The answer to the meta is something that would be of benefit in solving the meta
As per usual, we're gradually ramping up the difficulty as the month progresses. I had fun with the cluing so hopefully that means you will have fun with the solving! And then, of course, there's the meta to solve. About that: the answer to the meta is something that would be of benefit in solving the meta. So you know: the usual sort of "meta" meta. Good luck! Nudges available here: https://xword-muggles.com/viewtopic.php?p=159936#p159936
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)
Darth solved about 1 year ago
whimsy solved about 1 year ago
Hector solved about 1 year ago
Jaclyn solved about 1 year ago
LarsCaine solved about 1 year ago
heidi solved about 1 year ago
Meg solved about 1 year ago
Cindy Weatherman solved about 1 year ago
boharr solved about 1 year ago
hoover solved about 1 year ago
woozy solved about 1 year ago
HeadinHome solved about 1 year ago
Berto solved about 1 year ago
Pair O Ducks solved about 1 year ago
DCBilly solved about 1 year ago
I K Snamhcok solved about 1 year ago
lbray53 solved about 1 year ago
MatthewL solved about 1 year ago
Johnny Luau solved about 1 year ago
markhr solved about 1 year ago
Carolyn solved about 1 year ago
Hidden in 3D solved about 1 year ago
DrTom solved about 1 year ago
Sharkicicles solved about 1 year ago
DebbieC solved about 1 year ago
kurtalert solved about 1 year ago
SJMcK solved about 1 year ago
Alvibu67 solved about 1 year ago
ajk solved about 1 year ago
KayW solved about 1 year ago
JM solved about 1 year ago
Laura M solved about 1 year ago
Ergcat solved about 1 year ago
LB800 solved about 1 year ago
rjy solved about 1 year ago
rfj solved about 1 year ago
Danny K Bernstein solved about 1 year ago
frostyjhammer solved about 1 year ago
CPJohnson solved about 1 year ago
Cindy Heisler solved about 1 year ago
Capn Rick solved about 1 year ago
Jeremy Smith solved about 1 year ago
Mikey G solved about 1 year ago
Comments
Sign in with google to leave a comment of your own:
Got it by backsolving, deduction, and google-checking. Had trouble with the first letter but figured out it had to be an H. Finding only 3 possibilities narrowed it down concerning what to google for confirmation.
Funny story en route -- I thought Out of Sight might refer to the 60's expression of "Wow, man!" and looked for something expressing that -- EGAD/Zounds?; AMEN/Preach it? I tried going for the initial letters of the clues of the entries I thought were involved, and using the latter, I came up with Preach, Optometrist, Omission and Factor giving me POOF! (Might refer to Out of Sight but didn't really answer the prompt! :-)
Jaclyn 🤓4:48 · about 1 year ago
Got to sight then was hung up for a bit. Finally looked up sight idioms and figured it had to be hindsight. After that I had my d'oh moment for the backsolve, despite noticing while solving that the clue for IRIS was very nonspecific.
Don’t think i would have gotten this without the hints… just couldn’t see what connected the 4 themers. I saw animals in the 3 of them (weasel, bat, dove…) and there was otter below the first, but of course that went no where. Tried the first letter after all the themers too (SJWM). Just couldn’t figure out where to look! ( :
Berto 3s · about 1 year ago
I almost tried Foresight, but the final nudge kept me hunting and I landed on Iris. “Out of sight” was the last of the four I needed and my mind naturally went to Out of sight, out of mind lol, but finally saw the light!
The clue for MAE was what really threw me off the scent, I was absolutely sure the letters directly above or maybe even below were what to look at. Definitely needed those nudges!
DCBilly 7s · about 1 year ago
Thanks to Nudge #3 for making me finally give up trying to make LOOK a thing!
lbray53 2s · about 1 year ago
Guessed with I and N and then backsolved.
MatthewL 🤓6:23 · about 1 year ago
Nudges did it. In retrospect, take the title literally. Thanks for the puzzle, Ben!
Carolyn 2s · about 1 year ago
Jumped the gun on that one with FORESIGHT, then saw the light! Well constructed!
Hidden in 3D 3s · about 1 year ago
Like others, I wanted the answer to be FORESIGHT (FOUR-SIGHT), but the last nudge made me see the right sight! :)
Nice one Ben. I needed the nudges but in reality I might have brute forced my way in. I had HAYWIRE, IRIS and DRAG marked as odd answers and thought to myself "Gosh, neglect is an strange way to answer Omission" but unfortunately sub-brain and regular brain didn't interact. I am not sure I would have gotten it from HIND, but gosh I hope I would have. I guess I'll have to longingly look back on this one.
Sharkicicles 2s · about 1 year ago
I also took “out of sight” to be more like “groovy, man,” but TBF I hadn’t seen (or heard of) either movie. Still easy enough to backsolve. Thanks Ben!
I cannot tell you how hard I tried to find a sign that indicated something had been weaseled out of or a long line of Docs. I also tried to make a long line of GENES. I also SOOO wanted the JAM one to be part of it just because the clue seemed to shout "related" as well as the wooden leg named Smith. If it had been a woman I would have entered PEGGY.
Can you expound on the JAM one, or is that something you have to be Aussi to understand?
needed the third nudge. Not exactly sure why. I guess I was thinking that look after meant look at the letter after some common group in the long acrosses. As mentioned before, I thought there was something with WEASEL, BAT, DOVE, so was stuck in that rut. Once the third nudge pointed me in the right direction it was quick. Fun stuff, thanks.
KayW 🤓6:01 · about 1 year ago
Whew! Needed all of the hints. Haha. It did not help that I heard of neither HAYWIRE nor OUT OF SIGHT, but once I had the rest, google confirmed that was the fourth entry I needed. Very creative! When I filled the grid, I thought IRIS, NEGLECT, DRAG and A LONG LINE OF (mistakes) were odd choices. I need to pay more attention to those feelings when I'm solving. Thanks, Ben!
Laura M 🤓5:26 · about 1 year ago
Excellent! I needed the third nudge, couldn't quite get there on my own.
Ergcat 🤓12:59 · about 1 year ago
Enjoyed the hunt but definitely Needed the nudges ! I kept “looking after” the themers but never thought to add SIGHT to end! Thanks for the mental workout, Ben!