The term 'LIONS OR TIGERS OR BEARS' can be broken down into two crossword solutions: NOUN (4 letters) and TEAM (4 letters). The NOUN solution is 'PRED', which is short for predators, animals that hunt and feed on other animals. The TEAM solution is 'OMAH', which is the nickname of the professional American football TEAM, the Omaha Nighthawks. The term 'LIONS OR TIGERS OR BEARS' is a reference to the classic children's story, 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears', in which Goldilocks encounters a family of bears. The term is often used as a metaphor for something that is difficult to choose between.