOLLO are valid. What else? 141. What about "___ Fantastic"? • MR. FANTASTIC • FANTASTIC MR. FOX • FANTASTIC FOUR • RUN DMC "It's Like That" - no 142. Let me think about what CANDLES could connect with... • "Happy Birthday" theme? CANDLES, ... • "Blow out the ___" • "13 Candles" • "16 Candles" (movie) ✓ • "Sixteen Candles" 143. Movies with numbers in the title: • "Sixteen Candles" • "Apollo 13" • etc. 144. What about "___ 13": • APOLLO 13 ✓ • PRISONER 13? Hmm, maybe in a numbered cell - 145. What about "Number 13" or numbers in general... 146. Let me think about "Happy ___": • HAPPY BIRTHDAY • HAPPY DAYS 147. What about "___ of Azkaban": • PRISONER of Azkaban ✓ (Harry Potter) 148. Harry Potter connections: • PRISONER (of Azkaban) • FANTASTIC (Fantastic Beasts) • ECHO? No • DROP? No • SAILOR? No • MIME? No • REFEREE? No (well there are referees in Quidditch - actually called "referees"? No, they're called something else) 149. Hmm. Actually, what about "Fantastic ___": • FANTASTIC FOUR • FANTASTIC VOYAGE • FANTASTIC MR. FOX • FANTASTIC BEASTS None of the other words obviously follow "Fantastic." 150. OK let me try a completely different angle. What if some of these words can all precede or follow the same word? "___ Cop": • ROBOCOP • SAMURAI COP (movie) • ... "___ Bar": • MONKEY BARS • CROW BAR • ... "___ Boy": • SAMURAI? No • SAILOR? No • ... "___ Girl": • PRISONER? No • SAILOR? (Sailor Girl?) No "___ Moon": • SAILOR MOON ✓ • APOLLO (connected to moon but not "Apollo Moon" per se) • HONEY MOON "___ Island": • PRISONER? No • MONKEY Island (video game!) ✓ • FANTASY Island • ... Hmm, MONKEY ISLAND is a famous video game. What else connects to ISLAND? 151. What about "___ in the Middle": • PRISONER in the middle? No 152. "Escape ___": • ESCAPE FROM PRISONER? No • ESCAPE ARTIST? MIME? No 153. What connects REFEREE, CANDLES, LAG, FREEZE, DROP, PRISONER, SAILOR, SAMURAI, ECHO, APOLLO, MIME... Actually, let me think about "STOP, DROP, AND ROLL" - fire safety. STOP, DROP, AND ROLL are the three commands. Could FREEZE be "STOP, DROP, FREEZE, ROLL"? No that doesn't make sense. 154. Let me think about school/children's games: • FREEZE TAG • DROP (drop the handkerchief?) • MIME (charades?) • LAG? (lagging?) 155. What about dance moves or exercise terms? 156. "___ kick": • DROP KICK ✓ • MIME? No • LAG? No • FREEZE? No 157. "___ shot": • DROP SHOT ✓ (tennis) • LAG? No 158. Wait, what if these are all types of "out"? • DROP OUT ✓ • FREEZE OUT ✓ • LAG... LAG OUT? Hmm not standard • BURN OUT, PASS OUT, etc. 159. Or "___ out": • FREEZE out ✓ • DROP out ✓ • LAG out? Not standard... Hmm. 160. What about "Time ___": • TIME FREEZE (like time freeze in sci-fi) • TIME LAG ✓ • TIME DROP? No • TIME FREEZE? 161. "___ shot": • DROP SHOT ✓ • LAG SHOT? No • FREEZE? No 162. OK, I'm going around in circles. Let me try to be more systematic. Looking at APOLLO, ECHO, CANDLES, LAG, FREEZE, DROP, MIME, FANTASTIC, PRISONER, SAILOR, SAMURAI, REFEREE: Could these words all be preceded by "SLOW"? • SLOW LAG? No • SLOW FREEZE? No • SLOW DROP? No Could these be preceded by "DEEP"? • DEEP FREEZE ✓ • DEEP DROP? Hmm • DEEP LAG? No Could these be preceded by "HARD"? • HARD DROP ✓ (Tetris term) • HARD FREEZE ✓ • HARD LAG? No 163. What if the theme is Tetris moves: • HARD DROP ✓ • SOFT DROP ✓ • FREEZE? TSPIN? Hmm that doesn't work well. 164. What about "Belly ___": • BELLY DROP? Hmm • BELLY FLOP ✓ 165. Hmm, what about words that can follow "EGG": • EGG DROP ✓ (egg drop soup) • EGG FREEZE (egg freezing, fertility) • EGG... 166. What if these words can follow "CANDLE"? • CANDLE DROP? Hmm • CANDLE FREEZE? No 167. What if CANDLES is connected to "SIXTEEN CANDLES" and other number + word movies/things? 168. "___ 13": • APOLLO 13 ✓ • PRISONER? - 169. OK, let me try something. What if the category is about things with "APOLLO": • APOLLO CREED • APOLLO 13 • APOLLO THEATER • CAMP HALF-BLOOD (Percy Jackson) 170. Greek mythological figures: APOLLO, ECHO, ... • APOLLO ✓ (god) • ECHO ✓ (nymph) • GENIE? (not Greek) • MIME? (Mimesis is Greek concept but MIME isn't a mythological figure) Actually MIME comes from Greek "mimos" but isn't a specific figure. What other Greek myth figures could be in the list? • APOLLO ✓ • ECHO ✓ • PRISONER? (Prometheus was a prisoner... PROMETHEUS) • REFEREE? No Hmm. 171. "Amazon ___" or "___ Amazon": • AMAZON ECHO ✓ • AMAZON PRIME • AMAZON PARROT ✓ (Amazon parrot is a type of parrot!) • AMAZON WARRIOR Hmm, AMAZON PARROT is a real type of parrot. What else is an "Amazon ___"? • AMAZON ECHO ✓ • AMAZON PARROT ✓ • AMAZON PRIME (PRIME isn't listed) • AMAZON RIVER • AMAZON BASIN Doesn't seem to fit as a category with our words. 172. Actually, I just thought of something. What if some of these words, when you add a word before or after, create a famous character or brand? Let me think about "___ MOON" characters or things: • SAILOR MOON ✓ (anime) • HONEY MOON (not in list) • FULL MOON (not in list) • APOLLO (moon connection but not "Apollo Moon") Hmm. 173. What if the categories involve "___ CREED": • APOLLO CREED ✓ (Rocky character) • ASSASSIN'S CREED (SAMURAI?) - 174. What if the connection is "___ JACK": • SAMURAI JACK ✓ (Cartoon Network show) • CRACKER JACK (CRACKER isn't listed) • FLAPJACK (FLAPJACK isn't a single word split here) • YELLOW JACK • LUMBER JACK • MONKEY JACK? No • SAILOR... SAILOR JACK? Hmm Let me check: Is there a SAILOR JACK? Actually, Cracker Jack has a "Sailor Jack" mascot! So SAILOR JACK is a thing ✓ • SAMURAI JACK ✓ • SAILOR JACK? (Cracker Jack mascot) Hmm, but is SAILOR JACK well-known enough? What about: • CRACKER JACK mascot is Sailor Jack • FLAPJACK (cartoon) - 175. What about "JACK ___": • JACK FROST (no FROST) • JACK CANDLES? No • JACK MIME? No 176. Hmm, what about "MIME" - where does this fit? MIME could be: • Marcel Marceau (famous mime) • MIME type (computer) • "MIME artist" • MR. MIME (Pokémon) • MIME (street performer) • MIME (to mime something) 177. What about "PRISONER": • THE PRISONER (TV show) • PRISONER OF WAR • PRISONER (someone in jail) • PRISONER OF AZKABAN 178. What about "REFEREE": • Sports referee • THE REFEREE (song) • BOXING REFEREE (Rocky connection? Apollo Creed boxing match...) 179. BOXING connections: • APOLLO (Creed, from Rocky) • REFEREE ✓ (boxing referee) • DROP (knockdown? "drop" someone in boxing) • MIME? No • SAMURAI? No Hmm. 180. What if some words relate to "Fantastic Four": • FANTASTIC (Mr. Fantastic) ✓ • ... Or if they relate to superhero alter egos? 181. OK, I'm going to try a different angle. What about the "___ Creed" angle more? Actually: Rocky movie characters/elements: • APOLLO (Creed) ✓ • REFEREE ✓ (boxing referee) • PRISONER? No • MIME? No Hmm, only 2 clear connections. 182. Let me think about "MIME, PARROT, ECHO, MONKEY" as things that repeat or copy: • MIME (copies movements) • PARROT (copies speech) • ECHO (copies sound) • MONKEY (copies actions - "monkey see, monkey do") This is actually a strong connection! Things that COPY or MIMIC: • MIME: imitates • PARROT: repeats/copies words • ECHO: reflects sound back • MONKEY: "monkey see, monkey do" But wait, I had PARROT and MONKEY in ALADDIN. Let me reconsider. Could the ALADDIN connection actually be: • GENIE ✓ • PRINCESS ✓ (Jasmine) • SAMURAI? No • SAILOR? No Hmm, what if ALADDIN characters are: GENIE, PRINCESS, PARROT, MONKEY - all four are clearly from Aladdin. But what if the COPY/MIMIC theme is: MIME, ECHO, PARROT, MONKEY? The puzzle makers would pick one interpretation. Let me think about which is more specific/tricky. For the puzzle, the categories tend to have a specific hidden connection. "Aladdin characters" (GENIE, PRINCESS, PARROT, MONKEY) seems clean and specific. The "copy/mimic" theme would be thematic but perhaps too loose. 183. Actually wait - in Aladdin, is there specifically a PRINCESS? Jasmine is referred to as a princess, but her name is Jasmine. Similarly, Abu is a monkey, Iago is a parrot, and the Genie is a genie. So the category might be "Aladdin character types" which is a bit indirect. For NYT Connections, the categories often have a clean connector. "Characters in Aladdin" seems reasonable. Let me go with the Aladdin group: MONKEY, PRINCESS, PARROT, GENIE 184. Now for remaining: APOLLO, ECHO, REFEREE, CANDLES, LAG, FREEZE, DROP, MIME, FANTASTIC, PRISONER, SAILOR, SAMURAI Wait, let me revisit: if PARROT and MONKEY are Aladdin, then ECHO, MIME might be in a "copy/mimic" group with two others. Or not - maybe the puzzle doesn't have that group. 185. Let me think about "___ Bar": • CROWBAR • MONKEY BARS ✓ (but MONKEY is in Aladdin group) • MIME? No • PRISONER? No 186. What if the connection is "Vanilla Ice songs": ICE ICE BABY, PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC... hmm, none of these words. 187. What about "ICE ___": • ICE DROP? Hmm • ICE FREEZE? (redundant) • ICE MIME? No • ICE CANDLES? No 188. "HARD ___": • HARD DROP ✓ (Tetris) • HARD FREEZE ✓ • HARD LAG? No • HARD MIME? No 189. What about "___ FLAG" (LAG → FLAG? No...) 190. Hmm. Let me think about what REFEREE could group with... • SPORTS: REFEREE, DROP (like a drop kick?), ... 191. What about "BOXING": • REFEREE ✓ • DROP ✓ (knockdown) • CANDLES? No • MIME? No 192. What if the connection is about "SCHOOL/PLAYGROUND GAMES": • FREEZE (freeze tag) ✓ • DROP (drop the handkerchief) ✓ • PRISONER (prisoners' base - an old game!) ✓ • REFEREE (who governs games) Or maybe: • FREEZE TAG • PRISONER'S BASE • DROP THE HANDKERCHIEF • ? 193. Let me think about "___ tag": • FREEZE TAG ✓ • DOG TAG • PRICE TAG • LAG TAG? No 194. What if the category is "___ Frame": • FREEZE FRAME ✓ • DROP? No • LAG? No • MIME? No 195. Hmm. "TIME ___": • TIME FREEZE? • TIME LAG ✓ • TIME DROP? No • TIME CANDLES? No 196. What about "DEEP ___": • DEEP FREEZE ✓ • DEEP DROP? • DEEP LAG? No 197. What if these are all things you can do with a phone or video game: • LAG ✓ (connection lag) • FREEZE ✓ (game/app freezes) • DROP ✓ (drop call) • MIME? No 198. "CALL ___" or "___ CALL": • DROP CALL (dropped call) ✓ • LAG (call lag) • FREEZE (call freezes) • What's the fourth? ECHO (echo on the call!) ✓ "Things that happen on bad phone calls": LAG, FREEZE, DROP, ECHO • Lag on the call ✓ • Call freezes ✓ • Call drops ✓ • Echo on the call ✓ That's actually a really strong connection! Phone/call quality issues: • LAG (latency) • FREEZE (video freezes) • DROP (dropped call) • ECHO (echo on the line) This seems like a very strong group! 199. So now let me reconsider: • Aladdin characters: MONKEY, PRINCESS, PARROT, GENIE • Phone/call quality issues: LAG, FREEZE, DROP, ECHO • Mr. ___: FREEZE, FANTASTIC, MIME + one more - But FREEZE is in phone issues... - Unless MIME goes here with something else Wait, FREEZE is in both "phone issues" and "Mr. Freeze." If FREEZE is in the phone issues group, then the Mr. ___ group needs another member. MR. ___: • MR. FANTASTIC ✓ • MR. MIME ✓ • MR. FREEZE ✓ - but if FREEZE is elsewhere... • MR. APOLLO? No... • MR. CANDLE? No... • MR. REFEREE? No... • MR. T? Not listed... • MR. SAMURAI? No... • MR. PRISONER? No... • MR. SAILOR? No... Hmm. Or maybe FREEZE is in "Mr. Freeze" and the phone issues group has a different fourth member. Phone call issues: LAG, DROP, ECHO + ? • Could CANDLES be related? No • Could PRISONER be? No • Could REFEREE be? No • Could MIME be? Sort of - MIME implies silence, and a call going silent... Actually, in audio/video calls: • LAG ✓ • DROP ✓ • ECHO ✓ • FREEZE ✓ (video freezes) vs. Mr. ___: • FREEZE ✓ • FANTASTIC ✓ • MIME ✓ • Need a 4th... Hmm. 200. Actually, if the phone call group is LAG, DROP, ECHO, and something else (not FREEZE), what would it be? Could CANDLES be a phone issue? No. Could REFEREE be? No. Could PRISONER be? No. Could SAILOR be? No. Could SAMURAI be? No. Could APOLLO be? No. Could MIME be? (Someone miming on a call - going silent?) Hmm, MIME doesn't fit phone issues. 201. OR... what if the group is streaming/gaming issues: LAG, FREEZE, DROP, BUFFER - but BUFFER isn't listed. OR the group is LAG, FREEZE, DROP + MIME (as in muted/silent = MIME)? That's a stretch. 202. Wait - could it be "things that happen with bad internet/connection": LAG, FREEZE, DROP, ECHO (as in audio echo from feedback)? Yes! In video calls/online meetings: echo (audio echo), lag, freeze, drop (dropped connection). This is very clean! So if that's right: • LAG, FREEZE, DROP, ECHO = bad video call/internet connection problems • GENIE, PRINCESS, PARROT, MONKEY = Aladdin characters • MIME, FANTASTIC + 2 others = ? • Remaining: APOLLO, REFEREE, CANDLES, MIME, FANTASTIC, PRISONER, SAILOR, SAMURAI 203. For remaining 8: APOLLO, REFEREE, CANDLES, MIME, FANTASTIC, PRISONER, SAILOR, SAMURAI What connects 4 of these? "MIME, FANTASTIC, SAILOR, SAMURAI" - these could all be types of performance art? No... Wait - "SAILOR MOON" characters: • SAILOR (Sailor Moon) ✓ • FANTASTIC? No • SAMURAI? No 204. What if these are all "___ Jack"? • SAMURAI JACK ✓ (cartoon) • SAILOR JACK? (Cracker Jack mascot - but is this prominent enough?) • FLAPJACK? (not matching) • CRACKER JACK? (no CRACKER) 205. What about "Captain ___"? • CAPTAIN FANTASTIC ✓ (2016 movie) • CAPTAIN APOLLO ✓ (Battlestar Galactica) • CAPTAIN MIME? No • CAPTAIN SAMURAI? No • CAPTAIN CANDLES? No • CAPTAIN PRISONER? No • CAPTAIN SAILOR? Redundant (captain is already a nautical rank) • CAPTAIN REFEREE? No Only 2 fit. 206. What about "___ Creed"? • APOLLO CREED ✓ (Rocky) • ASSASSIN'S CREED (SAMURAI? The game has samurai content but...) 207. Hmm. What if there's a "___ of the ___ " pattern? 208. What about characters in "ROCKY" movies: • APOLLO ✓ (Creed) • REFEREE ✓ (boxing referee) • ... Only 2. 209. What about PRISONER, REFEREE, CANDLES, MIME being... party/celebration related? • CANDLES (birthday candles) • MIME (party entertainer) • REFEREE (party game referee) • PRISONER (party game?) Hmm, weak. 210. What if the connection involves specific TV shows or movies? "The ___" TV shows: • THE PRISONER (1967 British TV show) ✓ • THE REFEREE? • THE FANTASTIC? No 211. "Sailor ___" (Sailor Moon characters): • SAILOR MOON (Usagi) • SAILOR JUPITER • SAILOR MARS • SAILOR MERCURY But these don't match our remaining words. 212. What if SAILOR, SAMURAI, REFEREE, PRISONER are all costume ideas or roles? 213. What about "___ Blues": • PRISONER BLUES? (like "Jailhouse Rock") • REFEREE BLUES? No 214. What if the connection is "things that can be 'silent'"? • MIME (silent) • ... 215. Let me try "___ School": • SAMURAI SCHOOL? No • REFEREE SCHOOL? No 216. What about "Tom Hanks movies"? • APOLLO (13) - Tom Hanks ✓ • FANTASTIC? No wait - Tom Hanks wasn't in Fantastic anything • PRISONER? "The Terminal" is kind of about being a prisoner... • SAILOR? No • REFEREE? No 217. Hmm. What about "Philadelphia": • APOLLO (Theater) ✓ (in NYC though) 218. "___ Jack" one more time: • SAMURAI JACK ✓ • What if CANDLES is "Cracker Jack" and the mascot is "Sailor Jack"? So SAILOR ✓ • FLAPJACK? Not here What about: • SAMURAI JACK (cartoon) ✓ • SAILOR JACK (Cracker Jack mascot, or Sailor Jack the Monkey mascot) • PRISONER? "PRISONER JACK"? No • APOLLO? "JACK AND APOLLO"? No • CANDLES? "CANDLES JACK"? No 219. What about "___ School": Samurai... no. 220. What about "___ Moon": • SAILOR Moon ✓ • APOLLO Moon? No, it would be "APOLLO MOON LANDING" or just "APOLLO" • CANDLES... "CANDLES" by various artists? • FULL MOON, HONEY MOON, SAILOR MOON, CRESCENT MOON... 221. OK here's another thought. What if the connection is related to "___ Man"? • FANTASTIC MAN? (no) • MIME MAN? No • PRISONER... MAN? No 222. What if the connection is "___ Four"? • FANTASTIC FOUR ✓ • APOLLO FOUR? No • PRISONER FOUR? No • CANDLES FOUR? No Hmm. 223. What if there's a "ROGER ___" connection? • ROGER FEDERER → REFEREE (anagram!!) OMG Wait: REFEREE contains the letters R-E-F-E-R-E-E. And ROGER FEDERER contains... hmm, actually that might be a stretch. Oh wait - is REFEREE an anagram of something? R-E-F-E-R-E-E: • Letters: E, E, E, F, R, R No, ROGER FEDERER is too many letters. 224. Hmm. What if the words are all anagrams of something? • REFEREE = ? (R, E, F, E, R, E, E) - 3 E's, 2 R's, 1 F - "FEERER"? No obvious anagram • PRISONER = ? (P, R, I, S, O, N, E, R) - "PORNIRES"? Let me think... rearranging PRISONER: could be... ORPINES? hmm... • Actually PRISONER is an anagram of ROPINESS... no wait 225. Let me try a completely different approach. What if there's a "NUMBER" theme? "___ ONE": • NUMBER ONE • PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE (PRISONER?) Actually, let me think about "Number ___": • PRISONER: "I am not a number, I'm a free man!" - from THE PRISONER (TV show), where he was called Number Six 226. British TV shows: • THE PRISONER ✓ 227. What about "___ of the ___ of the ___" ... too complex. 228. Let me try thinking: "APOLLO, CANDLES, FANTASTIC, SAMURAI" - what could connect these four? • APOLLO... APOLLO CREED, APOLLO (God), Apollo 13 • CANDLES... birthday candles, "16 Candles", candles in a church • FANTASTIC... fantastic, Mr. Fantastic, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Voyage • SAMURAI... samurai warrior, Samurai Jack Hmm... 229. What if they all can follow "JACK"? • JACK APOLLO? No • JACK CANDLES? No • JACK SAMURAI? No 230. What if they all precede "JACK"? • APOLLO JACK? No • CANDLES JACK? No • FANTASTIC JACK? No • SAMURAI JACK? ✓ 231. Hmm. Let me think about "13": • APOLLO 13 ✓ (movie) • PRISONER? No (well, "The Prisoner" was set in a village with numbered inhabitants) • CANDLES: "Sixteen Candles"... 13? No 232. What connects CANDLES, REFEREE, PRISONER, SAILOR? Or CANDLES, REFEREE, MIME, SAMURAI? Or CANDLES, APOLLO, FANTASTIC, PRISONER? 233. Oh wait! What about "Adventures of ___" or "The ___ of ___"? "Number ___": • PRISONER: "THE PRISONER" - the character is called "Number Six" 234. What about songs? Let me think about classic songs: • "Candles" • "Samurai" • "Sailor" (various) • "MIME" • "Apollo" • "Referee" • "Fantastic" • "Prisoner" 235. Hmm. Let me think about "DAVID BOWIE songs/characters": • ZIGGY STARDUST → No • SAILOR? No • MIME? Bowie did mime training! But not a song... • FANTASTIC? "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" has "fantastic"... no 236. What about "___ VOYAGE"? • FANTASTIC VOYAGE ✓ • BON VOYAGE • SAILOR? SAILOR VOYAGE? No 237. What about this: "___ MOON" again, but thinking more broadly: • SAILOR MOON ✓ • APOLLO (connected to moon) - actually "Apollo to the Moon"? Hmm • CANDLES - "light of the moon"? No 238. What about "SAILOR ___": • SAILOR MOON ✓ • SAILOR MERCURY ✓ (Sailor Moon character) • Etc. And then APOLLO, MIME, FANTASTIC, CANDLES, PRISONER, SAMURAI, REFEREE are the other group... Wait - wait wait wait. Let me think about this differently. What if the theme is "things associated with BIRTHDAYS"? • CANDLES (birthday candles) ✓ • MIME (birthday party entertainer) ✓ • ... Or "party entertainment": • MIME ✓ • CLOWN... not listed • REFEREE? 239. Hmm. What if the categories involve people's professions or character types that are often in costumes for Halloween or parties? • SAMURAI ✓ • SAILOR ✓ • REFEREE ✓ • PRISONER ✓ (orange jumpsuit) • MIME ✓ (black and white) • GENIE ✓ • PRINCESS ✓ That's too many for one group. So maybe a more specific sub-set: Halloween costumes that are single words: SAMURAI, SAILOR, REFEREE, PRISONER, MIME, GENIE, PRINCESS If GENIE and PRINCESS are in Aladdin, then maybe SAMURAI, SAILOR, REFEREE, PRISONER, MIME are the costume group - still too many (5). Hmm. What if it's "black and white costumes"? • MIME (black and white) ✓ • REFEREE (black and white stripes) ✓ • PRISONER (black and white stripes - old style) ✓ • SAILOR? (white and blue, not strictly black and white) • PANDA? Not listed Actually... "Black and white stripes": • MIME ✓ (classic mime outfit) • REFEREE ✓ (black and white striped shirt) • PRISONER ✓ (classic black and white striped prison uniform) • SAMURAI? No • SAILOR? No • CANDLES? No (white with black?) Wait - ZEBRA is black and white stripes, MIME wears black and white (but horizontal stripes? Yes, the classic mime costume often has black and white horizontal stripes), REFEREE has vertical black and white stripes, PRISONER has horizontal black and white stripes... What's the 4th black-and-white striped thing? • PIANO? Not listed • BARCODE? Not listed • PANDA? Not listed • SKUNK? Not listed Hmm, I'm missing the 4th. Unless... CANDLES - black and white candles? No... SAILOR - sailor stripes? Sometimes but usually navy/white... FANTASTIC - ? No... SAMURAI - ? No... APOLLO - ? No... 240. OR maybe it's simpler: "___ SUIT": • MIME has a mime suit • REFEREE... referee wears a uniform • Actually... 241. What about "wears stripes" or "black and white": • REFEREE ✓ • PRISONER ✓ (in old movies, striped uniforms) • MIME ✓ (striped shirt) • SAMURAI? No • SAILOR? (navy and white, sometimes striped) • CANDLES? No • FANTASTIC? No Could SAILOR wear a striped shirt? French sailors (marinières) wear horizontal stripes. Hmm, but SAILOR is more associated with navy/white. 242. What about "wears black and white": • REFEREE ✓ • PRISONER ✓ • MIME ✓ • SAILOR? Navy/white... • CANDLES? Black and white? No • FANTASTIC? No • SAMURAI? No 243. Wait - what if it's "people/characters who don't speak or are silent": • MIME ✓ (silent by definition) • PRISONER (silent? No...) • PARROT? No, parrots speak • ECHO? (only repeats, doesn't speak first) 244. Let me reconsider from scratch. The remaining 8 after Aladdin and phone-call-issues would be: APOLLO, REFEREE, CANDLES, MIME, FANTASTIC, PRISONER, SAILOR, SAMURAI What connects 4 of these? 245. "FANTASTIC" connections again: • Fantastic Four (FANTASTIC) • Dastardly and Muttley in their Flying Machines? No • Fantastic Voyage • Hanna-Barbera: "Fantastic Four" cartoon? 246. "___ FOUR": • FANTASTIC FOUR ✓ - 247. "SAILOR, SAMURAI, PRISONER, CANDLES" - what could connect these? SAILOR, SAMURAI, PRISONER could all be people in a specific context... like people in historic time periods? Or people you'd see in a period drama? 248. What if the categories involve "SPICE GIRLS" names? • SPORTY, SCARY, BABY, POSH, GINGER None of these words match. 249. What if the categories involve "Village People" members? • SAILOR ✓ (construction worker, navy... actually Village People: Cowboy, Construction Worker, Biker, Police Officer, Native American, Military Man) Hmm, SAILOR might fit "military man" but not exactly. 250. What about "___ SCOUT"? • SAILOR Scout (Sailor Moon) - but that's "SAILOR SCOUT" not "___ SCOUT" • PRISONER SCOUT? No 251. What if the theme is "Monty Python"? • MIME? No, Monty Python has sketches about mimes? • PARROT ✓ (Dead Parrot sketch) - but PARROT is in Aladdin group • CANDLES? "Black Knight"? No • PRISONER? Hmm • REFEREE? "Spanish Inquisition referee"? • SAMURAI? No • FANTASTIC? No • APOLLO? No • SAILOR? No 252. Hmm. Let me try "APOLLO, FANTASTIC, SAMURAI, CANDLES" - what if these are all connected to a specific franchise or universe? 253. What if they're all nicknames or codenames? • APOLLO: Apollo Creed (Rocky), Apollo Ohno (speed skater) • FANTASTIC: Fantastic Sam (haircutting franchise?) 254. What about "FANTASTIC SAM", "SAILOR SAM", etc.? 255. What about "___ SAM": • SAILOR SAM? Not famous • FANTASTIC SAM? (hair salon chain) • CANDLES SAM? No • PRISONER SAM? No 256. Hmm. OK what about "___ MOON" with more words: • SAILOR MOON ✓ • APOLLO? No - though Apollo landed on the moon, "Apollo Moon" isn't a thing • CRESCENT MOON, FULL MOON, NEW MOON, HARVEST MOON, HONEY MOON... • CANDLES: "Candlelight"? No 257. What if they're all "___ Planet" or "___ Star"? 258. What about "Battlestar Galactica" connections? • APOLLO ✓ (character in Battlestar Galactica) • PRISONER? No • CANDLES? No 259. What if the theme is "ADAM WEST Batman" or "Batman" characters/things? • REFEREE? No • PRISONER? No • MIME? No (Mime villain?) • FANTASTIC? No 260. Actually, what if it's "Batman villains"? • Mr. FREEZE ✓ - but FREEZE is in phone issues group Let me reconsider whether FREEZE should be in the phone issues or the Mr. group. If FREEZE is in the Mr. group: • MR. FREEZE ✓ • MR. FANTASTIC ✓ • MR. MIME ✓ • MR. ??? (4th) If FREEZE is in the phone issues group: • LAG, FREEZE, DROP, ECHO ✓ (phone/video call issues) And then Mr. ___ group would need a 4th without FREEZE. Hmm, what "Mr." + remaining words works? • MR. REFEREE? Not a famous character • MR. CANDLES? No • MR. PRISONER? No • MR. SAILOR? No • MR. SAMURAI? No • MR. APOLLO? No The only common "Mr." characters I can think of from these words are FREEZE, FANTASTIC, MIME. Without FREEZE, the Mr. group falls apart. 261. So maybe the groups are: A. Aladdin: GENIE, PRINCESS, PARROT, MONKEY B. Mr. ___: FREEZE, FANTASTIC, MIME, + one more C. The remaining has no "phone issues" group D. Something else OR: A. Aladdin: GENIE, PRINCESS, PARROT, MONKEY B. Phone/call issues: LAG, DROP, ECHO, FREEZE C. Mr. ___: FANTASTIC, MIME + 2 more (doesn't work without FREEZE) D. Something else Hmm. Maybe B and C don't overlap, meaning the "Mr." group isn't: • MR. FANTASTIC ✓ • MR. MIME ✓ • MR. FREEZE ✓ (he's in phone issues) Wait, what if the pattern is NOT "Mr. ___" but something else? 262. Let me think about what else could group FANTASTIC, MIME, and two others... "___ ARTIST": • MIME ARTIST ✓ • FANTASTIC ARTIST? No • SAILOR ARTIST? No • CON ARTIST? No "PERFORMANCE ___" or "___ ARTIST": • MIME ARTIST ✓ • TRAPEZE ARTIST, ESCAPE ARTIST... 263. What if MIME, SAILOR, SAMURAI, REFEREE, PRISONER, APOLLO, CANDLES, FANTASTIC can be grouped around something completely different? Let me try a fresh angle. What if some of these words can precede "MOON"? • SAILOR MOON ✓ • HONEY MOON (no HONEY) • PAPER MOON (no PAPER) Or what if they can precede "SUN"? • PRISONER? No • CANDLES... SUN CANDLES? No 264. Hmm. Let me think about what these words might have in common with a hidden word or theme. "APOLLO, CANDLES, FANTASTIC, PRISONER" - could these all be "___ VOYAGE"? • FANTASTIC VOYAGE ✓ (1966 film) • APOLLO VOYAGE? No • CANDLES VOYAGE? No • PRISONER VOYAGE? No "APOLLO, CANDLES, FANTASTIC, SAMURAI" - no obvious connection "REFEREE, CANDLES, PRISONER, SAILOR" - • REFEREE: officiates • CANDLES: lights • PRISONER: locked up • SAILOR: sails Hmm, what if these are all roles in the game "Clue" or something? 265. What if the theme is "HAUNTED HOUSE attractions"? • CANDLES (atmosphere) • PRISONER (in dungeon) • MIME (creepy) • REFEREE? No 266. What if it's "WILLY WONKA" characters? • FANTASTIC: "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" - "Fantastisch!" • PRISONER? No • CANDLES? No 267. What about "FROSTY THE SNOWMAN"? No... 268. Hm. Let me try to think about what "CANDLES" has to do with APOLLO, SAMURAI, SAILOR, PRISONER, REFEREE, FANTASTIC, or MIME. "CANDLES IN THE WIND" → song by Elton John Other Elton John songs? 269. ELTON JOHN songs: • "Candle in the Wind" ✓ • "Crocodile Rock" • "Rocket Man" • "Tiny Dancer" • "MIME"? No • "FANTASTIC"? No • "SAILOR"? No • "PRISONER"? No 270. What about "___ in the Wind": • CANDLES in the Wind ✓ • PRISONER in the Wind? No 271. Hmm. What about "___ CRAFT"? • SAMURAI CRAFT? No • SAILOR CRAFT? No • MIME CRAFT? → MINECRAFT! (MIME + CRAFT = MINECRAFT?) Actually: MIME + CRAFT = MIMECRAFT → MINECRAFT... That's a stretch Wait - MINECRAFT! Could MINE = not listed, CRAFT = not listed... 272. What if letters within the words spell something? Let me check: • CANDLES contains "CANDLE" • REFEREE contains "REF" • PRISONER contains "PRISON" • SAMURAI contains "SAMURAI" • MIME contains "MIME" • FANTASTIC contains "FANTASTIC" • SAILOR contains "SAIL" and "SAILOR" • APOLLO contains "APOLLO" Hmm. 273. Let me try "APOLLO ___ THEATER" - that's the Apollo Theater in Harlem. 274. What if the category is "Creed ___" (the movie franchise)? • APOLLO (Creed) ✓ • REFEREE ✓ (boxing) • CANDLES? No • MIME? No 275. What if the category is about "BOXING": • APOLLO ✓ (Creed, from Rocky) • REFEREE ✓ • SAMURAI? No 276. What about "FANTASTIC, PRISONER, SAILOR, SAMURAI" - could these be from the same video game or cartoon? • "FANTASY LIFE" game has these classes? Actually - RPG/Video Game character classes: • SAMURAI ✓ (Final Fantasy job class) • MIME ✓ (Final Fantasy VI character and job class!) • SAILOR? (not a standard FF job) • PRISONER? No • CANDLES? No • FANTASTIC? No FINAL FANTASY classes: SAMURAI ✓, MIME ✓, and then... • TIME MAGE, BLACK MAGE, WHITE MAGE, DRAGOON, THIEF, MONK, KNIGHT... Hmm, SAILOR isn't a Final Fantasy class. What about CORSAIR? 277. Actually - FINAL FANTASY jobs: • MIME ✓ (Final Fantasy V and VI) • SAMURAI ✓ (Final Fantasy XI, XIV, Tactics) • CANDLES? No • SAILOR? Not standard 278. Hmm. Let me think about "ROGER ___" or "JOLLY ROGER": • JOLLY ROGER = pirate flag (skull and crossbones) • SAILOR ✓ (pirate connection) • PARROT ✓ (pirate's parrot) - but PARROT might be in Aladdin Wait, what if the theme is PIRATE-related: • PARROT ✓ • SAILOR ✓ • PRISONER ✓ (pirates took prisoners) • CANDLES? (pirates used lanterns/candles at sea?) • REFEREE? No • MIME? No • SAMURAI? No That doesn't make a clean group of 4. 279. What about "things associated with pirates": • PARROT ✓ • SAILOR ✓ • PRISONER ✓ • CANDLES ✓ (on a ship? At night?) Or maybe: • PARROT (parrot on the shoulder) ✓ • PRISONER (walking the plank, taking prisoners) ✓ • SAILOR ✓ • GROG... not listed Hmm, this doesn't work cleanly. 280. Let me reconsider the whole puzzle. Maybe I'm overcomplicating this. Available words: MONKEY, PRINCESS, APOLLO, ECHO, REFEREE, CANDLES, LAG, FREEZE, DROP, PARROT, MIME, GENIE, FANTASTIC, PRISONER, SAILOR, SAMURAI What if the categories are simpler than I think? 281. What if each word can follow a specific word? "SILENT ___": • SILENT NIGHT? No... • SILENT MIME? Redundant "STREET ___": • STREET MIME? Hmm "SEA ___": • SEA CANDLES? No • SEA SAILOR? Redundant 282. What if each word can precede "SHOW"? • MIME SHOW? Hmm (not standard) • FANTASTIC SHOW? No • PRISONER SHOW? No • CANDLES SHOW? No • SAMURAI SHOW? No • APOLLO SHOW? No 283. What about each word following "OLD"? • OLD MIME? No • OLD SAILOR? HMMMM 284. What if some words can follow "STREET": • STREET MIME ✓ • STREET SAMURAI ✓ (cyberpunk term) • STREET CANDLES? No • STREET FIGHTER? No 285. What about "KUNG FU ___": • KUNG FU PANDA - no PANDA • KUNG FU SAMURAI? That's mixing terms 286. What about "THE ___" TV shows from UK: • THE PRISONER ✓ • THE MIME? No • THE REFEREE? No • THE CANDLES? No 287. WAIT. I just thought of something. What if these words can all follow "WAX"? • WAX CANDLES ✓ • WAX MIME? (wax figure of a mime?) - loose • WAX... hmm 288. What if they can follow "BIRTHDAY"? • BIRTHDAY CANDLES ✓ • BIRTHDAY PRISONER? No • BIRTHDAY MIME? No 289. What about "blow": • BLOW CANDLES ✓ (blow out candles) • BLOW DRY? Not here • BLOWOUT? 290. OK, I'm going to take a step back and think about which groups I'm most confident about: 1. Aladdin characters: GENIE, PRINCESS, PARROT, MONKEY (high confidence) 2. Phone/video call issues: LAG, DROP, ECHO, FREEZE (high confidence) That leaves: APOLLO, REFEREE, CANDLES, MIME, FANTASTIC, PRISONER, SAILOR, SAMURAI For these 8, I need to find 2 groups of 4. Let me think hard about this... Group involving SAILOR: SAILOR MOON is the most obvious connection. What else? • SAILOR MOON characters: SAILOR MOON, SAILOR MERCURY, SAILOR MARS, SAILOR JUPITER, SAILOR VENUS... Could APOLLO, PRISONER, CANDLES, or FANTASTIC be Sailor Moon character names? Let me think... • Sailor Mars = Rei Hino • Sailor Mercury = Ami Mizuno • Sailor Jupiter = Makoto Kino • Sailor Venus = Minako Aino • Tuxedo Mask = Mamoru Chiba • None of these match APOLLO, PRISONER, CANDLES, FANTASTIC, SAMURAI, REFEREE, MIME 291. What if they can all follow "CAPTAIN"? • CAPTAIN FANTASTIC ✓ (movie) • CAPTAIN APOLLO ✓ (Battlestar Galactica) • CAPTAIN AMERICA... not here • CAPTAIN CANDLES? No • CAPTAIN PRISONER? No • CAPTAIN MIME? No • CAPTAIN SAMURAI? No • CAPTAIN REFEREE? No • CAPTAIN SAILOR? No/redundant Only 2 fit clearly. 292. What if they're all types of "JACK" as in "Cracker Jack"? • SAMURAI JACK ✓ (cartoon show) • SAILOR JACK ✓ (Cracker Jack mascot) • CANDLES... CRACKER JACK... CANDLES JACK? No Actually wait - there's also FLAPJACK and LUMBERJACK... hmm. 293. Let me think about this from a "what game show connection" perspective. In NYT Connections, the categories often have a hidden pattern that's not immediately obvious. What if these words can all be completed with the same word to make a compound or phrase? For example, "___ + X" or "X + ___" Let me try with "MOON": • SAILOR MOON ✓ • APOLLO MOON? (not a standard phrase) • FULL MOON, HONEY MOON, BLUE MOON... With "FISH": • SWORDFISH • CANDLES FISH? No With "MAN": • CANDLE MAN? (Candleman - a character) • PRISONER MAN? No • REFEREE MAN? No • SAMURAI MAN? No • FANTASTIC MAN? No • APOLLO MAN? No • MIME MAN? No • SAILOR MAN: Popeye is a sailor man ✓ Popeye the Sailor MAN... 294. What if they're related to "POPEYE"? • SAILOR (Popeye is a sailor) ✓ • CANDLES? No • SPINACH? No • ... 295. What about "GREAT" before each word: • THE GREAT PRISONER? No (well, there's "The Great Prisoner" concept?) • THE GREAT MIME? No • THE GREAT FANTASTIC? No • THE GREAT APOLLO? "The Great Apollo"... hmm • THE GREAT SAMURAI? No • THE GREAT CANDLES? No • THE GREAT SAILOR? No • THE GREAT REFEREE? No 296. What if the words can precede or follow "WARRIOR"? • SAMURAI WARRIOR ✓ • SAILOR WARRIOR? (Sailor Scouts are sometimes called warriors) • REFEREE WARRIOR? No • CANDLES WARRIOR? No • MIME WARRIOR? No • FANTASTIC WARRIOR? No • PRISONER WARRIOR? No • APOLLO WARRIOR? No 297. OK here's another thought. "APOLLO, FANTASTIC, SAILOR, SAMURAI" - these could all precede "SUN" or something related to celestial bodies? Or what if they're all related to "JACK" in different ways? • SAMURAI JACK ✓ (Cartoon Network show) • CAPTAIN JACK (Pirates of the Caribbean, CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW had a parrot... but PARROT is elsewhere) • FLAPJACK? 298. Hmm, let me think about another angle. "FANTASTIC MR. FOX" is a Roald Dahl story. Are there other Roald Dahl connections? • FANTASTIC MR. FOX ✓ • CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY • JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH • MATILDA • THE BFG PRISONER... no SAILOR... no CANDLES... no MIME... no APOLLO... no SAMURAI... no REFEREE... no Only one connection. 299. Wait, I just thought of "CHARLIE ___" connections: • CHARLIE CHAPLIN was a mime! Well, silent film actor • CHARLIE'S ANGELS • GOOD LUCK CHARLIE • CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY Hmm. What if the connection is "Charlie ___" or "___ Charlie"? 300. What if these are all "types of heroes" or "stock characters"? SAMURAI, SAILOR, PRISONER, REFEREE, MIME... these are all "stock" characters you'd see in theater or improv. What if the theme is "IMPROV character types" or "COMMEDIA DELL'ARTE"? Commedia dell'arte characters include: Arlecchino (Harlequin), Pantalone, Il Dottore, Capitano, Columbina, Zanni... Not matching. 301. What if some of these words are hidden within other words (like wordplay)? • CANDLES: contains "AND" and "CAN" and "ANDES" and "CANDLE" • FANTASTIC: contains "FANTA" (the soda!) and "ASTIC" • PRISONER: contains "PRISON" and "RISE" and "INNER" • SAILOR: contains "SAIL" and "ILOR" • MIME: contains just "MIME" • REFEREE: contains "REF" and "FEE" • APOLLO: contains "POLL" and "APOLLO" • SAMURAI: contains "SAMU" and "RAI" Hmm, not seeing a pattern. 302. What if these words can all follow "SPACE"? • SPACE CANDLES? No • SPACE SAMURAI? Not standard • SPACE MIME? No • SPACE PRISONER? No • SPACE FANTASTIC? No • SPACE REFEREE? No • SPACE SAILOR: (spaceship crew member) hmm • SPACE APOLLO: (NASA Apollo mission) kind of ✓ 303. What if they can ALL follow "PRO"? • PRO REFEREE ✓? (not really a fixed phrase) • PRO WRESTLER? No • PRO CANDLES? No 304. What if they can all precede "JACK"? • SAMURAI JACK ✓ • SAILOR JACK ✓ (from Cracker Jack) • What about FANTASTIC JACK? No • CANDLES JACK? No • MIME JACK? No (well, MIME could be Jack Mime... no) • PRISONER JACK? No • APOLLO JACK? No • REFEREE JACK? No Only 2 clearly work. 305. Hmm. What if it involves a LESS OBVIOUS word like "APOLLO" and "CANDLES"? "APOLLO AND CANDLES" - Apollo is the god of light/sun, candles give light... connection with light? • APOLLO ✓ (god of light) • CANDLES ✓ (give light) • ECHO ✓ - wait, ECHO might be in the phone group... unless it's in a different group • GENIE ✓ - or is GENIE in Aladdin? Actually LAMP gives light too. GENIE comes from a lamp (light source metaphor). 306. What if the "light sources" group is APOLLO, CANDLES, ECHO (as in Amazon Echo which has light rings), GENIE (genie lamp)? Hmm, that's a stretch. 307. Let me try yet another approach. What if I look at these 8 words (APOLLO, REFEREE, CANDLES, MIME, FANTASTIC, PRISONER, SAILOR, SAMURAI) and think: "What famous person or character has ALL of these words associated with them somehow?" Or: "What 4 of these words can all be types of the same thing?" Types of warriors: SAMURAI ✓, SAILOR (sailor warriors?) ✓... MIME? No. REFEREE? No. Types of performers: MIME ✓, SAILOR (dancing sailor in a show?) ✓, REFEREE ✓? (in wrestling, ref is a performer sort of...), SAMURAI (in kabuki/theater) ✓? "___ Jack": SAMURAI JACK, SAILOR JACK... any others? • CRACKER JACK → could CANDLES relate to crackers? No • JUMPING JACK? • JACK-O-LANTERN? CANDLES are inside jack-o-lanterns! ✓ Hmm, but that's indirect. 308. What if the category is literally "things that can go with JUMPING"? • JUMPING JACK ✓ • JUMPING PRISONER? No 309. What if some of these can precede "SUIT"? • SAILOR SUIT ✓ • MIME SUIT? Hmm • SAMURAI SUIT? (armor) • PRISONER SUIT ✓ (orange jumpsuit or striped suit) • REFEREE SUIT? (uniform) • FANTASTIC SUIT? No • CANDLES SUIT? No • APOLLO SUIT? (space suit? Apollo astronauts wore suits) SAILOR SUIT ✓ is very specific. PRISON SUIT / PRISONER SUIT is used colloquially. MIME SUIT is less common. SAMURAI SUIT (armor) is more called "armor." 310. Hmm. What if the connection is more abstract or thematic? "Classic mime ___" themes? SILENCE... "Charlie Chaplin" type silences? 311. What if the link is "CANDLES + APOLLO + PRISONER + SAMURAI" being types of something in a video game? 312. Let me try to think about "FANTASTIC, PRISONER, CANDLES, SAILOR": • FANTASTIC PRISONER CANDLES SAILOR... • What if these can all follow "SIXTEEN"? - SIXTEEN CANDLES ✓ (the movie) - SIXTEEN PRISONER? No - SIXTEEN FANTASTIC? No - SIXTEEN SAILOR? No 313. What if they can precede a NUMBER? • FANTASTIC FOUR ✓ • SAILOR... SAILOR FIVE? No, there are 5 main Sailor Scouts... hmm • PRISONER SIX ✓ (The Prisoner - the character is Number Six) • APOLLO THIRTEEN ✓ (Apollo 13) • CANDLES SIXTEEN ✓ (Sixteen Candles) OH WAIT! What if the connection is "FAMOUS ___" + NUMBER? • APOLLO 13 ✓ • FANTASTIC FOUR ✓ (4) • SIXTEEN CANDLES ✓ (16) • PRISONER... "The Prisoner" - Number Six! ✓ So the category might be words associated with a specific number: • APOLLO (13) → 13 • FANTASTIC (Four) → 4 • CANDLES (Sixteen Candles) → 16 • PRISONER (Number Six) → 6 Hmm, but the numbers are all different (13, 4, 16, 6). That's not a unified group by the numbers themselves. Unless the category is "famous [number] ___" where each word pairs with a specific number: • APOLLO 13 • FANTASTIC FOUR • SIXTEEN CANDLES (or "16 Candles") • NUMBER SIX / THE PRISONER (he was Number Six) But these aren't the same number. So maybe the category is just: "things preceded or followed by a number"? Or maybe the category is "___ + specific number": like all associated with the number 4? • FANTASTIC FOUR (4) • THE PRISONER'S number was 6 • APOLLO 13 • SIXTEEN CANDLES (16) These are all different numbers so maybe the category is "Famous ___ + Number" pairs - with each associated with a different number. That seems like a strange category. OR... what if the connection is that these words all GO WITH THE NUMBER ___ to make a famous title/phrase? And the specific hidden link is that they all pair with a number to make something famous? Hmm... 314. Wait, let me reconsider. What if the pattern is: Words that can be preceded by a number to make a famous film/show/phrase: • CANDLES: "Sixteen Candles" ✓ • FANTASTIC: "Fantastic Four" (it's "FOUR" not "4 Fantastic") - wait it's "Fantastic Four" not "Four Fantastic" • Actually APOLLO: "Apollo 13" - the number follows ✓ • PRISONER: "The Prisoner" - Number 6 ✓ • SAMURAI: "Seven Samurai" ✓ (Kurosawa film!) • SAILOR: Sailor Moon... hmm • REFEREE: hmm • MIME: hmm Oh! "___ + NUMBER" or "NUMBER + ___" famous titles: • SEVEN SAMURAI ✓ (Kurosawa) • APOLLO 13 ✓ • SIXTEEN CANDLES ✓ • FANTASTIC FOUR ✓ (Four = number) But wait, "FANTASTIC FOUR" is "Fantastic" + number, while "SEVEN SAMURAI" is number + "SAMURAI". Is that consistent? And then: • PRISONER: NUMBER SIX ✓ (number + PRISONER? No, he's NUMBER SIX, not "Number Prisoner") Hmm. What if they all follow a SPECIFIC NUMBER? OR: what if the number is ALWAYS before the word? • SEVEN SAMURAI ✓ • THIRTEEN... CANDLES? No, Sixteen Candles • THIRTEEN PRISONERS? No • ??? APOLLO? No Or always after? • APOLLO 13 ✓ • FANTASTIC 4? (written as "Fantastic Four" not "Fantastic 4") Hmm. 315. What if the theme is "___ + SEVEN" or "SEVEN + ___"? • SEVEN SAMURAI ✓ • SEVEN CANDLES? (Hannukah has eight candles?) • SEVEN SEAS... SAILOR of the seven seas? • MAGNIFICENT SEVEN... FANTASTIC? No 316. What about "things associated with Hannukah"? • CANDLES ✓ (Hannukah menorah candles) • MIME? No • REFEREE? No • DREIDEL, LATKE, MENORAH... not in list 317. What about the theme "___ + NUMBER" to make a famous movie/show: • APOLLO 13 ✓ (Apollo 13 - movie) • SEVEN SAMURAI ✓ (but this is NUMBER + word) • SIXTEEN CANDLES ✓ (Sixteen Candles - movie, but this is NUMBER + word) • FANTASTIC FOUR ✓ (Fantastic Four - but this is word + NUMBER word) Hmm, these are inconsistent in placement. OR: maybe they ALL take a NUMBER after them: • APOLLO 13 ✓ • FANTASTIC FOUR ✓ • SAMURAI ??? SEVEN comes before... • CANDLES ??? SIXTEEN comes before... Let me try them all being PRECEDED by a number: • 13 APOLLO? No... • FOUR FANTASTIC? No • SIXTEEN CANDLES ✓ (number precedes) • SEVEN SAMURAI ✓ (number precedes) • SIX PRISONER? No (but the prisoner was NUMBER SIX) Hmm, it's not consistent. 318. What if it's more specifically: "famous things with a number in their name"? • APOLLO 13 ✓ • SEVEN SAMURAI ✓ • SIXTEEN CANDLES ✓ • FANTASTIC FOUR ✓ • REFEREE: hmm, not obvious • SAILOR: Sailor Moon... no number • PRISONER: "Number Six" or "Prisoner Six"... less standard • MIME: no number OK, so this group could be: APOLLO, SAMURAI, CANDLES, FANTASTIC - all words that are part of a famous title with a number! And the 4th group would be: REFEREE, SAILOR, PRISONER, MIME What connects REFEREE, SAILOR, PRISONER, MIME? 319. "REFEREE, SAILOR, PRISONER, MIME": • All are people/roles • All are associated with specific costumes/outfits? • MIME: black and white stripes, often • PRISONER: orange jumpsuit OR historically, black and white horizontal stripes • REFEREE: black and white vertical stripes • SAILOR: white and navy uniform Hmm, MIME and PRISONER could both be BLACK AND WHITE STRIPES. REFEREE has a different style of black and white stripes. SAILOR doesn't fit this pattern. 320. What else could connect REFEREE, SAILOR, PRISONER, MIME? • They all involve movement (sailor sails, prisoner is confined, mime moves silently, referee moves on the court)? • They're all "professions/roles" that involve uniforms? • They all involve "performance" in some sense? Actually, wait. What if they can all precede or follow the same word? "SILENT ___": • SILENT MIME? Redundant • SILENT SAILOR? No • SILENT PRISONER? No • SILENT REFEREE? No "___ SCHOOL": • MIME SCHOOL? Hmm • SAILOR SCHOOL? (the show "Sailor School"?) • PRISONER SCHOOL? (prison school) • REFEREE SCHOOL? No "OLD ___": • OLD SAILOR ✓ (sea shanties, "Old Sailor" is a type) • OLD MIME? No • OLD REFEREE? No • OLD PRISONER? No "STREET ___": • STREET MIME ✓ • STREET REFEREE? Hmm • STREET PRISONER? No • STREET SAILOR? No 321. Hmm. What if REFEREE, SAILOR, PRISONER, MIME can all follow "THE" to make famous TV shows? • THE PRISONER ✓ (famous British TV show) • THE REFEREE? (not a famous show I know) • THE SAILOR? (not a famous show) • THE MIME? (not a famous show) 322. Wait - what if they can all precede "DANCE"? • MIME DANCE? Hmm • SAILOR DANCE? Like a hornpipe? • PRISONER DANCE? (like a "Jailhouse Rock" dance?) • REFEREE DANCE? No 323. What if they can all follow "THE SILENT" or "SILENT"? 324. What connects REFEREE, SAILOR, PRISONER, MIME thematically? Maybe: they're all people who are restricted in some way? • MIME: restricted to silence • PRISONER: restricted to jail • REFEREE: restricted to enforce rules • SAILOR: restricted to the sea? Hmm, loose. 325. What if they're "Stripped / Black and White"? • REFEREE: black and white striped shirt ✓ • PRISONER: black and white striped outfit (classic) ✓ • MIME: black and white striped outfit ✓ • SAILOR: white and navy... sometimes striped (Breton stripes!) ✓ Oh! "PEOPLE KNOWN FOR WEARING STRIPES": • REFEREE: vertical black and white stripes ✓ • PRISONER: horizontal black and white stripes ✓ • MIME: horizontal black and white stripes ✓ • SAILOR: Breton stripes (horizontal navy and white) ✓ This could be the connection! All four wear classic STRIPED outfits! So my four groups would be: 1. Aladdin characters: GENIE, PRINCESS, PARROT, MONKEY 2. Phone/internet connection issues: LAG, DROP, ECHO, FREEZE 3. Famous titles with a number: APOLLO (13), SAMURAI (Seven Samurai), CANDLES (Sixteen Candles), FANTASTIC (Fantastic Four) 4. People who wear stripes: REFEREE, SAILOR, PRISONER, MIME Let me verify group 3: • APOLLO 13 ✓ (film) • SEVEN SAMURAI ✓ (film) • SIXTEEN CANDLES ✓ (film) • FANTASTIC FOUR ✓ (comic/film) Wait, but the category would be "Famous ___ + NUMBER" or the word pairs with a number... The category might be phrased as "___[number]" like "number ___" titles. Let me make sure: • APOLLO 13: APOLLO + 13 • SEVEN SAMURAI: 7 + SAMURAI • SIXTEEN CANDLES: 16 + CANDLES (or SIXTEEN CANDLES) • FANTASTIC FOUR: FANTASTIC + FOUR Hmm, the positions differ. But if the category is "Famous titles that include a number," they all work regardless of position. AND for group 4 (striped outfits): • REFEREE: yes, classic black and white stripes • PRISONER: yes, classic striped prison uniform (black and white or orange and white in more modern usage, but classically striped) • MIME: yes, classic horizontal black and white stripes • SAILOR: yes, Breton/nautical stripes This seems like a strong connection! 326. Let me now assess my confidence: Group 1 - Aladdin characters (GENIE, PRINCESS, PARROT, MONKEY): • GENIE: the magic genie ✓ • PRINCESS: Jasmine ✓ • PARROT: Iago ✓ • MONKEY: Abu ✓ Confidence: HIGH Group 2 - Phone/internet connection issues (LAG, DROP, ECHO, FREEZE): • LAG: ping lag ✓ • DROP: dropped call/packet ✓ • ECHO: audio echo ✓ • FREEZE: video freezes ✓ Confidence: MEDIUM-HIGH Concern: ECHO is also a Greek myth figure, and FREEZE is also "Mr. Freeze" Group 3 - Famous titles with a number (APOLLO, SAMURAI, CANDLES, FANTASTIC): • APOLLO 13 ✓ • SEVEN SAMURAI ✓ • SIXTEEN CANDLES ✓ • FANTASTIC FOUR ✓ Confidence: MEDIUM-HIGH Concern: The numbers are all different and the positions differ Group 4 - People who wear stripes (REFEREE, SAILOR, PRISONER, MIME): • REFEREE ✓ • SAILOR ✓ • PRISONER ✓ • MIME ✓ Confidence: MEDIUM 327. Wait, let me reconsider whether ECHO belongs to group 2 (phone issues) or somewhere else. If ECHO isn't in the phone issues group, what would the phone issues group be? • LAG, DROP, FREEZE + ??? • The 4th could be BUFFER? But that's not in the list. • Or DISCONNECT? Not in list. • Or GLITCH? Not in list. Hmm. And if ECHO is removed, the group falls to 3 members. So ECHO probably IS in the phone issues group. 328. Also, let me reconsider group 3. The category "Famous titles with a number" is a bit loose. Let me think of a better way to phrase it: • Apollo 13 (movie) • Seven Samurai (movie) • Sixteen Candles (movie) • Fantastic Four (comic/movie franchise) They're all famous entertainment titles that include a number. That's actually a pretty clean connection! 329. But wait - could any of these belong to different groups? • SAMURAI: could be in the Aladdin group? No, there's no samurai in Aladdin. • CANDLES: could be in the striped group? No, candles don't wear stripes. • FANTASTIC: Mr. Fantastic is in Fantastic Four, but could FANTASTIC be in the "Mr. ___" group? That group is: - MR. FANTASTIC ✓ - MR. MIME ✓ (but MIME is in striped group) - MR. FREEZE ✓ (but FREEZE is in phone group) - And we'd need a 4th... If the "Mr." group takes priority, then: • MR. FANTASTIC (FANTASTIC) • MR. MIME (MIME) • MR. FREEZE (FREEZE) • MR. T? (not listed) And then: • Phone issues group loses FREEZE and needs a substitute • Striped group loses MIME and needs a substitute This doesn't work as cleanly. 330. Actually, let me reconsider once more. What if the groups are: A) Aladdin: GENIE, PRINCESS, PARROT, MONKEY B) "Mr. ___": FANTASTIC, MIME, FREEZE + one more C) Phone issues: LAG, DROP, ECHO + one more (without FREEZE) D) Striped: REFEREE, SAILOR, PRISONER + one more For B, the 4th "Mr." could be... • MR. APOLLO? Not standard • MR. CANDLES? Not standard • MR. PRISONER? Not standard • MR. REFEREE? Not standard • MR. SAMURAI? Not standard • MR. SAILOR? No... • MR. LAG? No • MR. DROP? No • MR. ECHO? Mr. Eko from LOST? Maybe... - Mr. Eko (ECHO ~ EKO?) - Mr. Eko was a character on LOST, but "ECHO" ≠ "EKO" exactly Hmm. Without FREEZE, the 4th "Mr." doesn't work. 331. What if the Mr. group is: • MR. FANTASTIC ✓ • MR. FREEZE ✓ • MR. MIME ✓ • MR. T → is T a hidden word? No, T is a letter... Actually wait! What about "MR. POTATO HEAD" → POTATO isn't listed. What about "MR. ROGERS" → no. What about: • MR. REFEREE → "The Referee" in sports? No, "Mr. Referee" isn't a famous character • Actually, wait: is there a famous "MR. APOLLO"? In DC Comics, there's a villain named "Mr. Majestic" but not "Mr. Apollo." In Greek mythology, Apollo isn't Mr. Apollo. 332. I'll stick with my original grouping: A) Aladdin: GENIE, PRINCESS, PARROT, MONKEY B) Connection/phone issues: LAG, DROP, ECHO, FREEZE C) Famous titles with numbers: APOLLO (13), SAMURAI (Seven), CANDLES (Sixteen), FANTASTIC (Four) D) Striped outfit wearers: REFEREE, SAILOR, PRISONER, MIME Let me go with my most confident group first: ALADDIN CHARACTERS. Actually, wait. Let me reconsider group C one more time. APOLLO 13 (1995 film): APOLLO ✓ SEVEN SAMURAI (1954 film): SAMURAI ✓ SIXTEEN CANDLES (1984 film): CANDLES ✓ FANTASTIC FOUR (comic since 1961, films 2005, 2015): FANTASTIC ✓ These are all famous pop culture titles that contain a number. That's a valid NYT Connections category. Alternatively, could any other remaining words fit this pattern? • APOLLO: Apollo 13 ✓, also Apollo 11, Apollo Creed... • SAMURAI: Seven Samurai ✓, could also be "Samurai Jack" (no number) • CANDLES: Sixteen Candles ✓ • FANTASTIC: Fantastic Four ✓ • REFEREE: Three Referees? No... • SAILOR: Three's Company has a "Sailor"? "One Sailor"? Hmm... • PRISONER: Prisoner of ... some number? "The Prisoner" (TV show) - Number Six! So PRISONER COULD be in this group too! Oh! What if it's PRISONER instead of one of the others? • PRISONER: "The Prisoner" - Number Six (the main character is "Number Six" or "Prisoner Number Six") But then which one drops out of APOLLO, SAMURAI, CANDLES, FANTASTIC? Could REFEREE be in this group instead? • REFEREE: "Three Referees"? No standard title... Could SAILOR be in this group? • SAILOR: "Three Sailors"? "Sailor One"? Hmm, not famous... Could MIME be in this group? • MIME: Not a famous numbered title I know of So the candidates for "Famous numbered titles" are: APOLLO (13), SAMURAI (Seven), CANDLES (Sixteen), FANTASTIC (Four), PRISONER (Number Six / The Prisoner) That's 5 candidates for 4 spots. Which one is out? If PRISONER is in this group, then REFEREE, SAILOR, MIME need a 4th for the striped group: • PRISONER → striped uniform ✓... so if PRISONER is in numbered titles, we need another striped person • CLOWN: not listed • CONVICT: not listed • ZEBRA: not listed • CANDLES: ??? no stripes • APOLLO: ??? astronaut suit, not striped • FANTASTIC: Mr. Fantastic wears a blue suit, not striped • SAMURAI: samurai armor isn't striped Hmm. None of the substitutes work well for the striped group. So probably PRISONER is in the striped group (along with REFEREE, SAILOR, MIME) and the numbered titles group is APOLLO, SAMURAI, CANDLES, FANTASTIC. 333. OK, I'm going to go with my analysis: 1. Aladdin: GENIE, PRINCESS, PARROT, MONKEY - HIGH confidence 2. Phone/video call issues: LAG, DROP, ECHO, FREEZE - HIGH confidence 3. Famous titles with a number: APOLLO, SAMURAI, CANDLES, FANTASTIC - MEDIUM-HIGH confidence 4. People/characters known for wearing stripes: REFEREE, SAILOR, PRISONER, MIME - MEDIUM confidence I'll start with the group I'm most confident about: ALADDIN characters: GENIE, PRINCESS, PARROT, MONKEY. Actually, let me double-check: ECHO is NOT an Aladdin character (confirmed). LAG, FREEZE, DROP are not Aladdin. REFEREE, SAMURAI, PRISONER, SAILOR, MIME, CANDLES, APOLLO, FANTASTIC are not Aladdin characters. Yes, going with GENIE, PRINCESS, PARROT, MONKEY first.

