Fur, Feathers and Claws
August 31, 2026 · 12×11 · Normal
Spot from afar
Dry sherry style
Eels' home turf
Left after fire
Where lava flows
Bright red songbird
Leave in a hurry
Not-yet-mum cows
Violent spasm
Watches in secret
Knife-edge ridge
Black jungle cat
Wrote 'Don Juan'
Letter or life force
Sea's hidden sparkle
Makes look tiny
Oily little seed
Online rip-off
Builds wooden casks
Against, briefly
Rows and columns
Simpsons' bartender
Scots word for 'own'
How we say '/'
Meadow songbird
Shares top billing
Prices slashed today
Loud hand smack
Request out loud
Prized Maori weapon
Steak, or a feud
Leg, or branch
Tea, informally
Format for e-books
3.26 light-years
Old royal title
A furtive glance
Small Roman coin
Curly, wavy, ginger
Latin word for king
Huge guard dog breed
Fur, Feathers and Claws — Solution
August 31, 2026 · 12×11 · Normal
Spot from afar
E
Dry sherry style
Eels' home turf
F
Left after fire
Where lava flows
A
Bright red songbird
C
Leave in a hurry
D
Not-yet-mum cows
Violent spasm
H
Watches in secret
S
P
I
E
S
Knife-edge ridge
A
R
E
T
E
Black jungle cat
Wrote 'Don Juan'
P
A
N
T
H
E
R
Letter or life force
C
H
I
B
Y
R
O
N
Sea's hidden sparkle
Makes look tiny
Oily little seed
D
W
A
R
F
Online rip-off
Builds wooden casks
R
Against, briefly
Rows and columns
A
N
T
I
Simpsons' bartender
M
O
E
S
C
A
M
Scots word for 'own'
A
I
N
How we say '/'
Meadow songbird
P
E
R
Shares top billing
O
Prices slashed today
A
Loud hand smack
Request out loud
C
L
A
P
Prized Maori weapon
Steak, or a feud
S
C
O
S
T
A
R
Leg, or branch
Tea, informally
L
I
M
B
Format for e-books
3.26 light-years
Old royal title
P
A
R
S
E
C
A furtive glance
Small Roman coin
P
E
E
P
M
E
L
I
K
Curly, wavy, ginger
H
A
I
R
E
D
Latin word for king
R
E
X
Huge guard dog breed
M
A
S
T
I
F
F
Fur, Feathers and Claws — The notes
August 31, 2026 · 12×11 · Normal
- ESPYSpot from afarTo catch sight of something, especially from a distance, a literary, slightly old-fashioned word.
- FINODry sherry styleA pale, dry style of sherry from Spain, traditionally served chilled as an aperitif.
- PARRAEels' home turfParra is the nickname for Parramatta, a suburb in western Sydney and home of the Eels rugby league team.
- ASHLeft after fireThe grey powder left behind after something burns completely, from wood to volcanic rock.
- ETNAWhere lava flowsMount Etna, Europe's most active volcano, towers over eastern Sicily and often sends lava flowing.
- CARDINALBright red songbirdA vivid red North American songbird, state bird of seven US states. Also a top Catholic official and a compass point.
- DECAMPLeave in a hurryTo pack up and leave quickly, often secretly, like breaking camp overnight.
- HEIFERSNot-yet-mum cowsYoung female cattle that haven't had a calf yet, a common farming term.
- THROEViolent spasmA sharp pang or violent spasm, usually used in the phrase 'the throes of' a struggle.
- SPIESWatches in secretPeople who secretly gather information, often for a government or rival organisation.
- ARETEKnife-edge ridgeA sharp, narrow ridge formed between two glacial valleys, a mountaineering term.
- PANTHERBlack jungle catA big cat with a sleek black coat, often a melanistic leopard or jaguar.
- BYRONWrote 'Don Juan'Lord Byron, English Romantic poet (1788-1824), famous for 'Don Juan' and 'Childe Harold's Pilgrimage'.
- CHILetter or life forceThe 22nd Greek letter (Chi), and in Chinese philosophy the vital energy said to flow through the body.
- NACRESea's hidden sparkleNacre, or mother-of-pearl, is the iridescent coating lining shells and cultured pearls.
- DWARFMakes look tinyAs a verb, to make something else look small by comparison, skyscrapers dwarf nearby houses.
- TILOily little seedTil is the Hindi word for sesame seed, prized for its oil and nutty flavour in South Asian cooking.
- SCAMOnline rip-offA dishonest scheme to trick people out of money, often run by phone or online today.
- COOPERBuilds wooden casksA craftsman who makes wooden barrels and casks, also a common English surname.
- ANTIAgainst, brieflyShort prefix or standalone word meaning 'opposed to' something.
- MATRIXRows and columnsA rectangular grid of numbers arranged in rows and columns, used in maths and computing. Also the sci-fi film with Neo.
- MOESimpsons' bartenderMoe Szyslak, the gruff bartender from The Simpsons who runs Moe's Tavern.
- AINScots word for 'own'Scots dialect word meaning 'own', as in 'my ain house', still heard in Scottish English.
- PERHow we say '/'Latin for 'through' or 'by', it's how we read the '/' symbol aloud, as in 'miles per hour'.
- PIPITMeadow songbirdA small, streaky brown songbird often seen in meadows and open grassland.
- COSTARShares top billingAn actor who shares lead billing with another in a film or show.
- SALEPrices slashed todayA period when prices are cut, from Black Friday deals to end-of-season clearances.
- CLAPLoud hand smackTo strike your palms together loudly, usually to applaud or keep a beat.
- ASKRequest out loudTo put a question to someone, or to request something from them.
- MERIPrized Maori weaponA short, flat Maori war club, traditionally carved from greenstone and treasured as a taonga.
- BEEFSteak, or a feudBeef is meat from cattle; informally, 'having a beef' with someone means holding a grudge against them.
- LIMBLeg, or branchA limb can be an arm or leg on a body, or a large branch growing from a tree.
- CHATea, informallyOld-fashioned British slang for tea, 'a cup of cha'.
- PDFFormat for e-booksPortable Document Format, the file type behind most e-books, forms and printable documents.
- PARSEC3.26 light-yearsA unit of astronomical distance equal to about 3.26 light-years, used to measure distances between stars.
- MELIKOld royal titleMelik (from the Arabic root for 'king') was a title used by rulers across the Middle East, including Seljuk princes.
- PEEPA furtive glanceA quick, often secretive look at something, a sneaky glance.
- ASSmall Roman coinThe as was a small bronze or copper coin used in ancient Rome. The word also means 'in the role of', e.g. 'cast as'.
- HAIREDCurly, wavy, gingerA suffix added after a colour or texture word to describe someone's hair, as in 'curly-haired'.
- REXLatin word for kingLatin for 'king', survives in words like 'regal', and is a popular name for big dogs.
- MASTIFFHuge guard dog breedA massive, powerful dog breed traditionally used for guarding property and livestock.