Movie about Hercule Poirot investigating a phony diamond at an island resort when (surprise, surprise!) a murder occurs
20A
Dry, as a desert
21A
43 down, for example
22A
Ray of light
25A
Timepiece
28A
Movie about an unassuming bureaucratic Washington insider who quietly wields immense power as president George W. Bush's second in command
31A
"Monster-___", movie about a woman who meets the perfect man with a mother who will do anything to destroy their relationship
33A
Rock producer ___ Brian
34A
Russian Revolution leader
35A
Video game from 57 across
37A
Edible snail
39A
Movie consisting of four crime stories adapted from Frank Miller's popular comics
41A
Sun visor
45A
Alanis Morrisette song, "You ___ Know"
50A
Upset, as a millenial
51A
"Home and Away" character ___ Stewart
53A
"___ & Prejudice", movie about five sisters whose lives are turned upside down when a wealthy young man and his best friend arrive in their neighbourhood
54A
Movie about a young female doctor who notices a pattern of strange occurrences with patients at a hospital
55A
Narnia lion
57A
Where 35 across came from
58A
"___ be all right on the night!"
60A
Baby elephant
62A
Movie about a soldier who finds himself the outsider in his own squad after they kidnap a female villager
69A
Better suited
70A
"Norwegian Wood" instrument
71A
"___ 99" (game from the makers of Uno)
72A
Like walks during cold weather
73A
Aeroplane thoroughfare
74A
Part of a movie where the plot draws to a close
Down
1D
Homer's bartender
2D
King Charles spaniel, familiarly
3D
Schuss
4D
Talk while under the influence, perhaps
5D
"___! at the Disco" band
6D
Conundrum
7D
Ginger ___
8D
Road material
9D
Tennis great Arthur ___
10D
Butcher's hatchet
11D
Putting on the line
12D
Post-op locale
13D
Bear's lair
18D
Rapper Kendrick ___
19D
Toll hwy.
22D
Eighth of a byte
23D
Polar opposite to WSW
24D
Elev.
26D
Amoeba's composition
27D
"___ fan tutte" (Mozart opera)
29D
Corporation exec. responsible for internal efficiency
30D
Treebeard, for example
32D
___-washy
34D
Easy basket
36D
"Chandelier" singer
38D
Corporation exec. responsible for external innovation
40D
Silencing contracts, briefly
41D
PC "get me out of here!" key
42D
Former NBA star ___ Ming
43D
Peruvian volcano
44D
"The Thinker" and "David", for two
46D
Billy goat surname
47D
That guy's
48D
NFL scores
49D
___ Lingus
52D
Gem surfaces
55D
Nothing but
56D
Like some facial cavities
59D
Carefree escapade
61D
History that's handed down
62D
"Minnie the Moocher" singer ___ Calloway
63D
4th mo.
64D
Airport org.
65D
Three, on a 25 across
66D
"___ is me! for I am undone" (Is. 6:5)
67D
George Michael Bluth's girlfriend ___ Veal
68D
Fishing pole
Your browser is unsupported - please update to a newer browser for the best experience
When inspiration hits you just have to pursue it! Yes, this was the first day in months I had to work on my PhD. And yes, I did manage to get three articles read and a paragraph added to the thesis. But yes, I then got distracted by this meta. Ah well, that's how the cookie sometimes crumbles. The answer to the meta is a 3-word phrase. Answer & explanation: https://www.xword-muggles.com/viewtopic.php?p=191349#p191349
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!
Ready to get started?
to save your puzzle progress/stats
This is a contest/meta puzzle. To submit your answer, first finish solving the grid (or reveal it if you get stuck or solved offline).
Leaderboard (updated hourly)
Hector solved 3 months ago
Tom Wilson solved 3 months ago
Darth solved 3 months ago
lbray53 solved 3 months ago
boharr solved 3 months ago
imontoo solved 3 months ago
LarsCaine solved 3 months ago
DCBilly solved 3 months ago
Capn Rick solved 3 months ago
Pair O Ducks solved 3 months ago
MatthewL solved 3 months ago
I K Snamhcok solved 3 months ago
woozy solved 3 months ago
Mr Tex solved 3 months ago
Dave C solved 3 months ago
Carolyn solved 3 months ago
Serafin solved 3 months ago
Cindy Weatherman solved 3 months ago
Meg solved 3 months ago
DrTom solved 3 months ago
Jaclyn solved 3 months ago
Laura M solved 3 months ago
HeadinHome solved 3 months ago
InAJelly solved 3 months ago
whimsy solved 3 months ago
Tim solved 3 months ago
JM solved 3 months ago
LB800 solved 3 months ago
KayW solved 3 months ago
heidi solved 3 months ago
Cindy Heisler solved 3 months ago
markhr solved 3 months ago
Spid4567 solved 3 months ago
DIS solved 3 months ago
Mg305 solved 3 months ago
rjy solved 3 months ago
Berto solved 3 months ago
iceman solved 3 months ago
Jeremy Smith solved 3 months ago
Alex Sisti solved 3 months ago
Lanny Gilbert solved 3 months ago
DBI4 solved 3 months ago
CPJohnson solved 3 months ago
FedexPope solved 3 months ago
frostyjhammer solved 3 months ago
Johnny Luau solved 3 months ago
hoover solved 3 months ago
rayyandroid solved 3 months ago
axmszr solved 3 months ago
Slowbruh solved 3 months ago
ajk solved 2 months ago
kurtalert solved about 2 months ago
Comments
Sign in with google to leave a comment of your own:
I got step one right away, but thought the answer was going to be movie related. One of my guesses was "New Year's Evil". I've never seen it, but I love the title! Thanks, Ben!
Whoa... stumbled for quite a bit to get the last bit. A bit of a blind jump. Had to remind myself the title for only 4 of the 7 themers wasn't enough and had to ply a bit before I thought of it.
Dave C 3s · 3 months ago
I submitted "resolution" and spent way more time looking for another solution until I added the "s", which should have been obvious from "habits"
I thought about adding the singular options NEW YEAR RESOLUTION and NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION. But since there were 7 ends, I thought the plural would be better. And people usually talk about resolutions plural, too.
boharr 2s · 3 months ago
This has been annoying folks to no end. I have received at least a half dozen IM's from successful solvers frustrated because of the insistence on the plural.
Berto 1s · 3 months ago
Me three!
Carolyn 3s · 3 months ago
I haven't made any yet. Is it too late?? Nice puzzle!
VERY clever how you intimated "resolutions" and at the same time gave a meta nudge. I was looking for the 7 deadly but could not find them when I decided to just follow instructions. I got NEW YEAR and then ???. "AHA!" the ends are resolutions of the film , where everything comes together.
HeadinHome 2:20 · 3 months ago
First guess was it … I was basing it on the sense of “resolution” meaning “ending,” or how it all comes out (since NEWYEAR makes up the ending of all the themers). Is that the intended path?
LOL fourth time's the charm: singular singular, possessive singular, plural singular, plural plural. Maybe this means I should make persistence one of my resolutions. Thanks, Ben!
Didn't get this at first--with SIN and PRIDE and VICE I was trying to make the 7 deadly sins work somehow. And then of course I forgot to come back to it until this morning. Needed the nudges to get me recentered, but got there eventually. It's funny how rarely we do last letters. Fun idea, thanks.