The Aladdin group was correct. Now the remaining 12 words are: APOLLO, ECHO, REFEREE, CANDLES, LAG, FREEZE, DROP, MIME, FANTASTIC, PRISONER, SAILOR, SAMURAI My remaining hypotheses: 1. Phone/video call problems: LAG, DROP, ECHO, FREEZE 2. Famous titles with a number: APOLLO (13), SAMURAI (Seven Samurai), CANDLES (Sixteen Candles), FANTASTIC (Fantastic Four) 3. People who wear classic striped outfits: REFEREE, PRISONER, MIME, SAILOR Let me go with my next most confident group: Phone/video call problems: LAG, DROP, ECHO, FREEZE

Two down, two to go. Remaining 8 words: APOLLO, REFEREE, CANDLES, MIME, FANTASTIC, PRISONER, SAILOR, SAMURAI My two remaining hypotheses: 1. Famous titles with a number: APOLLO (13), SAMURAI (Seven Samurai), CANDLES (Sixteen Candles), FANTASTIC (Fantastic Four) 2. Classic striped outfit wearers: REFEREE, PRISONER, MIME, SAILOR I'm fairly confident about both. Let me go with the "famous titles with numbers" group next.

Three down, one to go. The remaining 4 words must be: REFEREE, MIME, PRISONER, SAILOR These are all people/characters known for wearing classic striped outfits: • REFEREE: black and white vertical stripes • MIME: black and white horizontal stripes • PRISONER: black and white horizontal stripes (classic) • SAILOR: Breton/nautical horizontal stripes This must be correct!

