10.25.09 -- Ghouls -- the Acrostic

Gravestone collaged with Ghoul, by dizzt

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Sunday, October 25, 2009

ACROSTIC, Puzzle by Emil Cox and Henry Rathvon, edited by Will Shortz

This Sunday’s chilling acrostic draws its quotation from Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book -- “a tragic tale: a sleeping family, a talented murderer, and an adventurous toddler—orphaned, but not assassinated. Small and alone, by accident and luck he escapes the scene of the crime and climbs a grassy hill to safety. At the top of the hill the boy finds a fence, and on the other side, a dark, quiet place.”

The quotation: ONE GRAVE IN EVERY GRAVEYARD BELONGS TO THE GHOULS YOU WILL FIND IT WATERSTAINED AND BULGING WITH CRACKED STONE AND A FEELING OF ABANDONMENT IF THE GRAVE MAKES YOU WANT TO BE SOMEWHERE ELSE THAT IS THE GHOUL-GATE

The author’s name and the title of the work: NEIL GAIMAN THE GRAVEYARD BOOK

The defined words: A. Potentially spooky shift of work (2 wds.), NIGHT WATCH; B. Malevolent sprite in Germanic lore, the subject of a Schubert piece, ERLKING; C. Seen without being present to the senses, IMAGINED; D. Main character in “The Vampire Chronicles”, LESTAT; E. Author of “The Fifth Head of Cerberus” (2 wds.), GENE WOLFE; F. Did as Dorian Gray did only in his portrait, AGED; G. Put into a final resting place, INHUMED; H. “Haystacks” artist, MONET; L. Where a ghost hunter may look, ATTIC; J. Weeping daughter of Tantalus, NIOBE; K. Son of Nyx (Night); twin of Hypnos (Sleep), THANATOS; L. Rear half of a centaur, HORSE; M. “ETERNITY is really long, especially near the end” (Woody Allen); N. “Stop haunting me!” (2 wds.), GO AWAY; O. One who returns from the tomb as a spirit, REVENANT; P. The depths of hell, or its angel, ABADDON; Q. Ones found near a corpse, VULTURES; R. What a malevolent person may cast (2 wds.), EVIL EYE; S. “YOUNG Frankenstein” (1974 film); T. “Horrible” homophone of Word Y., AWFUL; U. Motive in “The Cask of Amontillado”, REVENGE; V. Dark urge connected to Word K. (2 wds.), DEATH WISH; W Ominous goblin in the shape of a dog, BARGHEST; X. Man-eating she-monster of fairy tales, OGRESS; Y Carrion; rubbish, OFFAL; Z. Mischievous gremlin, KOBOLD.

Happy Halloween!

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Puzzle available on the internet at

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