05.04.14 — Born on a Blue Day — the Acrostic

Sunday, May 4, 2014

ACROSTIC, Puzzle by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon

Edited by Will Shortz

This Sunday’s acrostic draws a quotation from Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet.

“Daniel Tammet first became known to the world for such feats as setting the world record for memorizing the most digits of PI (22,514) and learning to speak Icelandic in a week.  Tammet is a high-functioning autistic savant who also has synesthesia, a neurological mixing of the senses that allows him to see numbers in shapes and colors.” ~ Goodreads 

The quotation;  I SEE NUMBERS AS SHAPES, COLORS, TEXTURES AND MOTIONS.  THE NUMBER 1, FOR EXAMPLE, IS A BRILLIANT AND BRIGHT WHITE … FIVE IS A CLAP OF THUNDER OR THE SOUND OF WAVES CRASHING AGAINST ROCKS. THIRTY-SEVEN IS LUMPY LIKE PORRIDGE ...

The author’s name and the title of the work:  DANIEL TAMMET, BORN ON A BLUE DAY

The defined words:

A. Checkers, in England, DRAUGHTS
B. When foolery may be planned (2 wds.), APRIL 1
C. Leave at a loss as to what to think, NONPLUS
D. Addition, with respect to subtraction, INVERSE
E. Film clip or block quote, EXCERPT
F. Fourth-highest peak on Eath, on the border between Tibet and Nepal, LHOTSE
G. Misanthrope of history and drama, TIMON
H. Disorder affecting the author of this puzzle’s quote, AUTISM
I. Loose-lipped household guard, MASTIFF
J. Start of a new day, MIDNIGHT
K. Occupy completely, ENGROSS
L. Like arid land or absorbent towels, THIRSTY
M. Buttery bun, BRIOCHE
N. Shady area that’s pro-growth, ORCHARD
O. Poet shot and wounded by Verlaine, RIMBAUD
P. Whale’s blowholes, e.g., NOSTRILS
Q. General summary, OVERVIEW
R. Piece that is 75% copper, NICKEL
S. Mythical progenitor of the Roman people, AENEAS
T. Erudite, scholarly, well read, BOOKISH
U. Foliation, LEAFAGE
V. Foolish, lacking in good sense, UNWISE
W. Specific, as a purpose, EXPRESS
X. Girl’s name that’s also the name of a fragrant evergreen shrub, DAPHNE
Y. Home visit? (hyph.), AT-BAT
Z. “You can steer YOURSELF any direction you choose” (Dr. Seuss)

The full paragraph of the quotation:  "Scientists call my visual, emotional experience of numbers synesthesia, a rare neurological mixing of the senses, which most commonly results in the ability to see alphabetical letters and/or numbers in color.  Mine is an unusual and complex type, through which I see numbers as shapes, colors, textures and motions.  The number 1, for example, s a brilliant and bright white, like someone shining a flashlight into my eyes.  Five is a clap of thunder or the sound of waves crashing against rocks.  Thirty-seven is lumpy like porridge, while 89 reminds me of falling snow."

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"No matter where I go or what I’m doing, numbers are never far from my thoughts.  In an interview with talk show host David Letterman in New York, I told David he looked lke the number 117 -- tall and lanky.  Later outside, in the appropriately numerically named Times Square, I gazed up at the towering skyscrapers and felt surrounded by 9s -- the number I most associate with feelings of immensity". ~ Daniel Tammet, Born on a Blue Day

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Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.