Let me analyze these words carefully. Available words: THEREFORE, WOODCHUCK, AWKWARD, WOODEN, COULD, STILTED, CREATE, STIFF, CLASSICS, WOODSTOCK, FOGHORN, WOOD, SCROOGE, GUTHRIE, WOODY, CHUCK Let me think about possible categories: 1. Words meaning stiff/unnatural in manner: WOODEN, STILTED, AWKWARD, STIFF - these all mean unnaturally stiff or clumsy in manner/movement. 2. WOODY ___ (famous Woodys): - Woody GUTHRIE (folk singer) - Woody WOODPECKER... - Woody ALLEN - Wait, let me think differently... 3. ___ WOOD or WOOD ___: - WOODCHUCK - WOODSTOCK - WOODY - WOOD 4. Ebenezer ___: SCROOGE is Ebenezer Scrooge... 5. Famous characters named WOODY: - Woody GUTHRIE (musician) - Woody from Toy Story - Woodstock (Peanuts bird) - Foghorn Leghorn? Wait, let me think about "WOODY" connections: • WOODY GUTHRIE • WOODY ALLEN • Woody from Toy Story • Woody HARRELSON Let me think about "___ WOODPECKER": • WOODY Woodpecker What if the category is "Woody ___" (people named Woody): • WOODY GUTHRIE • WOODY HARRELSON • WOODY ALLEN • WOODY WOODPECKER Hmm, but GUTHRIE is a last name... Wait - what about "WOODCHUCK could chuck wood" - the tongue twister: "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" • WOODCHUCK • COULD • CHUCK • WOOD • THEREFORE... no The tongue twister contains: WOOD, WOODCHUCK, COULD, CHUCK... and "WOULD" (sounds like WOOD?) Actually: "How much WOOD WOULD a WOODCHUCK CHUCK if a WOODCHUCK COULD CHUCK WOOD?" Words from the tongue twister: WOOD, WOODCHUCK, COULD, CHUCK - these four! Wait, but WOULD is in the tongue twister too. WOOD could be a homophone of WOULD. So the category could be: "Words in the woodchuck tongue twister": WOOD (WOULD), WOODCHUCK, COULD, CHUCK 6. Famous Woodstocks / Woodys: - WOODSTOCK (Peanuts, also the festival) - WOODY (Toy Story, or Woodpecker) - WOODCHUCK (if not in tongue twister) 7. Ebenezer ___: SCROOGE What if SCROOGE, FOGHORN, WOODY, CHUCK are all cartoon characters? - FOGHORN (Leghorn) - WOODY (Woodpecker) - CHUCK (E. Cheese? or some cartoon) - SCROOGE (McDuck!) Wait - SCROOGE McDUCK, FOGHORN Leghorn, WOODY Woodpecker... These are all cartoon characters with animal last names! • SCROOGE McDuck • FOGHORN Leghorn • WOODY Woodpecker • CHUCK... Chuck E. Cheese is a rat? Or... Actually: Cartoon characters where the last name is an animal: • FOGHORN LEGHORN (leghorn is a chicken breed) • SCROOGE McDUCK (duck) • WOODY WOODPECKER (woodpecker) • CHUCK... hmm Or maybe the connection is "Looney Tunes" or Warner Bros characters? Let me think about "THEREFORE": • THEREFORE could be part of "I think, therefore I am" • Or logical connectors? What about "CLASSICS" - could this relate to something? Let me think about "WOODSTOCK": • Woodstock is a bird in Peanuts • Woodstock music festival GUTHRIE: • Woody Guthrie (folk musician) • Arlo Guthrie (folk musician) • Guthrie is also a place What if the category is "___ WOODY": • No, that doesn't make sense What about first names for the same last name? • WOODY Guthrie, Arlo GUTHRIE - so GUTHRIE is a last name • CHUCK Berry, CHUCK Norris... Hmm, what about "WOODY ___": • WOODY ALLEN • WOODY GUTHRIE • WOODY HARRELSON Or "___ CHUCK": • WOOD CHUCK • UPCHUCK Let me reconsider. What if the category is "words that sound like/contain WOULD": No... Stiff/unnatural synonyms: WOODEN, STILTED, AWKWARD, STIFF - this seems very solid. Tongue twister words: WOODCHUCK, COULD, CHUCK, WOOD - this seems solid too. Woody ___ (famous Woodys' last names or associations): • WOODY ALLEN -> ? • WOODY GUTHRIE -> GUTHRIE • WOODY HARRELSON -> ? • WOODY from TOY STORY -> ? Hmm wait: What if it's "WOODY + ___" giving a famous name or thing: • WOODY + GUTHRIE = Woody Guthrie • WOODY + WOODSTOCK? No... Or what if it's "___ + WOODY" or connections to the name Woody: Characters/people named WOODY whose real first name is different: • WOODY Allen (real name Allan Stewart Konigsberg) • WOODY Harrelson (Woodrow Tracy Harrelson) What if the theme is "WOODROW ___": • WOODROW WILSON (president) • Woody is short for Woodrow What about WOODSTOCK: • Woodstock, NY • Woodstock festival • Woodstock the bird (Peanuts) FOGHORN: • Foghorn Leghorn (cartoon rooster) • Foghorn (nautical device) SCROOGE: • Ebenezer Scrooge (Dickens) • Scrooge McDuck CLASSICS: • Classic cars? • Classic literature? • Classic rock? CREATE: • This is an interesting one. Why is CREATE here? • PROCREATE? • RE-CREATE? • CREATE could be part of something THEREFORE: • Logical connector • "I think therefore I am" • RE + THEREFORE? No... Wait - what if some words contain hidden words or can be prefixed with RE-? • RE + CREATE = RECREATE • RE + THEREFORE = ? No • RE + WOOD = ? No Or what about words that can follow "THERE": • THEREFORE • THERE + FORE • WOODEN -> THERE + WOODEN? No Hmm, what if these words can all precede or follow a common word? Let me think about CHUCK: • CHUCK (name) • CHUCK NORRIS • CHUCK BERRY • CHUCK E. CHEESE • WOODCHUCK • UPCHUCK • CHUCK as in throw What if there's a category of "Looney Tunes characters first names": FOGHORN (Leghorn), WOODY (Woodpecker)... wait Woody Woodpecker isn't Looney Tunes. What about cartoon roosters/birds: • FOGHORN Leghorn (rooster) • WOODSTOCK (bird in Peanuts) • WOODY Woodpecker (woodpecker) • CHUCK (some bird?) Or what if the category is "Woodpecker related": • WOODY (Woodpecker) • WOODPECKER itself isn't here but... Let me try another angle. What if they all can follow "CLASSIC": • CLASSIC ROCK • CLASSIC CAR • CLASSICS (already has the S) What about "___ STOCK": • WOODSTOCK • LIVESTOCK • GUNSTOCK • LAUGHINGSTOCK Or "WOOD ___": • WOODCHUCK • WOODSTOCK • WOODEN (has -EN not WOOD+something) • WOODY Actually, maybe the category is "WOOD + ___": • WOOD + CHUCK = WOODCHUCK • WOOD + STOCK = WOODSTOCK • WOOD + Y = WOODY • WOOD + EN = WOODEN And WOOD itself... so maybe: • WOODCHUCK, WOODSTOCK, WOODY, WOODEN - all start with WOOD But then what category does WOOD go into? Hmm, OR the category is words that START with WOOD: WOODCHUCK, WOODSTOCK, WOODY, WOODEN - these all start with WOOD Then WOOD itself is in another category. If that's the case: • WOOD + ___: WOODCHUCK, WOODSTOCK, WOODY, WOODEN • Synonyms for stiff/awkward: STILTED, AWKWARD, STIFF, and... one more? WOODEN? But WOODEN is in the first category... Wait, if WOODEN goes into "stiff/awkward synonyms," then: • Stiff/awkward: WOODEN, STILTED, AWKWARD, STIFF • Words starting with WOOD (minus WOODEN): WOODCHUCK, WOODSTOCK, WOODY + one more Hmm, that leaves WOODCHUCK, WOODSTOCK, WOODY without a fourth WOOD-word. Unless WOOD itself is the fourth (WOOD, WOODCHUCK, WOODSTOCK, WOODY) - but that seems odd since WOOD is the root. OR maybe the "starts with WOOD" category is: WOODCHUCK, WOODSTOCK, WOODY, WOODEN - and "stiff/awkward" is STILTED, AWKWARD, STIFF + one more. Could COULD mean stiff? No. Could CREATE mean stiff? No. Could FOGHORN mean stiff? No. Could THEREFORE mean stiff? No. Hmm. Let me reconsider. Actually, what if WOODEN is in "stiff" category, and the WOOD- words category is different? Let me reconsider the tongue twister: "How much WOOD would a WOODCHUCK CHUCK if a WOODCHUCK COULD CHUCK WOOD?" Words: WOOD, WOODCHUCK, CHUCK, COULD (and WOULD which sounds like WOOD) So the tongue twister group: WOOD, WOODCHUCK, CHUCK, COULD Then what's left: THEREFORE, AWKWARD, WOODEN, CREATE, STIFF, CLASSICS, WOODSTOCK, FOGHORN, SCROOGE, GUTHRIE, WOODY, STILTED Stiff/awkward synonyms: WOODEN, STILTED, AWKWARD, STIFF ✓ Remaining: THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS, WOODSTOCK, FOGHORN, SCROOGE, GUTHRIE, WOODY Now I need two categories from: THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS, WOODSTOCK, FOGHORN, SCROOGE, GUTHRIE, WOODY Hmm, what connects these? SCROOGE - Ebenezer Scrooge (Dickens), Scrooge McDuck FOGHORN - Foghorn Leghorn, foghorn as a sound device GUTHRIE - Woody Guthrie, Arlo Guthrie WOODSTOCK - festival, Snoopy's bird friend WOODY - Woody Allen, Woody Harrelson, Woody Guthrie, Toy Story character, Woody Woodpecker THEREFORE - logical connector, "I think therefore I am" (Descartes) CREATE - to make CLASSICS - classic works THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS... these seem less obviously connected. Wait - what if some of these relate to Ebenezer? • SCROOGE is Ebenezer Scrooge • Ebenezer GOOD (the hymn "Ebenezer")? What if the connection is "Famous ___s" where the blank is a first name? • WOODY GUTHRIE, WOODY ALLEN, WOODY HARRELSON, WOODY WOODPECKER • So GUTHRIE could go with WOODY What if these are all things that can follow "WOODY": • WOODY GUTHRIE • WOODY ALLEN • WOODY HARRELSON • WOODY WOODPECKER? But WOODPECKER isn't here Or these could be "Nicknames for Woodrow": • WOODY is a nickname for Woodrow What if the connection is "___ Guthrie": • WOODY Guthrie • ARLO Guthrie Hmm, or "Woody ___": • Woody GUTHRIE • Woody ALLEN • Woody HARRELSON But ALLEN and HARRELSON aren't in the list. Wait - WOODSTOCK, FOGHORN, SCROOGE, GUTHRIE, WOODY, THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS Could any of these be TV shows or movies? • SCROOGE (movie) • WOODSTOCK (documentary film) • FOGHORN (?) • CLASSICS (?) • GUTHRIE (?) • THEREFORE (?) What about music: • WOODSTOCK (song by Joni Mitchell, or CSN&Y) • GUTHRIE (Woody Guthrie, folk legend) • FOGHORN (?) • SCROOGE (Christmas Carol - musical?) Hmm. What if they're all associated with a particular person or theme? Wait - THEREFORE and CREATE... What if some of these words contain hidden words? • THEREFORE = THE + REFORE? or THERE + FORE • CREATE = CRE + ATE or C + REATE • CLASSICS = CLASS + ICS • WOODSTOCK = WOOD + STOCK • FOGHORN = FOG + HORN • SCROOGE = S + CROO + GE • GUTHRIE = GUT + HRIE • WOODY = WOOD + Y Hmm, what if they all contain a hidden word? • THEREFORE: "HERE", "THERE", "FORE", "HER" • CREATE: "REATE", "EAT", "ATE", "CRATE"... CRATE! • CLASSICS: "CLASS", "LASS", "ASS", "IC" • WOODSTOCK: "WOOD", "STOCK", "MOOD"... • FOGHORN: "FOG", "HORN", "OR" • SCROOGE: "ROGUE"... no, "SCROO"... • GUTHRIE: "THRIE"... • WOODY: "WOOD" Hmm, what if they all contain musical instruments? • FOGHORN: HORN ✓ • CREATE: no... wait, CRATE? No instrument • THEREFORE: FORE? No • CLASSICS: no Or body parts? • THEREFORE: no • FOGHORN: no • SCROOGE: no • GUTHRIE: GUT (as in gut strings?) Animals? • WOODCHUCK: CHUCK? No, woodchuck is a groundhog • SCROOGE: no OK let me think differently. What if THEREFORE, CLASSICS, CREATE, and one other form a group related to a specific theme? THEREFORE → logical/philosophical CREATE → creative/making CLASSICS → historical/literary Could these be related to education? Or to Greek/Latin roots? Or what if these words can all precede or follow a specific word? ___ ROCK: • CLASSIC ROCK ✓ • WOODSTOCK ROCK? No • THEREFORE ROCK? No • FOGHORN ROCK? No RE + ___: • RE + CREATE = RECREATE ✓ • RE + THEREFORE = ? No • RE + CLASSICS = ? No • RE + WOODY = ? No Hmm. What about words where you can add a prefix or suffix? PRO + CREATE = PROCREATE Wait - I'm going to think about this differently. What if the connection is "Ebenezer ___": • SCROOGE (Ebenezer Scrooge) • GOOD (Ebenezer Good) • But what else named Ebenezer? Or "___ Ebenezer": • Hmm What about "Charles Dickens characters": • SCROOGE (A Christmas Carol) • Others? What if the theme is "Famous Charleses"? or "Famous people named CHUCK/CHARLES": • CHUCK BERRY • CHUCK NORRIS • CHARLES DICKENS • CHARLES (Prince) Or famous CHUCKs: • CHUCK Berry • CHUCK Norris • CHUCK E. Cheese • CHUCK Yeager Hmm. Let me try another approach. What if the connection is "Cartoon characters": • WOODY (Woodpecker, or Toy Story) • FOGHORN (Leghorn) • SCROOGE (McDuck) • WOODSTOCK (Peanuts) These are all cartoon characters! Each named by just the first name. That feels really strong: WOODY (Woodpecker), FOGHORN (Leghorn), SCROOGE (McDuck), WOODSTOCK (bird in Peanuts) What do they have in common beyond being cartoon characters? They all have animal last names? No, FOGHORN Leghorn - Leghorn is a chicken breed. SCROOGE McDUCK - duck. WOODY WOODPECKER - woodpecker. WOODSTOCK - he's just a bird, no last name... Or they could all be animated characters. But there must be something more specific. Actually, maybe the category is "animated characters named after types of birds or related to birds": • WOODY Woodpecker (woodpecker) • FOGHORN Leghorn (leghorn chicken) • WOODSTOCK (bird) • SCROOGE (McDuck - a duck) All animated characters that are birds! That's interesting: • WOODY Woodpecker = woodpecker • FOGHORN Leghorn = chicken • WOODSTOCK = bird (canary?) • SCROOGE McDuck = duck Yes! They're all animated bird characters! So my four categories might be: 1. Synonyms for stiff/unnatural: WOODEN, STILTED, AWKWARD, STIFF 2. Woodchuck tongue twister words: WOOD, WOODCHUCK, CHUCK, COULD 3. Animated bird characters: WOODY, FOGHORN, WOODSTOCK, SCROOGE 4. Remaining: THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS, GUTHRIE What could connect THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS, GUTHRIE? Hmm... • GUTHRIE theater (famous theater in Minneapolis) • CLASSICS (classical music/literature) • CREATE (to make art?) • THEREFORE (?) Wait, what if these are all associated with "Arlo"? • ARLO GUTHRIE (folk singer) • ARLO (animated movie) - had a brachiosaurus? • Hmm Or "Arlo ___": • Arlo GUTHRIE What connects THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS, GUTHRIE? Could these be anagrams of something? • THEREFORE = anagram of... let me check: T,H,E,R,E,F,O,R,E = THEREFORE • CREATE = anagram of: C,R,E,A,T,E = TEACRE? ECARTE! (a card game) • CLASSICS = anagram of: C,L,A,S,S,I,C,S = • GUTHRIE = anagram of: G,U,T,H,R,I,E = ? Hmm, this seems complex. What if they all contain a hidden name? • THEREFORE: "HEREF" no... "THERE" contains "HERE"... or "EFORE" • CREATE: "REATE" = ... • CLASSICS: "CLASS" contains "LASS"... or "CLASSIC" contains... • GUTHRIE: contains "UTHRIE"... What if they contain the name of a US state? • THEREFORE: "THERE" -> no state • CREATE: "CREA" -> no... • CLASSICS: contains no state • GUTHRIE: GUTHRIE -> no What about musical notes (DO, RE, MI, FA, SOL, LA, SI/TI)? • THEREFORE: RE is in there (thREefore)... THE-RE-FORE → RE ✓ • CREATE: cREAte → RE ✓ or creATE • CLASSICS: clASSICS → ? LA? cLAssics → LA ✓ • GUTHRIE: guthRIE → ? RE? or DO? Hmm, let me look for solfège: • DO, RE, MI, FA, SOL, LA, TI/SI THEREFORE: THE-RE-FORE → contains RE CREATE: C-RE-ATE → contains RE Hmm, same note. What if each word contains a different musical note? • WOODSTOCK: WOOD-STOCK → SOL? no... • FOGHORN: FOG-HORN → no clear note • GUTHRIE: GUT-H-RIE → contains TI? no... RE? • THEREFORE: THE-RE-FORE → RE • CLASSICS: c-LA-ssics → LA ✓ • SCROOGE: s-c-r-o-o-g-e → DO? no... • CREATE: c-RE-ate → RE Hmm, this is getting complicated. Let me step back. Let me reconsider. What if GUTHRIE is connected to something else? Famous GUTHRIEs: • WOODY Guthrie • ARLO Guthrie • Janet Guthrie (race car driver) • Guthrie Theater What if the category is "___ WOODY" or "WOODY ___": • WOODY Guthrie • WOODY Allen • WOODY Harrelson • Woody from TOY STORY Or what if the last category is "Arlo ___": • ARLO GUTHRIE ✓ • But what are the other ARLO connections? • Arlo (Pixar movie character) • Arlo & Janis (comic strip) Hmm. What if the connection between THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS, GUTHRIE is that they're all "___ something" or "something ___"? Wait, what if they can all be preceded by "PRO"? • PRO + CREATE = PROCREATE ✓ • PRO + THEREFORE = ? No • PRO + CLASSICS = ? No • PRO + GUTHRIE = ? No Or "RE + ___": • RE + CREATE = RECREATE ✓ • RE + THEREFORE = ? RETHEREFORE? No • RE + CLASSICS = ? No • RE + GUTHRIE = ? No What about "___ + something" to make a new word: • THEREFORE → THEREFORES? No • CREATE → CREATES, CREATED, CREATOR • CLASSICS → CLASSICAL • GUTHRIE → ? Hmm. What if these four words all contain a smaller word that fits a category? • THEREFORE → FORE (as in golf), or THERE, or HER, or HERE • CREATE → EAT, or ATE, or CRATE • CLASSICS → CLASS, or LASS, or CLASSIC • GUTHRIE → GUT, or RIE... What if they all contain a word meaning "to consume": • CREATE → EAT ✓ (crEATe) • CLASSICS → no "eat"... • WOODSTOCK → no... • THEREFORE → no "eat"... Or verbs of motion hidden within? • THEREFORE → ? • GUTHRIE → ? Let me try: what if they all contain the name of a US President? • THEREFORE → ? FORD? thEREFORe? T-H-E-R-E-F-O-R-E → contains "FORD"? theREFOre → nope, it's REFO not FORD... wait: T-H-E-R-E-F-O-R-E → positions: theReFORe → R-E-F-O-R → not FORD. Hmm, but THEREFORE = T-H-E-R-E-F-O-R-E... let me look: ...E-F-O-R-E... nope, not FORD. Actually wait: thEREFORd? No. What about THERE-FORE → contains... hmm. What if I look for LINCOLN, FORD, GRANT, etc.? • WOODSTOCK → contains no president • CLASSICS → contains no president... Hmm. Let me try another approach. What if the categories are: 1. Stiff synonyms: WOODEN, STILTED, AWKWARD, STIFF 2. Tongue twister: WOOD, WOODCHUCK, CHUCK, COULD 3. Animated bird characters: WOODY, FOGHORN, WOODSTOCK, SCROOGE 4. ??? : THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS, GUTHRIE For category 4, let me think about what connects THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS, GUTHRIE... Actually, wait. Could these all be things associated with "Arlo"? • Arlo GUTHRIE (musician) • Arlo the dinosaur (The Good Dinosaur - Pixar movie) • Wait, what else? Hmm, what if they all contain the name "ARLO"? • GUTHRIE → no ARLO • CLASSICS → no ARLO • THEREFORE → thEREfore → no ARLO... • CREATE → no ARLO No. Let me try: what hidden words are in THEREFORE? T-H-E-R-E-F-O-R-E • THE • HERE (tHEREfore) • THERE • FORE • HER (tHERefore) • ORE (therefoRE? no... thereFORE → FORE, contains ORE? t-h-e-r-e-f-O-R-E → ORE yes!) What hidden words in CLASSICS? C-L-A-S-S-I-C-S • CLASS • LASS • ASS • SIC • CLASSIC What hidden words in CREATE? C-R-E-A-T-E • EAT (crEATe) • ATE (creATE) • CRATE (wait: C-R-A-T-E but CREATE is C-R-E-A-T-E... no, CRATE would need C-R-A-T-E but CREATE has E before A) Actually CREATE: C-R-E-A-T-E Hidden: RE (cREate), EAT (crEATe), ATE (creATE), ERA? (cREAte - R-E-A = REA not ERA... wait: c-R-E-A-t-e → R-E-A → not ERA, ERA would be E-R-A) What hidden words in GUTHRIE? G-U-T-H-R-I-E • GUT • THRIE? • RIE? • HRIE? Hmm. OK maybe the connection is not about hidden words. Let me think about what else these four words might share. THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS, GUTHRIE What if they're all things that can follow "WOODY"? • Woody GUTHRIE ✓ (famous folk singer) • Woody THEREFORE? No • Woody CREATE? No • Woody CLASSICS? No What if they can all precede "WORK"? • THEREFORE WORK? No • CREATE WORK? No • CLASSICS WORK? No • GUTHRIE WORK? No What if these are all associated with a specific person named Woody? WOODY could refer to: 1. Woody Allen - director/comedian 2. Woody Guthrie - folk singer (so GUTHRIE connects) 3. Woody Harrelson - actor 4. Woody from Toy Story What if the others relate to Woody Allen movies? • Woody Allen movies include: Annie Hall, Manhattan, Stardust Memories... • THEREFORE? No obvious connection • CREATE? No • CLASSICS? Hmm, not a Woody Allen film title What if CLASSICS relates to "Classics" as in "classic movies" or a specific thing? Hmm, I'm stuck on this fourth category. Let me reconsider whether my other groupings are correct. What if SCROOGE is not in the animated birds category? Scrooge is associated with: • Ebenezer Scrooge (A Christmas Carol) • Scrooge McDuck (animated duck) Could SCROOGE, THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS all be related to Charles Dickens? • SCROOGE (A Christmas Carol) ✓ • CLASSICS (Dickens wrote classics) - too vague • THEREFORE? • CREATE? No, that doesn't work. What if the animated category is different and includes different words? Let me reconsider: Maybe the "animated bird" category is wrong. What if GUTHRIE is part of a "folk singers" or "musicians" category: • GUTHRIE (Woody Guthrie or Arlo Guthrie) • WOODSTOCK (the festival) • FOGHORN... (Foghorn Records? or Foghorn Stringband?) • CLASSICS? Or music-related: • WOODSTOCK (music festival) • GUTHRIE (musician) • CLASSICS (classical music) • FOGHORN? Hmm. Actually, what if the connection for some of these is "Arlo ___"? • Arlo GUTHRIE ✓ • Arlo CLASSICS? No • Arlo THEREFORE? No • Arlo CREATE? No What about "___ Guthrie": • WOODY Guthrie ✓ • ARLO Guthrie ✓ • But only two of the words are here: WOODY and GUTHRIE Unless WOODY is in the "animated birds" category and GUTHRIE is somewhere else... OK wait, let me try a completely different split. What if WOODY is NOT in the animated birds category, and instead: • WOODY goes with GUTHRIE, WOODSTOCK (music festival), FOGHORN (Stringband or something)? Hmm, that doesn't work either. Let me think about FOGHORN differently: • Foghorn LEGHORN (Looney Tunes rooster) • A FOGHORN is a sound device used in fog • FOGHORN could relate to "loud person" or "blowhard" SCROOGE: • Ebenezer SCROOGE • Scrooge McDUCK • SCROOGE meaning "miser" WOODSTOCK: • WOODSTOCK festival (1969) • WOODSTOCK, NY • WOODSTOCK the bird (Peanuts) WOODY: • Woody GUTHRIE • Woody ALLEN • Woody HARRELSON • Woody WOODPECKER • Woody from TOY STORY • WOODY as in made of wood (adjective) THEREFORE: • Logical connector • "I think, therefore I am" (Descartes) CREATE: • To make, to produce • Synonyms: make, produce, generate, form CLASSICS: • Classic works of literature, music, etc. • A school subject GUTHRIE: • Woody GUTHRIE (folk singer) • Arlo GUTHRIE (folk singer) • Janet GUTHRIE (NASCAR driver) • The GUTHRIE Theater Hmm. I keep going in circles. Let me try a completely different approach. What if there's a word puzzle element? What if these words can all be preceded by the same word? Or what if these words each contain a hidden color? THEREFORE: no color I can see (THE-RE-FORE... nope) CREATE: no... CLASSICS: no... GUTHRIE: no... What about numbers? THEREFORE: no CREATE: no CLASSICS: no GUTHRIE: no What if they can all follow "ROCK"? • ROCK CLASSICS ✓ (rock classics is a thing) • ROCK THEREFORE? No • ROCK GUTHRIE? No • ROCK CREATE? No What if they're all types of something? Let me try yet another angle. What if one of my assumed categories is wrong? What if the stiff/awkward category is: STILTED, STIFF, WOODEN, and one unexpected word? Could THEREFORE mean stiff? No. Could COULD mean something about stiffness? No. Could FOGHORN mean stiff? No. What if the tongue twister category is different? Like it includes WOODY? "How much wood would a WOODCHUCK chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" WOODCHUCK, WOOD, CHUCK, COULD - but not WOODY. Hmm. Unless... Actually, let me reconsider. What if CHUCK is not in the tongue twister category, but rather in an animated character category? • CHUCK E. CHEESE (mouse) • CHUCK the cartoon? Or what if CHUCK relates to something else? "Chuck" can mean: 1. To throw 2. Chuck (name) 3. Part of WOODCHUCK If CHUCK is not in the tongue twister, then what is? Let me see: WOOD, WOODCHUCK, COULD, and... WOULD? But WOULD isn't in the list. However, "WOOD" sounds like "WOULD"... Hmm, but the puzzle would likely use actual words from the tongue twister. The tongue twister is: "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" Words: HOW, MUCH, WOOD, WOULD, A, WOODCHUCK, CHUCK, IF, COULD Present in our word list: WOOD, WOODCHUCK, CHUCK, COULD So those four are the tongue twister words. OK so going back to my earlier grouping. My four categories are probably: 1. WOODEN, STILTED, AWKWARD, STIFF (synonyms for stiff/unnatural) 2. WOOD, WOODCHUCK, CHUCK, COULD (tongue twister words) 3. WOODY, FOGHORN, WOODSTOCK, SCROOGE (animated bird characters) 4. THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS, GUTHRIE (???) For category 4, let me think harder... THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS, GUTHRIE Could these all be words where you can insert letters to make a new word? Or words that are anagrams? • CLASSICS anagram: C,L,A,S,S,I,C,S - hard to anagram with double letters • THEREFORE: T,H,E,R,E,F,O,R,E - also hard • CREATE: C,R,E,A,T,E = TEACRE? • GUTHRIE: G,U,T,H,R,I,E = ? Hmm. What if they all become something by removing letters? • THEREFORE → THERE + FORE → or remove letters to get... • CREATE → if remove C and E: REAT? No. Remove C: REATE? No. What if they all end with a sound or rhyme with something? • THEREFORE: -FORE → BEFORE, THEREFORE, HERETOFORE • CREATE: -ATE → CREATE, MATE, HATE • CLASSICS: -ICS → PHYSICS, CLASSICS, GYMNASTICS • GUTHRIE: -IE → GUTHRIE, BERTIE, CHARLIE These endings don't seem to connect them. What if the connection is that they all contain a person's name? • THEREFORE → "THEO"? t-h-e-o... THEREFORE: T-H-E-R-E-F-O-R-E → hmm, no THEO. But "REFORE"... • Actually: tHEREfore → "HERE"? Or maybe a name like "HEREF"? • CREATE: cREATe → contains "REAT"? or "EAT"? • CLASSICS: cLASSics → "LASS"? "CLASS"? • GUTHRIE: guTHRIe → "THRI"? Hmm, what if they contain hidden names? • THEREFORE: t-h-e-r-e-f-o-r-e → contains "FORE" (as in Tiger Woods' real name is Eldrick? no...)... or contains "REFORE"... • Actually: therEFORe → "EFOR"... hmm • GUTHRIE: G-U-T-H-R-I-E → hidden: "THRIE"? or "UTHRIE"? This isn't going anywhere productive. Let me try a completely different take. What if some of these words are associated with a TV show or movie? "Cheers" characters? "The Wire"? What if they relate to "Bob Hope" or "Jack Nicholson" or some celebrity? OR - what if the connection is musical? Like, these are all words in song titles? • "This Land Is Your Land" by Woody GUTHRIE ✓ • WOODSTOCK (song) ✓ • FOGHORN (song?) • CLASSICS (a compilation?) • THEREFORE (??) • CREATE (??) Hmm. OK, let me try thinking about "CLASSICS" more carefully. What does CLASSICS mean in context? • Classic cars: CLASSICS • A TV channel: BBC Four shows classics • "Classics" as a field of study (Latin, Greek) • Classic literature collection What if CLASSICS, THEREFORE, CREATE, GUTHRIE are all things that can follow "RE"? • RE + CLASSICS = ? No standard word • RE + THEREFORE = ? No • RE + CREATE = RECREATE ✓ • RE + GUTHRIE = ? No What if they can all precede "S"? Everything can precede "S" for plurals. What if they all relate to "Arlo"? • ARLO GUTHRIE ✓ (famous musician) • The movie "ARLO" (The Good Dinosaur character's name) • ARLO from "Justified"? What if they're all things that Arlo Guthrie is associated with? • GUTHRIE (his surname) ✓ • WOODSTOCK (he performed there) ✓ • CLASSICS (??) • THEREFORE (??) Hmm, still stuck. Let me try to think about this more creatively. What if the connection involves wordplay? THEREFORE = THERE + FORE CLASSICS = CLASSIC + S CREATE = CRE + ATE GUTHRIE = GUT + HRIE FORE, S, ATE, HRIE - no connection. Or: THE + REFORE, CLAS + SICS, CR + EATE, GUTH + RIE - no. THERE + FORE: THERE as in "here" and FORE as in "front" CLAS + SICS: CRE + ATE: GUT + HRIE: Hmm. Let me try splitting differently: • THEREFOR + E • CLASSIC + S • CREAT + E • GUTHRI + E They all end in E (or S)? Actually: THEREFORE ends in E, CLASSICS ends in S, CREATE ends in E, GUTHRIE ends in E. Not consistent. What if the key is the BEGINNING of the word? • THE-REFORE: starts with THE • CLA-SSICS: starts with CLA? • CRE-ATE: starts with CRE • GUT-HRIE: starts with GUT THE, CLA, CRE, GUT - no obvious connection. OK I'm going to try a completely different approach. What if I'm wrong about one of my other categories? What if SCROOGE is not in the animated birds category, but in a different one? Scrooge could be associated with: • CHRISTMAS (A Christmas Carol) • MISERS (a miser) • DICKENS characters And if SCROOGE is not in animated birds, who's the fourth animated bird? • THEREFORE? No • GUTHRIE? No • CLASSICS? No • CREATE? No Hmm, none of those are animated birds. Alternatively, what if FOGHORN is not in animated birds, but somewhere else? FOGHORN in another context: • A foghorn is a horn that makes noise in fog • Foghorn LEGHORN → the bird • "Foghorn" could relate to a loud sound • "Foghorn" could be used metaphorically Could the animated category be WOODY, WOODSTOCK, SCROOGE, and... CHUCK? • CHUCK E. CHEESE (animated?) • CHUCK from "Chuck" (TV show)? • CHUCK Jones (animator)? Hmm, CHUCK E. CHEESE is a animated mouse. But is he typically just called CHUCK? Or maybe: WOODY (Woodpecker), WOODSTOCK (Peanuts), SCROOGE (McDuck), and CHUCK (Jones - the animator)? Hmm, CHUCK Jones is an animator/director, not a character. Let me reconsider. What if the animated bird category is: FOGHORN, WOODSTOCK, SCROOGE, and one more from the "uncertain" group? GUTHRIE as an animated bird? No. CLASSICS as an animated bird? No. THEREFORE as an animated bird? No. CREATE as an animated bird? No. OK so if my animated birds category is FOGHORN, WOODSTOCK, SCROOGE, WOODY - then the fourth group is THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS, GUTHRIE. Or if it's FOGHORN, WOODSTOCK, SCROOGE, and something else... Hmm. Wait - what if CHUCK is an animated character? • CHUCK E. CHEESE ✓ • CHUCK (from Angry Birds) ✓ - the yellow bird! • Or CHUCK the truck (cartoon)? If CHUCK is in the animated birds category: • CHUCK (Angry Birds yellow bird) • FOGHORN (Leghorn) • WOODSTOCK (Peanuts) • SCROOGE (McDuck) • WOODY (Woodpecker) That's too many for one category. So maybe WOODY is NOT in the animated birds, and is somewhere else. What if WOODY belongs with GUTHRIE, WOODSTOCK, and FOGHORN for a "music" connection? • WOODY Guthrie (folk) • WOODSTOCK (music festival) • FOGHORN (some band?) • GUTHRIE (Woody or Arlo) But then GUTHRIE and WOODY would both refer to the same person (Woody Guthrie), which seems like redundancy in a puzzle. What if the category is "___ Guthrie" (people named Guthrie): • WOODY Guthrie ✓ • ARLO Guthrie ✓ • But ARLO isn't in the list Hmm. What if the category is "Woody ___" (things/people named Woody): • Woody GUTHRIE ✓ • Woody WOODPECKER → but WOODPECKER isn't in the list • Woody ALLEN → ALLEN isn't in the list • Woody HARRELSON → HARRELSON isn't in the list Unless... the category uses words in the list as last names for "Woody": • Woody GUTHRIE ✓ (Woody Guthrie, real person) • Woody WOODPECKER → WOOD is here! Woody WOOD? That's not a thing. • Hmm. OK wait. What if "WOODY" is being used as the first name, and the category is "Last names of famous Woodys"? Famous Woodys: • Woody GUTHRIE ✓ (GUTHRIE is in the list) • Woody ALLEN (not in list) • Woody HARRELSON (not in list) • Woody from Toy Story (last name: PRIDE? no) Only GUTHRIE works. What if the category is "First names of famous GUTHRIEs": • WOODY Guthrie ✓ • ARLO Guthrie - ARLO not in list • JANET Guthrie - JANET not in list Only WOODY works. OK I'm going to try a completely different approach for that fourth category. THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS, GUTHRIE What if these can all follow "INSTANT"? • INSTANT CLASSICS ✓ (an instant classic) • INSTANT CREATE? No • INSTANT THEREFORE? No • INSTANT GUTHRIE? No What if they precede "AL"? • THEREFORE + AL? No • CREATE + AL? No • CLASSICS + AL → CLASSICAL? CLASSICSAL? No, but CLASSICAL is CLASSIC + AL ✓ • GUTHRIE + AL? No What if the connection involves a famous Arlo? • Arlo GUTHRIE ✓ • Arlo the dinosaur (Pixar's "The Good Dinosaur") Hmm. Is there an Arlo in each of these? • GUTHRIE: Arlo GUTHRIE ✓ • CLASSICS: no • THEREFORE: no • CREATE: no OK so maybe I'm wrong about one of the four groups. Let me reconsider. What if GUTHRIE is in a different category, and one of {THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS} is NOT in the fourth group? What if CLASSICS goes with the tongue twister words and it's not WOOD? No, that makes no sense. What if CLASSICS goes with WOODEN, STILTED, STIFF, AWKWARD? No, "classics" doesn't mean stiff. What if one of the "stiff" words (WOODEN, STILTED, STIFF, AWKWARD) is actually in a different category? AWKWARD could be in a different category. Like, words that sound like they could be compound words? • AWKWARD (awk + ward) • THEREFORE (there + fore) Hmm, what if some of the "stiff" synonyms are actually in a different category? Let me reconsider STIFF: • STIFF (adjective: rigid) • STIFF (noun: a dead body, slang) • STIFF (verb: to cheat someone) • STIFF could relate to a corpse in a crime context Or STILTED: • STILTED (on stilts / stiff manner) • STILTED could relate to stilts What if the category is words that can mean "DEAD BODY" or something dark? • STIFF (a corpse) ✓ • GONER? WOODEN box (coffin)? • COULD → ? Hmm, that's too obscure. Let me try to think about what word could link THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS, and some other word. OR what if the categories are: 1. WOODEN, STILTED, AWKWARD, STIFF (stiff synonyms) 2. WOOD, WOODCHUCK, CHUCK, COULD (tongue twister) 3. FOGHORN, WOODSTOCK, SCROOGE, GUTHRIE (???) 4. WOODY, THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS (???) What could link FOGHORN, WOODSTOCK, SCROOGE, GUTHRIE? • All are last names of someone named Arlo? - Arlo GUTHRIE ✓ - Arlo FOGHORN? No - Arlo WOODSTOCK? No - Arlo SCROOGE? No • All are associated with the 1960s? - WOODSTOCK (1969) ✓ - FOGHORN? No - SCROOGE? No - GUTHRIE (Woody Guthrie, 1940s-50s, though influential in 1960s) ✓ Hmm. What connects FOGHORN, WOODSTOCK, SCROOGE, GUTHRIE? Actually... what if they're all associated with a specific name or word? Like, what word precedes all of them? • ___ FOGHORN: ? • ___ WOODSTOCK: ? • ___ SCROOGE: EBENEZER SCROOGE • ___ GUTHRIE: WOODY GUTHRIE, ARLO GUTHRIE What if they can all follow "UNCLE"? • UNCLE SCROOGE ✓ (Scrooge McDuck is often called "Uncle Scrooge") • UNCLE BUCK? No • UNCLE FOGHORN? No • UNCLE WOODSTOCK? No Hmm, UNCLE SCROOGE works but not the others. What if they can all follow "EBENEZER"? • EBENEZER SCROOGE ✓ • EBENEZER GUTHRIE? Hmm... • EBENEZER FOGHORN? No • EBENEZER WOODSTOCK? No What if the connection is they are all fictional characters who are grumpy/miserly or something? What if they're all associated with the Peanuts comic strip? • WOODSTOCK ✓ (Snoopy's bird friend) • SCROOGE ✓? Hmm, not directly • FOGHORN? No • GUTHRIE? No What if they're all nicknames or names in a specific animated universe? OK I wonder if I have my categories mixed up. Let me try: What if the animated character group is: WOODY, FOGHORN, SCROOGE, GUTHRIE? • WOODY Woodpecker ✓ • FOGHORN Leghorn ✓ • SCROOGE McDuck ✓ • GUTHRIE... is there an animated character named GUTHRIE? - Guthrie from "Babe" (the pig)? No, the main character is Babe. - There's a character named Guthrie in some shows? Hmm. What if it's WOODY, FOGHORN, SCROOGE, and CHUCK? • WOODY Woodpecker (bird) ✓ • FOGHORN Leghorn (bird) ✓ • SCROOGE McDuck (duck/bird) ✓ • CHUCK... (what bird character named Chuck?) - CHUCK from Angry Birds (yellow bird) ✓ This could work! So the category might be "animated bird characters" or "cartoon birds": • WOODY (Woodpecker) • FOGHORN (Leghorn) • SCROOGE (McDuck) • CHUCK (Angry Birds) Then the tongue twister would need another word. Let's see what's left: Available: THEREFORE, WOODCHUCK, AWKWARD, WOODEN, COULD, STILTED, CREATE, STIFF, CLASSICS, WOODSTOCK, FOGHORN, WOOD, SCROOGE, GUTHRIE, WOODY, CHUCK If CHUCK is in animated birds: WOODY, FOGHORN, SCROOGE, CHUCK If tongue twister is: WOOD, WOODCHUCK, COULD, and... we need a 4th. But the tongue twister only has WOOD, WOODCHUCK, CHUCK, COULD from our list. If CHUCK is taken, the tongue twister group is only 3 words. Unless WOODSTOCK is also in the tongue twister? "How much WOODSTOCK would a woodchuck chuck..." No, that's not right. Unless the tongue twister group is: WOOD, WOODCHUCK, COULD, WOODY? No, WOODY isn't in the tongue twister. Hmm, so if CHUCK is an animated bird, the tongue twister can't be a category of 4. I think my original grouping was right: 1. WOODEN, STILTED, AWKWARD, STIFF 2. WOOD, WOODCHUCK, CHUCK, COULD 3. WOODY, FOGHORN, WOODSTOCK, SCROOGE 4. THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS, GUTHRIE Let me just accept this and try to figure out category 4. THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS, GUTHRIE What if these are all things that can be associated with "Arlo"? • Arlo GUTHRIE ✓ • "ARLO" (The Good Dinosaur) - CREATE? No • Arlo from "The Wire"? • Arlo & Janis (comic strip) What if these all contain a hidden word related to a theme? • tHEREFore → HERE or FORE • CREATE → EAT or ATE • CLASSICS → CLASS or LASS • GUTHRIE → GUT FORE, EAT, LASS, GUT? Or HERE, ATE, CLASS, GUT? Hmm. What if there's a food connection? • CREATE → EAT ✓ • GUTHRIE → GUT ✓ • CLASSICS → ? • THEREFORE → ? What if they all contain a word that means "to eat" or food? • CREATE → EAT ✓ • GUTHRIE → GUT (as in "gut a fish"?) ✓ • CLASSICS → ? • THEREFORE → ? Hmm, not obvious. What if they contain a word meaning "stomach" or body parts? • GUTHRIE → GUT ✓ • CREATE → hmm... • CLASSICS → hmm... • THEREFORE → hmm... What if the body part connection is: • GUTHRIE → GUT ✓ • THEREFORE → ? FORE? (FOREFINGER?) • CLASSICS → ? • AWKWARD → AWK + WARD? No body part... • CREATE → hmm Let me try: words containing a golf term? • THEREFORE → FORE ✓ (golfers shout "FORE!") • CREATE → ? • WOODCHUCK → WOOD? (Tiger WOODS?) • THEREFORE → FORE ✓ Hmm. Golf terms: • FORE (warning shout) • BIRDIE • EAGLE • BOGEY • PAR • IRON • WOOD (type of club) → WOOD is in our list! • CHIP Do any other words contain golf terms? • THEREFORE → FORE ✓ (thereiFORE)... well, thERE-FORE, and FORE is a golf term! • WOODCHUCK → WOOD ✓ (a type of golf club) • WOODY → WOOD ✓ • WOODEN → WOOD ✓ Hmm, too many contain WOOD. What if the category is words containing golf clubs? • IRON? None seem to contain IRON obviously. • WOOD → WOODCHUCK, WOODY, WOODEN, WOODSTOCK all contain WOOD OK this approach isn't working well. Let me try: what if THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS, GUTHRIE can all follow a word? "HIGH CLASSICS"? No. "HARD CLASSICS"? No. "INSTANT CLASSICS"? ✓ "HARD THEREFORE"? No. "ARLO GUTHRIE"? ✓ but that's just one name. What word can precede all of: THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS, GUTHRIE? PRO + CREATE = PROCREATE ✓ PRO + THEREFORE = ? No PRO + CLASSICS = ? No PRO + GUTHRIE = ? No RE + CREATE = RECREATE ✓ RE + THEREFORE = ? No What word can follow all of: THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS, GUTHRIE? THEREFORE + D = THEREFORD? No, but HEREFORD! Hmm... CREATE + D = CREATED ✓ CLASSICS + ? GUTHRIE + ? Hmm. OK, new thought: What if these words contain hidden NAMES of a category? • THEREFORE → THOR (the god/superhero)! T-H-O-R... wait: T-H-E-R-E-F-O-R-E. Is THOR in there? T-H-E-R... no, it's THE not THO... Actually: t-h-e-r-e-f-o-r-e: position 1=T, 2=H, 3=E, 4=R, 5=E, 6=F, 7=O, 8=R, 9=E. Consecutive: T-H? no T-H-O would need positions 1,2,7 which aren't consecutive. So no THOR. • THEREFORE: contains THE, THERE, HERE, FORE, HER, ORE • CREATE: C-R-E-A-T-E. Contains: RE, EAT, ATE, ERA (no, E-R-A would be positions 3,4... no, position 3=E, 2=R, so ERA would need E then R then A: positions 3,2,4? not consecutive) Hmm. CREATE contains EAT (positions 3,4,5 = E,A,T ✓), ATE (positions 4,5,6 = A,T,E ✓) Actually wait: CREATE = C(1) R(2) E(3) A(4) T(5) E(6) EAT = E(3) A(4) T(5) ✓ consecutive! • CLASSICS: C-L-A-S-S-I-C-S. Contains: CLASS (1-5 = C,L,A,S,S ✓), LASS (2-5 = L,A,S,S ✓), ASS (3-5 = A,S,S ✓) • GUTHRIE: G-U-T-H-R-I-E. Contains: GUT (1-3 ✓), THRIE (not a word) So hidden words: FORE (in THEREFORE), EAT (in CREATE), CLASS (in CLASSICS), GUT (in GUTHRIE) FORE, EAT, CLASS, GUT - what could connect these? Or: HERE (in tHEREfore), ATE (in creATE), LASS (in cLASSics), GUT (in GUThrie) FORE, EAT, CLASS, GUT - Could these be parts of compound words? • FORE + CAST = FORECAST • EAT + ??? • CLASS + ROOM • GUT + TER = GUTTER, or GUT + CHECK = GUT CHECK Hmm. What if they contain words that can all follow "OUT"? • OUTFORE? No. OUTFOX? hmm. • OUTEAT ✓ (to eat more than) • OUTCLASS ✓ (to surpass) • OUTGUT? No. OUTEAT and OUTCLASS are real words. OUTFORE and OUTGUT are not. What if they can all precede the same word? • CLASS + ROOM ✓ • GUT + ??? • EAT + ??? • FORE + ??? FORECAST, FOREARM, FOREGROUND What if the hidden words are: THEREFORE→ERE, CREATE→?, CLASSICS→?, GUTHRIE→? Hmm. I'm really stuck on this fourth category. Let me try a different approach: What if I'm wrong about one of the other categories, and one of WOODEN/STILTED/AWKWARD/STIFF belongs elsewhere? WOODEN could be: • Stiff/unnatural ✓ • Made of wood ✓ • WOODEN could be a surname (John Wooden, basketball coach) What if WOODEN, WOODY, WOODCHUCK, WOODSTOCK are all "___ (WOOD + something)"? • WOOD + EN = WOODEN • WOOD + Y = WOODY • WOOD + CHUCK = WOODCHUCK • WOOD + STOCK = WOODSTOCK And then WOOD is separate in another category. In this case, the "stiff" category would be: STILTED, AWKWARD, STIFF, and... one more? Could COULD mean stiff? No. Could THEREFORE mean stiff? No. Could STILTED (on stilts), or... wait: STILTED, STIFF, AWKWARD, + COULD? No. STILTED, STIFF, AWKWARD, + FOGHORN? No (foghorn doesn't mean stiff). STILTED, STIFF, AWKWARD, + SCROOGE? No. Hmm. Unless STARCHY or RIGID would be in the list (they're not), I'm not seeing a 4th synonym for stiff without WOODEN. OK, so let me keep WOODEN in the "stiff" category. Then the "WOOD + ___" category would need 4 words that START WITH WOOD: WOODCHUCK, WOODSTOCK, WOODY - that's only 3 that remain after removing WOODEN. Unless the category is "words containing WOOD": WOODCHUCK, WOODSTOCK, WOODY, WOODEN - and the stiff category uses different words? But then what are the stiff synonyms? STILTED, STIFF, AWKWARD, and... COULD? No. THEREFORE? No. CREATE? No. Hmm, STILTED, STIFF, AWKWARD might only be 3 synonyms. Unless one of the obscure words is also a synonym: • FOGHORN = stiff? No. • CLASSICS = stiff? No. • GUTHRIE = stiff? No. • THEREFORE = stiff? No. • COULD = stiff? No. • SCROOGE = stiff? Well, Scrooge is a miser... stiff could mean "to cheat"... but stiff as an adjective meaning rigid, not as a verb. • CHUCK = stiff? No. I keep coming back to WOODEN being in the "stiff" category. OK so let me just go with: 1. WOODEN, STILTED, AWKWARD, STIFF (stiff/unnatural synonyms) 2. WOOD, WOODCHUCK, CHUCK, COULD (tongue twister words) 3. WOODY, FOGHORN, WOODSTOCK, SCROOGE (animated bird characters) 4. THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS, GUTHRIE (???) And I need to figure out #4. Let me think about THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS, GUTHRIE from a completely different angle. What if these are all preceded by "ART"? • ART + THEREFORE = ? No • ART + CREATE? No • ART + CLASSICS? No • ART + GUTHRIE? No What if they all follow "ARLO"? • ARLO GUTHRIE ✓ • ARLO CLASSICS? No • ARLO CREATE? No • ARLO THEREFORE? No What if the connection is "___ I am": • I think THEREFORE I am (Descartes) ✓ • I CREATE, therefore I am? • I am the CLASSICS? • I am GUTHRIE? Hmm. OH WAIT. What if these all go with "I AM": • "I am STARDUST, I am GOLDEN, I am WOODSTOCK" - from the Joni Mitchell song WOODSTOCK! • "I think, THEREFORE I am" - No wait, the Joni Mitchell lyric is "We are stardust, we are golden, and we've got to get ourselves back to the garden" - about Woodstock. Hmm. Let me think about famous quotes or sayings: "I think, THEREFORE I am" - Descartes (cogito ergo sum) What if the category is "words that complete famous phrases": • "I think, ___ I am" → THEREFORE • "God created" → CREATE? • "Back to ___ " → CLASSICS? • "Arlo ___" → GUTHRIE? This doesn't form a clean category. What if the connection is: • These words all appear in the same famous text? • These words are all associated with the same famous person? THEREFORE... GUTHRIE... CREATE... CLASSICS... What if they're all related to "education" or "academia"? • CLASSICS (classical studies) ✓ • GUTHRIE (theater/education?) • THEREFORE (logic) ✓ • CREATE (creative work) ✓ Hmm, but GUTHRIE doesn't fit "academia." What if they're all words that can come before or after "ARTS"? • ARTS + CLASSICS? No. CLASSICS as in the classics (art). • ARTS + CREATE? No. • LIBERAL ARTS + THEREFORE? No. • FOLK ARTS + GUTHRIE? No. Hmm. Actually, wait. What if the connection is they're all words that can follow "WOODY" to make a famous person's name? • WOODY + GUTHRIE = Woody Guthrie ✓ • WOODY + ALLEN → ALLEN not here • WOODY + HARRELSON → not here No. What if they all relate to "the classics" in some way? Like, classic works or classic artists? • SCROOGE is a classic (Dickens) character • GUTHRIE is a classic folk musician • WOODSTOCK is a classic event/song • FOGHORN is a classic cartoon character Hmm, THEREFORE and CREATE don't fit this. OK let me try thinking about this from a wordplay angle. THEREFORE: can be split as THERE + FORE or THE + REFORE CREATE: can be split as CRE + ATE or C + REATE CLASSICS: can be split as CLASSIC + S or CLASS + ICS GUTHRIE: can be split as GUTH + RIE or GUT + HRIE or G + UTHRIE What if each contains a word that can precede "FORE": • THERE + FORE = THEREFORE ✓ (the whole word) • ??? + FORE = ? What if each word can be split to reveal a hidden word related to a theme? THERE | FORE CLAS | SICS (or CLAS + SICS) CRE | ATE (or CR + EATE) GUTH | RIE Hmm. THE | REFORE, CLASSIC | S, CREAT | E, GUTHRI | E - split at the end: one-letter endings? -E, -S, -E, -E? No. OR what if each of these words contains the name of another word category? THEREFORE → FORE (golf) GUTHRIE → GUT (anatomy) or GUT (courage) CREATE → EAT or ATE (eating) CLASSICS → CLASS (school) GOLF, ANATOMY, EATING, SCHOOL - no connection. What if they all contain COLOR words? • THEREFORE → no standard color • CREATE → no • CLASSICS → no... wait, could SCARLET be in there? No. • GUTHRIE → no What if they all contain TREE names? • THEREFORE → no • CREATE → no... • GUTHRIE → no • CLASSICS → ASH? cLASSICS? No... What if they all hide a type of music? • GUTHRIE → no music genre • CLASSICS → CLASSIC (rock, jazz, etc.) but that's the word itself • THEREFORE → no • CREATE → no Hmm. What if the hidden words are types of alcohol? • ALE? • GUTHRIE → ? • CREATE → no ALE... CREAT-E, no • CLASSICS → ? • THEREFORE → FORE? No... What if they contain the name of a card game or game? • CREATE → CRATE? No, that's not a game. But... ECARTE is a card game! CREAT + E... wait, ECARTE is spelled E-C-A-R-T-E. CREATE = C-R-E-A-T-E. Rearranged: ECARTE ✓ (anagram!) • CLASSICS = anagram of? C,L,A,S,S,I,C,S... hmm. • THEREFORE = anagram of? T,H,E,R,E,F,O,R,E = 9 letters • GUTHRIE = anagram of? G,U,T,H,R,I,E = 7 letters GUTHRIE anagram: G,U,T,H,R,I,E → GUTHRIE = HURTIGE? No... THUGIER? No. Let me think... G-U-T-H-R-I-E: could rearrange to... REIGHT? No... Actually: GUTHRIE → GUTHRIE → RIGHTEU? Hmm. What 7-letter word uses G,U,T,H,R,I,E? GUTHRIE → no common English word comes to mind. Hmm. What if it's not anagrams. Let me try one more thing: what if these words all relate to a specific TV show or movie? "The Big Lebowski" characters: THE DUDE, WALTER, DONNY... no connection. "Cheers" characters: SAM, DIANE, CLIFF, NORM... no connection. What if they're all related to "folk music"? • GUTHRIE (Woody Guthrie) ✓ • WOODSTOCK (folk/rock festival) ✓ • THEREFORE? Not obviously • CREATE? Not obviously • CLASSICS? ✓ (classic folk songs?) • FOGHORN (Foghorn Stringband - bluegrass/folk) ✓? Hmm. What about "words related to Ebenezer"? • SCROOGE (Ebenezer Scrooge) ✓ • GUTHRIE (?) - is there an Ebenezer Guthrie? • THEREFORE (?) • CLASSICS (?) I don't see the connection. You know what, let me try a totally different framing. What if the categories are themed around something I haven't considered yet? Let me look at the words again holistically: THEREFORE, WOODCHUCK, AWKWARD, WOODEN, COULD, STILTED, CREATE, STIFF, CLASSICS, WOODSTOCK, FOGHORN, WOOD, SCROOGE, GUTHRIE, WOODY, CHUCK What if one category is "words that are also names" (proper nouns): • WOODSTOCK (place/event) ✓ • CHUCK (name) ✓ • GUTHRIE (surname) ✓ • WOODY (name) ✓ • SCROOGE (name) ✓ • FOGHORN (character name) ✓ Too many. What if one category is "words that can also be adjectives meaning poor quality or bad": • WOODEN (wooden acting = stiff/bad) ✓ • STIFF (stiff acting) ✓ • STILTED (stilted speech) ✓ • AWKWARD (awkward performance) ✓ These all describe poor/stiff performance. ✓ This is my "stiff" category. What if one category is "words associated with a folk/protest music": • GUTHRIE (Woody Guthrie) ✓ • WOODSTOCK ✓ • CLASSICS ✓ (classic songs) • FOGHORN ✓ (Foghorn Stringband) But FOGHORN seems more like an animated character than a folk music reference. Hmm. What if the category is "Looney Tunes characters": • FOGHORN (Leghorn) ✓ • WOODY... Woodpecker is NOT Looney Tunes (it's Walter Lantz/Universal) • CHUCK (Jones - the director, but Chuck Jones is a person, not a character) • Hmm What if the category is "animated characters who are birds" (any studio): • FOGHORN Leghorn (Looney Tunes) ✓ • WOODY Woodpecker (Universal/Walter Lantz) ✓ • WOODSTOCK (Peanuts) ✓ • SCROOGE McDuck (Disney) ✓ These are all animated bird characters from different studios! This seems right. So I'm back to my original grouping: 1. WOODEN, STILTED, AWKWARD, STIFF 2. WOOD, WOODCHUCK, CHUCK, COULD 3. WOODY, FOGHORN, WOODSTOCK, SCROOGE (animated birds) 4. THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS, GUTHRIE (???) OK, I just realized I should think about what letter pattern or phonetic pattern THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS, GUTHRIE might share. What sounds are in these words? • THEREFORE: /ðɛrfɔːr/ • CREATE: /kriːeɪt/ • CLASSICS: /klæsɪks/ • GUTHRIE: /ɡʌθri/ Hmm. What if each of these contains the phonetic sound of a letter? • THEREFORE: contains "four" sound? thERE-FORE... FORE sounds like "four" ✓? • CREATE: CRE-ATE... "eight" (ATE sounds like "eight" ✓!) • CLASSICS: CLAS-SICS... "six" (SIX? No... CLAS-SICS = CLAS-SICS... hmm, -SICS doesn't sound like SIX) • GUTHRIE: GUT-HRIE... "three" (THRIE? t-HRIE? GUTH-RIE... -THRIE? guth-RIE = guth-REE... no) Wait wait wait! • CREATE contains "ATE" = "eight" ✓ • THEREFORE contains "FORE" = "four" ✓ • What contains "three"? GUTHRIE... GU-THREE? GUT-HREE? GUTH-RIE... GUTH-REE... hmm. Actually: GUTHRIE = G-U-T-H-R-I-E. If you say "guth-ree"... it ends in "REE" not "THREE." But what about: G-U-THRIE → goo-THREE? That's a stretch. Hmm. What contains a number sound? • COULD sounds like... COULD / WOOD... • WOODSTOCK: WOOD-STOCK... • SCROOGE: SCROOGE... hmm, no number • CLASSICS: hmm • FOGHORN: FOGHORN... no • THEREFORE: FOUR ✓ • CREATE: EIGHT ✓ • WOODEN: hmm, no number • STILTED: hmm, no • CHUCK: hmm, no • GUTHRIE: THREE? GUTH-RIE → hmm... gooth-ree... "THREE" = T-H-R-E-E. Does GUTHRIE contain THREE? G-U-T-H-R-I-E: T-H-R = positions 3,4,5... that's T-H-R but THREE needs T-H-R-E-E and GUTHRIE has T(3)-H(4)-R(5)-I(6)-E(7). So THRIE not THREE. Hmm, but GUTHRIE contains T-H-R... and ends with I-E. What if you say it aloud: GU-THRIE sounds like "goo-THREE"? Kind of a stretch but... What about "one" (WON) - somewhere? What about "two" (TOO/TO) - somewhere? What about "five" - somewhere? What about "six" - CLASSICS has "sics"... CLAS-SICS... the ending "-SICS" almost sounds like "six" if you squint? ClasSICS... SICS... "SIX"? What about "ten" - WOODEN contains... no. STILTED? No. Hmm. Let me try more carefully. Words that contain number sounds: • ONE: wun... WOODEN? woo-DEN... no. • TWO: too... WOOD? woo-D? WOODCHUCK? hmm. • THREE: three... THEREFORE? there-FORE... no. GUTHRIE? guth-RIE... sorta? • FOUR: for... THEREFORE ✓ (there-FORE) • FIVE: five... STIFF? stif-VE? No. • SIX: six... CLASSICS? clas-SICS → "sics" vs "six"... • SEVEN: seven... hmm. • EIGHT: ate... CREATE ✓ (cre-ATE) • NINE: nine... WOODEN? No. • TEN: ten... STILTED? stil-TED? No. THEREFORE? there-fORE? No. So we might have THEREFORE (FOUR), CREATE (EIGHT), and two more that contain number sounds. Let me check other words: • WOODCHUCK: WOOD-CHUCK... "chuck" doesn't sound like a number. • AWKWARD: AWK-WARD... no. • WOODEN: WOOD-EN... no. • COULD: could... no. • STILTED: STIL-TED... no. • STIFF: no. • CLASSICS: CLAS-SICS... "sics" could be SIX... • WOODSTOCK: WOOD-STOCK... no. • FOGHORN: FOG-HORN... no. • WOOD: just WOOD... no. • SCROOGE: SCR-OOGE... no. • GUTHRIE: GUTH-RIE... THREE? • WOODY: WOOD-Y... no. • CHUCK: no. Hmm, the best candidates are: • THEREFORE = FORE = FOUR ✓ • CREATE = ATE = EIGHT ✓ • CLASSICS = SICS ≈ SIX? (weak) • GUTHRIE = contains THRIE ≈ THREE? (weak) • STIFF = "STIFF" sounds like... no. • COULD = could = ? • WOODSTOCK = ? Actually, wait. Let me reconsider the number-sound theory: • THEREFORE: there-FORE = FOUR ✓ (sounds exactly like four) • CREATE: cre-ATE = EIGHT ✓ (sounds exactly like eight) • WOODEN: WOOD-EN → ONE? "wood-EN" → hmm, -EN doesn't quite sound like ONE (wun). • STILTED: STIL-TED → TEN? hmm, "TED" not "TEN"... What about: • COULD: COULD contains... "OOL" → hmm. Wait, "COULD" sounds like "COOLED" minus the D? No. • Actually "COULD" sounds like "KUD"... hmm. • WOODEN: WOOD + ONE? Like WoodONE? Hmm, W-O-O-D-E-N... "one" = W-U-N... doesn't seem to be there. What about TWO (sounds like "TOO"): • WOODSTOCK: wood-STOCK... no two sound. • WOODCHUCK: wood-CHUCK... no. • WOODY: wood-Y... no. What about NINE? FINE, LINE, WINE... does any word contain NINE? • None obvious. What about FIVE? • None obvious. What about TEN? • None obvious containing "TEN" sound. Hmm. What if the number-sound category only applies to THEREFORE, CREATE, and two others that I'm missing? Let me reconsider: what if WOODSTOCK = WOOD-STOCK contains... hmm. Or what if FOGHORN = FOG-HORN contains a number? HORN → FOUR-N? hmm, no. What if SCROOGE contains a number? S-CROO-GE... hmm. No. Wait - "NINE" could be hidden as "NEIN" (German for no)? No that's too obscure. What if the category is "words that contain the sound of a number when spoken": • CREATE → "ATE" sounds like EIGHT ✓ • THEREFORE → "FORE" sounds like FOUR ✓ • WOODEN → "ONE" is in wOODEN? Wood-ONE? woo-D-ONE? Hmm. • STILTED → "TIL-TED" → hmm, no... What about STIFF → "S-TIFF" → hmm, no. Actually, wait: WOODen - does "WoodEN" contain "ONE"? W-OOD-ONE? The "EN" at the end sounds like "uhn" not "wun." But what if we consider "WOOD-ONE" where WOODEN sounds like "WOOD WON"? Hmm. Or: • WOODCHUCK: WOOD-CHUCK... "CHUCK" sounds like? No number. • CHUCK: CHUCK... no number. What about COULD? • COULD: "COULD" → sounds like... in context "how much WOOD WOULD a WOODCHUCK CHUCK" → WOULD sounds like WOOD. And COULD = "wood" → no, COULD sounds like "kuld." Hmm wait. COULD: C-O-U-L-D... this contains... hmm. Actually, let me revisit. The numbers 1-10 in English: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Words containing number-sounds: • CREATE → "cre-ATE" = EIGHT ✓ • THEREFORE → "there-FORE" = FOUR ✓ (actually "fore" = F-O-R-E and "four" = F-O-U-R, same pronunciation in most dialects) • GUTHRIE → "gu-THRIE" = THREE ✓ (THRIE ≈ THREE, and GUTHRIE ends in the "three" sound!) - Actually: GUTHRIE pronounced: GUH-three? No, it's GUH-tree. - Hmm, "tree" sounds like THREE if you add a TH... no. - GUTH-RIE: GUH-THREE? The "THRIE" part: T(4)H(5)... wait no: GUTHRIE = G(1)U(2)T(3)H(4)R(5)I(6)E(7) - So positions 3-7 = T-H-R-I-E = "THRIE" which is pronounced like "THREE" with a slight difference. In many dialects "GUTHRIE" = GUH-three. - Actually, yes! GUT-HRIE = GUH + THRIE, and THRIE sounds like THREE! ✓ So: GUTHRIE contains THREE sound ✓, THEREFORE contains FOUR sound ✓, CREATE contains EIGHT sound ✓. What's the fourth? Let's find a word containing a number sound: • CLASSICS: CLAS-SICS → "SICS" ≈ SIX? Well, SIX = S-I-X, and SICS = S-I-C-S. The pronunciation is "SIKS" for SIX and "SIKS" for SICS. They're pronounced the same! CLASSICS → clas-SICS → SIX ✓! Wait: CLASSICS = C-L-A-S-S-I-C-S. The last 4 letters: S-I-C-S = "SICS" pronounced "SIKS" = same as SIX ✓! So the category could be: "Words that contain the sound of a number" • CREATE → EIGHT (cre-ATE) • THEREFORE → FOUR (there-FORE) • GUTHRIE → THREE (gut-HRIE, sounds like "gu-THREE") • CLASSICS → SIX (clas-SICS, the ending sounds like "SIX") This is a very elegant puzzle solution! This seems right! So my four categories are: 1. Stiff/unnatural synonyms: WOODEN, STILTED, AWKWARD, STIFF 2. Woodchuck tongue twister: WOOD, WOODCHUCK, CHUCK, COULD 3. Animated bird characters: WOODY, FOGHORN, WOODSTOCK, SCROOGE 4. Words containing a number sound: THEREFORE (FOUR), CREATE (EIGHT), GUTHRIE (THREE), CLASSICS (SIX) This all makes sense! Let me verify: • CREATE: cre-ATE → "eight" ✓ (ATE = EIGHT) • THEREFORE: there-FORE → "four" ✓ (FORE = FOUR) • GUTHRIE: gut-HRIE → "three" ✓ (HRIE ≈ THREE) • CLASSICS: clas-SICS → "six" ✓ (SICS = SIX) Wait, let me double-check GUTHRIE: G-U-T-H-R-I-E. Say it out loud: "GUH-three." The last part "THRIE" = THRIE. In Scottish/English pronunciation: three = /θriː/ and -thrie = /θri/. Close enough! And in standard American: "GUH-tree" → the ending "-trie" or "-thrie" could be heard as "three" ✓. And CLASSICS: C-L-A-S-S-I-C-S. The ending S-I-C-S = /sɪks/ = exactly like SIX /sɪks/ ✓! This is a brilliant puzzle. I'm now quite confident in all four categories. Starting with which category to guess first: • I'm most confident about the "stiff synonyms": WOODEN, STILTED, AWKWARD, STIFF - this is very clean and obvious. • Second most confident: "number sounds": THEREFORE (4), CREATE (8), GUTHRIE (3), CLASSICS (6) - this is clever but I'm quite sure. • Third: "tongue twister": WOOD, WOODCHUCK, CHUCK, COULD - solid. • Fourth: "animated birds": WOODY, FOGHORN, WOODSTOCK, SCROOGE - solid. Let me start with the stiff synonyms as it's the most straightforward. Actually, wait - I want to double-check the animated birds: • WOODY Woodpecker ✓ (a woodpecker is a bird) • FOGHORN Leghorn ✓ (a leghorn is a chicken, which is a bird) • WOODSTOCK ✓ (in Peanuts, a small yellow bird) • SCROOGE McDuck ✓ (a duck is a bird) These are all animated bird characters. ✓ And confirming the tongue twister: "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" • WOOD ✓ • WOODCHUCK ✓ • CHUCK ✓ • COULD ✓ All present in the tongue twister. I'm going to start with the stiff synonyms: WOODEN, STILTED, AWKWARD, STIFF. Actually, I realize I should also consider: could any of these "stiff" words have a double meaning that puts them elsewhere? • WOODEN: can also start with WOOD, but I think it's primarily in the "stiff" category • STILTED: only meaning is stiff/unnatural (or literally on stilts) • AWKWARD: only means clumsy/uncomfortable • STIFF: can mean rigid, or a dead body, or to cheat, but in this context most likely means rigid And thinking about whether WOODEN could be in the "words starting with WOOD" group: If WOODEN is in the "WOOD-" words group: WOODEN, WOODCHUCK, WOODSTOCK, WOODY Then the stiff synonyms need a 4th: STILTED, STIFF, AWKWARD + ? • COULD → no • CHUCK → no • THEREFORE → no None of the remaining words mean stiff/awkward. So WOODEN must be in the stiff group. Alright, I'll go with WOODEN, STILTED, AWKWARD, STIFF first. Wait, I should double-check one more time. Is there any chance that STILTED is not in this group? STILTED: adj. - stiff, formal, unnaturally constrained. Yes, this is a synonym of WOODEN (in the "stiff" sense), STIFF, and AWKWARD. ✓ Perfect. Going with WOODEN, STILTED, AWKWARD, STIFF.

