Rack Up The Points

[DrTom]

Daggnabbit..... Why does it have to be *SOO* easy to accidently post a message to the entire forum...... *sheeesh*.

Why, what did you post?

[DrTom]

“So the "Probably a 2 at best" may be a canard, but the path to discovery well that is a: [Cunard photo]”

About that poster:
1) on-board entertainment looks like a lot of lame party games (balloon-forehead thing??) WOW, tough crowd, you're not going ot like what comes next then, Hokey Pokey!
2) what game is that with the rings and the net? Sorry this is an adult game and not fit for discussion in the forum. I have to say I was surprised that women were playing
3) ditto the lanes and the tiny horse race. Unfortunately the experiment with the actual size horses proved unworkable after the third horse went overboard on the home stretch turn

However, I do approve of the 3-tiered dessert tray being passed around. If I’m going to put on a cocktail dress to sit in the sun, someone had better be bringing me petit fours. Wendy, I'd agree to bring you petit fives if it pleased you!

[DrTom]

OK, it is officially Wednesday - nudges loading....

Rack Up the Points Nudges

The long answer in the middle is far too tempting to be there by chance, and its wording certainly screams HINT! But what to make of it?

Small Several games have the potential for a three point play, but none of the others are associated with a “rack”

Medium How does one score points in that game?

Large How would you go about complying with 39A in the game that it references, there really is only one way to do it

[woozy]

Daggnabbit..... Why does it have to be *SOO* easy to accidently post a message to the entire forum...... *sheeesh*.

Why, what did you post?

I posted:

"Hey, Dr. Tom. Is the meta PICKLE-JUICE-EXTRACT? I got it by noting PICKLE-HARVEST-BUTTERCUP and I figured this fit your style as on the puzzle PICKLE-PARCEL-TACKLE you'd be doing a modification and doing TALLY-WHACKER-MARSHMALLOW would be a good twist.

"Let me know if I solved the meta. I promise I won't post any spoilers to the forum."

[Dplass]

Daggnabbit..... Why does it have to be *SOO* easy to accidently post a message to the entire forum...... *sheeesh*.

Why, what did you post?

I posted:

"Hey, Dr. Tom. Is the meta PICKLE-JUICE-EXTRACT? I got it by noting PICKLE-HARVEST-BUTTERCUP and I figured this fit your style as on the puzzle PICKLE-PARCEL-TACKLE you'd be doing a modification and doing TALLY-WHACKER-MARSHMALLOW would be a good twist.

"Let me know if I solved the meta. I promise I won't post any spoilers to the forum."

[rjy]

FINALLY off the couch w Nudge 1… very cool concept, @DrTom!

[Joe Ross]

We planted a big cactus garden in the canyon adjacent to our house. The specimen I sent a picture of is different than yours. It has about ten cylindrical arms growing from a central mass. However, despite the difference, the flowers appear very similar. Ours has several flowers on the arms. They last for a few days and then fall off. The plants flower once or twice a year, I don’t keep track that closely. The interesting thing about cacti is that the shape and color of the flower is related to the type of pollinator that they want to attract. Bees are attracted to yellow and blue. Cacti that rely on bees for pollination tend to have flat yellow flowers. A good example of this is the golden barrel. Cacti with long tubular flowers are geared toward hummingbirds, and large white flowering cacti are geared toward bats.

If you wonder why Jay(s), Kay, Josh, & many other muggles are Whole-World-Championship-caliber solvers (& creators), follow their side discussions on meta topics.

[HeadinHome]

Ahhh… from the nudges I see that we may be in an area I know nothing about. Can’t even think of a thing that fulfills what they are cluing. Y’all go on without me…

[Schmeel]

Ahhh… from the clues I see that we may be in an area I know nothing about. Can’t even think of a thing that fulfills what the clues are cluing. Y’all go on without me…

I think I'll join you...

[ChrisKochmanski]

Off the couch!

With a nudge, but not from Dr. Tom. Another kind Muggle hinted me very nicely last night. Just enough nudge so solving was still fun. (Now I’ll read Dr. T’s nudges.)

[DrTom]

Daggnabbit..... Why does it have to be *SOO* easy to accidently post a message to the entire forum...... *sheeesh*.

Why, what did you post?

I posted:

"Hey, Dr. Tom. Is the meta PICKLE-JUICE-EXTRACT? I got it by noting PICKLE-HARVEST-BUTTERCUP and I figured this fit your style as on the puzzle PICKLE-PARCEL-TACKLE you'd be doing a modification and doing TALLY-WHACKER-MARSHMALLOW would be a good twist.

"Let me know if I solved the meta. I promise I won't post any spoilers to the forum."

Well I never saw that post, but good thing I didn't or I'd have had to say "woozy, stop solving puzzles from the future, that one is set to debut on Monday April 6, 2026 and is Titled "You've Got a Lot of Gall".

[MaineMarge]

Off the comfy couch and back to the wrack

Good one, DT.!

[cbarbee002]

Very clever Doc!

[Schmeel]

Off the couch. Finally!

[woozy]

Ahhh… from the nudges I see that we may be in an area I know nothing about. Can’t even think of a thing that fulfills what they are cluing. Y’all go on without me…

It's possible that you are in an area you know nothing about, but considering the nature and subject of this forum I highly doubt that.

[minimuggle]

Pretty sure I'm off the couch. Awaiting confirmation. Fun puzzle.

[Cinny]

Finally off the couch!! Excellent meta and one I should have gotten without Dr Tom practically having to pull me out from under the couch!!

[mindle]

Ahhh… from the nudges I see that we may be in an area I know nothing about. Can’t even think of a thing that fulfills what they are cluing. Y’all go on without me…

It's possible that you are in an area you know nothing about, but considering the nature and subject of this forum I highly doubt that.

This conversation got me off the couch
Fun puzzle!

[cbarbee002]

On the topic of cactus flowers, here's one from the beach today. . .

[MikeyG]

Off the couch/scratch pad.
Capturecouchprinted.PNG
Thanks, DrTom!

I thought that couch had math formulas on it at first, haha.