04.25.10 — Stones — the Acrostic


"He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone."  John 8:7

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Sunday, April 25, 2010

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

This Sunday’s acrostic draws its quotation from A Map of the World, a 1994 novel by Jane Hamilton. The book is essentially about a search for authenticity in the contemporary American Midwest and concerns how one seemingly inconsequential moment can alter lives forever. It was made into a movie released in 1999 -- HERE.

The quotation: THERE IS NEVER AN END TO STONES IN A FIELD. YOU CAN CLEAR FIVE ACRES ONE SUMMER AND COME SPRING THERE WILL BE A NEW CROP. WITH EACH FREEZE AND THAW STONES ARE PUSHED UP TO THE LIGHT, AS IF THEY HAVE THE SENSE OF A SEED.

The author’s name and the title of the work: HAMILTON A MAP OF THE WORLD

The defined words:

A. Hard rock of a sort (2 wds.), HEAVY METAL
B. Hero of Greek myth who was the son of Aphrodite, AENEAS
C. Part of a Cyborg’s nature, MACHINE
D. Doing no harm, free from all wrong, INNOCENT
E. Forage plant also known as bush clover, LESPEDEZA
F. Typical harmony intervals in country music, THIRDS
G. Condition undesirable in a wrestler, OVERWEIGHT
H. Land that gave birth to the word “ski”, NORWAY
I. New York, to drivers in D.C., say, AVENUE
J. Striking redhead in a book?, MATCH
K. Volcanic rock named for a mountain range, ANDESITE
L. Like a viewer of Medusa, in legend, PETRIFIED
M. Song Stephen Foster sold for $100 (2 wds.), OH SUSANNA
N. Exemplar of something gotten for nothing (2 wds.), FREE LUNCH
O. Medieval siege engine for catapulting big rocks, TREBUCHET
P. Quality of not being square, HIPNESS
Q. Burst forth into bloom, EFFLORESCE
R. “I love riding roller coasters like this!”, WHEE
S. Therapist with a musculoskeletal specialty, OSTEOPATH
T. Creation of a city dweller with a green thumb (2 wds.), ROOF GARDEN
U. Martin’s partner in 1963’s “The Stooge”, LEWIS
V. “I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want DESSERT” (Jason Love)

“I found A Map of the World to be hauntingly-true and scary. In today's society, it is very easy to be falsely accused of a crime, especially those in the public eye. Your life can be ruined, as people automatically assume you are guilty.” Book Review by Amy Coffin, TheBookHaven.net 

Click on image to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at


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