My first guess was correct: WOODEN, STILTED, AWKWARD, STIFF. Remaining words: THEREFORE, WOODCHUCK, COULD, CREATE, CLASSICS, WOODSTOCK, FOGHORN, WOOD, SCROOGE, GUTHRIE, WOODY, CHUCK Now let me go with my next most confident category. The "words containing a number sound" category: • CREATE (cre-ATE = eight) • THEREFORE (there-FORE = four) • GUTHRIE (gut-HRIE ≈ three) • CLASSICS (clas-SICS = six) This is a very clever wordplay category that I'm quite confident about. Or the tongue twister: WOOD, WOODCHUCK, CHUCK, COULD Or animated birds: WOODY, FOGHORN, WOODSTOCK, SCROOGE Let me go with the tongue twister next as it's very clean: WOOD, WOODCHUCK, CHUCK, COULD

Two down, two to go. Remaining words: THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS, WOODSTOCK, FOGHORN, SCROOGE, GUTHRIE, WOODY My two remaining categories: 1. Animated bird characters: WOODY (Woodpecker), FOGHORN (Leghorn), WOODSTOCK (Peanuts), SCROOGE (McDuck) 2. Words containing a number sound: CREATE (ATE = eight), THEREFORE (FORE = four), GUTHRIE (THRIE ≈ three), CLASSICS (SICS = six) I'll go with the animated birds next.

Three down, one to go! Remaining words: THEREFORE, CREATE, CLASSICS, GUTHRIE The final category - words containing a number sound: • CREATE (cre-ATE = EIGHT) • THEREFORE (there-FORE = FOUR) • GUTHRIE (gut-HRIE ≈ THREE) • CLASSICS (clas-SICS = SIX)

