Since this is the July-August metapuzzle, it requires the answers from the previous eight puzzles:
- AHOYS
- BOSTON
- HOMINID
- KATHERINE
- MANDALA
- SCARING
- SYSTEM
- TURN
As solvers begin to solve the given clues, they will notice certain similarities between the solutions to those clues and the previous answers. In fact, all the answers can be paired up, with only the first and last letters differing:
- GATHERING = KATHERINE
- OYSTER = SYSTEM
- OCARINA = SCARING
- DOMINIC = HOMINID
- NOSTOI = BOSTON
- EURO = TURN
- SHOYU = AHOYS
- SANDALS = MANDALA
Reading the first letters in clue order, followed by the last letters spells out the phrase GOODNESS GRACIOUS. You successfully made it through another puzzle set! Great work!