"The Ys Have It" by benchen71

[benchen71]

Solver update, followed by nudges!

SJ
Tim
heidi
Skyler Dangerfield
Laura M

That brings us up to 44.

[benchen71]

Nudges, in order of increasing blatancy:

1. There's a hint in the grid: 38A. Surgeries that you will need to perform to solve the meta = VOWEL OPERATIONS

2. There are four themers: they're the nonsense entries with clues that end in a question mark.

3. You need to perform a VOWEL OPERATION on the themers. But what to do? The puzzle title should help.

4. The VOWEL OPERATIONS should give you four proper phrases. But you really only need the new word in each.

5. Now it's time to play alternate entries!

[ChrisKochmanski]

Got to this one late.

Crossed!

Stormed!

[DaveG]

Nudged into action across the drawbridge. Great puzzle Ben! I was looking at too wide of a focus

[benchen71]

Solver update:

I K Snamhcok
Mr Tex
Johnny Luau
edestlin
frostyjhammer
Spid4567

That brings us up to 50. And since there hasn't been much movement recently, I'm just going to go straight into an early answer reveal...

[benchen71]

Here's the solution to "The Ys Have It":

[hoover]

Arrrrggghhhh... silly me! I was trying to find alternate clue definitions for the whole phrase!

[ajk]

Continuing my catch-up run. Got stuck for a while by not knowing that TIGERMOTH was a thing, so was trying in vain to match MATH.
Also of course the answer clicks a bit less in January than November.

Did look at nudge 4, but it just told me to keep doing what I'd been doing.

Thanks.