Let me analyze these 16 words carefully. DOWN, OUTFIT, PREPARE, PARAMOUNT, EAVE, N.F.L., SUBARU, ABLE, EQUIP, GAME, WILLING, EAGER, NOAA, CANE, READY, NASA First, let me think about obvious groupings: 1. "Ready, Willing, and Able" - that's a phrase. READY, WILLING, ABLE - and what's the fourth? EAGER? Or GAME? "Ready, willing, and able" is the common phrase. But there might be synonyms for "prepared/ready": READY, WILLING, ABLE, EAGER, GAME, PREPARE... Wait, let me think differently. "READY, WILLING, AND ABLE" - three of these could be in one category. Synonyms for "prepared/ready": READY, WILLING, ABLE, EAGER, GAME (as in "game for it"), PREPARED... Actually, OUTFIT, EQUIP, PREPARE, READY could all mean "to make ready/prepare" Or: OUTFIT, EQUIP, PREPARE, ARM... Let me think about acronyms: NFL, NOAA, NASA, SUBARU? No... Wait - organizations/acronyms: NFL, NOAA, NASA... what else? PARAMOUNT? No... Actually, let me think about "___ + something" or "something + ___": SUGAR CANE, WALKING CANE, CANE... EAVE - part of a roof DOWN - feathers, direction... Let me think about "things that can follow a word" or "things preceded by a word": PARA + MOUNT = PARAMOUNT PARA + ... Words containing hidden words? • PARAMOUNT contains "AMOUNT" • EAVE contains... "LEAVE" has EAVE • SUBARU contains... "SUB"? • NOAA contains "OAR"? Let me think about "___ + DROP": • RAIN DROP, EAR DROP, COUGH DROP, TEAR DROP, BACK DROP, NAME DROP... • EARDROP, RAINDROP... Hmm, let me think about "ABLE" words or phrases: Actually, let me reconsider. The words: DOWN, OUTFIT, PREPARE, PARAMOUNT, EAVE, N.F.L., SUBARU, ABLE, EQUIP, GAME, WILLING, EAGER, NOAA, CANE, READY, NASA Thinking about acronyms/organizations: NFL (National Football League), NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), SUBARU? But SUBARU is a car brand... unless it stands for something. Actually, SUBARU is an acronym in Japanese for the Pleiades star cluster, but the car company... Wait - what if the category is "acronyms that are also common words/names"? NOAA, NASA, NFL... Let me think about "PARAMOUNT" - it's a studio, but also means supreme/most important. Hmm, let me think about what connects: EAVE, CANE, DOWN, NOAA? Weather-related? NOAA is weather... DOWNPOUR... What if some of these are "___ + POUR"? No... Let me think about "sugar ___": Sugar CANE, Sugar COAT... Or "___ sugar": CANE sugar... What about words that can follow "SUGAR"? • SUGAR CANE ✓ • SUGAR... Words that can precede "COAT"? • OVER COAT, RAIN COAT, TOP COAT... Hmm, let me think about "WALKING ___": • WALKING STICK, WALKING CANE... What about candy/walking aids? Let me try a different approach. Let me think about "OUTFIT, EQUIP, PREPARE, READY" as synonyms meaning "to make ready." Actually: OUTFIT, EQUIP, PREPARE, ARM - all mean to supply/equip. But ARM isn't here. OUTFIT = to equip EQUIP = to equip PREPARE = to make ready READY = to make ready (as a verb) GAME = willing/ready? So potential "make ready" group: OUTFIT, EQUIP, PREPARE, READY (all can mean to prepare/equip) And then "ready, willing, able" synonyms could be: READY, WILLING, ABLE, EAGER, GAME Let me separate them: • As adjectives meaning "prepared/willing": READY, WILLING, ABLE, EAGER, GAME - that's 5, so one might belong elsewhere • As verbs meaning "to prepare/equip": OUTFIT, EQUIP, PREPARE, READY - that's 4 If READY is in the verb group, then adjective group: WILLING, ABLE, EAGER, GAME - all mean "willing/ready"! So: Group 1 (verbs meaning equip/prepare): OUTFIT, EQUIP, PREPARE, READY Group 2 (adjectives meaning willing/ready): WILLING, ABLE, EAGER, GAME Then remaining 8: DOWN, PARAMOUNT, EAVE, N.F.L., SUBARU, NOAA, CANE, NASA Now let me think about these 8: • NFL, NOAA, NASA - acronyms • PARAMOUNT - a studio/adjective • SUBARU - car brand • DOWN, EAVE, CANE - ? What do DOWN, EAVE, CANE, PARAMOUNT have in common? Or what connects SUBARU, NFL, NOAA, NASA? These are all organizations/brands... but what's the hidden connection? Actually, let me think about what these spell out or contain: NFL = National Football League NOAA = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NASA = National Aeronautics and Space Administration SUBARU = ? SUBARU the car - its logo is the Pleiades (stars). Hmm, what if the connection is "things with star logos" or "things associated with stars"? Or what if these are all abbreviations that look like words? Wait - what if the category is about things that contain a hidden word or sound like something? EAVE - sounds like "EVE" CANE - Abel and CAIN DOWN - ? PARAMOUNT - ? Or biblical: CANE (Cain), ABLE (Abel)... Hmm! CAIN and ABEL from the Bible! CANE and ABLE... Let me think about homophones or near-homophones: • CANE ~ CAIN • ABLE ~ ABEL • NOAA ~ NOAH! • DOWN ~ ? • EAVE ~ EVE! • NFL ~ ? • SUBARU ~ ? • PARAMOUNT ~ ? • NASA ~ ? Wait, NOAH, CAIN, ABEL, EVE - these are all biblical figures! • NOAA sounds like NOAH • CANE sounds like CAIN • ABLE sounds like ABEL • EAVE sounds like EVE That's a very strong group! NOAA, CANE, ABLE, EAVE = homophones/near-homophones of biblical figures (NOAH, CAIN, ABEL, EVE) Then the remaining 8: DOWN, OUTFIT, PREPARE, PARAMOUNT, N.F.L., SUBARU, EQUIP, GAME, WILLING, EAGER, READY, NASA Wait, let me recount. If ABLE and EAVE are in the biblical group, then: Group 2 adjectives: WILLING, EAGER, GAME, READY (or some combo) Group 1 verbs: OUTFIT, EQUIP, PREPARE, READY Hmm, but READY could be in either group. Let me see: If biblical homophones: NOAA (Noah), CANE (Cain), ABLE (Abel), EAVE (Eve) ✓ Then remaining 12: DOWN, OUTFIT, PREPARE, PARAMOUNT, N.F.L., SUBARU, EQUIP, GAME, WILLING, EAGER, READY, NASA "Willing, eager, game, ready" - all mean enthusiastic/prepared "Outfit, equip, prepare, ready" - all mean to prepare/equip So READY is the overlap. One of these groups needs a different word. If willing/eager group: WILLING, EAGER, GAME, DOWN? (down for it?) Actually "down" can mean willing/ready informally - "I'm down for that"! So: WILLING, EAGER, GAME, DOWN = all mean "enthusiastic/up for it" Then verb group: OUTFIT, EQUIP, PREPARE, READY And remaining: PARAMOUNT, N.F.L., SUBARU, NASA What connects PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA? Hmm... these are all... • PARAMOUNT Pictures • NFL (football) • SUBARU (cars) • NASA (space) What's the connection? Logos? Stars? PARAMOUNT - has a mountain with stars in logo NFL - has a shield SUBARU - has Pleiades stars NASA - has a circle/meatball logo Or... hidden words? • PARAMOUNT = PARA + MOUNT • NFL = ? • SUBARU = SUB + A + RU? • NASA = ? Wait, what if they all contain hidden words related to a theme? PARAMOUNT: contains "AMOUNT", "MOUNT", "PAR", "ARA" NFL: N, F, L SUBARU: contains "BAR", "SUB", "ARU", "RUB" NASA: contains "ASA", "NAS" Hmm, or what if the connection is something completely different... What if they're all things associated with specific numbers or ratings? Or what if they relate to stars in a different way - celebrity, rating, etc.? Paramount+ (streaming), NFL Network, Subaru... NASA... Or what if PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA all sponsor something specific? Let me think differently. What are PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA known for? Or maybe the categories aren't what I think. Let me reconsider. Actually wait - what if DOWN goes with a different group? GOOSE DOWN, DOWN feathers... EIDERDOWN... Or DOWN, NOAA, NASA, NFL... weather, space, sports... Hmm, let me think about "___ + POUR" again: DOWNPOUR... Or words that can precede something: DOWN + TOWN, DOWN + FALL, DOWN + POUR... What if the connection for PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA is that they all have something to do with mountains/peaks? PARAMOUNT = most important (supreme) NFL = ? SUBARU = ? NASA = ? Or they all contain compass directions? • PARAMOUNT: no • NFL: no • SUBARU: SUBARu... no • NASA: NASa... N + A + S + A... N, S Or hidden animals? • PARAMOUNT: RAM (PARAMOUNT)! • SUBARU: BEAR? No... ARU... • NFL: GNU? No • NOAA: no wait NOAA is in the biblical group Hmm, let me look for hidden animals: • PARAMOUNT: RAM ✓ (paRAMount) • SUBARU: no obvious animal... SUBARu... hmm, ASS? No... • EAGER: EAGLE? No, EAGER... EAG-ER... • EAVE: no wait EAVE is biblical group Actually wait: • PARAMOUNT contains RAM • PREPARE contains... HARE? prePARE... no... PREP-ARE... • Actually: pREPAre... REP... • EAGER: eAGEr... AGE? • CANE: no, that's biblical Let me look more carefully at hidden animals: • DOWN: OWL? DOW-N? No... DOE? No... • OUTFIT: no... • PREPARE: HARE (pREPAREd... preHARE? no)... actually PREPARE: P-R-E-P-A-R-E... contains APE? prePARE... hmm, PARE... BEAR? no • PARAMOUNT: RAM (paRAMount) ✓ or MARE (paRAMEnt? no, paraMOUNT... no MARE)... actually pARAMount... ARA? PARAMOUNT = P-A-R-A-M-O-U-N-T... contains RAM (positions 3-4-5: R-A-M) ✓ • N.F.L.: no animal • SUBARU: BEAR? S-U-B-A-R-U... hmm B-A-R... no... • EQUIP: no • GAME: GNU? no... GAME... contains... no obvious animal • WILLING: no • EAGER: EAGLE? No, E-A-G-E-R... EAG... • READY: no • NASA: ASS? N-A-S-A... ASS would need two S's Hmm, this approach isn't working well. Let me go back to what I'm most confident about: 1. Biblical homophones: NOAA (Noah), CANE (Cain), ABLE (Abel), EAVE (Eve) - very confident 2. Synonyms for "willing/enthusiastic": WILLING, EAGER, GAME, DOWN ("I'm down for it") - fairly confident 3. Verbs meaning to equip/prepare: OUTFIT, EQUIP, PREPARE, READY - fairly confident 4. Then: PARAMOUNT, N.F.L., SUBARU, NASA - need to figure out connection For group 4: PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA • These could all be things with mountain logos? - PARAMOUNT has mountain - SUBARU has stars - NFL has... shield - NASA has... Wait, what about things that are associated with specific stars/constellations? • SUBARU = Pleiades (Japanese word for Pleiades) • NASA = stars? • NFL = star (Dallas Cowboys have a star) • PARAMOUNT = mountain with stars around it Or what if they can all follow or precede a word? "Mount ___"? • Mount Paramount? No... Hmm, or "___+ mount"? • PARAMOUNT contains MOUNT! Hidden word MOUNT? • PARAMOUNT: p-a-r-a-MOUNT ✓ • SUBARU: no mount • NFL: no What if they all contain hidden words meaning "peak" or "summit"? • PARAMOUNT: MOUNT ✓ or AMOUNT? Let me try another approach. What if the 4th group is connected by what they literally ARE? • PARAMOUNT = adjective meaning supreme • NFL = sports league • SUBARU = car brand • NASA = space agency These are all very different things. The connection must be something wordplay-related. Could they all be acronyms where each letter stands for something related to a theme? NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration NFL: National Football League NOAA: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (but NOAA might be in biblical group) SUBARU: In Japanese, it means "unite" and refers to the Pleiades Wait, actually... if NOAA is in the biblical group, then the 4th group is PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA. What if they can all precede or follow a specific word? "___ STAR"? • PARAMOUNT STAR? No • NFL STAR? Maybe • SUBARU STAR? • NASA STAR? "___ PLUS" (streaming)? • PARAMOUNT+ ✓ • NFL+ ✓ (there is NFL+) • SUBARU? Hmm • NASA+? Hmm, what if they're all things that have a "+" service? • Paramount+ • Disney+ (no) • Apple TV+ (no) • NFL+ • NASA+? Hmm not sure • SUBARU? No Or "___ + something"? Wait, what about STAR? "___ WARS"? No... Let me think about what SUBARU, NFL, NASA, PARAMOUNT have in common structurally or conceptually. Oh wait! What if they all have logos with stars? • SUBARU: 6 stars (Pleiades) • NFL: the logo has stars? Actually the NFL shield... • PARAMOUNT: mountain surrounded by stars ✓ • NASA: the "meatball" logo has stars ✓ That could be it! Logos with stars. But NFL's logo... does it have stars? The standard NFL shield logo... I don't think it prominently features stars. Hmm. Let me think again. What if the connection involves mountains? • PARAMOUNT: contains MOUNT, and the logo is a mountain • SUBARU: Pleiades (stars)... no mountain • NFL: no mountain • NASA: no mountain (though they have space mountains? no) What if they're all brands/organizations commonly associated with a specific thing? Or: what if they can all precede or follow "NETWORK"? • NFL Network ✓ • NASA... not really • Paramount Network ✓ (there is Paramount Network) • SUBARU Network? No Hmm. Or what if they're all "things you might see on TV as sponsors/channels"? Let me try yet another angle. What if these words have something hidden in them? PARAMOUNT: P-A-R-A-M-O-U-N-T • Contains: RAM, ARA, AMOUNT, MOUNT, PAR, PARA NFL: N-F-L (too short) SUBARU: S-U-B-A-R-U • Contains: SUB, BAR, ARU, RUB(backward) NASA: N-A-S-A • Contains: very short This approach doesn't seem to work well for NFL and NASA. Let me reconsider my groups. Maybe NFL is NOT in group 4. What if NFL goes with NOAA, NASA, and... DOWN? DOWN could be... Actually wait. What if the category is "things that can follow 'TOUCH'"? • TOUCHDOWN ✓ (NFL reference) • TOUCHSTONE? Or "things that can precede 'FIELD'"? • DOWNFIELD ✓ (football) • ... Hmm, or what if the grouping is about specific compound words? Let me reconsider. What if DOWN is NOT in the "willing" group? DOWN could go with EAVE... no, EAVE is biblical. GOOSE: GOOSE DOWN, GOOSE STEP, WILD GOOSE CHASE... What if there's a "GOOSE ___" category? • GOOSE DOWN ✓ • GOOSE STEP ✓ • GOOSE BUMPS ✓ • GOOSE EGG ✓ But I only see DOWN here that fits GOOSE. What about "___ POUR"? • DOWNPOUR ✓ Hmm. What if the 4th group is PARAMOUNT, N.F.L., SUBARU, NASA because they're all things that can be shortened/abbreviated in a specific way, or they all have a common word hidden? Let me look at this differently. What if one of my assumed groups is wrong? Actually, let me reconsider whether DOWN belongs to "willing" group or somewhere else. "Down" meaning willing: "Are you down for this?" - yes, this is valid slang. So WILLING, EAGER, GAME, DOWN all mean "enthusiastic/willing" to do something. That leaves PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA, OUTFIT, EQUIP, PREPARE, READY for two groups. Wait... could OUTFIT, EQUIP, PREPARE, READY all have a hidden word inside them? OUTFIT: O-U-T-F-I-T EQUIP: E-Q-U-I-P PREPARE: P-R-E-P-A-R-E READY: R-E-A-D-Y Or what if these verbs are actually 3 of them, and one of NFL/SUBARU/NASA/PARAMOUNT belongs in the verb group? PARAMOUNT meaning supreme/most important... doesn't fit verb group. Hmm, what if READY goes with the "willing" group (READY, WILLING, ABLE... but ABLE is biblical) Oh wait - I'm assuming ABLE is in the biblical group (ABLE = ABEL). But what if ABLE is not biblical and instead READY, WILLING, ABLE, EAGER are the "prepared" adjectives? Let me reconsider the biblical group. Biblical homophones/near-homophones: • NOAA → NOAH ✓ (very strong) • CANE → CAIN ✓ (very strong) • EAVE → EVE ✓ (very strong) • ABLE → ABEL ✓ (very strong) These are all SO clear that I'm very confident in this group. So with ABLE in biblical group, "willing/ready" adjectives: WILLING, EAGER, GAME, READY, DOWN (5 options for 4 spots) Either DOWN or READY doesn't belong there. If READY is in verbs: OUTFIT, EQUIP, PREPARE, READY → to equip/prepare Then willing adjectives: WILLING, EAGER, GAME, DOWN If READY is in willing adjectives: WILLING, EAGER, GAME, READY Then verbs would be: OUTFIT, EQUIP, PREPARE + one more (PARAMOUNT? NFL? SUBARU? NASA?) Hmm, PARAMOUNT can mean "to be of supreme importance" but it's primarily an adjective, not a verb meaning equip. Wait, what about GAME? GAME can also be a verb (to game the system)... no that doesn't mean equip. Let me reconsider. If the verb group is OUTFIT, EQUIP, PREPARE, READY, then willing group is WILLING, EAGER, GAME, DOWN. Then group 4: PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA. What connects these four?! Let me think about this more carefully: • PARAMOUNT: famous movie studio, means "most important" • NFL: National Football League • SUBARU: Japanese car brand, logo is Pleiades stars • NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Hmm... What if they all contain a hidden constellation or star name? • PARAMOUNT: contains... hmm, no obvious constellation • SUBARU: IS Pleiades (Subaru is Japanese for Pleiades) • NFL: no • NASA: no What if they all have something to do with a specific sport or activity? What if they all are associated with a specific color? • PARAMOUNT: gold/blue • NFL: blue/gold/red • SUBARU: blue • NASA: blue That's too vague. What if they can all precede or follow "LEAGUE"? • NFL = National Football LEAGUE ✓ • IVY LEAGUE? • PARAMOUNT... no • SUBARU... no • NASA... no Hmm, what if the real grouping is different? Let me reconsider. What if NASA goes with another group? "NOAA, NASA, NFL, ___" = acronyms? But SUBARU and PARAMOUNT are also acronyms of sorts... Actually, is PARAMOUNT an acronym? I don't think so. Is SUBARU an acronym? The company name comes from Japanese, not an acronym in English. So NFL, NOAA, NASA are clear acronyms. What's the 4th? Wait - is SUBARU an acronym in Japanese? Let me think... Actually, in Japanese, the word すばる (Subaru) means the Pleiades star cluster. The car company's name and logo reflect this. It's not really an acronym. What about GAME? No. DOWN? No. EAGER? EQUIP? Hmm. What if the 4th acronym is one I'm not thinking of? NFL - National Football League NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration EAGER - ? No PARAMOUNT - ? No OUTFIT - ? No Actually wait - could any of these other words be acronyms? • GAME = Government Accountability in Markets and Education? No, that's a stretch • CANE = ? • READY = ? Hmm. I don't think so. Let me take another approach. What if the connection for PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA is that they can all follow or precede the same word? Let's try "___MOUNT": • PARAMOUNT: para-MOUNT? PARA+MOUNT? • Hmm, MOUNT as a word: MOUNT SUBARU? No Let's try words that can follow them: PARAMOUNT + ? NFL + DRAFT, FILM, GAME, SEASON... SUBARU + OUTBACK, FORESTER, LEGACY... NASA + SHUTTLE, MISSION... Or words that can precede them: ___ PARAMOUNT? ___ NFL? ___ SUBARU? ___ NASA? Hmm. What if they all contain hidden smaller words related to a theme? PARAMOUNT: PAR, PARA, RAM, ARA, AMOUNT, MOUNT NFL: N, F, L (no hidden words) SUBARU: SUB, BARE/BAR, ARU NASA: NAS, ASA I keep getting stuck on NFL and NASA because they're so short. OH WAIT. What if the category is "things that are abbreviations/acronyms" but the connection is what they stand for has something in common? NFL = National Football League → NATIONAL NOAA = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration → NATIONAL NASA = National Aeronautics and Space Administration → NATIONAL NPR = National Public Radio → but NPR isn't here Wait! What if it's organizations with NATIONAL in their name? • NFL: National Football League ✓ • NOAA: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ✓ • NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration ✓ • SUBARU: No, not national anything Hmm, that doesn't work for SUBARU. Unless... SUBARU has a "national" connection I'm not thinking of? Or what if the fourth national organization is something hidden in the other words? Actually wait - could PARAMOUNT be an acronym? Or could it stand for something with NATIONAL? Hmm, I'm going around in circles. Let me just go with what I'm most confident about and see what happens. Most confident: Biblical homophones: NOAA (Noah), CANE (Cain), ABLE (Abel), EAVE (Eve) Let me start with this guess. Actually wait, one more thought. What if DOWN, EAVE, NOAA, CANE go together for a different reason? Like...they're all things related to weather or nature? No, EAVE and NOAA could be weather-related (NOAA is weather), but CANE and DOWN also relate to weather (CANE as in hurricane? DOWN as in rain?). Hmm. Or hurricane-related: CANE (hurricane), NOAA (tracks hurricanes), DOWN (downpour from hurricane), EAVE (eave drainage)... that's a stretch. I'm going to stick with my biblical homophones group as my first guess. NOAA (Noah), CANE (Cain), ABLE (Abel), EAVE (Eve) These are all homophones/near-homophones of biblical figures. For group 4: PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA - let me think one more time. OH! I just thought of something. What if they all relate to the PLEIADES or STARS? • SUBARU = Pleiades in Japanese ✓ • PARAMOUNT: their logo has stars around a mountain ✓ • NASA: space agency, studies stars ✓ • NFL: hmm... Or what if they relate to the word "STAR"? • SUBARU: Pleiades (star cluster) • NASA: stars in space • PARAMOUNT: stars (Hollywood stars + logo stars) • NFL: NFL stars? That seems too vague. What if they're all things that have/use a specific number? Subaru's logo has 6 stars... Or what if the connection is more wordplay-based - like they can all precede or follow "MOUNT"? PARAMOUNT = PARA + MOUNT SUBARU + MOUNT? No NFL + MOUNT? No Hmm, or what if they all contain mountain names? PARAMOUNT: contains MOUNT ✓ SUBARU: contains... FUJI? No NFL: no NASA: no I'm really struggling with this group. Let me just go with my confident guesses and hope the 4th group becomes clearer. Actually, one more idea: What if it's about LOGOS specifically? Or what if they're all "___ + NETWORK"? • NFL Network ✓ • Paramount Network ✓ • NASA... no real "NASA Network" • Subaru... no Or "___ + PLUS" (streaming services)? • Paramount+ ✓ • NFL+? (I think this exists) • NASA+? • Subaru+? No Hmm. What if they all are associated with a specific number or color in their logo? Or what if they can all follow "NATIONAL"? • NATIONAL Football League = NFL ✓ • NATIONAL Aeronautics and Space Administration = NASA ✓ • NATIONAL Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration = NOAA ✓ • NATIONAL... PARAMOUNT? No. SUBARU? No. If NOAA is in the "national" group: NFL, NASA, NOAA + ??? But then the biblical group loses NOAA and needs a replacement. What sounds like a biblical name? DOWN → sound like... no PARAMOUNT → no biblical figure SUBARU → no Hmm, this doesn't work unless there's another word I'm missing. Actually wait - could GAME sound like a biblical name? No. Could READY? No. Could OUTFIT? No. Could PREPARE? No. Could WILLING? No. Could EAGER? No. I think NOAA really is in the biblical (Noah) group. Let me reconsider the "national" angle. What if the 4th member is something unexpected? GAME → National Game? DOWN → National Down Syndrome Society? NDSS not "DOWN" PARAMOUNT → not national Hmm. What about OUTFIT? • No. PREPARE? READY? EQUIP? WILLING? EAGER? • None of these are obvious "national" organization acronyms. What about CANE? Could CANE stand for something? • California Association of Naturalists and Educators? That's a stretch. I'm going to abandon this train of thought. Let me reconsider whether my groups are right. Actually - what if the categories are: 1. Homophones of biblical names: NOAA (Noah), CANE (Cain), EAVE (Eve), ABLE (Abel) 2. Words meaning "prepared/willing": READY, WILLING, EAGER, GAME (or with DOWN) 3. Words meaning "to equip": OUTFIT, EQUIP, PREPARE, + one more 4. PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA + possibly more For category 3, if READY is in category 2, then I need a 4th word for "to equip." Could it be GAME (to game = to play games, not equip)? Could DOWN (to down = to swallow, defeat, not equip)? Could it be OUTFIT, EQUIP, PREPARE, and... Actually WILLING, EAGER, READY, GAME could all be in group 2, and DOWN goes with group 4? If DOWN is in group 4: PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA, DOWN... that's 5. Or DOWN replaces one of the others. What if group 4 is: NFL, SUBARU, NASA, DOWN and PARAMOUNT is somewhere else? And PARAMOUNT goes in group 3? PARAMOUNT means "of supreme importance" - not really "to equip." Hmm. Unless PARAMOUNT can be a verb? I don't think so. OK wait - new idea. What if PARAMOUNT, SUBARU, NFL, NASA all have something to do with their LOGOS? SUBARU: 6 stars (Pleiades) PARAMOUNT: mountain with 22 stars NASA: the "worm" or "meatball" logo with stars and orbit NFL: shield (no stars typically) Hmm, NFL doesn't really have stars. UNLESS - Dallas Cowboys have a star? No, that's the team not the NFL. What if it's not NFL but another 3-letter acronym... wait, N.F.L. is definitely National Football League. Or what if the connection is "logos that are blue"? • NFL: blue shield ✓ • NASA: blue meatball ✓ • SUBARU: blue oval ✓ • PARAMOUNT: blue mountain/sky? Sometimes ✓ That's a possibility but feels vague. Let me try yet another angle. What if these words can all precede or follow the same word? Testing "___ CHANNEL": • NFL Channel? (NFL Network) ✓ sort of • PARAMOUNT: Paramount Channel? ✓ sort of • SUBARU: no • NASA: no • DOWN: Down Channel? No Testing "MOUNT + ___": • MOUNT PARAMOUNT? No • MOUNT SUBARU? No • MOUNT NASA? No • MOUNT NFL? No Testing "___ + MOUNTAIN": • PARAMOUNT MOUNTAIN? sort of • SUBARU MOUNTAIN? No • NFL MOUNTAIN? No • NASA MOUNTAIN? No Hmm. What if the connection is they can all be preceded by a word meaning something specific? Or what if they all relate to "stars": • PARAMOUNT: Hollywood STARS, logo STARS • SUBARU: Pleiades STAR cluster • NASA: deals with STARS • NFL: STAR players / all-STARS? This still feels vague. OR - what if it's more specific - they all use STAR imagery in their logos? PARAMOUNT: ✓ (stars surrounding mountain) SUBARU: ✓ (6 Pleiades stars) NASA: ✓ (stars in the meatball logo) NFL: hmm... Actually, wait. Does the NFL logo have stars? Let me think... The current NFL shield logo has the "NFL" text in a shield. Some versions or the older logos might have had stars. I'm not sure. What other word could replace NFL in a "stars in logo" group? Looking at remaining words if I remove NFL: DOWN, OUTFIT, PREPARE, EQUIP, GAME, WILLING, EAGER, READY Does any of these have a star logo? • GAME: various game companies have logos • DOWN: various down brands None of these are obvious logo/brand things. I think NFL must be in this group for some other reason. Wait, I just thought of something. What if they're all associated with HALL OF FAME? • NFL: Pro Football Hall of Fame ✓ • NASCAR/SUBARU: Motorsports Hall of Fame? Maybe • NASA: no • PARAMOUNT: no Or SUPER? • NFL: Super Bowl ✓ • NASA: Super? No • SUBARU: SUPERu? No • PARAMOUNT: Super-paramount? No Or what if they can all follow "DRAFT"? • NFL DRAFT ✓ • PARAMOUNT DRAFT? No • SUBARU DRAFT? No • NASA DRAFT? No Hmm. I keep going in circles. Let me try to think if there's a word that can follow ALL of these: PARAMOUNT ___, NFL ___, SUBARU ___, NASA ___ Or precede all: ___ PARAMOUNT, ___ NFL, ___ SUBARU, ___ NASA I can't find one. What if the connection is something about their NAMES rather than what they represent? Like, they're all names that contain specific letters or patterns? PARAMOUNT: 9 letters, starts with P NFL: 3 letters (initialism) SUBARU: 6 letters, starts with S NASA: 4 letters (acronym) No obvious pattern. What if some of these are not what I think they are? Like, what if SUBARU is not the car brand but something else? SUB + ARU? Or NASA is an acronym for something else in this context? Or NFL means something else? Or PARAMOUNT is being used as an adjective (most important/supreme) in a phrase? Hmm. What if the category is "words/phrases that mean SUPREME or MOST IMPORTANT"? • PARAMOUNT: supreme, most important ✓ • ABLE: capable ✓ (no, this is in biblical group) • READY: prepared ✓ • GAME: up for it ✓ No, that doesn't work specifically enough. OK, I think I need to just make my guesses and rely on the feedback to figure this out. My most confident group is the biblical homophones. Let me also reconsider: could EAVE be in a different category? EAVE (the overhang of a roof) - could this relate to something structural? EAVE → EVE (Eve from the Bible) - this seems right. Could DOWN relate to a biblical figure? DAWN sounds like... no obvious biblical figure. What about the word GAME? Could GAME be a homophone of a biblical name? No. OUTFIT → ? No biblical name. I'm confident in my biblical group. Let me go with that. One more thought on group 4: PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA What if they can all follow "SUPER"? • SUPER BOWL (NFL) → NFL SUPER? Hmm • SUPERNOVA → no connection to SUBARU • SUPER NASA? No What if they relate to OUTREACH or something? Actually - OH WAIT. What if they can all precede "LEAGUE"? • NFL = National Football LEAGUE • IVY LEAGUE • PARAMOUNT LEAGUE? No • SUBARU LEAGUE? No Or what if they're all associated with specific geographic locations? • PARAMOUNT: Paramount, California (a city) • NFL: headquartered in New York • SUBARU: Japan / Cherry Hill, NJ • NASA: various (Houston, Cape Canaveral, etc.) No obvious connection. Hmm, what if the connection is STARS as in celebrity endorsers or associated with stars? Or what if it's about things that "shoot" for the stars? OR - completely different thought - what if some of these words can ALL be preceded by "DOWN"? DOWN + OUTFIT = ? No DOWN + NFL = ? No Or what if the category for PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA is that they're all "sponsors of major sporting events"? • NFL: obvious • SUBARU: sponsors lots of events • NASA: not a sports sponsor usually • PARAMOUNT: entertainment, not sports Hmm. What if they're all things that can be associated with "FORESTER" or forest? • SUBARU FORESTER ✓ (model name) • PARAMOUNT FOREST? (Paramount Studios has a forest nearby?) • NFL: no • NASA: no That doesn't work. What if they're all things with "LEGACY"? • SUBARU LEGACY ✓ (model) • PARAMOUNT LEGACY? • NFL LEGACY? • NASA LEGACY? SUBARU has models named Legacy, Forester, Outback, Impreza, Crosstrek... What if the connection is SUBARU MODEL NAMES? • OUTBACK → OUTFIT? No • LEGACY → ? • FORESTER → ? • IMPREZA → ? Hmm, PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA - none of these are obvious Subaru model names. What if they all contain a hidden car brand? PARAMOUNT: contains... ARA? no car brand... PARA? no... SUBARU: IS a car brand NFL: no car brand NASA: NAS... no That doesn't work. I'm going to give up trying to figure out group 4 and just make my guesses. Starting with biblical homophones. Actually, wait. One more thought. What if group 4 is connected by the fact that they can all be preceded by "SUPER"? SUPER + PARAMOUNT = SUPRAPARAMOUNT? No SUPER + NFL = SUPER BOWL (NFL plays Super Bowl) ✓ SUPER + SUBARU = ? SUPER + NASA = ? Or what if they're all things associated with the word SUPER? NFL: Super Bowl NASA: hmm SUBARU: hmm PARAMOUNT: hmm Or maybe they can all precede "STAR"? • PARAMOUNT STAR? • NFL STAR? ✓ • SUBARU STAR? • NASA STAR? Not quite. Or they can all follow "ALL"? • ALL-NFL? • ALL-STAR? ✓ (but these aren't STAR) • ALL-AMERICAN? Hmm. What if "DOWN" goes with PARAMOUNT, NFL, NASA somehow? Like... "down for the count" type phrases? COUNT DOWN (NASA) ✓ - COUNTDOWN COUNT DOWN (sports) ✓ PARAMOUNT COUNT? No What if the category is things that have a COUNTDOWN associated with them? • NASA: rocket countdown ✓ • NFL: play clock countdown ✓ • ... But that's stretching. Actually OH! What about COUNTDOWN? N.F.L., PARAMOUNT, SUBARU, NASA... what if they're all part of "COUNTDOWN" shows or programs? Or what if they all relate to a specific TV show called "Countdown" or something? Hmm. Let me think about "TEN ___" or "___ TEN"? Or what if they relate to specific numbers? Or - and this just hit me - what if the connection is that they're all followed by "+": • Paramount+ ✓ (streaming) • NFL+? ✓ (there is NFL+ streaming) • NASA+? (I think NASA does have NASA+ streaming) • Subaru+? Hmm... OR Apple TV+, Disney+, Peacock... what are the streaming services with "+"? • Disney+ • Apple TV+ • Paramount+ • ESPN+ Hmm, but NFL+, NASA+... Actually, I believe: • Paramount+ = streaming service ✓ • NFL+ = streaming service ✓ • NASA+? Let me think... I believe NASA did launch "NASA+" as a streaming service! • Subaru? I don't think Subaru has a "+" streaming service. What's the fourth "___ +" service? Could it be something else? Actually, ESPN+, Apple TV+, Paramount+, Disney+, Peacock... Hmm. What about the other words - could any of them have a "+" streaming service? DOWN+? No. GAME+? Hmm... maybe. OUTFIT+? No. PREPARE+? No. Wait - is there an "OUTFIT+" service? Probably not. What about READY? READY+ ? No. EQUIP+? No. I don't think this "___ +" theory works unless there's a SUBARU+ I don't know about. Actually, wait. Let me reconsider the whole puzzle. What if I'm wrong about one of my groups? Let me try: what if the "willing/enthusiastic" group is WILLING, EAGER, GAME, READY (not DOWN)? And then DOWN goes with PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU (or NASA)? DOWN, NFL, SUBARU, PARAMOUNT: • DOWNFALL • NFL... What connects DOWN with these? Or DOWN, NFL, NASA, SUBARU? • SUBARU is known for rallying/all-wheel drive... DOWN = downhill? Hmm. OK what if the connection is "STAR"? All-Star, Rock Star, Star Wars... Or "___ STAR": • DOWN: no • NFL: NFL Stars • SUBARU: Subaru Stars? Hmm or "STAR ___": • STAR DOWN (stare down)? • STAR PARAMOUNT? No I'm going to just go with my two most confident groups and start: 1. Biblical homophones: NOAA, CANE, ABLE, EAVE 2. To equip/prepare (verbs): OUTFIT, EQUIP, PREPARE, READY 3. Willing/enthusiastic (adjectives): WILLING, EAGER, GAME, DOWN 4. Then PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA must be the last group. Let me start with group 1. Actually, let me reconsider one more time. Is there any chance that one of OUTFIT/EQUIP/PREPARE/READY is actually a homophone of a biblical name? OUTFIT → ? No EQUIP → ? No PREPARE → ? No READY → ? No OK, I'm confident. Starting with biblical homophones: NOAA (Noah), CANE (Cain), ABLE (Abel), EAVE (Eve). Wait, I want to double-check: is EAVE really a homophone of EVE? • EAVE: pronounced /iːv/ • EVE: pronounced /iːv/ Yes! They're homophones! ✓ And ABLE / ABEL: • ABLE: /ˈeɪbəl/ • ABEL: /ˈeɪbəl/ Yes, homophones! ✓ CANE / CAIN: • CANE: /keɪn/ • CAIN: /keɪn/ Yes, homophones! ✓ NOAA / NOAH: • NOAA: typically pronounced "NO-ah" • NOAH: /ˈnoʊə/ Yes, effectively the same! ✓ Great, this group is solid. My first guess: NOAA, CANE, ABLE, EAVE (biblical homophones)

The biblical homophones group was correct. Now let me work with the remaining 12 words: DOWN, OUTFIT, PREPARE, PARAMOUNT, N.F.L., SUBARU, EQUIP, GAME, WILLING, EAGER, READY, NASA My proposed groups: 1. Verbs meaning to equip/prepare: OUTFIT, EQUIP, PREPARE, READY 2. Adjectives meaning willing/enthusiastic: WILLING, EAGER, GAME, DOWN 3. Unknown connection: PARAMOUNT, N.F.L., SUBARU, NASA Let me think about group 3 one more time before guessing. PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA: • They could all have star logos • They could all be "___ +" streaming services • They could all relate to something else Actually, thinking about streaming services: • Paramount+ • NFL+ • NASA+ (launched 2023) • Subaru? Hmm... Wait, what about the Pleiades connection? • SUBARU = Japanese for Pleiades (6 stars) • PARAMOUNT logo = mountain with stars • NASA = space (stars) • NFL = ? Or what about "things with mountains in their logo"? • PARAMOUNT: mountain ✓ • SUBARU: no mountain • NFL: no mountain • NASA: no mountain Hmm. Let me think about whether any of these words can precede or follow a common word. Actually, I wonder if PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA all have something hidden in their names or can be combined with a specific word. What if they can all precede "NETWORK"? • NFL Network ✓ • Paramount Network ✓ • NASA Network? Hmm, not really a major one • Subaru Network? No What about... they all contain something? PARAMOUNT: P-A-R-A-M-O-U-N-T NFL: N-F-L SUBARU: S-U-B-A-R-U NASA: N-A-S-A Hmm, what if they're all acronyms that happen to also be common words or brand names? Or what if the puzzle is about something entirely different I haven't considered? What if these four things (PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA) are all associated with a specific word like "STAR", "MOUNT", or something else? Let me think about "MOUNT": • PARAMOUNT: para-MOUNT (contains MOUNT) • SUBARU: no MOUNT • NFL: no MOUNT • NASA: no MOUNT What about words hidden inside: • PARAMOUNT contains: RAM, AMOUNT, MOUNT, PAR, ARA • NFL contains: nothing obvious • SUBARU contains: SUB, BAR, RUB • NASA contains: nothing obvious Hmm. What if NFL stands for something different in this context? Like "N, F, L" = ? Or what if the connection is they're all abbreviated/acronym forms where the full name contains something specific? National Football League - NATIONAL National Aeronautics and Space Administration - NATIONAL National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - NATIONAL (but NOAA was in biblical group) So NFL and NASA both start with NATIONAL. What about PARAMOUNT and SUBARU? • Paramount Pictures Corporation - not NATIONAL • Subaru - not NATIONAL What if there's a different fourth member for "NATIONAL ___" and one of PARAMOUNT/SUBARU goes elsewhere? Hmm. Let me think about whether DOWN, EAGER, GAME, WILLING, READY, OUTFIT, EQUIP, or PREPARE could have "NATIONAL" in their full form. GAME: National Game? Hmm READY: no DOWN: no I don't see it. OK wait - let me think about this differently. What if PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA are all things that can be associated with the word "STAR"? • PARAMOUNT: "Hollywood STAR" system, stars in logo • NFL: pro bowl all-stars, star players • SUBARU: Pleiades = star cluster • NASA: space agency studying stars OR they can all precede "GAZING": • STAR GAZING • But can they precede "gazing"? OR what if they're things associated with the NUMBER of stars? SUBARU logo has 6 stars (Pleiades) PARAMOUNT logo has 22 stars NASA has... various NFL has... Hmm. What if it's about "5-star" ratings or something? I'm going to move forward with my two confident groups and accept that the 4th group will be revealed. Second guess: verbs meaning to equip/prepare: OUTFIT, EQUIP, PREPARE, READY These all mean "to make ready/equipped." OR: WILLING, EAGER, GAME, DOWN all meaning "enthusiastic/willing" Which should I guess next? Let me think about which I'm more confident in. OUTFIT, EQUIP, PREPARE, READY - these are all verbs that mean to prepare or equip someone/something. WILLING, EAGER, GAME, DOWN - these all mean willing/enthusiastic. But wait - could GAME or DOWN fit into the PARAMOUNT/NFL/SUBARU/NASA group? GAME + PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA? What would connect them? • They're all nouns? GAME is a noun. PARAMOUNT is an adjective/noun. NFL is an acronym. SUBARU is a brand. NASA is an acronym. Or could READY fit into the PARAMOUNT group? No obvious connection. Actually, I'm now wondering: could the PARAMOUNT/NFL/SUBARU/NASA connection be that they can all be preceded by "THE" in a specific phrase? No, that's too generic. What if they all have something to do with "OUTBACK"? • SUBARU OUTBACK ✓ (model) • PARAMOUNT? No • NFL? No • NASA? No What about "LEGACY"? • SUBARU LEGACY ✓ • PARAMOUNT LEGACY? Stretch • NFL LEGACY? Stretch • NASA LEGACY? Stretch Hmm. Or "FORESTER"? Let me try thinking about what PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA all sponsor or are associated with: • They all advertise during major sporting events? • SUBARU sponsors lots of events • PARAMOUNT sponsors events • NFL IS the sporting event • NASA doesn't really sponsor sporting events Or - they're all associated with PATRIOTISM/America? • NFL: American football ✓ • NASA: American space agency ✓ • PARAMOUNT: American movie studio ✓ • SUBARU: Japanese company with American operations... ✓? Hmm, that's a bit loose. Or - what if they can all precede "PICTURES"? • PARAMOUNT PICTURES ✓ • NFL PICTURES? No • SUBARU PICTURES? No • NASA PICTURES? No Or what if they all have famous logos that are icons? Let me try one more thing: can any of these relate to "OUTBACK", "LEGACY", "FORESTER", "IMPREZA", "CROSSTREK" (Subaru models)? Or Paramount movies: The Godfather, Top Gun, etc. Or NFL teams: Patriots, Bears, Lions, etc. Or NASA missions: Apollo, Artemis, etc. None of these obvious associations connect to the others. You know what, let me just consider: maybe DOWN is NOT in the willing group and is instead with PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU? DOWN, PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU... what connects these? Or DOWN, PARAMOUNT, NFL, NASA? DOWN, NFL, SUBARU, NASA? What if "DOWN" goes with these because of football? • NFL: football ✓ • DOWN: a "down" in football ✓ • SUBARU: Subaru sponsors NFL? ✓ (actually I think they do) • PARAMOUNT: Paramount has NFL games? (Apple TV+ has NFL Sunday Ticket now... wait that's not Paramount) Hmm, or if DOWN is a football term (1st down, 4th down), and GAME is also football-related (game day, game plan)... NFL, DOWN, GAME, ??? = football terms? • NFL: the league • DOWN: a football play • GAME: a football game • READY: "ready, set, hike"? But these seem too generic. GAME and DOWN are used in many sports. What if the category is more specific? Like "things said by a quarterback at the line"? • DOWN: "first and ten!" / "4th down" • SET: not in the list • HUT: not in the list • READY: "ready?" Hmm. Actually, I just want to make sure I'm not missing something obvious about PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA. Let me think about what's iconic about each: • PARAMOUNT: the mountain logo, Hollywood, movies • NFL: football, America's most popular sport • SUBARU: cars, all-wheel drive, "Love. It's what makes a Subaru a Subaru" • NASA: space exploration, rockets What if they all have a famous SLOGAN with a specific word? NFL: "Football is Family" SUBARU: "Love. It's what makes a Subaru a Subaru" NASA: "Explore" PARAMOUNT: "If it's a Paramount Picture, it's the best show in town" (old slogan) No common word. What if they all relate to something that can be described with the word "MOUNT" or "PEAK"? PARAMOUNT has MOUNT in it. Paramount Peak? Hmm, actually - what if there's a theme of "things associated with mountains"? • PARAMOUNT: mountain in logo • SUBARU: drives up mountains (AWD capability) • NASA: mountain-high? No • NFL: no mountain connection OR - what if they're all things whose LOGOS are commonly recognized? I keep going in circles. Let me just proceed with my confident guesses. I'll guess OUTFIT, EQUIP, PREPARE, READY next (verbs meaning to make ready/equip). Actually, wait. Is READY really a verb? "Ready the troops" - yes, READY can be a verb meaning to prepare. "Outfit the expedition" - OUTFIT as a verb ✓ "Equip the soldiers" - EQUIP as a verb ✓ "Prepare for battle" - PREPARE as a verb ✓ Yes, all four can be verbs meaning to prepare/equip. But I should also consider: could any of PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA be synonyms for "to prepare/equip"? No, none of them are verbs meaning to prepare. And could DOWN or GAME mean to prepare/equip? • DOWN: "to down" = to knock down, to swallow • GAME: "to game" = to play games, to manipulate Neither means to equip/prepare. OK, I'm going with OUTFIT, EQUIP, PREPARE, READY. Hmm, but actually let me reconsider one more time. In the context of NYT Connections, categories are often more creative/tricky. What if the "equip/prepare" group includes PARAMOUNT? Like "PARAMOUNT" as in to make something supreme? No, that doesn't work as "to equip." What if the groups are: • "Ready, set, go" type words: READY, SET (not here), GO (not here)... • Synonyms for willing: GAME, WILLING, EAGER, DOWN, READY (too many) Hmm, what if "READY, WILLING, AND ABLE" is a specific phrase and READY, WILLING, EAGER form part of a specific category? Actually in the NYT puzzle, the category might be "___ AND ABLE" or "READY, WILLING, AND ___"... Or what if the category is literally "words in the phrase 'READY, WILLING, AND ABLE'" but since ABLE is in the biblical group, maybe the category is about OTHER phrases? I think I'm overthinking this. Let me go with my gut: Group 2: OUTFIT, EQUIP, PREPARE, READY (verbs meaning to prepare/equip) Group 3: WILLING, EAGER, GAME, DOWN (adjectives meaning willing/enthusiastic) Group 4: PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA (unknown connection) I'll guess group 2 next. Wait, actually I want to think about whether DOWN belongs in group 2 or 3. "Are you down?" = "Are you willing/enthusiastic?" - yes, this is common slang. "I'm down to do that" = "I'm willing to do that" ✓ So DOWN fits in the "willing" group. Alternatively, DOWN as a verb: "to down" ≠ to prepare/equip. OK, going with OUTFIT, EQUIP, PREPARE, READY as my second guess.

Two down, two to go. Remaining 8 words: DOWN, PARAMOUNT, N.F.L., SUBARU, GAME, WILLING, EAGER, NASA My proposed groups: 1. Adjectives meaning "willing/enthusiastic": WILLING, EAGER, GAME, DOWN 2. Unknown connection: PARAMOUNT, N.F.L., SUBARU, NASA I'm fairly confident in the "willing/enthusiastic" group: • WILLING: obviously means willing • EAGER: means enthusiastic/willing • GAME: "Are you game?" = "Are you willing?" • DOWN: "I'm down" = "I'm willing/enthusiastic" (slang) And the remaining PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA must have some connection I haven't figured out yet. Let me think one more time about what connects PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA: Could they all be things that have "+" streaming services? • Paramount+: yes ✓ • NFL+: yes ✓ • NASA+: yes, NASA launched NASA+ in 2023 ✓ • Subaru+: hmm... Or could they all precede a specific word? What if they can all follow "SUPER"? • SUPER BOWL (NFL) - but that's Super Bowl not Super NFL • Hmm What if they contain hidden words? • PARAMOUNT: RAM, AMOUNT, MOUNT • NFL: ? • SUBARU: BAR, SUB, RUB • NASA: ? What if they're all associated with stars (the celestial kind)? • SUBARU = Pleiades (star cluster) ✓ • PARAMOUNT: logo has stars ✓ • NASA: studies stars ✓ • NFL: hmm... stars? OR - what if they can all precede "LEAGUE"? • NFL = National Football LEAGUE ✓ • IVY LEAGUE (not here) • PARAMOUNT LEAGUE? No • SUBARU LEAGUE? No What if they're all things with "NATIONAL" in their full name? • NFL = National Football League ✓ • NASA = National Aeronautics and Space Administration ✓ • NOAA = National Oceanic... (already used) • PARAMOUNT = not national • SUBARU = not national Hmm. What if the connection for group 4 is something about stars specifically - like they all have star-related logos? Or what if they can all precede "PICTURES"? • PARAMOUNT PICTURES ✓ • SUBARU PICTURES? No • NFL PICTURES? No • NASA PICTURES? No Or what if they all relate to something I haven't considered - like they all sponsored a specific event or are all associated with a specific thing? Actually - what if they're all things that can be followed by "PLUS" (+)? • Paramount+ ✓ • NFL+ ✓ • NASA+ ✓ • Subaru... hmm OR - Wait! What if the connection is about their LOGOS containing stars? • SUBARU: 6 stars (Pleiades) ✓ • PARAMOUNT: mountain surrounded by 22 stars ✓ • NASA: stars in the "meatball" logo ✓ • NFL: The NFL shield... does it have stars? Actually I'm not sure. Hmm. Or what if it's not NFL but the other words? No, all other words are accounted for in my groups. Let me just verify my "willing" group is solid and go with it: • WILLING ✓ • EAGER ✓ • GAME ("Are you game?" = willing) ✓ • DOWN ("I'm down for it" = willing/enthusiastic) ✓ This group feels right. Let me guess this. The 4th group (PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA) will be revealed automatically if my next two guesses are correct. Going with WILLING, EAGER, GAME, DOWN.

The last group must be PARAMOUNT, N.F.L., SUBARU, NASA. I just need to figure out their connection (though I have to guess them anyway since they're the last four). Let me think one final time: • PARAMOUNT: movie studio, means "supreme" • N.F.L.: National Football League • SUBARU: Japanese car brand (Pleiades) • NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration What connects these four? Streaming services with "+": Paramount+, NFL+, NASA+... and Subaru? Hmm. Stars in logos: SUBARU (Pleiades), PARAMOUNT (stars around mountain), NASA (meatball logo has stars)... NFL? Or maybe they all contain a hidden word: • PARAMOUNT: contains "AMOUNT" or "MOUNT" or "RAM" • NFL: hmm • SUBARU: contains "BAR" or "SUB" • NASA: contains "AS" or "ASA" Wait - what if the connection is about something completely different? Like they can all precede a specific word? Actually - "PARAMOUNT, NFL, SUBARU, NASA" - what if they can all precede "NETWORK"? • Paramount Network ✓ • NFL Network ✓ • NASA... not a major network • Subaru... not a network Or what if the theme is "things with star logos"? • SUBARU ✓ • PARAMOUNT ✓ • NASA ✓ • NFL - the shield doesn't prominently feature stars Hmm. Or what if it's "___ +" streaming services? • Paramount+ ✓ • NFL+ ✓ • NASA+ ✓ (launched 2023) • Subaru... I'm not aware of Subaru+ I need to just go with this final group regardless - it's the only option left!

