Thanks For The Fish!

Hokey Pokey Lock by the Two Brass Monkeys

What a week! Work was real busy but I had picked up a bunch of new toyas at the recent MPP and couldn't resist playing with a few of them at every moment of down time that I had. I have had quite a time with these and actually solved a few including the last 2 from the Pelikan delivery discussed at the end of August

Back in 2018, Big Steve and Ali had produced the Hokey Cokey Lock and it was Steve's exchange gift in the 2018 IPP and had involved dressing up and dancing (poor poor Derek!) - I reviewed it here. That lock is still available even if the one being reviewed today is currently sold out.

Poor Frank!

Needless to say, I absolutely loved the Hokey Cokey and was very fascinated to see what was new with the similarly named puzzle. I think that, at the puzzle exchange in the Jerusalem IPP, Steve and his poor assistant/victim, Frank spent a long day dancing the usual tune but this time using the American spelling to their dance and enjoyed themselves immensely. 

The puzzle arrived with instructions to open the lock and find the pun inside. There are 2 key on a keyring suitably adorned to celebrate the 30th IPP - there was a wine bottle seal sporting a snazzy 40 and a cork removed from the celebratory bottle.

First thing's first...you know it won't work but you have to try the keys in the lock. Yes they fit, no they won't open the bloody thing. Hmm, now what can I do? I did what was expected of me and was rewarded with a stern look from Mrs S as Steve forced me to make a mess:

Yes, I poured a bunch of little fish over myself and the sleeping cat!

I almost got away with it. It was the inadvertent F word that came out that gave away that something bad had happened.

The engineering here is top notch. I found the rest of the solution fairly quickly and managed to open the lock without much song and dance (than goodness) and let Steve know.

No spoilers here

Steve asked whether I had completed the second half of the mission. Alas, I have not managed to find the pun. I keep looking at it but word games are not my strong point.

Hopefully another batch will be produced and made available for you to buy. If you wish to purchase Ali's exchange puzzle - A Bolt from the Blue then that is available here as is Allard's stunning teeny brass burrset, the Allard's Think© sticks, you know that you can never have too many burrsets!! You might as well pick them both up whilst you are there!

I have a few solved puzzles under my belt for the next couple of weeks - Phew!