meta: 15 mins
[4.30 avg; 5 ratings] rate it
“Growth Potential” by Pete Muller, Mack Meller, and Andrew White
Prompt: The meta for this puzzle is a pop-rock singer.
Answer: Michelle Branch, found by 427 solvers
Alright, so we’re putting white letters into some of these black squares, as I figured out after a while! Cutting to the chase: a bunch of clues/answers in the grid don’t make sense until you prepend/append a letter (or several letters, like 82-A going from LIN to MICHELIN). There are so many of these that you will forgive me for not typing each one out, bit you can clearly see each one from the diagram here.
So what’s the answer to the meta? It didn’t jump out at me right away, but I was assuming her name would be Michelle because of the four times it appears in the grid’s central black square patterns (when you fill in the relevant white squares). But what Michelle does this point to? The first musical Michelle that came to mind was Michelle Shocked, since that central figure does look like a person who’s puzzled/surprised about something. But with a little digging I found new-to-me contest answer Michelle Branch, who had a few Top 40 hits in the early 2000s that managed to escape my attention. Those MICHELLEs do look like branches on a tree, though if anyone answered Michelle Shocked I’d advocate for a yes! Whoever that 4-armed person is, they do indeed looked shocked-ish! Or maybe more puzzled that shocked.
4.35 stars. See you back here next month, where I’ll seek to keep my perfect 2025 MMMM streak intact.
Curious why it says 284 solvers when the leaderboard has 429?
I enjoyed the puzzle. But was not familiar with the answer. I do think I recall the reference to Santana.
Sorry about that! Fixed. Was left over from the previous month and I forgot to change it.
7A {Things with limbs} TREES was also a helpful hint.
Agreed.
Michelle Branch sounded vaguely familiar, but not enough so that I was certain it was correct. I looked in Wikipedia for singers named Michelle; there’s Michelle Shocked, Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and Papas, and ?.
Once I spotted TREES up top, I knew I had the right answer.
Thanks Matt!
No Michelle Shocked submissions so fortunately I didn’t have to decide.
427 correct this month …
Michelle Shocked was the first musical Michelle that came to my mind also, although I quickly got to Michelle Branch.
I thought the Michelle’s were in the shape of a bell… Michelle, my bell(e) …
Not advocating for an alternate answer… just in case Pete was wondering why someone submitted Paul McCartney lol
I also guessed Paul McCartney, based not just on the McCartney-written “Michelle,” but also the long down answers. I figured “Christian theologian” was a reference to the apostle Paul, and “Submarine sandwiches” was referencing the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine.” I thought that answer was a little too simple, but it seems like the actual answer was even simpler, even if it didn’t come to me.
Ugh
A comment like this may be cathartic, but no one has any idea what you’re talking about so…
It’s the starting syllable sound of “a grand meta,” it’s just missing the rest of the syllables. Common mistake to make.
as I suspected
Wow TIL Santana originally recorded “The Game of Love” with Tina Turner. Michelle Branch only did it later when Tina didn’t want to do a music video. There’s even audio of Tina’s version on YouTube.
Anyway, all this to say that I’m surprised Matt hadn’t heard of The Game of Love, at least
Is the grid correct on this site? 43D should be “SLEW” instead of “ELEM”, right?
Also, is just “Michelle” w/o Branch considered a correct entry? (The puzzle didn’t ask for the full name of the singer.)
Nice catch!
SLEW/HEWS is what I have and those answers fit the clues.
Just “Michelle” would not have been accepted.
Wah, Pete, you just broke my heart…(lol)!