Let me analyze these 16 words and find 4 groups of 4 related words. Words: FOLLOW, MONTH, WHITE, TRIX, JUROR, PEN, VELVETEEN, ROSE, WATCH, PRINTER, DONUT, TRACK, ROGER, TATTOO MACHINE, SQUID, MONITOR Let me think about possible categories: 1. Things that produce ink: PEN, PRINTER, SQUID, TATTOO MACHINE - all things that use/produce ink! 2. Rabbits: VELVETEEN (Rabbit), ROGER (Rabbit), TRIX (the cereal bunny), WHITE (White Rabbit from Alice)... DONUT? No. - VELVETEEN Rabbit - ROGER Rabbit - TRIX (silly rabbit, Trix are for kids) - WHITE Rabbit (Jefferson Airplane song, Alice in Wonderland) - PETER? No... - ROSE? No... - MONTH? No... Wait, what about WATCH? No... Actually, let me think about "___ Rabbit" or "Rabbit ___": - VELVETEEN Rabbit - ROGER Rabbit - TRIX (the rabbit) - WHITE Rabbit - JACK Rabbit? No JACK here - PETER Rabbit? No PETER here - DONUT? No... That gives us 4: VELVETEEN, ROGER, TRIX, WHITE 3. Things you can do with someone/something: FOLLOW, TRACK, WATCH, MONITOR - all mean to observe/keep track of someone! 4. That leaves: MONTH, JUROR, PEN, ROSE, DONUT, TATTOO MACHINE... wait let me recount. 16 words: FOLLOW, MONTH, WHITE, TRIX, JUROR, PEN, VELVETEEN, ROSE, WATCH, PRINTER, DONUT, TRACK, ROGER, TATTOO MACHINE, SQUID, MONITOR If group 1 is: PEN, PRINTER, SQUID, TATTOO MACHINE (ink producers) If group 2 is: VELVETEEN, ROGER, TRIX, WHITE (famous rabbits) If group 3 is: FOLLOW, TRACK, WATCH, MONITOR (surveillance/keep tabs on) Then group 4 would be: MONTH, JUROR, PEN, ROSE, DONUT... wait I already used PEN. Remaining: MONTH, JUROR, ROSE, DONUT Hmm, what do MONTH, JUROR, ROSE, DONUT have in common? • MONTH: 12 months in a year • JUROR: someone on a jury • ROSE: a flower • DONUT: a pastry Wait... things with a hole? DONUT has a hole, MONTH... no. JUROR... Things that can follow "HUNG"? • HUNG JURY (JUROR?) • HUNG... Let me think differently. What if the category is "___ duty"? • JURY duty (JUROR? or JURY) • WATCH duty? • MONTH? Or what about things associated with "grand"? • GRAND JURY • GRAND ROSE? No • GRAND MONTH? No What if these can precede or follow a common word? DONUT hole, MONTH... Wait, what about "SWEETHEART"? No... Let me think about ROSE: • ROSE garden • ROSE bud • Rose is a name JUROR: • Jury duty • Hung jury MONTH: • Monthly • Calendar month DONUT: • Donut hole • Homer Simpson Hmm, what if they can all follow "HONEY"? • HONEYMOON (MONTH? No...) What about things that can follow "WATCH"? • Wait, WATCH is in group 3 maybe. Actually let me reconsider group 3. If WATCH is not in "surveillance" group... What if WATCH, ROSE, MONTH, DONUT are types of something? Or things that can precede/follow a word? Wait - could these be things associated with Pink? ROSE (pink color), DONUT (pink frosted donut)... hmm not quite. What about "SWEETHEART"? Let me think about "JURY": • JURY duty • HUNG jury • JURY rig What if JUROR, MONTH, ROSE, DONUT can all be preceded by something? DONUT → Homer Simpson loves donuts ROSE → The Golden Girls character MONTH → What if they all follow "HONEY"? • HONEY + MOON = Honeymoon (MONTH related?) • HONEY + BEE • HONEYDEW What about "DEAD"? • DEADLINE (MONTH? No) • DEAD ROSE? Hmm, what about things that can precede "BUD"? • ROSEBUD • EARBUDS - What about "SWEETHEART"? Let me think differently. What connects MONTH, JUROR, DONUT, ROSE? Things with rings? • DONUT is ring-shaped • MONTH → monthly? • ROSE → rose ring? • JUROR → jury ring? Wait! Things that can precede or follow "RING"? • BOXING RING • EARRING • RING DONUT (another word for donut) • ROSE ring? No Hmm, what about "___ OF THE ___"? What if these relate to a TV show or movie? Actually, what about "HUNG"? • HUNG JURY (JUROR) • HUNG... What about things associated with "PINK"? • PINK ROSE ✓ • PINK DONUT (Simpson's) ✓ • PINK MONTH (Breast Cancer Awareness Month is October/pink) ✓? • PINK JUROR? No... What about things that can follow "SWEETHEART"? Wait, let me think about "___ box": • MONTH? No • DONUT box ✓ • JUROR box → jury box ✓ • ROSE box ✓ (flower box/rose box) • WATCH box ✓ (watch box) • PEN... Hmm, what about "BOX"? Things that come in/are associated with a box? • DONUT box • JURY box → JUROR? - What if it's "___ duty"? • JURY duty → JUROR • WATCH duty → WATCH... Actually, I'm quite confident about: • Ink producers: PEN, PRINTER, SQUID, TATTOO MACHINE • Famous rabbits: VELVETEEN, ROGER, TRIX, WHITE • Surveillance synonyms: FOLLOW, TRACK, WATCH, MONITOR That leaves: MONTH, JUROR, ROSE, DONUT Let me think harder about what connects these four... MONTH → anagram? MONTH anagram... MONTH → MONTH JUROR → JUROR ROSE → ROSE DONUT → DONUT What if they're all things that can be "HUNG"? • HUNG JURY (from JUROR) • HUNG... What about "SWEETHEART"? Or Valentine's Day themed? ROSE → Valentine's Day ✓ DONUT → ? MONTH → ? JUROR → ? Hmm, what about "___ hole"? • DONUT hole ✓ • MONTH? No • ROSE? No • JUROR? No... but JURY has holes? No What about anagrams? • MONTH → anagram of... MONTH = M,O,N,T,H... • JUROR → U,R,O,R... • ROSE → ROES, ORES, SORE, REOS • DONUT → DUNOT... DONUT = D,O,N,U,T Hmm, what if each contains a hidden word? • MONTH → MON-TH (MON = Monday?) • JUROR → JUR-OR • ROSE → contains "rose" • DONUT → DO-NUT, contains "NUT" What if they all contain something? • DONUT → contains "DON" • JUROR → contains "JURO" or "OR" • MONTH → contains "MON" or "ON" • ROSE → contains "ROSE" What if they can all follow "GRAND"? • GRAND JURY → JUROR (stretch) • GRAND ROSE? No • GRAND MONTH? No • GRAND DONUT? No What about TV shows? • ROSE: Golden Girls, Titanic, Doctor Who (companion) • JUROR: 12 Angry Men? • DONUT: ? • MONTH: ? What if they're all associated with "SWEETHEART"? What about things that can be "chocolate"? • CHOCOLATE DONUT ✓ • CHOCOLATE ROSE ✓ • CHOCOLATE MONTH? (Is there a chocolate month?) • CHOCOLATE JUROR? No What about "SWEETHEART"? Actually... Hmm, let me think about "___ MONTH" - is MONTH part of an expression? • FLAVOR OF THE MONTH • MONTH OF SUNDAYS Or maybe "OF THE MONTH"? • JUROR OF THE MONTH? No... • ROSE OF THE MONTH? • DONUT OF THE MONTH? What about "CLUB"? • BOOK OF THE MONTH CLUB • DONUT... Donut Club? - Hmm, what if these relate to reality TV or game shows? Actually, what if they can all precede or follow "WATER"? • WATERMONTH? No • WATERROSE? No What about "EVERY"? • Every month • Every rose (has its thorn!) What if these are all "___ has its thorn"? Just ROSE... OK let me try another approach. What if WATCH isn't in the surveillance group but in the rabbit group? Watch + rabbit? WATCH → "White Rabbit" → watch? In Alice in Wonderland, the White Rabbit is always looking at a watch! But that's a stretch for a category. Actually, what if the category is "things associated with Alice in Wonderland"? • WHITE Rabbit ✓ • FOLLOW (follow the white rabbit) ✓ • WATCH (the rabbit's pocket watch) ✓ • ROSE (painting the roses red) ✓ • MONTH? (Mad Hatter's tea party?) • DONUT? No... Hmm, but that would mess up the "famous rabbits" group since WHITE would be there. Wait, what if the category is "Alice in Wonderland" things and the rabbit category is different? Famous rabbits without WHITE: • VELVETEEN Rabbit ✓ • ROGER Rabbit ✓ • TRIX (rabbit mascot) ✓ • PETER Rabbit? No PETER • BUNNICULA? No • MIFFY? No • BRER Rabbit? No BRER • JACK Rabbit? No • EASTER? No What other rabbits could be here? • DONUT rabbit? No • MONTH? No • JUROR? No • ROSE? No Hmm, I only see 3 non-WHITE famous rabbits: VELVETEEN, ROGER, TRIX. So WHITE must be in the rabbit group. Let me go back to thinking about MONTH, JUROR, ROSE, DONUT. What if they're all things that can come before or after "DUTY"? • JURY duty ✓ (JUROR → JURY) • WATCH? WATCH duty? (watch duty/guard duty) No wait, I have MONTH, JUROR, ROSE, DONUT as the remaining. Let me think about what word connects MONTH, JUROR, ROSE, DONUT: "HONEY": • HONEYMOON (MONTH?) - stretch • HONEY... "DEAD": • DEAD MONTH? No • DEAD ROSE? • DEAD DONUT? "SWEET": • SWEETHEART... • SWEET ROSE ✓ (kind of) • SWEET DONUT ✓ • SWEET MONTH? No • SWEET JUROR? No "SUGAR": • SUGAR ROSE ✓ • SUGAR DONUT ✓ • SUGAR MONTH? No • SUGAR JUROR? No Hmm. What if the connection isn't a word but a concept? Things with holes: DONUT ✓, MONTH? (has 28-31 days but no hole)... Wait wait wait. What if they can all follow "HUNG"? • HUNG JURY (not JUROR but close) • HUNG... What about "GRAND"? • GRAND JURY (JUROR → stretch to GRAND JURY?) • GRAND ROSE? Like a prize? - What if the connection is that they're all things that can be "IN THE ___"? In the month... In the rose... Hmm. What about "EVERY ___": • Every month ✓ • Every rose (has its thorn) ✓ • Every donut ✓? • Every juror ✓? This isn't tight enough. Let me think about compound words or phrases: • ROSEWATER, ROSE GARDEN, ROSE BUD, ROSE HIP • DONUT HOLE, DONUT SHOP • MONTH LONG, MONTHLY • JUROR POOL, HUNG JURY What do ROSE, DONUT, MONTH, JUROR have in common that's specific? OH WAIT. What if they can all precede "DUTY"? No, ROSE DUTY, DONUT DUTY, MONTH DUTY don't work. But JURY DUTY (JUROR → JURY)... What if they're all related to a specific TV show or movie? JUROR #8 from 12 Angry Men... ROSE from Titanic or Doctor Who or Golden Girls... DONUT from... MONTH from... Hmm. What if they all relate to "Pink"? • PINK ROSE ✓ • PINK DONUT (like in The Simpsons) ✓ • PINK... MONTH (October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, pink) ✓? • PINK JUROR? No... What about "SWEETHEART"? Let me think about Hunger Games: • ROSE (President Snow's white roses) • TRACKER JACKER (TRACK?) • JUROR? No • DONUT? No • MONTH? No What about "CALENDAR"? • CALENDAR MONTH ✓ • CALENDAR ROSE? (like a calendar with roses?) • Calendar DONUT? No • Calendar JUROR? No What if they all can be preceded by "GLAZED"? • GLAZED DONUT ✓ • GLAZED ROSE? No • GLAZED MONTH? No • GLAZED JUROR? No Hmm. What if the link is something like "___ shaped"? • DONUT shaped (ring/toroid) - OK, I'm going in circles. Let me step back and think about whether my three confident groups are correct. Group 1: PEN, PRINTER, SQUID, TATTOO MACHINE (things that produce ink) Group 2: VELVETEEN, ROGER, TRIX, WHITE (famous rabbits) Group 3: FOLLOW, TRACK, WATCH, MONITOR (surveillance) Group 4: MONTH, JUROR, ROSE, DONUT (???) These groupings leave exactly 4 for group 4, so if groups 1-3 are right, group 4 must be MONTH, JUROR, ROSE, DONUT. What connects MONTH, JUROR, ROSE, DONUT? OH! What if they can all be preceded by "HUNG"? • HUNG JURY → JUROR (stretch)... but JUROR ≠ JURY • HUNG ROSE? • HUNG DONUT? • HUNG MONTH? No What about "___ pool"? • JURY POOL (JUROR) • DEAD POOL (DONUT → no) - What if they all relate to things that can be "GRAND"? • GRAND JURY (JUROR → JURY) • GRAND ROSE? - Hmm, what about "THORN"? • Every ROSE has its thorn ✓ • DONUT thorn? No - What about words that can follow "BELLY"? • BELLY BUTTON → DONUT shape? No - What about "___ RING"? • DONUT RING ✓ • ROSE ring ✓ (ring of roses? "Ring around the Rosie") • JUROR ring? No • MONTH ring? No Hmm, "RING AROUND THE ___"? • RING AROUND THE ROSIE (ROSE) ✓ - What if they're all things associated with pregnancy/expecting? • MONTH (nine months) ✓ • DONUT (cravings?) ✓ • ROSE? No • JUROR? No What about things that can precede "BUD"? • ROSEBUD ✓ • TASTEBUDS... • EARBUDS... - What about things associated with "WATER"? • ROSEWATER ✓ • WATERFALL... • DONUT... no What if they're all ___ "OF THE MONTH"? • "ROSE of the Month" (like a rose of the month club) • "Donut of the Month" • "Juror of the Month"? No - What if they can all follow a color? • WHITE ROSE ✓ • WHITE DONUT? • WHITE MONTH? No What about "OLD"? • OLD ROSE (a color) ✓ • OLD... DONUT? What about things in a particular show? Actually wait - let me think about this differently. What if the connection involves HUNG: "HUNG ___": • HUNG JURY → but it's JUROR not JURY • HUNG... Or "___ HUNG": - What about things that can be "GLAZED"? • GLAZED DONUT ✓ • GLAZED... ROSE? (glazed pottery with rose pattern?) - What if they all relate to the same musical/song? • "La Vie en Rose" • "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" • "A Month of Sundays" - What if they all can follow "DEAD"? • DEAD ROSE? Kind of • DEAD MONTH? No • DEAD RINGER? No Wait! What if the connection is "JURY"? • HUNG JURY • GRAND JURY • MOCK JURY Or what if each word relates to something that can be modified by the same adjective? Let me try: "___ DUTY" • JURY DUTY (JUROR → not exactly JURY) • Actually can duty follow all of them? What if the category is "things that can be HUNG"? • HUNG JURY (12 Angry Men reference) • HUNG... Oh! What if they're all anagrams of something? • MONTH → anagram? MONTH has letters M,O,N,T,H... MOTHS? No M,O,T,H,S but that's 5 letters with an S... • JUROR → R,U,R,O,J... hmm • ROSE → ROES, ORES, SORE, REOS • DONUT → D,O,N,U,T → TONDO? DUNOT? What if they contain hidden words? • moNTH → NTH? • JUROR → has "OR" at end • ROSE → has "ROSE" • DONUT → has "DON", "NUT", "ON", "DO" Hmm. What if they all contain a time period? • MONTH ✓ (it's a time period itself) • DONUT → no • JUROR → no • ROSE → no OH WAIT. What if each word, when you add something, becomes a different thing? What if they can all be preceded by "HONEY"? • HONEYMOON (related to MONTH?) → too loose • HONEYDEW? Actually: HONEYMOON → HONEY + MOON. Is MONTH related? What if the theme is things that follow "FULL"? • FULL MONTH? No • FULL MOON... (MONTH → MOON?) • FULL ROSE? No • FULL DONUT? No What about "CRESCENT"? • CRESCENT ROLL → DONUT? • CRESCENT MOON → MONTH? • CRESCENT ROSE? Hmm. What if they can all precede or follow "SHAPED"? Let me try a completely different angle. What if some of my assumed groups are wrong? Could MONTH be in the surveillance group instead of WATCH? FOLLOW, TRACK, MONTH, MONITOR? No, MONTH doesn't mean surveillance. Could ROSE be in the rabbit group? WHITE, TRIX, ROGER, VELVETEEN, ROSE... That's 5. No. What if PEN is not in the ink group? PEN → PENELOPE? PEN → penitentiary? Hmm, let me reconsider. What if the ink group is: PRINTER, SQUID, TATTOO MACHINE, and something else? • MONITOR (old CRT monitors had phosphor but not ink) • ROSE (rose stamp? no) I think PEN, PRINTER, SQUID, TATTOO MACHINE is still the most natural ink group. What if TRACK is not in surveillance but means something else? • TRACK → racetrack, track and field, music track What if the surveillance group is FOLLOW, WATCH, MONITOR, STALK? But STALK isn't in the list. OK here's another thought. What if some of these relate to "JUICY"? Or what if JUROR, MONTH, ROSE, DONUT can all follow "HUNG"... no I said that. What if they're all things associated with a "JURY"? • JUROR (is a juror) • But what about the others? OH! What if the category is "things that can be DISMISSED"? • A JUROR can be dismissed ✓ • A MONTH can be dismissed? No... - What if they all relate to "DUTY"? Jury DUTY, Watch DUTY (but WATCH is in another group)... Hmm. Let me think about DONUT differently. • DO + NUT • DONUT shop • Dunkin' Donuts • DONUT hole What if the theme is "things with holes"? • DONUT ✓ (has a hole) • MONTH? No • ROSE? No • JUROR? No I keep coming back to the same dead end. Let me try to think of what game shows or specific contexts might connect these: JUROR - 12 Angry Men, Jury Duty MONTH - calendar ROSE - flower, name, color DONUT - food, pastry What if they're all associated with "CHOCOLATE"? • CHOCOLATE ROSE ✓ (chocolate roses exist) • CHOCOLATE DONUT ✓ • CHOCOLATE MONTH? (Is there one?) • CHOCOLATE JUROR? No What about TV shows: • "Juror" → Jury Duty (Amazon show) • "Rose" → Golden Girls, Doctor Who • "Donut" → Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Jake's love of donuts) • "Month" → ? What if they're all things that can be "SUGAR"? • SUGAR DONUT ✓ • SUGAR ROSE ✓ (sugar rose decorations) • SUGAR MONTH? No • SUGAR JUROR? No What if they're all "FROSTED"? • FROSTED DONUT ✓ • FROSTED ROSE? • FROSTED MONTH? No What if the theme is something like "things that can be 'of the month'"? • ROSE of the month ✓ (like a subscription) • DONUT of the month ✓ (Donut of the Month club) • JUROR of the month? No What if they're all related to things in "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"? • DONUT (Jake loves donuts) ✓ • ROSA (ROSE?) ✓ (Rosa Diaz) • MONTH? • JUROR? Hmm. What about HUNG JURY? • JUROR → HUNG JURY - OK let me try yet another angle. What if some of these words have a letter pattern? MONTH - 5 letters JUROR - 5 letters ROSE - 4 letters DONUT - 5 letters That's not consistent. What if they all end in a vowel sound? • ROSE (ends in silent E, pronounced with "z" sound) • DONUT (ends in "t" sound... unless you say "donu") • JUROR (ends in "r" sound) • MONTH (ends in "th" sound) No pattern there. What if they all rhyme with something specific? MONTH → rhymes with... nothing really in English (famously hard to rhyme) JUROR → rhymes with... "furor" ROSE → rhymes with "toes, goes, shows" DONUT → rhymes with "go-nut"? Hmm. What if they all contain the name of a number? • MONTH → moNTH... no • JUROR → juROr... contains "RO"? • ROSE → ROSE... • DONUT → DO-ONE-T? What if they contain hidden words? • MONTH: MON (French for "my"), ON • JUROR: UR, OR • ROSE: I can see... ROSE contains "OS" • DONUT: ON, DO, NUT, DON, TONDO Hmm, what if they all contain a day of the week? • MONTH: MON-TH → MON (Monday) ✓? • JUROR: JUR-OR → no day • ROSE: no day • DONUT: no day What if they all contain a musical note? • MONTH: MON... no • JUROR: no • ROSE: RE? no... wait... DO RE MI FA SOL LA TI • DONUT: DO ✓ (the note "do") • MONTH: no • JUROR: no • ROSE: RE? actually in ROSE... no What if they rhyme with something that fits in a category? Or what if they're all things that can be STUFFED? • STUFFED ROSE? No • STUFFED DONUT ✓ (jelly-filled, cream-filled) • STUFFED MONTH? No • STUFFED JUROR? No What if they're all associated with "FRENCH"? • FRENCH ROSE? (Rose is common in French) • FRENCH DONUT? (Beignet is French donut) • FRENCH MONTH? No • FRENCH JUROR? No Hmm. What if they all relate to the same color? • ROSE (pink/red) • DONUT (golden/brown) • MONTH? • JUROR? What if "ROSE" here means the past tense of "RISE"? • The sun ROSE • JUROR... • MONTH... • DONUT... Hmm that doesn't help. What if they can all precede "COLORED"? • ROSE-COLORED (glasses) ✓ • DONUT-colored? • MONTH-colored? No I'm stuck on this fourth group. Let me just go with my three confident groups and the fourth will fall into place. Let me start with what I'm most confident about: Most confident: PEN, PRINTER, SQUID, TATTOO MACHINE (things that produce/use ink) Second most confident: VELVETEEN, ROGER, TRIX, WHITE (famous rabbits) Third: FOLLOW, TRACK, WATCH, MONITOR (ways to surveil) Fourth (by elimination): MONTH, JUROR, ROSE, DONUT Actually, let me reconsider once more. Is there any chance that WATCH is not in the surveillance group? "WATCH" meanings: 1. To observe/monitor ✓ 2. A timepiece ✓ (pocket watch, wristwatch) 3. WATCHMEN (DC) 4. Night watch What if WATCH relates to... timepieces? • WATCH (wristwatch) • MONTH (measure of time) • DONUT... no What if they're all things associated with a particular character or show? Actually! What if the group is "things Doctor Who related"? • ROSE (Rose Tyler, companion) ✓ • WATCH (the Doctor's sonic screwdriver? No...) • MONTH? No • DONUT? No What if ROSE and some others are companions of Doctor Who? • ROSE Tyler ✓ • DONNA Noble? → DONUT has "DON" in it... • MARTHA? → MONTH has "M"... No this is too forced OK what if they're all "___ GARDEN"? • ROSE GARDEN ✓ • BEER GARDEN → no BEER • ZEN GARDEN? - What if they can all precede "WATER"? • ROSEWATER ✓ • DONUT water? No Hmm. What if they're all things in a specific idiom or expression? "Every ROSE has its thorn" - Poison song "A MONTH of Sundays" - idiom "DONUT hole" "JUROR duty" → "JURY duty" Hmm, what if they can all follow "GRAND"? • GRAND JURY (not JUROR exactly...) • GRAND ROSE? No • GRAND MONTH? No • GRAND DONUT? No What if they can all follow "MOCK"? • MOCK JURY (JUROR?) • MOCK ROSE? No - I wonder if the connection is that they all can be preceded by "HUNG"? • Hung JURY (JUROR → jury) • Hung ROSE? • Hung... What about "___ RING": • DONUT RING ✓ • ROSE RING? Hmm... "RING AROUND THE ROSIE" • BOXING RING • MONTH... no What about "RING" → things that are ring-shaped? • DONUT ✓ • ROSE (when viewed from above?) No • MONTH? No • JUROR? No What if they're all "DUNNO HOW CONNECTED" things that are associated with Homer Simpson? • DONUT ✓ (Homer loves donuts) • JUROR (Homer is a juror in an episode) ✓ • ROSE? (Homer gives roses?) • MONTH? What if they all relate to specific Simpsons episodes? Actually, I just thought of something. What if they can all precede or follow "DUTY"? Actually what if the connection is "___ POOL"? • JUROR → JURY POOL ✓ • ROSE → ROSE pool? • MONTH → MONTH pool? (dead pool - betting on when someone dies?) • DONUT → DONUT pool? No Hmm. What about "___ DUTY"? • JURY DUTY (JUROR) ✓ - What about "things that come in dozens"? • DONUTS (a dozen donuts) ✓ • ROSES (a dozen roses) ✓ • JURORS... 12 jurors! ✓ • MONTHS: 12 months! ✓ OH WOW. That could be it! Things that come in groups of 12: • DONUT (a dozen = 12) ✓ • ROSE (a dozen roses = 12) ✓ • JUROR (12 jurors on a jury) ✓ • MONTH (12 months in a year) ✓ That's brilliant! The connection is "things that come in groups of 12." So the four groups would be: 1. PEN, PRINTER, SQUID, TATTOO MACHINE (things that produce ink) 2. VELVETEEN, ROGER, TRIX, WHITE (famous rabbits) 3. FOLLOW, TRACK, WATCH, MONITOR (surveillance synonyms) 4. DONUT, ROSE, JUROR, MONTH (things that come in 12) This makes perfect sense! Let me start with the one I'm most confident about. Actually, I'm very confident about all four now. Let me rank them: 1. Ink producers: PEN, PRINTER, SQUID, TATTOO MACHINE - very confident 2. Famous rabbits: VELVETEEN, ROGER, TRIX, WHITE - very confident 3. Comes in 12: DONUT, ROSE, JUROR, MONTH - very confident (now) 4. Surveillance: FOLLOW, TRACK, WATCH, MONITOR - very confident Let me start with the ink producers since that seems cleanest. Wait, I should double-check: does a PEN produce ink? Yes, a pen writes with ink. ✓ Does a PRINTER use ink? Yes. ✓ Does a SQUID produce ink? Yes, squid ink. ✓ Does a TATTOO MACHINE use ink? Yes, tattoo ink. ✓ And famous rabbits: • VELVETEEN Rabbit ✓ (children's book) • ROGER Rabbit ✓ (Who Framed Roger Rabbit) • TRIX ✓ (Trix cereal rabbit, "Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids!") • WHITE Rabbit ✓ (Alice in Wonderland, Jefferson Airplane song) And comes in 12: • A dozen DONUTS ✓ • A dozen ROSES ✓ • 12 JURORS ✓ (a jury has 12 members) • 12 MONTHS ✓ (in a year) And surveillance/track: • FOLLOW ✓ • TRACK ✓ • WATCH ✓ • MONITOR ✓ I'll start with ink producers.

Great! Now the remaining words are: FOLLOW, MONTH, WHITE, TRIX, JUROR, VELVETEEN, ROSE, WATCH, DONUT, TRACK, ROGER, MONITOR My remaining groups: 1. Famous rabbits: VELVETEEN, ROGER, TRIX, WHITE 2. Surveillance: FOLLOW, TRACK, WATCH, MONITOR 3. Come in 12: MONTH, JUROR, ROSE, DONUT Let me go with famous rabbits next.

Remaining words: FOLLOW, MONTH, JUROR, ROSE, WATCH, DONUT, TRACK, MONITOR My remaining groups: 1. Surveillance: FOLLOW, TRACK, WATCH, MONITOR 2. Come in 12: MONTH, JUROR, ROSE, DONUT Let me go with the surveillance group next.

The last four words must be: MONTH, JUROR, ROSE, DONUT These all come in groups of 12: • 12 MONTHS in a year • 12 JURORS on a jury • A dozen ROSES • A dozen DONUTS

Let me analyze these 16 words and find four groups of 4 related words. Words: FICTION, COCO, HEAD, GREEN, BROWN, PEA, CHEST, CHAIR, GROUNDS, FIELD, DIRECTOR, CHIEF, LAWN, DOGS, HAZEL, UNCHAINED Let me think about possible categories: 1. Shades of brown/eye colors: HAZEL, GREEN, BROWN, COCO? These are eye colors. HAZEL, GREEN, BROWN are eye colors. What else? BLUE isn't here... 2. "Django ___": Django Unchained... Django is a movie. Let me think differently. 3. Quentin Tarantino movies: FICTION (Pulp Fiction), UNCHAINED (Django Unchained), DOGS (Reservoir Dogs), ... what else? BROWN (Mr. Brown from Reservoir Dogs?), HEAD? Wait - Tarantino movies: Pulp FICTION, Reservoir DOGS, Django UNCHAINED, COCO? No... Tarantino films: Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Django Unchained, Kill Bill, Inglourious Basterds, Jackie Brown... BROWN could be Jackie Brown! So FICTION, DOGS, UNCHAINED, BROWN = Tarantino movies (second words: Pulp FICTION, Reservoir DOGS, Django UNCHAINED, Jackie BROWN) 4. Eye colors: HAZEL, GREEN, COCO? PEA? Eye colors: HAZEL, GREEN, BROWN (but Brown might be taken), BLUE... Hmm, if BROWN is in Tarantino, then eye colors might be HAZEL, GREEN, and two others. 5. ___ coat: PEA coat, GREEN coat? 6. "___" + something: • HEAD: figurehead, deadhead... • CHAIR: chairman, armchair... • CHIEF: chief... • DIRECTOR: director... Wait - these could all be leadership titles: HEAD, CHAIR, CHIEF, DIRECTOR - all can mean leader/boss! 7. Coffee grounds: GROUNDS, FIELD, ... 8. Coffee related: GROUNDS, COCO (cocoa?), ... 9. Lawn ___: LAWN CHAIR, LAWN MOWER... 10. ___ Green: Soylent Green, Bowling Green... Let me reconsider. Leadership/authority words: HEAD, CHAIR, CHIEF, DIRECTOR - these all mean someone in charge! Tarantino movies (part of title): FICTION (Pulp Fiction), DOGS (Reservoir Dogs), UNCHAINED (Django Unchained), BROWN (Jackie Brown) Now with remaining words: COCO, GREEN, PEA, CHEST, GROUNDS, FIELD, LAWN, HAZEL Eye colors: GREEN, HAZEL, BROWN (taken?), ... Pixar/Disney movies: COCO, ... Wait: COCO (Pixar), UP, BRAVE... "___ coat": PEA coat, GREEN coat?, CHEST coat? No. Types of green: PEA green, LAWN green... Shades of green: PEA (pea green), LAWN (lawn green), HAZEL (hazel is greenish-brown), COCO? Coffee: GROUNDS (coffee grounds), FIELD (coffee field?), ... Treasure chest, chest of drawers: CHEST... ___ field: GREENFIELD, ... Burial grounds, hunting grounds: GROUNDS... Hmm, let me think about "___ green": • PEA green • LAWN green • HAZEL green? (hazel eyes are green/brown) • FIELD green? • COCO green? No. Wait - what about "Bowling ___": Bowling Green, Bowling Alley... Soylent ___, Bowling ___... Let me think about CHEST: treasure chest, chest hair, chest of drawers... "___" + NUT: CHEST + NUT = CHESTNUT, COCO + NUT = COCONUT, HAZEL + NUT = HAZELNUT, GROUND + NUT = GROUNDNUT! Yes! Nuts: CHESTNUT, COCONUT, HAZELNUT, GROUNDNUT! So: CHEST, COCO, HAZEL, GROUNDS → ___ NUT That's a great category! Now remaining: FICTION, GREEN, BROWN, PEA, CHAIR, FIELD, DIRECTOR, CHIEF, LAWN, DOGS, HEAD, UNCHAINED Leadership: HEAD, CHAIR, CHIEF, DIRECTOR ✓ Tarantino: FICTION, BROWN, DOGS, UNCHAINED ✓ Remaining: GREEN, PEA, FIELD, LAWN These are all types of green? Or related to grass/outdoor spaces? • PEA (green) • LAWN (green) • FIELD (green) • GREEN (bowling green?) Or "___ green": PEA green, LAWN green, FIELD green... and GREEN itself? Or these could all precede or follow a word: • BOWLING: Bowling Green, Bowling... • These could all be types of outdoor spaces: LAWN, FIELD, GREEN (village green), PEA (pea field?) Actually, GREEN, LAWN, FIELD, PEA could all relate to... Or maybe they all precede "coat": PEA coat... no. Village GREEN, bowling GREEN, LAWN tennis, FIELD hockey... Wait - "SOYLENT GREEN", "BOWLING GREEN", "PEA GREEN"... What if they all go with another word? Like "___ jacket"? • GREEN jacket (Masters) • PEA jacket (peacoat) • FIELD jacket • LAWN... no Or "___s": GREENS, PEAS, FIELDS, LAWNS - vegetables/plants? Actually PEA, LAWN, FIELD, GREEN - could these all precede or follow "green"? • PEA green ✓ • LAWN green ✓ • FIELD green? • GREEN green? No Hmm, what about they're all types of green spaces/areas: • LAWN (grassy area) • FIELD (open area) • GREEN (village green) • PEA... not really Or they could all follow "bowling": • Bowling GREEN ✓ • Bowling... FIELD? No Let me think differently. They might all be "___ jacket": • GREEN jacket • FIELD jacket • PEA jacket (pea coat/jacket) • LAWN... no Or they complete a phrase with a color: • SOYLENT GREEN • PEA GREEN • BOWLING GREEN • LAWN GREEN (as in a shade?) Actually, I think the category might simply be "shades of green" or "types of green": • PEA green (a shade) • LAWN green (a shade) • FIELD green (a shade?) • BOWLING green? Or LINCOLN: Lincoln GREEN, Lincoln Memorial... Hmm, what if they're all "___ tennis"? No, only LAWN tennis... Let me try: they could all precede "CHAIR": • GREEN chair? • FIELD chair? • No... What about words that can follow "BOWLING": • Bowling GREEN ✓ • Bowling ALLEY... Hmm, I'm most confident about: 1. CHEST, COCO, HAZEL, GROUNDS → ___NUT 2. HEAD, CHAIR, CHIEF, DIRECTOR → leaders/in charge 3. FICTION, BROWN, DOGS, UNCHAINED → Tarantino films (Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Reservoir Dogs, Django Unchained) 4. GREEN, PEA, FIELD, LAWN → ??? (remaining) For group 4, maybe they all relate to a specific type of something... Actually wait - could they all precede or follow "DAY"? • GREEN Day (band) ✓ • FIELD Day ✓ • LAWN Day? No • PEA Day? No Or "___ MOWER"? LAWN mower... only one. What if they're all types of areas you might find at a sporting venue or park? • GREEN (golf green, bowling green) • FIELD • LAWN • PEA... Hmm, PEA is the odd one. Unless it's "PEA FIELD"? Let me reconsider. What if one of my assumed categories is wrong? What if LAWN goes with leadership? LAWN CHAIR → no, that doesn't make sense. What if GREEN is in the Tarantino category instead? Like... "Green Room"? That's not Tarantino. Or what if FIELD is a leader? Like FIELD marshal? What if the leadership category is: HEAD, CHIEF, DIRECTOR, FIELD (field commander?)? No, CHAIR is clearer. Let me think about the fourth group differently with PEA, LAWN, GREEN, FIELD: Could they all be types of COAT? • PEA COAT ✓ • GREEN COAT? (Greencoat?) • FIELD COAT? • LAWN... no What about "___ PARTY"? • GREEN PARTY ✓ • FIELD PARTY? • LAWN PARTY? • PEA PARTY? No What about "LINCOLN ___"? • LINCOLN GREEN ✓ • LINCOLN FIELD? (Lincoln Field in Philadelphia - Lincoln Financial Field) • LINCOLN CENTER? • No... Hmm, what about they all can follow "BOWLING"? BOWLING GREEN... only one. What about they're all types/shades: I'll go with GREEN, PEA, FIELD, LAWN as "shades of green" or "types of green spaces." Actually, maybe they all precede "HOCKEY": • FIELD HOCKEY ✓ • LAWN HOCKEY? (there's a sport) • GREEN? • PEA? No Or they follow "PUTTING": • PUTTING GREEN ✓ • PUTTING FIELD? No I think: GREEN, PEA, FIELD, LAWN might all be types of spaces or shades, and I'm just going to go with this as the remaining group. My order of confidence: 1. CHEST, COCO, HAZEL, GROUNDS (___NUT) - very confident 2. HEAD, CHAIR, CHIEF, DIRECTOR (leader/boss) - very confident 3. FICTION, BROWN, DOGS, UNCHAINED (Tarantino films) - very confident 4. GREEN, PEA, FIELD, LAWN (remaining) - must be correct if others are right Let me start with the most confident: ___NUT category. Wait, actually let me reconsider GROUNDS. "Groundnut" is another word for peanut. And GROUNDS can also mean "coffee grounds" or "burial grounds." But GROUNDNUT works. CHEST + NUT = CHESTNUT ✓ COCO + NUT = COCONUT ✓ HAZEL + NUT = HAZELNUT ✓ GROUND + NUT = GROUNDNUT ✓ (but the word is GROUNDS, not GROUND) Hmm, wait - the word is GROUNDS, not GROUND. Would GROUNDS + NUT work? That's GROUNDSNUT which isn't a word. Let me reconsider. Maybe it's not GROUNDS for the nut category. What about: CHEST, COCO, HAZEL, and... PEA? • PEANUT ✓ (PEA + NUT) • CHESTNUT ✓ • COCONUT ✓ • HAZELNUT ✓ Yes! PEA + NUT = PEANUT! That makes much more sense! So the ___NUT group is: CHEST, COCO, HAZEL, PEA Then GROUNDS is freed up. Now what does GROUNDS go with? Remaining after removing leadership (HEAD, CHAIR, CHIEF, DIRECTOR) and Tarantino (FICTION, BROWN, DOGS, UNCHAINED) and nuts (CHEST, COCO, HAZEL, PEA): GREEN, GROUNDS, FIELD, LAWN These could be: • Types of outdoor grassy areas (bowling green, grounds, field, lawn) ✓ • GROUNDS as in grounds of a property Actually this makes perfect sense! GREEN (village green/bowling green), GROUNDS (estate grounds), FIELD, LAWN - all types of outdoor grassy areas or open spaces! Or they could all precede/follow a specific word... Let me check: could they all follow "HUNTING"? • HUNTING GROUNDS ✓ • HUNTING FIELD? • HUNTING GREEN? (hunting green is a color) • HUNTING LAWN? No Or they could all precede "WORK"? • GROUNDWORK ✓ • FIELDWORK ✓ • FRAMEWORK? No... • LAWN WORK? • GREEN WORK? No Or they could all follow "BATTLE"? • BATTLEGROUND ✓ (BATTLE + GROUNDS?) • BATTLEFIELD ✓ • BATTLE GREEN? • BATTLE LAWN? No Hmm, "___ WORK": GROUNDWORK, FIELDWORK... Or maybe they can all follow "CAMP": • CAMPGROUND ✓ (CAMP + GROUNDS?) • CAMP GREEN? • CAMPFIELD? No • CAMP LAWN? No Or precede "S": GREENS, GROUNDS, FIELDS, LAWNS - all plural outdoor spaces. Actually, I think GREEN, GROUNDS, FIELD, LAWN are all outdoor grassy areas/spaces, which makes sense as a category. Let me finalize my groups: 1. CHEST, COCO, HAZEL, PEA → ___NUT (chestnut, coconut, hazelnut, peanut) 2. HEAD, CHAIR, CHIEF, DIRECTOR → leadership titles / words meaning boss 3. FICTION, BROWN, DOGS, UNCHAINED → Tarantino films (Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Reservoir Dogs, Django Unchained) 4. GREEN, GROUNDS, FIELD, LAWN → outdoor grassy areas I'll start with the ___NUT category as I'm very confident about it.

The ___NUT group was correct. Now remaining words are: FICTION, HEAD, GREEN, BROWN, CHAIR, GROUNDS, FIELD, DIRECTOR, CHIEF, LAWN, DOGS, UNCHAINED My remaining groups: 1. Tarantino films: FICTION, BROWN, DOGS, UNCHAINED 2. Leadership titles: HEAD, CHAIR, CHIEF, DIRECTOR 3. Outdoor grassy spaces: GREEN, GROUNDS, FIELD, LAWN I'm very confident about the Tarantino films group. Let me go with that next.

Two down, two to go. Remaining words: HEAD, GREEN, CHAIR, GROUNDS, FIELD, DIRECTOR, CHIEF, LAWN My remaining groups: 1. Leadership titles: HEAD, CHAIR, CHIEF, DIRECTOR 2. Outdoor grassy spaces: GREEN, GROUNDS, FIELD, LAWN I'm very confident about both. Let me go with leadership titles next.

The last four must be: GREEN, GROUNDS, FIELD, LAWN - all outdoor grassy spaces.

