The answer to the meta is a real problem, not a first world problem
There are some very funny first world problems memes out there: "I have three monitors connected to my computer, and I can't find my mouse cursor!" (see https://www.boredpanda.com/first-world-problems-twitter/ for some more). You will face your own first world problems in this meta puzzle. May you find your way to the meta answer, which in this case is a real problem, not a first world problem. Answer & explanation: https://www.xword-muggles.com/viewtopic.php?p=130896#p130896
Check out "The MOAT Mini Pack of Marching Bands" here: https://www.ephesusscroll.com/about/interest4.html. US$5 gets you 7 Marching Bands which, hard enough on their own, now contain metas too. And once again there's a mega-meta!
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Leaderboard (updated hourly)
Schmeel solved about 2 years ago
boharr solved about 2 years ago
Hector solved about 2 years ago
whimsy solved about 2 years ago
Meg solved about 2 years ago
rjy solved about 2 years ago
kurtalert solved about 2 years ago
Carolyn solved about 2 years ago
DIS solved about 2 years ago
woozy solved about 2 years ago
hoover solved about 2 years ago
ajk solved about 2 years ago
Laura M solved about 2 years ago
imontoo solved about 2 years ago
Tyrpmom solved about 2 years ago
KayW solved about 2 years ago
heidi solved about 2 years ago
Pair O Ducks solved about 2 years ago
JM solved about 2 years ago
Mikey G solved about 2 years ago
lbray53 solved about 2 years ago
Darrell solved about 2 years ago
markhr solved about 2 years ago
BarbaraK solved about 2 years ago
Berto solved about 2 years ago
I K Snamhcok solved about 2 years ago
HeadinHome solved about 2 years ago
DrTom solved about 2 years ago
Adam Simon Levine solved about 2 years ago
Qmark solved about 2 years ago
Bbaack solved about 2 years ago
MatthewL solved about 2 years ago
moron solved about 2 years ago
Mr Tex solved about 2 years ago
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ReB solved about 2 years ago
Spid4567 solved about 2 years ago
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Gutman solved about 2 years ago
sledge solved almost 2 years ago
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Lucas solved over 1 year ago
Darth solved 10 months ago
Comments
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whimsy 14:21 · about 2 years ago
Too lazy to grab paper and pencil so I initially got lost in the permutations! :) Very nice puzzle and reminder, Ben!
Hmmmmm... I look forward to learning the mechanism! I sort of connected CUP -> WORLD CUP -> FUTBOL, GONE -> ABORT, WORLD TRADE -> EEC... and had FA___E, figured FAMINE was a worthy guess. Even knowing that was the answer, though, I'm having trouble backsolving MIN. Doh!
DIS 🤓5:20 · about 2 years ago
The completing word is the first word of a clue. For example, WIDE -> world wide WEB -> "Web-like material..." which clues MESH for the M.
That's it! After placing WORLD in front of the starred entries you need a third word that will complete a phrase. That third word will be the first word of a clue, and the first letter of those entries spells the meta answer. Lots of firsts!
It's funny cause the MINE and the AF were the hard ones.
BTW. Gone=> insane. And Trade=> Nave.
Carolyn 4s · about 2 years ago
I really enjoyed this! Challenging enough, but not too much. World Trade Organization had me for a few minutes until I shifted gears to Center. Still working on Wendy's puzzle though.
Very fun, thanks. Had a bit of trouble spotting the completion for WORLD WITHOUT, but at the point the backsolve was easy
Laura M 🤓10:27 · about 2 years ago
Excellent puzzle!
imontoo 4s · about 2 years ago
That was a toughie for me. Was glad to finally catch on! Thanks, Ben.
Tyrpmom 4s · about 2 years ago
Loved it!
KayW 🤓9:23 · about 2 years ago
Clever meta and puzzle - and thinking about the answer truly puts my "first world problems" in perspective. Thanks Ben!
lbray53 2s · about 2 years ago
Great puzzle. Thanks.
Berto 24:42 · about 2 years ago
I wrote down “hunger” and “famine” as guesses, and then got World Wide Web > M(esh) and World Gone Mad > I(nsane) and knew I was on the right track.
Great puzzle, Ben!
I K Snamhcok 1s · about 2 years ago
Quite fun. And if I understand correctly, many many many fewer people in the world go hungry today, compared to earlier in my lifetime. That’s encouraging.
HeadinHome 🤓6:07 · about 2 years ago
A solid puzzle, and a meaningful reminder. Thanks!
Great puzzle Ben, I think it was CUP and TRADE that really confirmed it, then I looked throughout the GRID for the words until I glanced and saw Web... Very tricky and nicely hidden. Now I did have a few moments grief as I looked for the World Wildlife Foundation but I saw Fund and knew that was another WWF (probably the WWF). Good puzzle and a good reminder. As an afterthought you could have named this "Third Word Problem".
Qmark 4s · about 2 years ago
Loved it...thanks Ben!
Bbaack 17:36 · about 2 years ago
That was a lot of fun, thanks!
MatthewL 🤓9:17 · about 2 years ago
Whew -- been staring at this for 2 days and finally saw what was going on. Lesson on this one -- always read the title literally. Very nice puzzle, Ben!
Actually always read the title on EVERY meta. Sometimes one of the pieces a constructor agonizes over the most is the title that will (1) amuse (2) relate to the solve (3) give a hint to the mechanism. The title can literally make or break the puzzle.
ReB 5s · about 2 years ago
3rd nudge did it - which led me to decide to look at the clues to confirm my suppositions as to the third word (or to correct me, as in the case of the World Trade Center, which I first thought would be Organization until I spotted Center). The rest then fell into place fairly quickly.