GO for THE GOLD
◆ · By Darth · Published 2024-04-07T11:00:49.699Z
Meta Prompt
The answer to the meta is someone associated with gold.
Hey, it's Darth here, and I'm excited to take part in "Smooth Sailing Sunday". This puzzle was conceived four years ago as a "wannabe" meta that never fully materialized. This year it crawled out of hiding and got a much-needed makeover...although it still carries an element of the original idea! Need I say more?
Here are some nudges if you're newish to meta solving. They are meant as an S.O.S. (what Cap'n Rick calls "InSSStant Nudges" if you need help right away):
Nudge 1: If you're new to meta solving, general advice is to use your powers of observation. Look for patterns or a common element in the grid.
Nudge 2: Besides pointing to the theme, the title of a meta puzzle can be cryptic or instructive. Sometimes both.
Nudge 3: Long answers in the grid are often helpful to study, especially if they are "themers" (i.e., share the puzzle's theme).
Nudge 4: Sometimes there are clues that offer direct hints, such as 25D in this puzzle. This hint may be cryptic or instructive.
Nudge 5: Sometimes clues offer indirect hints, such as 15A in this puzzle. These are often more subtle or cryptic in nature.
Nudge 6: I did say this puzzle carries an original "element" from my earlier version, right? This element may appear "periodically" in the grid.
Nudge 7: I tend toward a gestalt approach when constructing metas. Among the multiple cues, I'd love to know your path to the answer.
Checking for previous play data...
1A
Painter Picasso or Literature Nobelist Neruda
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Across
- 1APainter Picasso or Literature Nobelist Neruda
- 6AOccupied, as a table
- 11AShe performed with Usher at the 2024 Super Bowl
- 14APlaces in the heart
- 15ASage saying, e.g. "Every cloud has a silver lining" (or maybe a "gold" one!)
- 16A"I'll take that as ___"
- 17AParticipants in Egypt's "Golden Parade" (April 2021)
- 19AUsed to be
- 20AFrench automaker
- 21ASaudi salutations
- 23ASwing voter (abbr.)
- 24A"Not what you see, but what you make others see," per Degas
- 26ASign of spring, astrologically
- 27ASee 30A
- 30AWith 27A, beginner-friendly
- 33ADenver's elevation
- 34AThe Braves, on scoreboards
- 36APolish sausage
- 38AUpcoming event that may affect the gold market (November 2024)
- 40AUnderwater explorer
- 42AQuaint quarters
- 43AItalian cheese, for short
- 44AFuzzy fruit for a New Zealander
- 46AThey're found in brackets
- 50AOld lab burners, named for Sicily's famous volcano
- 52ALike habits that die hard
- 54AExpected to arrive
- 55AKeeps an eye on the kitty
- 58AVicinities
- 61APalindromic constellation
- 62AHe wrote that divine decrees are "more precious than gold" (circa 1000 BCE)
- 64ASeven on a sundial
- 65AChilean pianist Claudio
- 66ATake a leisurely walk
- 67AClass for non-native speakers
- 68AMoney of Moscow
- 69APresuppose as a fact
Down
- 1DFatherland, to Flavius
- 2D1896 Olympics site
- 3DCountry singer "Little Miss Dynamite" Lee
- 4D"Break My Heart" and "Electricity" singer Dua ___
- 5DWaikiki's island
- 6DFrench existentialist, author of "No Exit"
- 7DOrthodontists' org.
- 8DNew Mexico art community
- 9DOttoman honorific
- 10DElectric car
- 11DBarack Obama, by birth
- 12DGlossy coatings
- 13DAntarctic waters named after an Englishman
- 18Din the style of
- 22DRadius or ulna
- 25DBTS hit song (2023) about a second try (and help for solving the meta)
- 28DNassau's islands
- 29DBattleship call
- 31D[Not my error]
- 32DHairy Himalayan
- 35DSecurity breach
- 37DBelly button buildup
- 38DBeat a hasty retreat
- 39D11A in French?
- 40DLava tube near Mt. St. Helens; not home to primates despite its name
- 41DSome Arabian Gulf residents
- 45D"You'll be hearing from my lawyer!"
- 47DImprovises on stage
- 48DSwiss breakfast mix of oats, nuts, and dried fruit
- 49DEnsemble of six
- 51DStringed instrument of India
- 53DFilm noir classic
- 56DTraffic sign word
- 57DNovak Djokovic, by birth
- 59DApplaud
- 60DRounds for a rifleman
- 63DPiglet, to Pooh