Solution: The Eurozone
Answer: ADOBE
Written by Kenny Young and Dana Young
As clued by the phrases “mind-boggling” and “funny money”, the grid contains rhymes of each currency, laid out Boggle-style rather than in a straight line. As clued by the phrases “pronounced effect” and “M-W Com”, m-w.com is a good reference for pronunciations.
Each cell in the grid identifies:
| WHIP | PEA | CONE | CHEST | WING | FLOSS | RA | PO |
| SUN | HUTT | MAL | PILL | KEY | BLUE | KNOTS | SLEIGH |
| BONE | AAH | MOUND | GUNN | TREE | D’OH | NUN | CAR |
| CROW | DISH | CHRIS | CHEESE | EAR | CANE | KNEE | SEW |
| FLY | SCREW | BALL | GRAY | PHO | SMITH | BEAN | BAT |
| CAN | VIN | DUH | BRA | THOR | JACK | CHO | BENCH |
| BILL | FISH | SHARK | HANK | SPUR | BEAK | BEE | TANK |
| FUR | CRUTCH | WELL | TON | TEA | ZURG | GUM | DUCKS |
The currencies can be found above as follows:
| AUSTRIAN SCHILLING | FLOSS-KEY-GUNN PILL-WING |
| BELGIAN FRANC | WELL-TON HANK |
| CROATIAN KUNA | PO-SLEIGH-NUN BLUE-RA |
| CYPRIOT POUND | WHIP-PEA-HUTT MOUND |
| DUTCH GUILDER | CRUTCH BILL-FUR |
| ESTONIAN KROON | CHEST-CONE-PEA-SUN BONE |
| FINNISH MARKKA | VIN-FISH SHARK-BRA |
| FRENCH FRANC | BENCH TANK |
| GERMAN MARK | SPUR-TON SHARK |
| GREEK DRACHMA | BEAK JACK-PHO |
| IRISH POUND | FLY-DISH MOUND |
| ITALIAN LIRA | HUTT-MAL-GUNN EAR-PHO |
| LATVIAN LATS | BAT-KNEE-NUN KNOTS |
| LITHUANIAN LITAS | SMITH-PHO-CANE-TREE-GUNN KEY-FLOSS |
| LUXEMBOURGIAN FRANC | DUCKS-GUM-ZURG-TEA-TON HANK |
| MALTESE LIRA | BALL-CHEESE EAR-PHO |
| PORTUGUESE ESCUDO | THOR-PHO-CHEESE CHRIS-SCREW-CROW |
| SLOVAK KORUNA | CHO-JACK THOR-PHO-BRA |
| SLOVENIAN TOLAR | CHO-BEAN-KNEE-NUN SEW-CAR |
| SPANISH PESETA | CAN-FISH DUH-GRAY-PHO |
Three pictures in the grid are unused for any of the currencies: AAH, D’OH, and BEE. Pronounced together, they make the answer ADOBE.