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◆◆ · By benchen71 · Published 2025-03-04T05:00:54.921Z

Meta Prompt
The answer to the meta is a 4-word phrase that describes some relationships
It's summer here in Australia and my wife and I just spent the last three days on a holiday to Phillip Island, not far from Melbourne. We had a wonderful time exploring various beaches, dodging lowland copperhead snakes on a bushwalk around Cape Woolamai (yes, they're venomous - it's Australia, after all! - but we kept to the path and the 5 we saw kept their distance), drinking coffee at great cafes, and eating wonderful food. During this whole time I was thinking about this puzzle: so the meta mechanism has been well-and-truly thought out, let me tell you! Once I got home, this was the first thing I did... once we were unpacked, of course! The answer to the meta is a 4-word phrase that describes some relationships. Answer & explanation: https://www.xword-muggles.com/viewtopic.php?p=197516#p197516
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!
Checking for previous play data...

Leaderboard (updated hourly)

  • Hector solved 2025-03-04T05:14:24.210Z
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  • eleanor48 solved 2025-03-25T23:48:54.210Z

Comments

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  • Cindy Heisler 1s · 2025-03-04T13:35:20.428Z
    Nice solve over my morning coffee. Thanks, Ben!
    • whimsy 15:55 · 2025-03-04T14:43:39.624Z
      Doing the grid was at least as much fun as the meta! I liked how the "correct" entries (regarding "check grid") changed at mid-point. Thanks, Ben!
      • FedexPope 10:49 · 2025-03-04T14:20:08.063Z
        Fun puzzle! I understood that the squares had to be 'on' and 'off', but couldn't figure out how to use the rebus to enter it correctly.
        • benchen71 constructor · 2025-03-04T22:22:40.704Z
          I think you press ESC to enter a rebus?
          • Adam G 12:53 · 2025-03-05T02:12:54.158Z
            I also enjoyed it, and also had some difficulty with the rebus (on/off and on-off were impossible; eventually through spot-checking I stumbled upon the right fills). I consider it a limitation of the software -- fun puzzle theme!
          • Ergcat 6:52 · 2025-03-04T14:36:27.006Z
            Interesting idea! Thanks, Ben!
            • imontoo 3s · 2025-03-04T15:05:14.841Z
              Needed an easy one after being up since 3:30am watching storms. Thanks, Ben!
              • Capn Rick 9:37 · 2025-03-04T15:37:45.062Z
                Very clever, Ben!
                • Darth 14:14 · 2025-03-04T15:33:19.736Z
                  Nice work, Ben!
                  • MatthewL 🤓11:04 · 2025-03-04T16:23:21.673Z
                    Fun one, Ben! I do love me a rebus puzzle. Watch out for those copperheads though!
                    • woozy 21:04 · 2025-03-04T16:55:50.090Z
                      Very clever! and well constructed. Kind of a funny feeling to do the very second entry and think "but wait, I know the answer and it's... oh, I get it."
                      Kind of annoying to get the the grid filled to get the "you have some error" messages and to hit check puzzle to see that it we every single rebus didn't like my notation. On the other hand once entered the way crosshare like the visual of the flashing switches was quite stunning.
                      Had to ponder what the what the meta might actually be ("Off and on?") but it didn't take too much scratching.
                      Clever!
                      • Carolyn 3s · 2025-03-04T16:53:46.779Z
                        Terrific construction!
                        • Dave C 2s · 2025-03-04T17:58:39.356Z
                          I do the puzzle the old-fashioned way - paper and pencil - so it easy to manage rebuses. Fun grid.
                          • Qmark 4s · 2025-03-04T18:33:00.981Z
                            Wonderful...thanks Ben!
                            • ajk 10:45 · 2025-03-04T21:26:23.725Z
                              Ha. Nice to have an easy one after my failure last week 😂 Ironically my first thought was ON/OFF, but then I forgot once I started doing the puzzle, so initially I just thought it was stuff missing from some entries. Wasn't until I got to FALCON that I copped on (no pun intended). Once I finished the grid it took about a minute to come up with the phrase. Fun one, thanks.
                              • DrTom 3s · 2025-03-05T04:56:50.515Z
                                I think a lot of folks may have guessed what the answer was, but I hope they went through the puzzle because, and you might not recognize it unless you build these things, that construction was amazing. To find 20 words that you could fit in an OFF ON rebus, have them placed so that their last letters, which had to come in grid order for it to work, spelled AGAIN, particularly when two of those had to be words that end in i, well sir I am utterly impressed. That was an ambitious project.
                                Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) for me SWITCH said On/Off and relationships, well that had to be on again off again. BUt of course I had to know how so I went back in and although it looked simple (compliments to the artist who makes a work look like anyone could do it) it really had to be a lot of time invested I would imagine. Thanks for the puzzle Ben.
                                • benchen71 constructor · 2025-03-05T21:09:36.980Z
                                  Glad you noticed that little detail. :-)
                                  • DrTom 3s · 2025-03-06T03:21:32.112Z
                                    LITTLE DETAIL...that is akin to, "Mr. Hoover, I think that little dam they named after you is quite nice!" You had to work your butt off to make that work I am absolutely sure. I'm delighted you got such a good response.
                                    T
                                • HeadinHome 13:58 · 2025-03-06T13:41:26.470Z
                                  bit the bullet to fill in the grid here (I work them on ipad/markup), so I could be listed as a solver ( : I had to reveal a few… (COFFEA??) to get the grid right… and I wish there were an easier button for rebus entries (not in a drop-down menu) — but can’t complain too hard because crosshare is such a gift. AND, Ben!! this construction! Quite an accomplishment. My hat’s OFF to you… or ON, as the case may be.
                                  1A
                                  Totally absorbed
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                                  Across
                                  1. 1A
                                    Totally absorbed
                                  2. 5A
                                    Jane of "Grace and Frankie"
                                  3. 9A
                                    Freak out
                                  4. 14A
                                    "Dude!", casually
                                  5. 15A
                                    Oboe, for one
                                  6. 16A
                                    Suitable for a certain nobleman
                                  7. 17A
                                    Clinton's vice president
                                  8. 18A
                                    Facts, for short
                                  9. 19A
                                    Hangs around
                                  10. 20A
                                    Not correct
                                  11. 22A
