12.16.12 — A Christmas Story — the Acrostic




Sunday, December 16, 2012
 
ACROSTIC, Puzzle by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon
Edited by Will Shortz

This Sunday’s seasoned acrostic draws a quotation from In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash, the source of A Christmas Story by Jean Shepherd.
 
In God We Trust, Shepherd's wildly witty reunion with his Indiana hometown, disproves the adage "You can never go back." Bending the ear of Flick, his childhood-buddy-turned-bartender, Shepherd recalls passionately his genuine Red Ryder BB gun, confesses adolescent failure in the arms of Junie Jo Prewitt, and relives a story of man against fish that not even Hemingway could rival. From pop art to the World's Fair, Shepherd's subjects speak with a universal irony and are deeply and unabashedly grounded in American Midwestern life, together rendering a wonderfully nostalgic impression of a more innocent era when life was good, fun was clean, and station wagons roamed the earth. ~ amazon.com 
 
The quotation: FAMILIES IN THOSE DAYS SPENT THEIR LIVES EATING CANNED CORN MEAT LOAF PEANUT-BUTTER SANDWICHES OATMEAL RED CABBAGE AND PEAS GREAT MEALS STUCK OUT LIKE ICEBERGS IN THE CARIBBEAN BUYING A TURKEY WAS A STATE OCCASION
 
The author’s name and the title of the work: SHEPHERD, A CHRISTMAS STORY

The defined words:

A. Munchies not always nutritious (2 wds.), SNACK FOOD
B. Occurring during puberty, HEBETIC
C. Annual path of the sun, as seen from Earth, ECLIPTIC
D. Caltech’s home city, PASADENA
E. Author who said, “Write drunk; edit sober”, HEMINGWAY
F. N.F.L. team whose mascot is Swoop, EAGLES
G. Truly sorry for one’s sins, REPENTANT
H. Organized body of searchable information, DATABASE
I. Expanse called “wine-dark” by Homer (2 wds.), AEGEAN SEA
J. Ideal role of life for some monks, CELIBACY
K. Constituents of some matches, HUSBANDS
L. Idol of the MTV sort (2 wds.), ROCK STAR
M. 1921 Ellis Island offering to all new Americans (2 wds.), ICE CREAM
N. Pests first noted in the U.S. in 1998 (2 wds.), STINK BUGS
O. Aid for studying a culture (2 wds.), TEST TUBE
P. Potential cause of a smack, MISTLETOE
Q. Gift in the holiday classic that is the source of this puzzle (2 wds.), AIR RIFLE
R. Pen pals?, SWINE
S. American League pitcher who was the 2007 Cy Young award, SABATHIA
T. Perfectly aligned, TRUE
U. Sponsor of the old “Captain Midnight” radio show, OVALTINE
V. Having a figure like that of Kriss Kringle, ROTUND
W. Comic who said “Take my wife — please”, YOUNGMAN

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Click on image to enlarge.
 
Puzzle available on the internet at
 

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