10.28.07 -- Saints Alive! -- the Acrostic

Saints - Painting by Fra Angelico - 1430

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Sunday, October 28, 2007

ACROSTIC by Emily Cox & Henry Rathvon, edited by Will Shortz

It‘s the end of October, bringing Halloween and the first day of November which is All Saint‘s Day, and this Sunday’s acrostic puzzle quotation is timely.

“…the wonderful thing about saints is that they were human. They lost their tempers, got angry, scolded God, were egotistical or testy or impatient in their turns, made mistakes and regretted them. Still they went on doggedly blundering toward heaven.” -- Phyllis McGinley, “Saint Watching”

There is some alteration to this quote in today’s acrostic, most notably a substitution of the word “hungry” for “angry”, and the usual omissions for the purpose of their use in the acrostic:

The quotation: THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT SAINTS IS THAT THEY WERE HUMAN THEY LOST THEIR TEMPERS GOT HUNGRY SCOLDED GOD WERE EGOTISTICAL OR TESTY MADE MISTAKES AND REGRETTED THEM STILL THEY WENT ON DOGGEDLY BLUNDERING TOWARD HEAVEN

The author's name and the title of the work: PMCGINLEYSAINTWATCHING

The defined words:

POLYMATH (A. Polite term for a know-it-all); MAGGOT (B. Fly larva that’s good at cleaning wounds); CHRISTEN (C. Name ceremoniously); GASLIGHT (D. Classic Ingrid Bergman/Charles Boyer thriller, for which Bergman won an Oscar); INTHEGUTTER (E. Where a dirty mind is said to be [3 wds.]); NETWORKED (F. Cultivated important business relationships); LEMONDE (G. French daily since 1944 [2 wds.]); ETHYLENE (H. Compound used in ripening fruit); YARMOUTH (I. Cape Cod town founded by Pilgrims); SOFABED (J. Piece of furniture with a dual function [2 wds.]); ADVERSE (K. Unfavorable, not at all conducive); ISOTHERMAL (I. Unchanging in temperature); NUGGETS (M. N.B.A. franchise with a snow-capped mountain in its logo); THIRDESTATE (N. Hoi polloi, common folks [2 wds.]); WOODSHED (O. Traditional place of punishment); ATTEND (P. Listen to; wait on); TWITTERY (Q. Inclined to chirp like a bird); CRESTING (R. Decorative roof ridge; reaching the peak); HOLDSWAY (S. Be dominant, rule [2 wds.]); INTERLUDE (T. Between-acts diversion); NEWHEBRIDES (U. Vanuatu’s name before 1980 [2 wds.]); GLUTTONY (V. Epicurean excess)

For those celebrating only the eve of All Saint’s Day, here’s a little bit of Hallow’een!