Native Tongue

[lbray53]

Off the couch. Did not get to it until last night.

Great clues as expected.

I enjoyed the spoilers after submitting.

EDIT: I see that I started page 3!

[minimuggle]

Off the couch. Challenging grid for sure and it took me much too long to see it. Thanks for another great puzzle.

[edestlin]

Off the couch! Finally got to the puzzle and enjoyed the click. Some tough clues/fill that gave more challenge than the meta for me, and it was delightful the whole way. Nice puzzle!

[rjy]

Been traveling and recovering from home reno, so sloooow with the metas lately, but finally knocked this one out. Thanks Jay! Thanks nudges!

[MikeyG]

Still chewing on the second step - I have the first, but nothing has come just yet! I'll let it ferment for a day until Nudgeville, if needed. Challenging but very enjoyable grid - I liked the cryptic-esque style of some of the clues as well!

[vandono]

Well, a bit of face-palm after the first clue but Crosshare confirms I'm no longer seated. Thanks, Jay!

[MaineMarge]

I love Jay’s metas!
Off the couch just in time

[Bird Lives]

As the week winds down, another 17 solvers have raised themselves up off the couch. The total of alternate clue/entry submissions stands at nine, and they're all good.

55. LindaPRmaven
56. mkmf
57. Snood
58. Gutman
59. eagle1279
60. Ash
61. ReB
62. lbray53
63. minimuggle
64. BrennerTJ
65. edestlin
66. hazmat
67. Glenn S
68. Rjy
69. MaineMarge
70. vandono
71. bereolos

[SewYoung]

I look forward to seeing what the alternate entries were.

[Bird Lives]

Since yesterday, another three solvers have wandered in bringing the total to 76. (Is that a record?)

74. bhamren
75. Naptown Kid
76, ky-mike

The answer is ITALIA. Each of the five symmetrically placed key entries hides the Italian name of an Italian city. (In two instances, the name in English is the same.) Yes, it was that simple, probably too simple. The initial letters of those cities do not spell anything, nor do those city names somehow lead to some other six-letter proper noun. I leave such complications to the more clever constructors.
.

.
Six solvers heeded the call to come up with their own hidden cities. They were all great. I’m glad it wasn’t a contest I had to judge.

DIS: One hand clapping? SMIDGEN OVATION

DebbieC: Unappetizing spread? SUBPAR MARGERINE

DrTom: Reason to not mention snakes to Cleopatra’s family: ASP IS A SORE POINT
.........Action words of little significance: MEAGRE VERBS

michaelm: Watch Andy Griffith Reruns? OBSERVE RON AGAIN

Schmeel: Dracula's charm? IMPALER MOJO
.........Large timber stapler? JUMBO LOG NAILER
......... Sri Lankan parka? TAMIL ANORAK

MaineMarge: How the Red Sox won in the 10th? BIG PAPI SAVED IT

[MikeyG]

Ahhhh, I misread the deadline! It clearly said "Noon Saturday" in the first post, but I read it too quickly as "Noon Sunday." That's on me!

Once again, the leaf was hidden in the forest. Tried to spell out things with the cities and just couldn't get there. Love the "BIG PAPI SAVED IT" one - very fitting for tomorrow's induction!

I've been slipping on the MMM and haven't been speaking the constructors' native tongues as of late! Hope I get back into a rhythm soon and congrats to all who got a taste of Italy on this one! (I loved the puzzle, but if I didn't, I'd give someone a Pisa my mind.)

Mikey G

[Abide]

Ahhhh, I misread the deadline!

The MMM guidelines do say:

Deadline: Saturday 10pm EDT

Answer revealed: Saturday after the deadline or early Sunday

So that was just a very liberal nudge

[MikeyG]

So that was just a very liberal nudge

Best nudge ever.

[Bird Lives]

Ahhhh, I misread the deadline!

The MMM guidelines do say:
Deadline: Saturday 10pm EDT

My apologies to MikeyG and any other solvers who were waiting till the hours between noon and 10pm to submit an answer. I was unaware of these guidelines. I know. What kind of a constructor doesn't even read the rulebook?

WSJ gives solvers three and a half days. MGWCC gives allows four. But if I ever manage to construct another MMM, I will be sure the buzzer doesn't sound till the night of the sixth day.

[madhatter5]

I saw the cities but could never make that last step to ITALIA. Very elegant