09.26.10 — Amsterdam — the Acrostic

The Windmill on the Onbekende Canal, Amsterdam by Claude Monet

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Sunday, September 16, 2010

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

This Sunday’s beauty of an acrostic draws a quotation from An Epistle to Posterity: Being Rambling Recollections of Many Years of My Life by Mary Elizabeth Wilson Sherwood, currently in publication from Amazon as “an exact reproduction of a book published before 1923. This is not an optical character recognition book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.”

The quotation: AMSTERDAM WITH ITS PATCHWORK OF WATER STREETS ITS LONG DOUBLE ROWS OF TREES ITS PALACES ITS MAGNIFICENT HOUSES WITH MACHICOLATED ROOFS AND THE OLD DUTCH GALLEONS WITH THEIR SHADOWY SAILS IS A PARADISE FOR THE PAINTER.

The author’s name and the title of the work: SHERWOOD EPISTLE TO POSTERITY

The defined words:

A. Exoskeleton in a littoral setting, SEASHELL
B. Founding father who said “Man is a reasoning rather than a reasonable animal”, HAMILTON
C. Like “The Good Samaritan” by Rembrandt, ETCHED
D. Withdraw, invalidate, RESCIND
E. “Week-End at the WALDORF” 1945 Ginger Rogers/Walter Pidgeon film
F. Punch, zing, pizazz, OOMPH
G. Home to the N.H.L.’s Senators, OTTAWA
H. Tennis ploy using backspin (2 wds.), DROP SHOT
I. Outcome of the 1521 Diet of Worms, EDICT
J. Hook-like crook, PIRATE
K. Performance involving blades (2 wds.), ICE SHOW
L. What a buff promotes, SHINING
M. Mat for a judo match, TATAMI
N. Good conditions for clamming (2 wds.), LOW TIDE
O. Chicago suburb that was once home to Carl Sandburg, ELMURST
P. Cluster of ankle bones, TARSUS
Q. Linen, ivory or pearl (hyph.), OFF-WHITE
R. Deltiologist’s collectible, POSTCARD
S. Bit of housecleaning, OUSTER
T. Tree with mitten-shaped leaves, SASSAFRAS
U. Get off the ground (2 wds.), TAKE WING
V. Multiplied by an ogdoad, EIGHTFOLD
W. Egyptian port where a precious stone was found, ROSETTA
X. Short-tempered, touchy, choleric, IRASCIBLE
Y. Central point of a tract, THESIS
Z. Open like a large crevasse, YAWN

Amsterdam 1874 by Claude Monet

The full paragraph of the quotation: But Amsterdam, with the river Amstel helping to give a lively current to its canals, with its patchwork of water streets, its long double rows of trees which seem endless, its palaces, its magnificent houses with machicolated roofs, and, above all, the quaint craft, the old Dutch galleons, with their shadowy sails, their fine brown color, their queer round outlines, their unending picturesqueness, is a paradise for the painter. It is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and I do not wonder that the artists have gone mad over it. Imagine having in front of your door a row of trees, then a broad beautiful river, then on the other side another row of tall elms, and on the bosom of the river the most quaint and most impressive of Dutch galleons, of that dark-brown color like old mahogany, for which Dutch ships and Dutch sails seem to have taken out a patent. Yes, a dozen of them, with families living on the ship. Even the family washing, which the boatman’s wife hangs out, with an occasional red shirt, helps the picture. It is a dream of color and tender tones.

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Click on image to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at

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