Find the members of a hidden category by linking letters. Each letter on both sides of the arrows is used at least once. Most answers are single words, but some may be hyphenated or two-word answers. As you solve, you may find words that don't fit the category - these should be discarded.

Start with a letter on the left of an arrow and link it to one of the letters to the right of the same arrow. Find that second letter on the left and link it to a letter on its right. Continue the process until an answer is formed.

Please answer an entire category.

-1. Spirits - Apparitions (10 answers)
A -> IN
B -> AO
C -> T
E -> CEIRY
G -> EH
H -> AEO
I -> ST
L -> T
N -> ST
O -> GKLMOUS
P -> EHO
R -> AEG
S -> HOPT
T -> EHOR
U -> L
W -> R

-2. Spirits - Feelings, moods, attitudes (10 answers) - moxie
A -> CNRST
C -> IK
E -> LRS
I -> EMNOTV
K -> L
L -> AEIU
M -> AO
N -> EIK
O -> NX
P -> ALU
R -> KV
S -> IPS
T -> IY
U -> CN
V -> AEI
X -> I

-3. Spirits - Alcohol (10 answers)
A -> T
B -> EO
C -> H
E -> ERWY
F -> I
G -> RU
H -> IO
I -> NQRS
K -> E
L -> I
M -> O
N -> ES
O -> CGNORTZ
Q -> U
R -> EO
S -> HK
T -> EG
U -> OT
W -> AHI
Z -> E

These are tricky so I'm going to be rather lazy and do part of a category, letting someone else add to it:

1. Ghost, spectre, wraith, poltergeist, spook, ghoul, phantom, bogey (two more needed)

Good start, Lex! I will say that it helps to print the puzzle out so you can cross off used letters.

I didn't know that each letter could only be used once, so I might try that.

"Cross off" was a poor choice. Letters CAN be used more than once. The important rule is that each letter must be used at least once. When solving, I underline the letters I use so I know which ones still need to be placed in a word.

Ah, that may be helpful to know as I suspected that some letters might be there to mislead rather than be used - bearing in mind the devilish puzzle setter I know you to be!

I have worked out six of the words for 3, so I may come back for that one (or part of it...) tomorrow if no-one else is biting.

It's often the letters that look misleading that are the most important.

I had only gotten as far as "ghost" with number 1. Then I thought maybe "opera" fit in there somehow but without knowing the categories, I gave up. Maybe I will give it another go.

That's why I added the categories. They're all spirits, just different kinds. Have fun, ob, because I think you'll like this puzzle.

1. banshee

Yes! There's one left to find.

Yea, I don't think I'm marking the letters off right.

Okay, I'll kick start 3. beer, wine, whiskey, hooch, moonshine, booze, firewater (three still to be found, assuming these are all correct...)


... and I think that the final item for 1 is soul.

I was also working on 3 and had all of yours except hooch. I also had grog, liquor, and rotgut, if any of those work.

All three of those look fine to me oldbroad: apologies for stealing some of your thunder!

I have no ideas at all for 2.

No thunder stolen at all. I was probably never going to come up with anymore or post any of it. I haven't looked too much at 2.

That's the spirit, you two! "Soul" does indeed finish off #1. And between the two of you, #3 is also done.

I'm somehow not getting all the letters to be used though. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong but I'm not sure what.

I just retried 3 and I can do it if I cross off double letters in words like this: whhiisskkeey. Is that how it is supposed to work. I used the h on the right of w and then use it again on the left before using the i?

#2 is a tough one.
Just to get started.... would "moxie" be one of the spirits?

I'll add passive and maybe unity to #2?

oldbroad, you just have to work from letter to letter. Try to find a starting letter, like W, and choose one of the letters to the right of it, like H. At this point, I'd have underlined the H to show it had been used once already. Then you go to the H line and choose the I (and underline it). And so forth. Double letters do exist but only if there are two of them. For instance, the word LETTER would come from the chain L->E, E -> TR, T-> TE.

Manxie, MOXIE is one of the words. ob, neither of those fit the category which is kinds of spirit. PASS- does start another word.

Okay, then I'm not getting it because unless I do it as I exampled, I am not using all the letters on the left.

Spirits - feelings/mood - I felt passive fit in there but...

passion, nerve, spunk, verve

I'll add sparkle, pluck and vivacity to the list

...and I think there must be at least one ending -iness, or perhaps -lessness, or just -less ... and a word containing ma, possibly ima ...

...afterthoughts: nerviness and/or nervelessness?

You're getting there! The list so far: moxie, passion, pluck, sparkle, spunk, verve, vivacity

There IS a word that ends in -iness and ima occurs in a different word