Let me analyze these 16 words carefully: MICROWAVE, TENDER, STOVETOP, SWEET, FRITTER, POPPER, TRIFLE, FIN, THROW, WARM, WING, FIDDLE, FLIPPER, KIND, KETTLE, ARM Let me think about possible categories: 1. Ways to cook/heat food: MICROWAVE, STOVETOP, KETTLE... WARM? These are cooking methods or kitchen appliances. 2. Corn ___: Corn POPPER, Corn FRITTER, Corn... hmm. Or ___ CORN: KETTLE corn, SWEET corn, POPCORN... - KETTLE corn, SWEET corn, POPCORN... - Wait: KETTLE (kettle corn), SWEET (sweet corn), POP (popcorn)... 3. ___ CORN: KETTLE corn, SWEET corn, POP corn... CANDY corn... - Words that precede CORN: KETTLE, SWEET, POP(per?), UNICORN? 4. Appendages/Limbs: FIN, FLIPPER, ARM, WING - these are all limbs/appendages of animals/creatures! 5. "___ with": FIDDLE with, TRIFLE with, WARM... 6. Waste time / not take seriously: FIDDLE (fiddle around), TRIFLE (trifle with), FRITTER (fritter away)... 7. Waste/squander: FRITTER away, TRIFLE with, FIDDLE around... THROW away? 8. ___ away: FRITTER away, THROW away, FIDDLE... 9. Gentle/Nice synonyms: TENDER, SWEET, WARM, KIND - these are all synonyms for gentle/kind/nice! 10. Cooking appliances: MICROWAVE, STOVETOP, KETTLE... Let me reconsider: Synonyms for KIND/GENTLE: TENDER, SWEET, WARM, KIND • That's 4 words that mean kind/gentle/loving Animal appendages/limbs: FIN, FLIPPER, ARM, WING • FIN (fish), FLIPPER (dolphin/seal), ARM (human/monkey), WING (bird/bat) • These are all limbs/appendages Waste time / ___ away: FRITTER, FIDDLE, TRIFLE, THROW • FRITTER away, FIDDLE around, TRIFLE with, THROW away • Hmm, but "THROW away" means to discard, while the others mean to waste time Wait, let me think about "IDLE" synonyms or "waste time": • FRITTER (away time), FIDDLE (around), TRIFLE (with)... What about ___ around: FIDDLE around, MESS around... Cooking methods: MICROWAVE, STOVETOP, KETTLE, POPPER • MICROWAVE (appliance), STOVETOP (method), KETTLE (appliance), POPPER (jalapeño popper? or popcorn popper?) Actually wait - CORN ___ or ___ CORN: • KETTLE corn • SWEET corn • POPCORN (POPPER?) • STOVETOP? No... Or JALAPEÑO ___: POPPER (jalapeño popper) Let me think about "Candy ___": Candy CORN, Candy BAR... What about things that go with CORN: • KETTLE corn • SWEET corn • TENDER corn? No • POPCORN Hmm, let me think about ___ CORN: • KETTLE + CORN = kettle corn ✓ • SWEET + CORN = sweet corn ✓ • MICRO + WAVE? No... • POPPER → POPCORN? Wait - POP___ or ___CORN: • POPCORN... POPPER could relate to popcorn What about STOVETOP? That's a brand name for stuffing. Let me reconsider. The categories might be: 1. Synonyms for GENTLE/KIND: TENDER, SWEET, WARM, KIND 2. Animal limbs/flippers: FIN, FLIPPER, ARM, WING 3. Waste time (verbs): FRITTER, FIDDLE, TRIFLE, ... THROW? or MICROWAVE? 4. Cooking related: MICROWAVE, STOVETOP, KETTLE, POPPER Actually for #3 - words meaning to waste/idle: • FRITTER (away) • FIDDLE (around/with) • TRIFLE (with) • THROW? Hmm... Or maybe: • FRITTER, FIDDLE, TRIFLE, WARM - "warm up" doesn't fit this pattern Wait - ___ AWAY: • THROW away ✓ • FRITTER away ✓ • GIVE away... What about Chicken ___: • Chicken WING ✓ • Chicken TENDER ✓ • Chicken POPPER? (jalapeño popper has chicken sometimes) • Chicken FINGER? • Chicken KETTLE? No, but CHICKEN KETTLE PIE? No... • Chicken MICROWAVE? No • Chicken FRITTER ✓ (chicken fritter) • Chicken ARM? No • Chicken FLIPPER? No Hmm, CHICKEN ___: • WING, TENDER, FRITTER... what else? • STOVETOP chicken? • Chicken TRIFLE? No Or maybe ___ CHICKEN: • STOVETOP chicken? No • WARM chicken? No Let me think differently. What if the cooking words are the red herrings? POPCORN related: MICROWAVE (microwave popcorn), KETTLE (kettle popcorn/corn), STOVETOP (stovetop popcorn), POPPER (popcorn popper) • These could all relate to making popcorn! So: 1. Ways to make popcorn: MICROWAVE, KETTLE, STOVETOP, POPPER 2. Synonyms for KIND: TENDER, SWEET, WARM, KIND 3. Animal appendages: FIN, FLIPPER, ARM, WING 4. Waste time / squander: FRITTER, FIDDLE, TRIFLE, THROW For #4, "THROW" doesn't quite fit "waste time." Let me reconsider... Actually: • FRITTER (to fritter away = waste) • FIDDLE (to fiddle around = waste time) • TRIFLE (to trifle with = treat without seriousness) • THROW? Or maybe THROW fits with something else. What about WING - could go in either "appendages" OR "to wing it" meaning to improvise. Hmm, but if WING is in category 3 (waste time/improvise), then what's the 4th appendage? Let me reconsider category 4. Could it be: • FRITTER, FIDDLE, TRIFLE, DOODLE? No DOODLE isn't here. • FRITTER, FIDDLE, TRIFLE, WARM? "Warm up" doesn't mean waste time. Actually, thinking about "to ___ with/around": • FIDDLE with • TRIFLE with • FRITTER away • THROW? Or maybe the category is "to treat casually/not seriously": • TRIFLE, FIDDLE, FRITTER... What if THROW is in the "appendages" category? No, THROW isn't an appendage. Wait - what about FLIPPER? It could be a TV show, or a pinball machine part, or a cooking spatula... ARM - could be ARM of a chair, or ARM as in weapons... What about ___ BAND: ARM band, WING... no. Let me go back to my strongest categories: 1. Popcorn methods: MICROWAVE, KETTLE, STOVETOP, POPPER - very strong 2. Gentle/Kind synonyms: TENDER, SWEET, WARM, KIND - very strong 3. Animal appendages: FIN, FLIPPER, ARM, WING - strong 4. Waste/idle: FRITTER, FIDDLE, TRIFLE, THROW - moderately strong These 16 words exactly partition into 4 groups of 4 if my analysis is correct. Let me verify: • Group 1: MICROWAVE, KETTLE, STOVETOP, POPPER (4 words) ✓ • Group 2: TENDER, SWEET, WARM, KIND (4 words) ✓ • Group 3: FIN, FLIPPER, ARM, WING (4 words) ✓ • Group 4: FRITTER, FIDDLE, TRIFLE, THROW (4 words) ✓ Total: 16 ✓ For group 4, what's the common theme? • FRITTER away time • FIDDLE around / fiddle with • TRIFLE with • THROW away Or maybe they all mean something else. "THROW" could mean to confuse/confound... Or wait - could they all follow a word? Like "AWAY": THROW away, FRITTER away... TRIFLE away (to trifle away time), FIDDLE away (to fiddle away time)? Yes! You can "fiddle away" time and "trifle away" time too. So they might all mean "waste (time/money)" when followed by AWAY. Or maybe they precede something? Actually I'm overanalyzing group 4. The connection could simply be "to waste time" or "to mess around" - all four have that connotation: • FRITTER (away): to waste gradually • FIDDLE: to mess around aimlessly • TRIFLE (with): to deal with lightly/carelessly • THROW (away): to waste/squander Or another angle: AWAY - THROW away, FRITTER away, TRIFLE away, FIDDLE away? Actually "fiddle away" and "trifle away" are valid but less common. I'm fairly confident in my groupings. Let me start with the one I'm most confident about. Most confident: TENDER, SWEET, WARM, KIND (synonyms for gentle/kind) Second most confident: FIN, FLIPPER, ARM, WING (animal appendages/limbs) Third: MICROWAVE, KETTLE, STOVETOP, POPPER (popcorn methods) Let me start with TENDER, SWEET, WARM, KIND. Wait - one concern: TENDER could be "chicken tender" and WING is "chicken wing" - could there be a "chicken parts" category? • WING, TENDER... what else? FLIPPER? ARM? No... • TENDER and WING are chicken parts but I don't see 2 more chicken parts in the list. Another concern: SWEET could relate to food (sweet corn), and WARM could mean to heat up food... but I think the KIND/gentle meaning is the primary connection for all four. Actually, let me double-check THROW in group 4: • If THROW is not in group 4, what replaces it? • Could THROW be an appendage? No. • Could THROW be related to popcorn? No. • Could THROW be related to kindness? No. So THROW must be in group 4. And the connection... Oh wait! What if the connection is "___ pillow"? No, that's just THROW pillow. What about "TICKLE ___"? No... What about these being things you can do to a party? THROW a party, WING a party... Or AWAY: THROW away, FRITTER away, TRIFLE away, FIDDLE away - all mean to waste? Actually, I think the connection might be: words meaning to waste or squander: • FRITTER (away) = to waste • THROW (away) = to discard/waste • TRIFLE (with) = to treat carelessly • FIDDLE (around/with) = to waste time Or more specifically, they all can precede "AWAY" to mean waste: • THROW away ✓ (very common) • FRITTER away ✓ (very common) • TRIFLE away ✓ (less common but valid) • FIDDLE away ✓ (fiddle away time/money - valid) I'll go with my analysis. Starting with the most confident guess. Actually, I want to reconsider one more time. Is there any overlap issue? • WARM: could "warm" be a cooking method? Like "warm up" food? But MICROWAVE, STOVETOP, KETTLE, POPPER already fill the cooking/popcorn category. • SWEET: could "sweet" relate to corn? SWEET corn, KETTLE corn... but if SWEET is in the corn category, what replaces it in the kind/gentle category? Nothing fits well. • TENDER: could relate to "legal tender" (money) or "tender" as a boat... but in context of these words, KIND seems most natural. • WING: could "wing it" mean to improvise/waste time? Hmm, "winging it" means to improvise, not necessarily waste time. I'll stick with my four groups. Starting with KIND, SWEET, WARM, TENDER.

Great! Now the remaining 12 words are: MICROWAVE, STOVETOP, FRITTER, POPPER, TRIFLE, FIN, THROW, WING, FIDDLE, FLIPPER, KETTLE, ARM My remaining categories: 1. Animal appendages/limbs: FIN, FLIPPER, ARM, WING 2. Ways to make popcorn: MICROWAVE, KETTLE, STOVETOP, POPPER 3. Waste time/squander: FRITTER, FIDDLE, TRIFLE, THROW Let me go with animal appendages next - FIN, FLIPPER, ARM, WING.

Excellent! Now the remaining 8 words are: MICROWAVE, STOVETOP, FRITTER, POPPER, TRIFLE, THROW, FIDDLE, KETTLE My remaining categories: 1. Ways to make popcorn: MICROWAVE, KETTLE, STOVETOP, POPPER 2. Waste time/squander (___ away): FRITTER, FIDDLE, TRIFLE, THROW Let me go with popcorn methods next.

The last four words must be: FRITTER, TRIFLE, THROW, FIDDLE These all mean to waste (fritter away, trifle away, throw away, fiddle away).

Let me analyze these 16 words and find 4 groups of 4 related words. Words: SWIPE, LOAF, BOOTH, COUNTER, VEG, ALE, HIVE, BAR, PINCH, LOUNGE, TAP, CHILL, TABLE, EEK, SCROLL, QUASH Let me think about possible categories: 1. Pub/Bar related: ALE, BAR, TAP, COUNTER, BOOTH, LOUNGE, TABLE - too many 2. Bee-related: HIVE, SWARM... HIVE is bee-related. What else? - HIVE (beehive) - QUASH? No... - Actually, let me think of "___ mind" - HIVE mind 3. Suppress/Crush synonyms: QUASH, SQUASH... COUNTER, BAR, PINCH, SWIPE... - QUASH = suppress - COUNTER = counteract - BAR = prevent - PINCH = ? 4. Do nothing/Relax: LOAF, VEG, CHILL, LOUNGE - these all mean to relax/be lazy! - LOAF (around) = be lazy - VEG (out) = relax - CHILL (out) = relax - LOUNGE = lounge around 5. Phone gestures: SWIPE, TAP, SCROLL, PINCH - these are all touchscreen gestures! - SWIPE - TAP - SCROLL - PINCH 6. Pub features: BOOTH, COUNTER, BAR, TABLE, ALE, TAP, LOUNGE - Pub things: BOOTH, COUNTER, BAR, TABLE, ALE, TAP, LOUNGE 7. Suppress: QUASH, BAR, COUNTER, EEK? - Wait, EEK is an exclamation of surprise 8. Let me reconsider with the phone gestures group (SWIPE, TAP, SCROLL, PINCH) and relax group (LOAF, VEG, CHILL, LOUNGE): Remaining: BOOTH, COUNTER, ALE, HIVE, BAR, TABLE, EEK, QUASH 9. ___ activity/mind: HIVE... 10. Things in a pub: BOOTH, COUNTER, BAR, TABLE, ALE, TAP - still too many 11. EEK: This is interesting. EEK sounds like "eke" - or it's a squeak/exclamation. 12. Anagram or wordplay? - EEK = anagram of... - QUASH sounds like squash - ALE sounds like... 13. Wait - words that sound like other words with a letter added or removed? - EEK → SEEK, GEEK, REEK, PEEK, WEEK - HIVE → SHIVE, THRIVE? - ALE → TALE, BALE, SALE, PALE, MALE, VALE, DALE 14. Words that become new words with "S" added to front? - WIPE → SWIPE (S + WIPE) - HIVE → wait, SHIVE? - ALE → SALE - EEK → SEEK (no S added to front works...) - QUASH → SQUASH (S + QUASH) - TABLE → STABLE (S + TABLE) - COUNTER → SCOUNTER? No - CHILL → SCHILL? No - LOAF → SLOAF? No - BOOTH → SBOOTH? No - TAP → STRAP? No, S+TAP = STAP? No - HIVE → SHIVE? Not really a word - EEK → SEEK? No, that's S + EEK = SEEK! Yes! - SCROLL → SCROLL already has SCR - WIPE → SWIPE ✓ - QUASH → SQUASH ✓ - TABLE → STABLE ✓ - EEK → SEEK? S+EEK = SEEK ✓ - CHILL → SCHILL? No - ALE → SALE ✓ - LOAF → SLOAF? No - COUNTER → SCOUNTER? No - PINCH → SPINACH! S + PINCH = SPINACH? Hmm, not exactly - HIVE → SHIVE? - LOUNGE → SCLOUNGE? No - TAP → STRAP? No - BAR → SBAR? No - BOOTH → No - SCROLL → S + CROLL? - VEG → SVEG? No Wait, S + QUASH = SQUASH ✓ S + TABLE = STABLE ✓ S + WIPE = SWIPE... but SWIPE is already in the list S + EEK = SEEK? Hmm S + ALE = SALE ✓ S + CHILL = SCHILL? No S + PINCH = SPINCH? No S + HIVE = SHIVE? Not common S + LOUNGE = SLOUNGE? No S + TAP = STAP? No S + COUNTER = SCOUNTER? No S + CROLL = SCROLL ✓ - but SCROLL is in the list! S + WIPE = SWIPE ✓ - but SWIPE is in the list! Hmm, maybe the pattern is different. 15. Words that have a vegetable hidden or anagrammed? - LOAF → - QUASH → SQUASH (vegetable!) - EEK → LEEK! (L+EEK = LEEK) - that's a vegetable - HIVE → ? CHIVE! (CH+IVE = CHIVE, or C+HIVE = CHIVE) - that's a herb/vegetable - ALE → KALE! (K+ALE = KALE) - that's a vegetable - PINCH → SPINACH! (SP+INCH = SPINACH? No... SPIN+ACH... wait, S+PINCH = SPINACH? S-P-I-N-C-H vs S-P-I-N-A-C-H... hmm, not quite) - Actually: SPINACH = S-P-I-N-A-C-H, PINCH = P-I-N-C-H. Not exact. - LOUNGE → ? - COUNTER → ? - TAP → TURNIP? No. PARSNIP? No. - BOOTH → ? - CHILL → CHILLI! (CHILL+I = CHILLI) - that's a vegetable/pepper! - SCROLL → ? - SWIPE → ? - BAR → ? - VEG → vegetable itself So we have: QUASH → SQUASH, EEK → LEEK, HIVE → CHIVE, ALE → KALE, CHILL → CHILLI That's 5 words that become vegetables by adding letters to the front! Let me check: - QUASH: S + QUASH = SQUASH ✓ - EEK: L + EEK = LEEK ✓ - HIVE: C + HIVE = CHIVE ✓ - ALE: K + ALE = KALE ✓ - CHILL: I + CHILL = ICHILLI? No... CHILLI = CHILL + I, so it's adding to the end? Or CHILLI contains CHILL Hmm, 5 is too many. Let me reconsider. Actually wait: - SWIPE: contains a vegetable? S-W-I-P-E... no - Maybe the pattern is "vegetables with first letter(s) removed": - SQUASH → QUASH (remove S) - LEEK → EEK (remove L) - CHIVE → HIVE (remove CH) - KALE → ALE (remove K) - CHILLI → HILLI? No... So QUASH, EEK, HIVE, ALE seem to be vegetables minus first letter(s). CHILL could be CHILL → CHILLI (add I). That doesn't fit the same pattern. Actually, the category might be "vegetables with the first letter removed" and CHILL is not part of it. 16. Let me reconsider. The groups might be: Group A - Relax/Do nothing: LOAF, VEG, CHILL, LOUNGE Group B - Touchscreen gestures: SWIPE, TAP, SCROLL, PINCH Group C - Vegetables minus first letter: QUASH (squash), EEK (leek), HIVE (chive), ALE (kale) Group D - Pub/bar related: BOOTH, COUNTER, BAR, TABLE Let me verify Group D - pub features: BOOTH (seating area), COUNTER (bar counter), BAR (the bar itself), TABLE (table to sit at). These all make sense as pub furniture/features. This seems very clean! Let me verify each: A: LOAF (loaf around = be lazy), VEG (veg out = relax), CHILL (chill out = relax), LOUNGE (lounge around = relax) ✓ B: SWIPE (swipe on phone), TAP (tap on screen), SCROLL (scroll on screen), PINCH (pinch to zoom) ✓ C: QUASH → SQUASH, EEK → LEEK, HIVE → CHIVE, ALE → KALE ✓ D: BOOTH, COUNTER, BAR, TABLE - pub things ✓ But wait - TAP could also be pub-related (tap for draft beer)! And BAR is very bar/pub related. Let me make sure TAP goes with phone gestures, not pub. Also COUNTER could mean "to counter" something, and BAR could mean "to bar" someone... But I think the cleanest grouping is: - Phone gestures: SWIPE, TAP, SCROLL, PINCH - Relax: LOAF, VEG, CHILL, LOUNGE - Vegetables minus first letter: QUASH, EEK, HIVE, ALE - Pub furniture: BOOTH, COUNTER, BAR, TABLE I'm most confident about the vegetables group (QUASH, EEK, HIVE, ALE) and the relax group (LOAF, VEG, CHILL, LOUNGE). Let me start with the vegetables group since it's the most distinctive/tricky connection. Actually, let me double-check: - SQUASH: SQUASH → remove S → QUASH ✓ - LEEK: LEEK → remove L → EEK ✓ - CHIVE: CHIVE → remove CH → IVE? No wait, CHIVE → remove C → HIVE ✓ - KALE: KALE → remove K → ALE ✓ Yes! Remove first letter(s) from a vegetable. I'm very confident about this. Let me start with the vegetable group.

The vegetable group was correct. Now I have 12 words remaining: SWIPE, LOAF, BOOTH, COUNTER, VEG, BAR, PINCH, LOUNGE, TAP, CHILL, TABLE, SCROLL My remaining groups: • Relax/be lazy: LOAF, VEG, CHILL, LOUNGE • Touchscreen gestures: SWIPE, TAP, SCROLL, PINCH • Pub/bar furniture: BOOTH, COUNTER, BAR, TABLE I'm very confident in all three. Let me go with the relax group next.

Two down, two to go. Remaining words: SWIPE, BOOTH, COUNTER, BAR, PINCH, TAP, TABLE, SCROLL My groups: • Touchscreen gestures: SWIPE, TAP, SCROLL, PINCH • Pub/bar furniture: BOOTH, COUNTER, BAR, TABLE Both seem very clear. Let me go with touchscreen gestures.

Last group: BOOTH, COUNTER, BAR, TABLE - pub/bar furniture/features.

Let me analyze these 16 words and find 4 groups of 4 related words. Words: WING, SCRAPER, DIVE, DIP, SENATOR, DODGE, RAM, FRY, CHIP, LARK, FORD, LINCOLN, FLYER, ROCKET, STAR, DUCK Let me think about possible categories: Car brands: DODGE, RAM, FORD, LINCOLN - these are all car brands/manufacturers! Yes, this seems very strong. Types of bars: DIVE (bar), DIP (bar?), WING (bar?), STAR (bar?)... hmm Sky/flying related: WING, FLYER, ROCKET, LARK (a bird that flies), DUCK (bird)... ___ bar: DIVE bar, CROW bar... Wait, let me think about "___ bar" or "bar ___": • DIVE bar • CROW bar • STAR bar • WING bar? Things that can follow "SKY": SCRAPER (skyscraper), DIVE (skydive), LARK (skylark), ROCKET (skyrocket), STAR (skystar?), FLYER (skyflyer?)... • SKYSCRAPER • SKYDIVE • SKYLARK • SKYROCKET • SKYSTAR? No... • SKYFLYER? Maybe not standard Hmm, SKY + ___: • SKYSCRAPER ✓ • SKYDIVE ✓ • SKYLARK ✓ • SKYROCKET ✓ • SKYFLYER? Not common • SKYSTAR? Not common • SKYWING? Not really That's 4: SCRAPER, DIVE, LARK, ROCKET → SKY___ Car brands: DODGE, RAM, FORD, LINCOLN ✓ Remaining after these two groups: WING, DIP, SENATOR, FRY, CHIP, FLYER, STAR, DUCK Stephen ___ (famous people named Stephen/Steve)?: • Stephen FRY ✓ • Stephen DODGE? No • Stephen FLYER? No ___ chip or chip ___? Roger ___: Roger DODGE? No... Jeremy ___? No... TV shows or characters? Let me think about SENATOR, FLYER, STAR, DUCK, WING, DIP, FRY, CHIP... Chip and Dale? Chip N Dale? Chip, Dale, Duck, ... - Disney characters? • CHIP (Chip and Dale) • DUCK (Donald Duck) • WING? • STAR? Futurama characters: FRY (Philip J. Fry), ... Roger ___ : Roger DODGE? No... Wait - ___ FLYER: Red-Eye Flyer? Philadelphia ___: Philadelphia FLYER (Flyers - hockey), Philadelphia EAGLE... Sports teams? • FLYERS (Philadelphia) • DUCK (Anaheim Ducks) • SENATOR (Ottawa Senators) • STAR (Dallas Stars) • RAM (LA Rams) - but RAM might be in cars Hmm, RAM could be a car (Dodge Ram / Ram trucks) or LA Rams football... If car brands are DODGE, FORD, LINCOLN, and something else (not RAM)... NHL teams: • SENATOR (Ottawa Senators) • DUCK (Anaheim Ducks) • FLYER (Philadelphia Flyers) • STAR (Dallas Stars) • WING (Detroit Red Wings) That's 5! SENATOR, DUCK, FLYER, STAR, WING - all NHL teams (in plural form). So which 4 are NHL teams? • Ottawa SENATORS • Anaheim DUCKS • Philadelphia FLYERS • Dallas STARS • Detroit Red WINGS All 5 work! So one of them must belong elsewhere. If SKY___ group is: SCRAPER, DIVE, LARK, ROCKET Car brands: DODGE, RAM, FORD, LINCOLN NHL teams (4 of 5): SENATOR, DUCK, FLYER, STAR, WING Remaining would be: DIP, FRY, CHIP, and one from the NHL group CHIP, DIP, FRY... cooking methods? • CHIP (chipping, chips) • DIP • FRY (frying) • WING (chicken wings!) CHIP, DIP, FRY, WING → things you do with food / food items? Actually - BUFFALO WING, CHIP, DIP, FRY - these could all be foods/snacks... Or they could all be cooking methods: FRY, DIP, CHIP... Or they could follow/precede something: Poker terms: CHIP, ... Wait - could these be things related to "buffalo"? • Buffalo WING ✓ • Buffalo CHIP ✓ (buffalo chips are dried dung used as fuel) • Buffalo DIP? Not really • Buffalo FRY? Not really Hmm, let me think differently. ___ and ___: CHIP and DIP is a common food pairing... What if the category is "snack foods" or "party foods"? • CHIP (potato chip) • DIP (dip) • WING (chicken wing) • FRY (french fry) That could work! Bar food / party snacks: CHIP, DIP, WING, FRY Then NHL teams would be: SENATOR, DUCK, FLYER, STAR Let me verify: • SKY___: SCRAPER, DIVE, LARK, ROCKET ✓ • Car brands: DODGE, RAM, FORD, LINCOLN ✓ • NHL teams: SENATOR, DUCK, FLYER, STAR ✓ • Party foods/Bar foods: CHIP, DIP, WING, FRY ✓ This all fits perfectly with 16 words! Wait, but WING could also be Red Wings (NHL). Let me reconsider: If WING is in NHL teams instead of STAR: • NHL: SENATOR, DUCK, FLYER, WING • Then STAR would be in another group STAR could be: • SKY STAR? Not really a word • Party food? No • Car? No... wait, STAR could be a car? No obvious one. Actually, STAR could go with a different group. Hmm. But my arrangement works cleanly: • SKY + ___: SCRAPER (skyscraper), DIVE (skydive), LARK (skylark), ROCKET (skyrocket) • Car brands: DODGE, RAM, FORD, LINCOLN • NHL teams (abbreviated/singular): SENATOR, DUCK, FLYER, STAR (all are NHL team names minus the city) • Bar snacks/food: CHIP, DIP, WING, FRY I'm most confident about SKY___ and car brands. Let me start with cars since that's very clear. Actually, let me reconsider RAM - RAM is both a Dodge Ram/Ram truck brand AND the LA Rams. But if I use DODGE for cars, I can't also use RAM for cars easily... wait, DODGE and RAM are both separate car brands now (FCA split them). Dodge and Ram are two separate brands. So DODGE, RAM, FORD, LINCOLN as car brands works. Let me go with car brands first: DODGE, RAM, FORD, LINCOLN Actually wait - could any of FORD, LINCOLN, DODGE, RAM be something else? • FORD: Gerald Ford (president), Harrison Ford (actor), Ford (car) • LINCOLN: Abraham Lincoln (president), Lincoln (car) • DODGE: to dodge, Dodge (car) • RAM: to ram, RAM (computer memory), Ram (animal), LA Rams Hmm, presidents: FORD (Gerald Ford), LINCOLN (Abraham Lincoln)... • TYLER, POLK... are any other words presidents? • LARK? No. STAR? No. CHIP? No. • DODGE? No president named Dodge. So FORD and LINCOLN are presidents but the car brand connection is stronger with all 4. Let me go with my best guesses: 1. SKY + ___: SCRAPER, DIVE, LARK, ROCKET (very confident) 2. Car brands: DODGE, RAM, FORD, LINCOLN (very confident) 3. NHL teams: SENATOR, DUCK, FLYER, STAR (confident) 4. Bar/party snacks: CHIP, DIP, WING, FRY (confident) I'll start with the SKY___ group as I'm very confident about it.

Great! SKY___ group was correct. Now remaining words are: WING, DIP, SENATOR, DODGE, RAM, FRY, CHIP, LARK... wait, LARK was already used. Remaining: WING, DIP, SENATOR, DODGE, RAM, FRY, CHIP, FORD, LINCOLN, FLYER, STAR, DUCK My planned groups: • Car brands: DODGE, RAM, FORD, LINCOLN • NHL teams (singular): SENATOR, DUCK, FLYER, STAR • Party/bar snacks: CHIP, DIP, WING, FRY Let me go with car brands next as I'm very confident.

Two down, two to go. Remaining words: WING, DIP, SENATOR, FRY, CHIP, FLYER, STAR, DUCK My planned groups: • NHL teams (singular): SENATOR, DUCK, FLYER, STAR • Party/bar snacks: CHIP, DIP, WING, FRY I'm confident in both. Let me go with NHL teams next.

Three down, one to go! Remaining words: WING, DIP, FRY, CHIP These are all bar/party snacks: chicken WING, DIP, french FRY, potato CHIP Easy final guess!

Let me analyze these 16 words carefully. HEARTBREAKER, FIREWORKS, TILE, WAILER, COAST, STRAND, LAMINATE, CARPET, CONNECTION, PIP, SPARK, BANSHEE, WOOD, BANK, SHORE, CHEMISTRY Let me think about possible categories: 1. Types of flooring: TILE, LAMINATE, CARPET, WOOD - these are all types of flooring. This seems very clear. 2. Words meaning "shoreline/edge of water": COAST, STRAND, BANK, SHORE - all mean edge of water/beach area. This also seems very clear. 3. "Wail" related words / things that wail or make noise: WAILER, BANSHEE... 4. Netflix shows or TV shows: • HEARTBREAKER, FIREWORKS, CONNECTION, SPARK, BANSHEE, CHEMISTRY... • "CHEMISTRY" - could be "Breaking Bad"? No... • Wait, could these be related to a specific theme? 5. Words associated with "electric" or "romantic spark": • SPARK, CONNECTION, CHEMISTRY, FIREWORKS - these could all describe romantic attraction/feelings between two people! • HEARTBREAKER could fit too... 6. Screaming/loud things: BANSHEE, WAILER... Wait, let me think about "screaming like a ___": • BANSHEE (screams like a banshee) • What else? Let me think about Bob Marley's group: The Wailers Let me think about music groups or bands: • The WAILERS (Bob Marley) • BANSHEE (Siouxsie and the Banshees) • HEARTBREAKER (Led Zeppelin, Mariah Carey, will.i.am, Demi Lovato, P!nk) • FIREWORKS (Katy Perry) Actually, let me think about "___ Katy Perry songs": FIREWORKS, ROAR... Hmm, let me think differently. Romantic chemistry words: SPARK, CONNECTION, CHEMISTRY, FIREWORKS - these all describe romantic attraction/compatibility between people. Types of flooring: TILE, LAMINATE, CARPET, WOOD Shoreline synonyms: COAST, STRAND, BANK, SHORE The remaining four: HEARTBREAKER, WAILER, PIP, BANSHEE, CONNECTION... Wait, if SPARK, CONNECTION, CHEMISTRY, FIREWORKS are romantic terms, that leaves: HEARTBREAKER, WAILER, PIP, BANSHEE, COAST/STRAND/BANK/SHORE... Actually COAST, STRAND, BANK, SHORE are clearly shoreline words. So the four categories would be: 1. Flooring: TILE, LAMINATE, CARPET, WOOD 2. Shoreline: COAST, STRAND, BANK, SHORE 3. Romantic connection: SPARK, CONNECTION, CHEMISTRY, FIREWORKS 4. Remaining: HEARTBREAKER, WAILER, PIP, BANSHEE What connects HEARTBREAKER, WAILER, PIP, BANSHEE? • BANSHEE: a wailing spirit • WAILER: one who wails • PIP: ? • HEARTBREAKER: ? Could these be characters from a show? • PIP from Great Expectations • BANSHEE is a TV show • HEARTBREAKER is a movie/show Or could they be related to sounds? • BANSHEE wails • WAILER wails Wait - could PIP be from "Gladiators" (UK show)? Or maybe they're all characters from a specific show? Let me think about "Gladiators" TV show characters: • BANSHEE (was a Gladiator) • WOLF was a Gladiator • PANTHER... Or could they be related to Doctor Who aliens or characters? Actually - could these be characters/things from the show "Heartstopper"? No... What about characters from "Chicken Run" or animated shows? • PIP could be many things Let me think about "Pip" - it's a character in Great Expectations, also a card game term (the dots on dice/cards) HEARTBREAKER, WAILER, PIP, BANSHEE - what if these all relate to something specific? The Wailers - Bob Marley's band Banshee - Irish mythology spirit PIP - character name HEARTBREAKER - Could they all be "___ of ___" something? Or could they be types of something? Wait - could they be related to the Spice Girls or similar groups? No... What about sounds: • BANSHEE screams/wails • WAILER wails • PIP makes a pip sound (a small beep) • HEARTBREAKER... Or could they be Motown related? The Wailers, The Pips (Gladys Knight and the Pips)... Actually! Gladys Knight and the PIPS! And "The WAILERS" (Bob Marley). These could be music groups/bands with "The ___s": • The Wailers • The Pips (Gladys Knight and the Pips) • The Banshees (Siouxsie and the Banshees) • The Heartbreakers (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) Yes! WAILER, PIP, BANSHEE, HEARTBREAKER could all be the second part of famous band names "___s": • Tom Petty and the HEARTBREAKERS → HEARTBREAKER • Bob Marley and the WAILERS → WAILER • Siouxsie and the BANSHEES → BANSHEE • Gladys Knight and the PIPS → PIP That's a great connection! "___ and the ___s" (famous band members/names) So my four categories: 1. Types of flooring: TILE, LAMINATE, CARPET, WOOD 2. Shoreline/edge of water: COAST, STRAND, BANK, SHORE 3. Romantic attraction descriptors: SPARK, CONNECTION, CHEMISTRY, FIREWORKS 4. "___ and the ___s" bands: HEARTBREAKER, WAILER, PIP, BANSHEE I'm very confident in all four categories. Let me start with the one I'm most sure about. Flooring: TILE, LAMINATE, CARPET, WOOD - very confident Shoreline: COAST, STRAND, BANK, SHORE - very confident Band members: HEARTBREAKER, WAILER, PIP, BANSHEE - quite confident Romantic: SPARK, CONNECTION, CHEMISTRY, FIREWORKS - quite confident Wait, could SPARK, CONNECTION, CHEMISTRY, FIREWORKS be something else? Like they could all precede or follow a word? • SPARK plug, SPARK notes • CONNECTION... • CHEMISTRY set • FIREWORKS display Or they could all be things that happen between two people romantically. Actually, could any of these overlap? • STRAND could mean a strand of DNA or a strand of beach • BANK could be a riverbank or financial bank • COAST could mean to coast along I think the categories are solid. Let me start with flooring as it seems most clear-cut. Actually, wait - WOOD could be a surname or a neighborhood (Hollywood). And TILE could relate to something else. But flooring seems the most obvious connection. Let me start with the "band" category since it's the most creative and I want to verify my thinking: HEARTBREAKER (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) WAILER (Bob Marley and the Wailers) PIP (Gladys Knight and the Pips) BANSHEE (Siouxsie and the Banshees) Yes, I'll go with flooring first as it's safest.

Now the remaining words are: HEARTBREAKER, FIREWORKS, WAILER, COAST, STRAND, CONNECTION, PIP, SPARK, BANSHEE, BANK, SHORE, CHEMISTRY My remaining categories: 1. Shoreline synonyms: COAST, STRAND, BANK, SHORE 2. Romantic chemistry descriptors: SPARK, CONNECTION, CHEMISTRY, FIREWORKS 3. "___ and the ___s" bands: HEARTBREAKER, WAILER, PIP, BANSHEE Let me go with shoreline next.

Remaining words: HEARTBREAKER, FIREWORKS, WAILER, CONNECTION, PIP, SPARK, BANSHEE, CHEMISTRY My remaining categories: 1. Romantic chemistry descriptors: SPARK, CONNECTION, CHEMISTRY, FIREWORKS 2. "___ and the ___s" bands: HEARTBREAKER, WAILER, PIP, BANSHEE Let me go with the bands category next: • Tom Petty and the HEARTBREAKERS • Bob Marley and the WAILERS • Gladys Knight and the PIPS • Siouxsie and the BANSHEES

The remaining words are: FIREWORKS, CONNECTION, SPARK, CHEMISTRY These all describe romantic attraction/compatibility between people. This is the final category.

Let me analyze these 16 words and find 4 groups of 4 related words. Available words: PROGRESSIVE, CONE, RAINMAKER, GOOD SHEPHERD, GREEK/ROMAN GOD, SPLIT, BLUE, SHAKE, SPACECRAFT, LEFT, DEPARTED, THEATER, LIBERAL, MARTIAN, CUP, FICTIONAL BOXER Let me think about possible categories: 1. Synonyms for "gone/leaving": LEFT, DEPARTED, SPLIT, GONE... - LEFT = departed - DEPARTED = gone - SPLIT = left - PROGRESSIVE? No... - SHAKE (as in "shake" someone) Actually: LEFT, DEPARTED, SPLIT could all mean "gone away" What else means departed? GONE, MOVED... Hmm, maybe: LEFT, DEPARTED, SPLIT, PROGRESSIVE (these could all be political leanings? No...) 2. Political terms: PROGRESSIVE, LIBERAL, LEFT, BLUE (Blue = Democrat) - PROGRESSIVE = political ideology - LIBERAL = political ideology - LEFT = political direction - BLUE = associated with Democrats This seems like a strong group! 3. ___ ice cream: CONE, CUP, SHAKE, SPLIT (banana split) - These are all ways to serve ice cream! - CONE = ice cream cone - CUP = ice cream cup - SHAKE = milkshake - SPLIT = banana split This also seems strong! 4. Mars the ___: MARTIAN (from Mars), SPACECRAFT (Mars spacecraft?)... Wait, let me think about "___ The Movie" or something... Actually, let me think about "The ___" movies or characters: - THE GOOD SHEPHERD (movie) - THE RAINMAKER (movie) - THE DEPARTED (movie) - THE MARTIAN (movie) - THE PROGRESSIVE (?) - THE THEATER (?) Movies with "The" in front: - THE DEPARTED (2006 Scorsese film) - THE MARTIAN (2015 Ridley Scott film) - THE RAINMAKER (1997 Coppola film) - THE GOOD SHEPHERD (2006 De Niro film) That's 4! This could be a category: "The ___" movies 5. Rocky characters or fictional boxers: FICTIONAL BOXER... Wait, FICTIONAL BOXER is literally in the list. That seems weird. Let me reconsider. Maybe these are all "___ something" or "something ___" patterns. Wait, I see some unusual entries: GREEK/ROMAN GOD, FICTIONAL BOXER, SPACECRAFT, THEATER, MARTIAN... These could be categories within categories, like "Things that can follow 'movie'" or something. Actually wait - could these be categories in a meta-puzzle? Like each word is itself a category? Hmm, let me think differently. What if these are all types of something? GREEK/ROMAN GOD, FICTIONAL BOXER, SPACECRAFT, MARTIAN, THEATER... Could these be "___ named after ___"? • Mercury: GREEK/ROMAN GOD (Mercury is a Roman god), SPACECRAFT (Mercury space program), FICTIONAL BOXER (Mercury... no), THEATER (Mercury Theater) • Actually, what about cars named after different things? - MERCURY: GREEK/ROMAN GOD, SPACECRAFT, THEATER Hmm, what if these are all things that share a name with something? Actually, wait. Let me think about "Mercury": • Mercury is a Greek/Roman god (Hermes/Mercury) • Mercury was a spacecraft program • Freddie Mercury was a fictional... no, he was real • Mercury Theater What about "Apollo": • Apollo is a GREEK/ROMAN GOD • Apollo was a SPACECRAFT (Apollo missions) • Apollo Creed is a FICTIONAL BOXER • Apollo Theater is a THEATER • Apollo... MARTIAN? No Apollo could connect: GREEK/ROMAN GOD, SPACECRAFT, FICTIONAL BOXER (Apollo Creed from Rocky), THEATER (Apollo Theater)! That would make a great category: "Apollo ___" or things named Apollo! So: • GREEK/ROMAN GOD = Apollo (Greek/Roman god) • SPACECRAFT = Apollo spacecraft • FICTIONAL BOXER = Apollo Creed • THEATER = Apollo Theater Yes! That's a strong category! Now let me reconsider: Group 1: Ice cream servings: CONE, CUP, SHAKE, SPLIT Group 2: Political/Liberal: PROGRESSIVE, LIBERAL, LEFT, BLUE Group 3: "The ___" movies: DEPARTED, MARTIAN, RAINMAKER, GOOD SHEPHERD Group 4: Apollo ___: GREEK/ROMAN GOD, SPACECRAFT, FICTIONAL BOXER, THEATER Let me verify: • Apollo = Greek/Roman god ✓ • Apollo = NASA spacecraft program ✓ • Apollo Creed = fictional boxer from Rocky ✓ • Apollo Theater = famous theater in Harlem ✓ • The Departed = 2006 film ✓ • The Martian = 2015 film ✓ • The Rainmaker = 1997 film ✓ • The Good Shepherd = 2006 film ✓ • Progressive, Liberal, Left, Blue = all associated with left-wing politics ✓ • Cone, Cup, Shake, Split = all ways to serve/eat ice cream ✓ I'm very confident in all four groups! Let me start with the one I'm most confident about. I'll start with Apollo (things named Apollo): GREEK/ROMAN GOD, SPACECRAFT, FICTIONAL BOXER, THEATER Actually wait, could LEFT be in the "The ___" category? "The Left"? No, that doesn't work as well as a movie. And could DEPARTED be in the political group? No, that doesn't make sense. Let me also double-check SPLIT: • SPLIT = banana split ✓ (ice cream) • Could SPLIT be political? Like a "split" decision? Hmm, not really. I'm going with my four groups. Let me start with Apollo since it's the most creative/specific. Actually, I should start with the group I'm most confident about to preserve guesses. I think all four are quite solid, but let me rank: 1. Ice cream (CONE, CUP, SHAKE, SPLIT) - very confident 2. Apollo (GREEK/ROMAN GOD, SPACECRAFT, FICTIONAL BOXER, THEATER) - very confident 3. "The ___" films (DEPARTED, MARTIAN, RAINMAKER, GOOD SHEPHERD) - very confident 4. Left-wing (PROGRESSIVE, LIBERAL, LEFT, BLUE) - very confident I'll start with the Apollo category since it's the most clever and distinct.

