11.25.07 -- BULL -- the Acrostic

Bullfight, 1934 -- Pablo Ruiz Picasso

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Sunday, November25, 2007

ACROSTIC Puzzle by Emily Cox & Henry Rathvon, edited by Will Shortz

Today’s acrostic features a quotation from Personal Pleasures, a collection of essays by Rose Macaulay.

The quotation as it appears in the acrostic:

HOW AGREEABLE TO WATCH FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HIGH STILE THIS MIGHTY BULL SNORTING CHAMPING PAWING THE EARTH LASTING THE TAIL BREATHING DEFIANCE AT HEAVEN AND ME HIS HEART HOT WITH HATE UNABLE TO CLIMB A STILE

The author of the quote and the title: MACAULAY PERSONAL PLEASURES

With all due respect, however, a bull can and has entered the stile -- see HERE. Also, this video shows the danger a matador may encounter in the area of embarrassing pain -- HERE. For a rather good collection of bullfight photographs, go HERE.

The defined words:

A. MATTHEW (Book listing eight Beatitudes); B. ABOLISH (Do away with, get rid of); C. CHATHAM (William Pitt’s earldom); D. AFGHANS (Tall hounds with silky coats); E. UMBRAGE (Shadow; feeling of pique); F. LIGHTEN (Bleach or buoy); G. ATHWART (Perpendicular to lengthwise); H. YIDDISH (Language of kvetchers and schmoozers?); I. PITCHER (Half of a battery); J. EWELAMB (Young female in a flock [2 wds.]); K. RALEIGH (One point of North Carolina’s Research Triangle); L. STEALTH (“Do good by ____, and blush to find it fame” [Alexander Pope]); M. ONTHEGO (Constantly busy [3 wds.]); N. NOTHING (“Seinfeld” subject, ostensibly); O. ATHLETE (Performer of physical feats); P. ITOTES (Figure of speech like “That’s not bad!”); Q. PALMOFF (Sell as genuine, as a cheap imitation [2wds.]); R. LIGNITE (R. Barely coalified peat); S. EBWHITE (“One Man’s Meat” essayist [3 wds.]); T. ACHERON (“River of woe” crossed on the way to Hades); U. SIBERIA (Setting for “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch”); V. UNHITCH (Detach from a trailer); W. RIGHTON (Exactly; “You said it!” [2 wds.]); X. EVIDENT (Plain to see); Y. SHEATHE (Put away as a poniard or parang).

It is interesting to note that all of the defined words are the exact same length.

Ole!