                                    British actress who played Kara Milovy in "The Living Daylights", Maryam ___
                                  12. 24A
                                    Shrek's ladylove
                                  13. 25A
                                    Lake Super___
                                  14. 27A
                                    Raccoon-like animal of South America
                                  15. 29A
                                    Partial or complete break in a bone
                                  16. 33A
                                    Thor Heyerdahl's raft
                                  17. 37A
                                    ___-de-camp
                                  18. 38A
                                    "Hey Jude" syllables
                                  19. 39A
                                    These, in Spanish
                                  20. 40A
                                    Digital watch display (abbr.)
                                  21. 41A
                                    Beethoven's birthplace
                                  22. 42A
                                    "See ya!"
                                  23. 44A
                                    Unwell
                                  24. 45A
                                    French term of endearment
                                  25. 47A
                                    1992 title role for Nicholson
                                  26. 48A
                                    Patella location
                                  27. 49A
                                    Collection plate contribution
                                  28. 51A
                                    Fleet commanders
                                  29. 53A
                                    Morning tea time, often
                                  30. 55A
                                    ___ Lanka
                                  31. 56A
                                    Genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae the seeds of which are used to flavour certain beverages
                                  32. 59A
                                    Poseidon tridents?
                                  33. 61A
                                    Scottish slang for "away from here" (e.g. "Just one more beer and then I'm ___!")
                                  34. 64A
                                    Theatre divider
                                  35. 66A
                                    "Not guilty," for one
                                  36. 68A
                                    Ocean's movement
                                  37. 70A
                                    Out
                                  38. 71A
                                    Microscopic
                                  39. 72A
                                    Any thing
                                  40. 73A
                                    Ridiculously silly
                                  41. 74A
                                    Dracula's daytime locale, often
                                  42. 75A
                                    Without ice
                                  Down
                                  1. 1D
                                    "Notorious" justice, familiarly
                                  2. 2D
                                    In ___ (lined up, like ducks)
                                  3. 3D
                                    Sound that might mean "Thanks for feeding me, human"
                                  4. 4D
                                    Mockumentary sitcom set at a paper supply company in Scranton, Pennsylvania
                                  5. 5D
                                    The F of T.G.I.F.
                                  6. 6D
                                    Put someone's nose out of joint
                                  7. 7D
                                    Covers with graffiti, say
                                  8. 8D
                                    Mexican marinade
                                  9. 9D
                                    Merchandise (abbr.)
                                  10. 10D
                                    Sets of clothes that are worn as an ensemble
                                  11. 11D
                                    Brazilian berry
                                  12. 12D
                                    Satisfying end to a story arc
                                  13. 13D
                                    "Frozen" snow queen
                                  14. 21D
                                    Figured out
                                  15. 23D
                                    Acorn producer
                                  16. 26D
                                    Heavy rain aftermath
                                  17. 28D
                                    Butter-and-sugar candy
                                  18. 29D
                                    Han Solo's "Millennium ___"
                                  19. 30D
                                    Nouveau ___
                                  20. 31D
                                    Venomous snake
                                  21. 32D
                                    Sprinted
                                  22. 34D
                                    Turner autobiography
                                  23. 35D
                                    Superman's real name
                                  24. 36D
                                    Archipelago, essentially
                                  25. 41D
                                    The B of N.B.
                                  26. 42D
                                    Spy who likes his martinis shaken, not stirred
                                  27. 43D
                                    Thanksgiving side dish
                                  28. 46D
                                    ADHD prescription
                                  29. 47D
                                    Lin-Manuel Miranda musical
                                  30. 48D
                                    "Wicked" Chenoweth
                                  31. 50D
                                    Economic indicator (abbr.)
                                  32. 52D
                                    Fe
                                  33. 54D
                                    Savory jelly
                                  34. 56D
                                    "Pretty please?"
                                  35. 57D
                                    French ___ soup
                                  36. 58D
                                    This, in Spanish
                                  37. 60D
                                    Son of Ramses I
                                  38. 62D
                                    Charlie Brown had trouble flying one
                                  39. 63D
                                    Brainstorming session output
                                  40. 65D
                                    Suffix with benz-
                                  41. 67D
                                    Novelist ___ Rand
                                  42. 69D
                                    CPR expert
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