Distribution of the total (dust + gas) metallicities, [M/H]_tot, in the neutral ISM in the LMC. Larger symbols highlight the most solid measurements, for which multiple α- (including Ti) and non-α-elements are available, which we define as the golden sample. Systems with metallicities that vary significantly from the mean are highlighted with purple circles. The mean stellar metallicity in the LMC is marked by the horizontal dashed line. The total metallicities measured are integrated along the line of sight within the LMC. In the case of a chemically inhomoge-neous ISM, they may be between a lower and a higher metallicity, but there are degeneracies in the potential mixes.