I just love the fact that Paul, at the start of the 3rd chapter to the Philippians says, "Finally, my brothers and sisters..." - and then continues on for another 2 chapters! (In fact, he says "Finally" again in Phil. 4:8, and at that point I think he really means it, because the letter is all over 15 verses later.) This is something that often happens during sermons or speeches: when someone says "And finally..." I am never sure how serious they are. Which brings me to this meta, in which you're looking for an adjective. Nudges available here: https://www.xword-muggles.com/viewtopic.php?p=114054#p114054
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!
Hey, some of my best moments involved being hit by a brick truck. Aren't yours?
Tom Wilson 🤓7:58 · 2022-12-06T13:34:07.735Z
How do these constructors do it, time and time again? Thank you, Ben, for yet another brilliant challenge. (And thank you, Cap'n Rick ... and Dr. Tom ... and Abide ... and Al Sisti ... and Josh ... and all of rest of the far-too-clever folks who prompt a whole lotta head-scratchin'.
Nice one! I had to backtrack my fill because the AmE term is SANDBOX, but I'm learning some Strine as I go. :) I think of a sandpit as something involved in construction or mining, like a quarry.
Teaching Americans Strine is one of my major reasons for doing a weekly meta!
DrTom 3s · 2022-12-07T18:47:44.480Z
Well here is an interesting side-note. My ancestors were from Lancashire England and G'ies a taste then! was a common statement around our house when I was a kid, along with "Put th'wood int hole" (shut the door), "Mi belly thinks mi throats bin cut" (are we ever going to eat?). So maybe it is not Strine but Shire or even Geordie from Newcastle - "Am paggered and there's nee way I'm crackin this belta meta today" (I'm exhausted and there is no way I'm solving this excellent meta today)
ChrisCross 🤓11:49 · 2022-12-06T16:52:44.604Z
Embarrassed how long it took me to notice. It was a nice aha moment when I did.
I feel as though I am pandering to my fandom, but thanks!
rjy 3s · 2022-12-07T04:19:50.650Z
Wow! Enjoyed it, tho it was a challenge. Took awhile to gain a toehold, and then to figure out what to do with it. Clever construction, Ben!
Carolyn 5s · 2022-12-07T05:44:43.838Z
Very nice! Thanks
Qmark 3s · 2022-12-07T07:05:43.284Z
Such an enjoyable fill...learned a new word (Strine). And then the meta topped it all. Another great one, Ben...thanks!
DrTom 3s · 2022-12-07T18:29:05.769Z
Well believe me when I say I tried EVERYTHING before I got to the right thing. I looked at:
Final E in grid in clues, Final Y in grid and clues, Final ly in clues, Things that went on or lasted forever (like Pi, the Messiah, Dvorak symphonies, characters voiced by Mel Blanc), PI and PIERA and SRA (since you seldom do two letter answers I was suspect), Words with "ON" in them to see if there was ON and ON.
FINALLY (yes, reference intended) I went back to my forever idea and while looking up the half life for scandium (and finding it to be hours instead of eons...stupid non-radioactive isotopes) I went back to SCANDIUM again and instead landed at SANDPIT. "Idiot" I proclaimed, but I saw how I could do that since it had an AND in it....WAIT A MINUTE NOW! So there were a preponderance of ANDS, plus they were symmetrical; clever boy Ben. Of course my first answer AEPOIMIL (which Webster's defines as "Inability to solve a meta crossword despite having the right idea") was wrong but "ultimately" I saw my way home. Now here I was going to say, and finally - and then go on for another paragraph or two, but instead I'll just say "Thanks for a puzzle with long lasting enjoyment"
Needed the nudges to focus on meta although I was looking at most of these words anyway! I was trying to change the endings and find another word. Duh! Always trying to make it harder than it is! Good one, Ben!
ReB 4s · 2022-12-09T23:12:30.039Z
Just had to go to the third nudge to find the correct commonality. (I was getting stuck on looking for commonality at the end of the words, and got distracted by all the words ending in xA.) Then the solution was a cakewalk - and appropriate that it was the last letters to form an apropos answer. Nice tight construction.
I suppose the four 2-letter words were just a necessity? I spend some time trying to relate them to word endings.