10.10.10 — Natural Acts — the Acrostic

Sunday, October 10, 2010

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

This Sunday’s sprightly acrostic draws a quotation from David Quammen’s Natural Acts: A Sidelong View of Science and Nature.

David Quammen is a naturalist, writer, and literary scholar who can turn from William Faulkner to theories of demographic stochasticity on a dime--or a comma. Natural Acts, a collection of Quammen's columns by the same name from Outside magazine, highlights his many interests. In its pages, he touches on Malthusian population dynamics, the mating habits of butterflies and snakes, Tycho Brahe's quest for the stars, magnolia trees, whales, and deserts--to name just a few of the matters that pass beneath his bemused gaze. This is humanely wrought science writing at its best. — Gregory McNamee, Amazon.com Review

The quotation: A VIGOROUS MOUNTAIN RIVER WILL HAVE ITS SHARE OF GREENISH SLIMES FILAMENTOUS BOTANICAL CRUDS TINY CRAWLING AND SQUIGGLING CRITTERS OF GROTESQUE APPEARANCE SLEEK TROUT FLASHING DISCREETLY AND DEAD THINGS IN THE WATER

The author’s name and title of the work: DAVID QUAMMEN NATURAL ACTS

The defined words:

A. Cross-out, erasure, DELETION
B. Glue or paste, ADHESIVE
C. Intent upon settling scores, VENGEFUL
D. Filled with enlightening or exalting emotion, INSPIRED
E. Cleaners found near kitchen sinks, DISHRAGS
F. Norwegian eponym for a traitor, QUISLING
G. Looking like Pooh or Smokey, URSIFORM
H. Hermetically sealed, AIRTIGHT
I. Aura that enigmatically enhances one’s attraction, MYSTIQUE
J. Strict disciplinarian, MARTINET
K. Battery-powered A.M.C. concept car of 1977, ELECTRON
J. One of two Russian czars, NICHOLAS
L. Japanese company whose name roughly means “Leave luck to heaven”, NINTENDO
M. Programmer’s “splat”, ASTERISK
N. Like Times Square or Disney World, TOURISTY
O. Overshadowed, outdid, UPSTAGED
P. Gold Glove Award sponsor, RAWLINGS
Q. Opposite of a slacker, ACHIEVER
R. Author whose exploits were recounted in “Seven Pillars of Wisdom”, LAWRENCE
S. Guilty of the sin of pride, ARROGANT
T. Item worn over an alb, CHASUBLE
U. Superfluous shadow, TAGALONG
V. Contemptuous flouter of rules and conventions, SCOFFLAW

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