ANSWERS: Empty Word Ladder

Before I get to the answers for "Empty Word Ladder", I have an announcement to make: I'm considering retiring the "Hint Star" system that I've been using for the past several years now. My reasoning behind this is twofold: nobody's been really using it (except for those I see in person, and even then, it's usually one, maybe two hints used, if at all) and I've come to realize that this system has been more needlessly complicated than necessary.

Fortunately, I've already came up with a possible (and simpler) replacement: Each solver can ask for as many hints as they want, but if they do, they'll have a "[hint(s) used]" tag next to their name. If that sounds okay to you (or if you come up with a better alternative), let me know in the comments or through email, and I'll plan to implement it in the next week or two. Until then, here are the eleven solvers from my first Word Ladder puzzle from thirteen days ago:

• Grant Fikes ****
• Cindy Heisler ****
• Joe Bernard ****
• Pavel Curtis ****
• Kevin Orfield ****
• Patrick Jordan ****
• Tyler Hinman ****
• Sam Levitin ****
• Mom ****
• Lynn Sweeney ****
• Stephen Potter ****

Now head below the break for the answers as well as a solver's comment!

CLUE ANSWERS: Slant, Perch, Peace, Slang, Plane, Peach, Plant, Sling, Place

PORCH

PERCH

PEACH

PEACE

PLACE

PLANE

PLANT

SLANT

SLANG

SLING

SWING

The two-word phrase, highlighted above, is PORCH SWING

Solver Sam Levitin admitted that "I had to use Qat to find this. The first thing I thought of was BLING MERCH. but I guess that's not a thing."