The meta mechanism in this puzzle came to me while driving home from work. I don't think that's a spoiler! Once I got home, I just had to see if it would work, and I think it does. Hopefully, you will agree with me, assuming you can find the answer to the meta, which is a rock band. Answer & explanation: https://www.xword-muggles.com/viewtopic.php?p=106374#p106374
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)
SeamusOL solved over 2 years ago
markhr solved over 2 years ago
Laura M solved over 2 years ago
Cindy Weatherman solved over 2 years ago
hoover solved over 2 years ago
Hector solved over 2 years ago
Darth solved over 2 years ago
lbray53 solved over 2 years ago
rjy solved over 2 years ago
boharr solved over 2 years ago
Ergcat solved over 2 years ago
Pair O Ducks solved over 2 years ago
dplass solved over 2 years ago
Tom Wilson solved over 2 years ago
Capn Rick solved over 2 years ago
DrTom solved over 2 years ago
DIS solved over 2 years ago
kymike solved over 2 years ago
Johnny Luau solved over 2 years ago
CPJohnson solved over 2 years ago
Bbaack solved over 2 years ago
KayW solved over 2 years ago
Tyrpmom solved over 2 years ago
I K Snamhcok solved over 2 years ago
Dow Jones solved over 2 years ago
Schmeel solved over 2 years ago
Gutman solved over 2 years ago
Meg solved over 2 years ago
ReB solved over 2 years ago
Spid4567 solved over 2 years ago
LuckyGuest solved over 2 years ago
SJMcK solved over 2 years ago
JHSeeman solved over 2 years ago
Cindy Heisler solved over 2 years ago
imontoo solved over 2 years ago
Qmark solved over 2 years ago
Mr Tex solved over 2 years ago
kurtalert solved over 2 years ago
jbird solved over 2 years ago
Emma Oxford solved over 2 years ago
woozy solved over 2 years ago
Tobonic solved over 2 years ago
edestlin solved over 2 years ago
Mikey G solved over 2 years ago
ajk solved over 2 years ago
Sharkicicles solved over 2 years ago
BrennerTJ solved over 2 years ago
whimsy solved over 2 years ago
sledge solved over 2 years ago
evie atarax solved over 2 years ago
ChrisCross solved over 2 years ago
Comments
Sign in with google to leave a comment of your own:
Cleverly constructed, with a very satisfying payoff ... not to mention an earworm or two. Thank you, Ben!
DrTom 8s · over 2 years ago
Well, I'd have gotten there a LOT quicker if I wasn't also looking for alternatives to the words that had the E's to begin with. Finally it hit me, "no, that is the Mx, throw away the Extraneous E and you get a new word. When I saw the Tom Cruise clue I was sure it was going to be SLIDE and was surprised when it wasn't. Nice little meta, but man a lot of head scratching and cross referencing. I suppose I'll have to make a catalogue () of OT Books and hometowns of Pennsylvania senators. Thanks for a pleasant diversion Ben.
I expected the answer to be AC/DC, but you gave us a "New Sensation" reveal. Thanks, Ben.
ReB 5s · over 2 years ago
Unexpectedly fast solve: after my plausible off-the-cuff initial mechanism* failed, I quickly saw the correct mechanism. And when google told me that INXS was an Australian band, I knew that had to be the correct answer.
*I took the initial letters of the four theme words with the extra E's, which spelled out SUNS, and since the E's were "bad" letters, that suggested BAD SUNS, which google said was a Woodland Hills CA band. Definitely inferior to the actual mechanism.
JHSeeman 3s · over 2 years ago
Nice puzzle
Cindy Heisler 2s · over 2 years ago
Fun one, Ben! Thanks.
imontoo 4s · over 2 years ago
I just needed to be about 30 seconds more patient and I would have had the correct answer to begin with!
Good one.
Qmark 4s · over 2 years ago
Super puzzle, Ben!
kurtalert 11:19 · over 2 years ago
Good one - got hung up a bit connecting UNIT/INCH - but I knew where to look once my other letters, NXS, pretty much gave away to look for an I that worked!
Oh..... sigh I tried entering that on Tuesday (but not for all the correct reasons) and I must have mistyped it.
I spent too long worrying about whether my not having heard have them would have kept me from solving that I didn't rely try to go beyond the basics. I should learn. 1) Even if I had never heard of the band I'd be able to get it. 2) Of course, I've heard of the band.