The Apollo category was correct. Now let me work on the remaining 12 words: PROGRESSIVE, CONE, RAINMAKER, GOOD SHEPHERD, SPLIT, BLUE, SHAKE, LEFT, DEPARTED, LIBERAL, MARTIAN, CUP My remaining groups: 1. Ice cream servings: CONE, CUP, SHAKE, SPLIT 2. Left-wing politics: PROGRESSIVE, LIBERAL, LEFT, BLUE 3. "The ___" movies: DEPARTED, MARTIAN, RAINMAKER, GOOD SHEPHERD Let me go with ice cream next.

Two down, two to go. Remaining words: PROGRESSIVE, RAINMAKER, GOOD SHEPHERD, BLUE, LEFT, DEPARTED, LIBERAL, MARTIAN My remaining groups: 1. Left-wing politics: PROGRESSIVE, LIBERAL, LEFT, BLUE 2. "The ___" movies: DEPARTED, MARTIAN, RAINMAKER, GOOD SHEPHERD Both are clear. Let me go with "The ___" movies next.

Last group: PROGRESSIVE, BLUE, LEFT, LIBERAL - all left-wing political terms.

Let me analyze these 16 words carefully. SHADE, CALL, SPIRIT, BROKE, CHORAL, DIVINE, READ, BLEW, AMERICANA, SPLIT, JAZZ, BURST, FORECAST, SPECTER, WIGHT, RAP Let me think about possible categories: 1. Ghost synonyms: SHADE, SPIRIT, SPECTER, WIGHT (all mean ghost/apparition) - SHADE = ghost in Greek mythology - SPIRIT = ghost - SPECTER = ghost - WIGHT = supernatural being/ghost 2. Music genres: JAZZ, RAP, CHORAL, AMERICANA, BLUES (BLEW?) - Wait, BLEW could be past tense of BLOW - CHORAL is a music style - AMERICANA is a music genre - JAZZ is a music genre - RAP is a music genre - That's 4! JAZZ, RAP, CHORAL, AMERICANA 3. ___ music: JAZZ, RAP, CHORAL, AMERICANA - these are all music genres 4. Past tense of verbs: BROKE (break), BLEW (blow), READ (read), BURST (burst) - BROKE = past tense of break - BLEW = past tense of blow - READ = past tense of read - BURST = past tense of burst - These are all past tenses that are irregular! 5. Predict/foretell: DIVINE, FORECAST, CALL, READ - DIVINE = to divine (predict) - FORECAST = to predict - CALL = to call (predict) - READ = to read (predict) - But READ is also past tense of read... Wait, let me reconsider. The categories might be: • Ghost synonyms: SHADE, SPIRIT, SPECTER, WIGHT • Music genres: JAZZ, RAP, CHORAL, AMERICANA • Past tense of verbs: BROKE, BLEW, BURST, SPLIT (split? - split is past tense of split) - Actually SPLIT is also past tense - BROKE = break - BLEW = blow - BURST = burst - SPLIT = split - These are all past tenses where past = present for some (BURST, SPLIT) or irregular (BROKE, BLEW) • Predict: DIVINE, FORECAST, CALL, READ - DIVINE = to divine/foretell - FORECAST = to predict - CALL = to make a prediction - READ = to read someone's fortune That works perfectly! Let me verify: Ghosts: SHADE, SPIRIT, SPECTER, WIGHT ✓ Music genres: JAZZ, RAP, CHORAL, AMERICANA ✓ Predict: DIVINE, FORECAST, CALL, READ ✓ Past tense (irregular): BROKE, BLEW, BURST, SPLIT ✓ Wait, but SPLIT and BURST are same form past tense, while BROKE and BLEW are different. Maybe the connection is something else? Actually, the connection might be "past tense of ___ wind-related words" or something else entirely. Let me think again: • BROKE = past of BREAK • BLEW = past of BLOW • BURST = past of BURST • SPLIT = past of SPLIT Or maybe they all can follow "the bank" - BROKE the bank? Or maybe they relate to something else: • SPLIT, BROKE - being poor (broke means having no money, split means...) • Actually "BROKE" means having no money Hmm, let me think about what connects BROKE, BLEW, BURST, SPLIT differently... BROKE, BLEW, BURST, SPLIT - these could all be past tense forms of verbs meaning "to break/explode" Actually: • The dam BROKE • The bubble BLEW (burst) • The balloon BURST • The seam SPLIT They all relate to breaking/bursting? Or maybe these are all things that can precede or follow a specific word? SPLIT: banana split, stock split, split decision BROKE: broke ground, broke wind, broke the ice BLEW: blew up, blew out BURST: burst out, burst bubble What if the category is "past tense forms where present/past/past participle are all different or same"? Actually, I think my original analysis is correct: • The category for BROKE, BLEW, BURST, SPLIT might be "past tense of verbs meaning to rupture/break open" OR the real link: • BROKE (break), BLEW (blow), BURST (burst), SPLIT (split) - maybe they all can precede or follow "UP"? - BROKE up ✓ - BLEW up ✓ - BURST... not usually "burst up" - SPLIT up ✓ Hmm, not perfect. Let me reconsider. Maybe SPLIT belongs to the predict category? DIVINE, FORECAST, CALL, READ, SPLIT? • No, SPLIT doesn't mean predict What about: • SHADE, SPIRIT, SPECTER, WIGHT = ghosts • JAZZ, RAP, CHORAL, AMERICANA = music genres • DIVINE, FORECAST, CALL, READ = predict • BROKE, BLEW, BURST, SPLIT = past tenses (or something else) I'm most confident about ghosts and music genres. Let me start with those. Actually wait - could SPIRIT be a music genre? Spirit is also a horse movie... No. Could DIVINE be related to divinity/religion rather than prediction? Let me also consider: SHADE, CALL, SPIRIT, BLEW... No. What about "RAP SHEET"? No... I think my four categories are solid: 1. SHADE, SPIRIT, SPECTER, WIGHT (ghosts) 2. JAZZ, RAP, CHORAL, AMERICANA (music) 3. DIVINE, FORECAST, CALL, READ (predict) 4. BROKE, BLEW, BURST, SPLIT (past tense/broke things) Let me start with the most confident: GHOSTS SHADE, SPIRIT, SPECTER, WIGHT - all mean ghost/apparition • SHADE: in classical mythology, a ghost • SPIRIT: a ghost • SPECTER: a ghost • WIGHT: an archaic/literary word for a ghost or undead creature Yes, I'm very confident about this one. Let me start with ghosts since I'm most confident.

Now I have 12 remaining words: CALL, BROKE, CHORAL, DIVINE, READ, BLEW, AMERICANA, SPLIT, JAZZ, BURST, FORECAST, RAP My remaining categories: 1. Music genres: JAZZ, RAP, CHORAL, AMERICANA 2. Words meaning "predict": DIVINE, FORECAST, CALL, READ 3. Past tense of verbs: BROKE, BLEW, BURST, SPLIT Let me go with music genres next, as I'm very confident about that group.

Now I have 8 remaining words: CALL, BROKE, DIVINE, READ, BLEW, SPLIT, BURST, FORECAST My remaining categories: 1. Words meaning "predict": DIVINE, FORECAST, CALL, READ 2. Past tense of verbs (broke/burst/split things): BROKE, BLEW, BURST, SPLIT Let me go with "predict" next: • DIVINE = to divine/foretell • FORECAST = to predict • CALL = to call (make a prediction) • READ = to read (fortunes) I'm very confident about this.

The last four words must be: BROKE, BLEW, SPLIT, BURST These are all past tense forms of verbs. Let me confirm: • BROKE = past tense of BREAK • BLEW = past tense of BLOW • SPLIT = past tense of SPLIT • BURST = past tense of BURST This is the only remaining group, so it must be correct!

Let me analyze these 16 words and find 4 groups of 4. Words: STAG, PUNCH, RAM, KICK, BUCK, SINGLE, JACK, FREE, SONG, ZING, MING, HAN, BILLY, SOLO, TANG, ZEST Let me think about possible categories: 1. Male animals: STAG (male deer), RAM (male sheep), BUCK (male deer/rabbit), BILLY (billy goat - male goat), JACK (male donkey)... that's 5 possibilities. Need to narrow down. - STAG = male deer - RAM = male sheep - BUCK = male deer/rabbit - BILLY = male goat - JACK = male donkey One of these must belong to another category. 2. Star Wars characters: HAN (Solo), SOLO (Han Solo), LUKE... Let me think. HAN, SOLO could be connected to Star Wars but they're separate words. 3. ___ Solo: HAN Solo, SOLO itself... 4. Flavor/taste: TANG, ZEST, ZING, PUNCH - all can mean a sharp/lively flavor or quality! - TANG = sharp taste - ZEST = lively flavor - ZING = lively quality - PUNCH = impact/strong flavor This seems like a strong group! 5. Dynasty/Chinese: MING (dynasty), TANG (dynasty), SONG (dynasty), HAN (dynasty) - all Chinese dynasties! - HAN dynasty - TANG dynasty - SONG dynasty - MING dynasty This is very strong! 6. So if TANG, HAN, SONG, MING are Chinese dynasties, then TANG and ZING, ZEST, PUNCH would be the "flavor/zest" group without TANG. Wait, let me reconsider. TANG could be in the dynasties group, leaving PUNCH, ZEST, ZING, and something else for the flavor group. Actually: HAN, TANG, SONG, MING are all Chinese dynasties. That's a clean group of 4! Then for flavor/liveliness: ZEST, ZING, PUNCH, KICK - all mean a lively/sharp quality! • ZEST = lively quality • ZING = sharp lively quality • PUNCH = impact • KICK = exciting quality ("this drink has a kick") 7. Male animals: STAG, RAM, BUCK, BILLY, JACK - still 5. - If JACK and KICK are in different groups... - JACK = male donkey - BUCK = male deer - STAG = male deer (hmm, STAG and BUCK both mean male deer?) - RAM = male sheep - BILLY = male goat Wait, could BUCK be in another group? • BUCK = dollar • STAG = stag party (bachelor party) • SINGLE = unmarried/bachelor What about "bachelor party" related? STAG (stag do), SINGLE, SOLO, FREE... • STAG night/party • SOLO = alone • SINGLE = unmarried • FREE = unattached Hmm, or words meaning "unmarried/alone": SINGLE, SOLO, FREE, STAG? Let me reconsider: • Alone/unmarried: SINGLE, SOLO, FREE, STAG (stag = bachelor) • Male animals: RAM, BUCK, BILLY, JACK • Chinese dynasties: HAN, TANG, SONG, MING • Sharp taste/quality: ZEST, ZING, PUNCH, KICK This gives clean groups of 4! Let me verify: • STAG: bachelor party / stag night (yes, also a male deer, but if it goes in the "alone" group...) • RAM: male sheep ✓ • BUCK: male deer ✓ • BILLY: male goat ✓ • JACK: male donkey ✓ Wait, that's still 5 male animals (STAG, RAM, BUCK, BILLY, JACK) if STAG stays. Actually: • If STAG goes in "bachelor/alone" group: STAG, SINGLE, SOLO, FREE • Male animals: RAM, BUCK, BILLY, JACK Let me check: FREE = free agent (unmarried)? Or "free" as in unattached? Actually "SOLO, SINGLE, FREE, STAG" could all mean bachelor/unattached. Let me think about this more carefully: • SOLO: doing something alone • SINGLE: unmarried • FREE: available/unattached • STAG: bachelor party, stag night Yes, this works! And then: • Male animals: RAM, BUCK, BILLY, JACK • Chinese dynasties: HAN, TANG, SONG, MING • Zesty/lively: ZEST, ZING, PUNCH, KICK I'm most confident about the Chinese dynasties group. Let me start with that. Actually wait - is PUNCH a Chinese dynasty? No. Is KICK? No. HAN, TANG, SONG, MING - all definitely Chinese dynasties. Very confident about this. Second most confident: ZEST, ZING, KICK, PUNCH - all mean a lively/spicy quality. Then: STAG, SINGLE, SOLO, FREE - bachelor/alone Then: RAM, BUCK, BILLY, JACK - male animals Let me start with Chinese dynasties.

The Chinese dynasties group was correct. Now remaining words are: STAG, PUNCH, RAM, KICK, BUCK, SINGLE, JACK, FREE, ZING, BILLY, SOLO, ZEST My remaining hypotheses: • Zesty/lively quality: ZEST, ZING, PUNCH, KICK • Bachelor/alone: STAG, SINGLE, SOLO, FREE • Male animals: RAM, BUCK, BILLY, JACK These three groups are clean with no overlaps. I'm very confident in all three. Let me go with male animals next. RAM = male sheep BUCK = male deer/rabbit BILLY = billy goat (male goat) JACK = male donkey (jackass) STAG is also a male deer, but I think it fits better in the "bachelor" category (stag party/night).

Two down, two to go. Remaining words: STAG, PUNCH, KICK, SINGLE, FREE, ZING, SOLO, ZEST My hypotheses: • Zesty/lively quality: ZEST, ZING, PUNCH, KICK • Bachelor/alone: STAG, SINGLE, SOLO, FREE Both groups are clean. I'm very confident in both. Let me go with the "bachelor/alone" group next.

Last group: PUNCH, KICK, ZING, ZEST - all words meaning sharp/lively quality or taste.

Let me analyze these 16 words and find 4 groups of 4 related words. Words: ALF, DAWN, GENESIS, POLE, NES, FLOWER, FLY, BIRTH, DAY, START, COMBINE, VHS, BOND, WED, FUSE, MTV Let me think about possible categories: 1. Retro/Old Technology or Shows: ALF (TV show), VHS (video format), NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), MTV (music channel), GENESIS (Sega Genesis) - That's 5 items, so one of these belongs elsewhere. 2. Words meaning "to join/connect": BOND, WED, FUSE, COMBINE, JOIN... - BOND (connect), WED (marry/join), FUSE (combine), COMBINE (join together), MERGE... - That's 4: BOND, WED, FUSE, COMBINE 3. ___ POWER: FLOWER POWER, POLE... hmm 4. Words that can follow "DAY": DAWN (daybreak)... Wait, let me think differently. "___ day" or "day ___": BIRTH(day), DAWN (of day?), START (of day?)... Words meaning beginning: DAWN, GENESIS, BIRTH, START, DAY... • DAWN (beginning of day), GENESIS (beginning/origin), BIRTH (beginning of life), START (beginning of something) • That's 4! DAWN, GENESIS, BIRTH, START Retro tech/media: ALF, NES, VHS, MTV - these are all things from the 80s! • ALF (TV show from 1986-1990) • NES (Nintendo Entertainment System, 1985) • VHS (video format, 1970s-80s) • MTV (launched 1981) • GENESIS (Sega Genesis, 1989) Hmm, GENESIS could be in both categories (beginning OR Sega Genesis)... Words meaning "to unite/join": BOND, WED, FUSE, COMBINE, POLE? • POLE could be "POLE position" or... • BOND, WED, FUSE, COMBINE = join/connect Remaining after those three groups: ALF, POLE, NES, FLOWER, FLY, DAY, VHS, MTV, GENESIS If GENESIS goes with "beginnings": DAWN, GENESIS, BIRTH, START If retro media: ALF, NES, VHS, MTV (all 80s things - ALF tv show, NES gaming console, VHS tape, MTV music channel) That leaves: POLE, FLOWER, FLY, DAY, GENESIS, BOND, WED, FUSE, COMBINE Wait, GENESIS could fit with retro: Sega GENESIS (also an 80s gaming console). But then what goes with DAWN, BIRTH, START? Actually if retro = ALF, NES, VHS, MTV (four 80s things) And GENESIS goes with beginnings = DAWN, GENESIS, BIRTH, START And unite = BOND, WED, FUSE, COMBINE That leaves: POLE, FLOWER, FLY, DAY • POLE DAY? FLY DAY? • May___ : MAYPOLE, MAYFLOWER, MAYFLY, MAYDAY! - MAYPOLE, MAYFLOWER, MAYFLY, MAYDAY - all MAY + word! - POLE, FLOWER, FLY, DAY → MAY + POLE, MAY + FLOWER, MAY + FLY, MAY + DAY That's brilliant! So the four categories are: 1. MAY ___: POLE, FLOWER, FLY, DAY 2. Words meaning "beginning": DAWN, GENESIS, BIRTH, START 3. Words meaning "to join": BOND, WED, FUSE, COMBINE 4. 80s nostalgia items: ALF, NES, VHS, MTV This seems very clean. Let me verify: • MAYPOLE ✓, MAYFLOWER ✓, MAYFLY ✓, MAYDAY ✓ • DAWN, GENESIS, BIRTH, START = beginnings ✓ • BOND, WED, FUSE, COMBINE = join/unite ✓ • ALF, NES, VHS, MTV = 80s items ✓ I'm very confident in all four categories. Let me start with the one I'm most confident about. The MAY ___ group seems very clean and specific. Let me go with that first.

The MAY ___ group was correct. Now let me go with my next most confident group. Remaining words: ALF, DAWN, GENESIS, NES, BIRTH, START, COMBINE, VHS, BOND, WED, FUSE, MTV My remaining categories: 1. Words meaning "beginning": DAWN, GENESIS, BIRTH, START 2. Words meaning "to join/unite": BOND, WED, FUSE, COMBINE 3. 80s nostalgia items: ALF, NES, VHS, MTV I'm very confident in all three. Let me go with "join/unite" next.

Two down, two to go. Remaining words: ALF, DAWN, GENESIS, NES, BIRTH, START, VHS, MTV My remaining categories: 1. Words meaning "beginning": DAWN, GENESIS, BIRTH, START 2. 80s nostalgia items: ALF, NES, VHS, MTV Both seem very clean. Let me go with the "beginnings" group next.

Three down, one to go. Remaining words: ALF, NES, VHS, MTV These are all 80s nostalgia items: • ALF (TV show, 1986-1990) • NES (Nintendo Entertainment System, 1985) • VHS (video format, popular in the 80s) • MTV (launched 1981)

Let me analyze these 16 words and find 4 groups of 4 related words. Words: TRAIL, STOCKINGS, GRADE, CLIP, NOSE, MASCARA, FIDGET, TOWEL, RATE, TIGER, SCORE, SWEAT, BLUSH, PACE, RANK, DYE Let me think about possible categories: 1. Makeup/Cosmetics: MASCARA, BLUSH, DYE... what else? LINER? FOUNDATION? Hmm. Could NOSE be "nose makeup"? No. What about STOCKINGS? No. 2. Words meaning "rank/position": GRADE, RATE, SCORE, RANK, PACE... hmm too many. Let me think differently. - GRADE, RATE, SCORE, RANK - all mean to evaluate or assign a rating. That's 4! This seems strong. 3. ___ spinner: FIDGET spinner... 4. Things that can follow "NOSE": NOSE BLEED, NOSE JOB... 5. Pantomime/Tiger related: TIGER... 6. Words associated with nervousness/anxiety: SWEAT, FIDGET, BLUSH, PACE (pacing nervously), TRAIL (trailing?)... - Signs of nervousness: SWEAT, FIDGET, BLUSH, PACE - all things you do when nervous! That's 4! 7. So if GRADE, RATE, SCORE, RANK = synonyms for evaluate And SWEAT, FIDGET, BLUSH, PACE = signs of nervousness 8. Remaining: TRAIL, STOCKINGS, CLIP, NOSE, MASCARA, TOWEL, TIGER, DYE 9. Things that run: STOCKINGS run, NOSE runs, DYE runs... MASCARA runs! - Things that "run": STOCKINGS (run when snagged), NOSE (runny nose), MASCARA (runs when you cry), DYE (colors run in the wash) - That's 4! STOCKINGS, NOSE, MASCARA, DYE 10. Remaining: TRAIL, CLIP, TOWEL, TIGER 11. ___ mix: TRAIL mix, TOWEL... 12. TIGER ___: TIGER TRAIL? TIGER CLIP? 13. ___ TOWEL: PAPER TOWEL, BATH TOWEL, BEACH TOWEL... 14. Wait - TRAIL, CLIP, TOWEL, TIGER - what connects these? - TIGER WOODS... WOODS... - Could they all precede or follow the same word? - TRAIL MIX, CLIP ART... - TIGER, TRAIL, CLIP, TOWEL + something? 15. Let me think about "___ paper": TRAIL... no. TOWEL paper? 16. What about "PAPER ___": PAPER TRAIL, PAPER CLIP, PAPER TOWEL, PAPER TIGER! - PAPER TRAIL, PAPER CLIP, PAPER TOWEL, PAPER TIGER - all follow PAPER! That's brilliant! So my four categories: 1. PAPER ___: TRAIL, CLIP, TOWEL, TIGER 2. Signs of nervousness: SWEAT, FIDGET, BLUSH, PACE 3. Things that "run": STOCKINGS, NOSE, MASCARA, DYE 4. Synonyms for "evaluate/ranking": GRADE, RATE, SCORE, RANK I'm very confident about all four of these! Let me start with the one I'm most confident about. PAPER ___: TRAIL, CLIP, TOWEL, TIGER - very confident Signs of nervousness: SWEAT, FIDGET, BLUSH, PACE - very confident Things that run: STOCKINGS, NOSE, MASCARA, DYE - very confident Evaluate: GRADE, RATE, SCORE, RANK - very confident Let me start with PAPER ___.

The PAPER ___ category was correct. Now remaining words are: STOCKINGS, GRADE, NOSE, MASCARA, FIDGET, RATE, SCORE, SWEAT, BLUSH, PACE, RANK, DYE My remaining categories: 1. Signs of nervousness: SWEAT, FIDGET, BLUSH, PACE 2. Things that "run": STOCKINGS, NOSE, MASCARA, DYE 3. Synonyms for evaluate/rank: GRADE, RATE, SCORE, RANK Let me go with signs of nervousness next.

Two down, two to go. Remaining words: STOCKINGS, GRADE, NOSE, MASCARA, RATE, SCORE, BLUSH, RANK, DYE Wait, BLUSH was already used in the nervousness category... let me recheck. Remaining words after removing TRAIL, CLIP, TOWEL, TIGER, SWEAT, FIDGET, BLUSH, PACE: STOCKINGS, GRADE, NOSE, MASCARA, RATE, SCORE, RANK, DYE My remaining categories: 1. Things that "run": STOCKINGS, NOSE, MASCARA, DYE 2. Synonyms for evaluate/rank: GRADE, RATE, SCORE, RANK Let me go with things that "run" next.

Three down, one to go. The remaining words should be GRADE, RATE, SCORE, RANK - all synonyms for evaluate/ranking.

Let me analyze these words carefully. Available words: MAIN, FLEET, KEY, WALL, COMPASS, BEST, INSET, SCALE, BEAT, PORTAL, GATE, DOOR, TOP, DOWNING, HATCH, BETTER Let me think about possible categories: 1. Map elements: COMPASS (rose), INSET (map), SCALE (bar), KEY (legend), MAIN (?)... - COMPASS (rose on a map) - INSET (inset map) - SCALE (scale on a map) - KEY (map key/legend) - LEGEND is not here but KEY works This seems like a strong group: KEY, COMPASS, INSET, SCALE (all parts of a map) 2. Famous streets in London: FLEET Street, WALL Street... wait, these are not all London. - FLEET Street (London) - DOWNING Street (London - #10 Downing Street) - MAIN Street - WALL Street (NYC) Or maybe "___ Street": FLEET Street, WALL Street, MAIN Street, DOWNING Street, GATE Street? Actually: FLEET Street, WALL Street, MAIN Street, DOWNING Street - these are all famous streets! 3. Ways to enter/exit: GATE, DOOR, PORTAL, HATCH - these are all entrances/exits! 4. Better, Best, Beat, Top - these could be related to "surpass" or comparatives? - BETTER (comparative of good) - BEST (superlative of good) - BEAT (to defeat/surpass) - TOP (to surpass/exceed) These all mean "to surpass" or "outdo"! Let me verify: • Map elements: KEY, COMPASS, INSET, SCALE • Famous ___ Street: FLEET, WALL, MAIN, DOWNING • Entrances/exits: GATE, DOOR, PORTAL, HATCH • Words meaning "surpass": BETTER, BEST, BEAT, TOP This all fits perfectly! 16 words / 4 categories = 4 each. Let me start with the one I'm most confident about: Entrances/exits: GATE, DOOR, PORTAL, HATCH - very confident Words meaning surpass: BETTER, BEST, BEAT, TOP - confident (top that, beat that, best that, better that) Map elements: KEY, COMPASS, INSET, SCALE - very confident ___ Street: FLEET, WALL, MAIN, DOWNING - confident I'll start with entrances/exits as it seems the clearest. Wait, let me reconsider - could any of these words belong to different categories? • GATE could be part of a street name (Watergate?) • BEAT could be a street (beat cop's beat?) • KEY could be an entrance (key to open a door) • MAIN could be a main entrance But I think my groupings make more sense. Let me go with GATE, DOOR, PORTAL, HATCH first. Actually, wait - could PORTAL, GATE, DOOR be related to internet/web portals? That seems less likely. Let me also think about "___ Street": • FLEET Street ✓ • WALL Street ✓ • MAIN Street ✓ • DOWNING Street ✓ • GATE could be Billingsgate? • BEAT Street? (there's a movie but not a famous street) I'm sticking with my analysis. Starting with the entrances.

Great! Now the remaining words are: MAIN, FLEET, KEY, WALL, COMPASS, INSET, SCALE, PORTAL, GATE, DOOR, DOWNING, HATCH My remaining categories: 1. Map elements: KEY, COMPASS, INSET, SCALE 2. Famous ___ Street: FLEET, WALL, MAIN, DOWNING 3. Entrances/Exits: GATE, DOOR, PORTAL, HATCH Let me go with map elements next, as I'm very confident about that grouping.

Remaining words: MAIN, FLEET, WALL, PORTAL, GATE, DOOR, DOWNING, HATCH My remaining categories: 1. Famous ___ Street: FLEET, WALL, MAIN, DOWNING 2. Entrances/Exits: GATE, DOOR, PORTAL, HATCH Let me go with ___ Street next.

The last four words must be: PORTAL, GATE, DOOR, HATCH - all entrances/exits. Easy!

Let me analyze these words carefully. The words are: GEORGIA, VOLUMETRIC, IMPACT, ANGULAR, SPLIT, ARIAL, AURORA, AERIAL, TIANA, AREAL, LINEAR, ARABESQUE, ROUNDOFF, ARIEL, MERIDA, VERDANA Let me think about potential categories: 1. Fonts/Typefaces: GEORGIA, IMPACT, ARIAL, VERDANA, ANGULAR? - GEORGIA - yes, a font - IMPACT - yes, a font - ARIAL - yes, a font - VERDANA - yes, a font - These are all common Windows/web fonts! 2. Disney Princesses: AURORA (Sleeping Beauty), TIANA (Princess and the Frog), ARIEL (The Little Mermaid), MERIDA (Brave) - These are all Disney Princesses! 3. Gymnastics moves: SPLIT, ARABESQUE, ROUNDOFF, AERIAL? - SPLIT - gymnastics move - ARABESQUE - ballet/gymnastics move - ROUNDOFF - gymnastics move - AERIAL - gymnastics move (aerial cartwheel) - These could all be gymnastics/dance moves! 4. ___ measurement/math terms: VOLUMETRIC, ANGULAR, LINEAR, AREAL? - VOLUMETRIC - relating to volume - ANGULAR - relating to angles - LINEAR - relating to lines - AREAL - relating to area - These could all be types of measurements or mathematical dimensions! Wait, let me double-check: • AREAL - of or relating to area • LINEAR - of or relating to lines/length • VOLUMETRIC - of or relating to volume • ANGULAR - of or relating to angles Actually, these could be "___ density" or some other compound... • Linear density • Volumetric density • Areal density • Angular density? Or angular momentum... Or they could be types of measurements: 1D (linear), 2D (areal), 3D (volumetric), and angular... Now let me check ARIAL vs ARIEL: • ARIAL - the font • ARIEL - the Disney princess (The Little Mermaid) These are homophones! Interesting. So my categories seem to be: 1. Fonts: GEORGIA, IMPACT, ARIAL, VERDANA 2. Disney Princesses: AURORA, TIANA, ARIEL, MERIDA 3. Gymnastics moves: SPLIT, ARABESQUE, ROUNDOFF, AERIAL 4. ___ measurement types: VOLUMETRIC, ANGULAR, LINEAR, AREAL This all fits perfectly! Let me start with the one I'm most confident about. Disney Princesses: AURORA, TIANA, ARIEL, MERIDA - very confident Fonts: GEORGIA, IMPACT, ARIAL, VERDANA - very confident (note ARIAL not ARIEL) Gymnastics: SPLIT, ARABESQUE, ROUNDOFF, AERIAL - confident Math/measurement: VOLUMETRIC, ANGULAR, LINEAR, AREAL - confident The tricky part is ARIAL (font) vs ARIEL (Disney princess), and AERIAL (gymnastics) vs AREAL (measurement). These homophones/near-homophones are the puzzle's trick! Let me start with Disney Princesses since I'm very sure: AURORA, TIANA, ARIEL, MERIDA And Fonts: GEORGIA, IMPACT, ARIAL, VERDANA I'll start with Disney Princesses.

Disney Princesses confirmed. Now let me go with the fonts category: GEORGIA, IMPACT, ARIAL, VERDANA These are all common web/Windows fonts.

Two down, two to go. Remaining words should be: • Gymnastics moves: SPLIT, ARABESQUE, ROUNDOFF, AERIAL • Types of measurements: VOLUMETRIC, ANGULAR, LINEAR, AREAL Let me go with gymnastics moves next.

And the last group should be the measurement types: VOLUMETRIC, ANGULAR, LINEAR, AREAL

Let me analyze these 16 words and find 4 groups of 4 related words. Words: CROCK, GOATEE, BUNK, HORNS, TAIL, PITCHFORK, BEND, HOGWASH, BATON, HAMMER, POLE, HORSEFEATHERS, HITCH, HURDLE, BOWLINE, SHEEPSHANK Let me think about possible categories: 1. Nonsense/Baloney words: CROCK (crock of...), BUNK (bunkum), HOGWASH, HORSEFEATHERS - these all mean nonsense/rubbish! - CROCK = crock of bull/nonsense - BUNK = bunkum/nonsense - HOGWASH = nonsense - HORSEFEATHERS = nonsense 2. Devil/Satan features: GOATEE (beard), HORNS, TAIL, PITCHFORK - these are all associated with the devil! - GOATEE = beard like a goat/devil - HORNS = devil's horns - TAIL = devil's tail - PITCHFORK = devil's weapon 3. Knots: BEND, HITCH, BOWLINE, SHEEPSHANK - these are all types of knots! - BEND = type of knot - HITCH = type of knot - BOWLINE = type of knot - SHEEPSHANK = type of knot 4. Track and field events: BATON, HAMMER, POLE, HURDLE - BATON = relay race - HAMMER = hammer throw - POLE = pole vault - HURDLE = hurdles Wait, let me reconsider. POLE could fit other categories... but POLE VAULT makes sense for track and field. Actually, HAMMER THROW, HURDLE (race), POLE (vault), BATON (relay) - these are all associated with track and field events! Let me verify: • Nonsense: CROCK, BUNK, HOGWASH, HORSEFEATHERS ✓ • Devil: GOATEE, HORNS, TAIL, PITCHFORK ✓ • Knots: BEND, HITCH, BOWLINE, SHEEPSHANK ✓ • Track & Field: BATON, HAMMER, POLE, HURDLE ✓ This all makes perfect sense! I'm very confident in these groupings. Let me start with the one I'm most confident about - Knots (BEND, HITCH, BOWLINE, SHEEPSHANK) or Nonsense words (CROCK, BUNK, HOGWASH, HORSEFEATHERS). Actually, I'm very confident in all four categories. Let me start with the knots since that seems very definitive.

Knots were correct. Now let me go with the next most confident group. Remaining words: CROCK, GOATEE, BUNK, HORNS, TAIL, PITCHFORK, HOGWASH, BATON, HAMMER, POLE, HORSEFEATHERS, HITCH, HURDLE Wait, HITCH was already used. Let me recount the remaining words: CROCK, GOATEE, BUNK, HORNS, TAIL, PITCHFORK, HOGWASH, BATON, HAMMER, POLE, HORSEFEATHERS, HURDLE Now let me go with the nonsense words: CROCK, BUNK, HOGWASH, HORSEFEATHERS

Two down, two to go. Remaining words: GOATEE, HORNS, TAIL, PITCHFORK, BATON, HAMMER, POLE, HURDLE Devil's features: GOATEE, HORNS, TAIL, PITCHFORK Track & Field: BATON, HAMMER, POLE, HURDLE Let me go with the devil's features next.

And the last group should be Track & Field: BATON, HAMMER, POLE, HURDLE

Let me analyze these 16 words carefully. Words: BRAIN, LITTER, SCATTER, PRUNE, POTATO, CREPE PAPER, FILM, FLICK, PICTURE, TALK, TOOTH, SHAR PEI, SIXTEEN, SPRINKLE, FEATURE, PEPPER Let me think about possible categories: Words for "movie": FILM, FLICK, PICTURE, FEATURE, TALK (talkie?) • FILM, FLICK, PICTURE, FEATURE all mean "movie" • That's 4 words! This seems like a strong category. Words meaning "to distribute/spread out": SCATTER, SPRINKLE, LITTER, PEPPER • SCATTER (spread), SPRINKLE (spread lightly), LITTER (scatter), PEPPER (to pepper = to scatter/sprinkle) • Yes, these all mean to distribute or sprinkle around Wrinkly things: BRAIN, PRUNE, SHAR PEI, CREPE PAPER, SIXTEEN (Sweet sixteen... no) • BRAIN (wrinkly), PRUNE (wrinkly dried fruit), SHAR PEI (wrinkly dog), CREPE PAPER (wrinkly) • SIXTEEN... doesn't fit • POTATO? Potatoes can be wrinkly... • TOOTH? No... • So BRAIN, PRUNE, SHAR PEI, CREPE PAPER - wrinkly things! Remaining words: POTATO, TALK, TOOTH, SIXTEEN • SWEET POTATO, SWEET TALK, SWEET TOOTH, SWEET SIXTEEN! • These all follow "SWEET ___"! Let me verify: 1. Movie synonyms: FILM, FLICK, PICTURE, FEATURE 2. Distribute/spread: SCATTER, SPRINKLE, LITTER, PEPPER 3. Wrinkly things: BRAIN, PRUNE, SHAR PEI, CREPE PAPER 4. SWEET ___: POTATO, TALK, TOOTH, SIXTEEN This all fits perfectly! Let me start with the one I'm most confident about. SWEET ___: POTATO (sweet potato), TALK (sweet talk), TOOTH (sweet tooth), SIXTEEN (sweet sixteen) - very confident! Movie synonyms: FILM, FLICK, PICTURE, FEATURE - very confident! Let me start with the SWEET ___ category.

Great! Now let me continue with the remaining words: BRAIN, LITTER, SCATTER, PRUNE, CREPE PAPER, FILM, FLICK, PICTURE, TALK (removed), TOOTH (removed), SHAR PEI, SPRINKLE, FEATURE, PEPPER Remaining words: BRAIN, LITTER, SCATTER, PRUNE, CREPE PAPER, FILM, FLICK, PICTURE, SHAR PEI, SPRINKLE, FEATURE, PEPPER My categories: 1. Movie synonyms: FILM, FLICK, PICTURE, FEATURE 2. Wrinkly things: BRAIN, PRUNE, SHAR PEI, CREPE PAPER 3. To distribute/sprinkle: SCATTER, SPRINKLE, LITTER, PEPPER Let me go with movie synonyms next - very confident about this one.

Remaining words: BRAIN, LITTER, SCATTER, PRUNE, CREPE PAPER, SHAR PEI, SPRINKLE, PEPPER My categories: 1. Wrinkly things: BRAIN, PRUNE, SHAR PEI, CREPE PAPER 2. To distribute/sprinkle: SCATTER, SPRINKLE, LITTER, PEPPER Let me go with wrinkly things next.

The last four words must be: LITTER, SCATTER, SPRINKLE, PEPPER - all meaning to distribute/spread around.

Let me analyze these 16 words and find 4 groups of 4 related words. Words: BLANKET, SHAM, HONOR, ENERGY, PASS, DISCARD, PLAY, UPHOLD, SHEET, FULFILL, STATE, DRAW, THROW, LABOR, JUSTICE, KEEP Let me think about possible categories: 1. Bed/Bedding items: BLANKET, SHAM, SHEET, THROW - these are all things you'd find on a bed! A sham is a decorative pillowcase, a throw is a small blanket, a sheet is a bed sheet, and a blanket is a blanket. 2. Card game actions: PASS, DISCARD, DRAW, PLAY - in card games, you can pass, discard cards, draw cards, or play cards. 3. ___ Department: Could be states of the US government departments... LABOR (Department of Labor), JUSTICE (Department of Justice), STATE (Department of State), ENERGY (Department of Energy) - these are all US Cabinet Departments! 4. Synonyms for "uphold" or related to honoring: HONOR, UPHOLD, FULFILL, KEEP - these all mean to maintain/honor a commitment. "Keep a promise," "uphold a promise," "fulfill a promise," "honor a promise." Let me verify: • Bed coverings: BLANKET, SHAM, SHEET, THROW ✓ • Card game actions: PASS, DISCARD, DRAW, PLAY ✓ • US Cabinet Departments (Department of ___): LABOR, JUSTICE, STATE, ENERGY ✓ • Ways to keep a promise/commitment: HONOR, UPHOLD, FULFILL, KEEP ✓ This looks very clean! Let me start with the one I'm most confident about. I'm most confident about: 1. US Cabinet Departments: ENERGY, LABOR, JUSTICE, STATE 2. Bed coverings: BLANKET, SHAM, SHEET, THROW 3. Card game actions: PASS, DISCARD, DRAW, PLAY 4. Ways to honor a commitment: HONOR, UPHOLD, FULFILL, KEEP Let me start with Department of ___ as it seems very specific.

The U.S. Cabinet Departments group was correct. Now let me work on the remaining 12 words: BLANKET, SHAM, HONOR, PASS, DISCARD, PLAY, UPHOLD, SHEET, FULFILL, DRAW, THROW, KEEP My remaining categories: 1. Bed coverings: BLANKET, SHAM, SHEET, THROW 2. Card game actions: PASS, DISCARD, DRAW, PLAY 3. Honor/keep a promise: HONOR, UPHOLD, FULFILL, KEEP Let me go with bed coverings next.

Two down, two to go. Remaining words: HONOR, PASS, DISCARD, PLAY, UPHOLD, FULFILL, DRAW, KEEP My remaining categories: 1. Card game actions: PASS, DISCARD, DRAW, PLAY 2. Honor/keep a promise: HONOR, UPHOLD, FULFILL, KEEP Let me go with card game actions next.

Three down, one to go. The remaining words must be: HONOR, UPHOLD, FULFILL, KEEP These all mean to honor/keep a promise or commitment.