cocktail, sailor phrase and NYT Connections clue
Salty Dog
Salty dog can mean a grapefruit cocktail with a salted rim or an experienced sailor. In Connections #1179, SALTY plus “dog” forms a familiar phrase but does not name an actual canine.
Why now
SALTY appeared in NYT Connections #1179 on September 2, 2026.
The connection
Why here
The category was **___ DOGS (THAT AREN’T DOGS)**.
Puzzle group: **CORN · PRAIRIE · SALTY · TOP**
Each becomes a familiar expression when followed by “dog,” but none names a real canine.
More context
Context
What is the Salty Dog cocktail?
A Greyhound combines gin or vodka with grapefruit juice. Adding a salted rim turns it into a Salty Dog.
Can “salty dog” mean a sailor?
Yes. The phrase is also used in nautical slang for an experienced sailor or seafarer.
See Prairie Dog for another entry from the same non-dog group.
Keep exploring
Related Things
Evidence
Sources
- Salty Dog Cocktail — Liquor.com
Supports the grapefruit, gin-or-vodka cocktail meaning and salted-rim distinction.
- Salty dog — Wiktionary
Supports the experienced-sailor sense of salty dog.
- NYT Connections hints and answers for September 2, 2026 — Forbes
Supports Connections