02.23.14 — The Spinning Skater— the Acrostic



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Sunday February 23 2014

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

This Sunday’s winning acrostic draws a humorous albeit a rather fragmented quotation from Gliding for Gold: The Physics of Winter Sports by Mark Denny.


After discussing the physical properties of ice and snow and describing the physics behind sliding friction and aerodynamic drag, Denny applies these concepts to such sports as bobsledding, snowboarding, and curling. He explains why clap skates would only hinder hockey players, how a curling rock curls, the forces that control luge speed, and how steering differs from skiing to snowboarding. With characteristic accuracy and a touch of wit, Denny provides fans, competitors, and coaches with handy, applicable insights into the games they love. The separate section of technical notes offers an original and mathematically rigorous exploration of the key aspects of winter sports physics. ~ amazon.com 





The quotation:  {A] SPINNING SKATER CAN INCREASE HER ANGULAR SPEED … .  YOU MAY REPRODUCE THIS … ON YOUR OFFICE … CHAIR. … [G]ET SPINNING WITH YOUR LEGS EXTENDED, … THEN DRAW YOU LEGS IN .. .  THIS … WILL CAUSE YOUR … COLLEAGUES TO STARE AND YOU TO SPIN FASTER.



The author’s name and the title of the work:  MARK DENNY, GLIDING FOR GOLD


Head of Odysseus from a Roman period Hellenistic marble group representing Odysseus blinding Polyphemus, found at the villa of Tiberius at Sperlonga

The defined words:

A. Knack for being successful in any venture (2 wds.), MIDAS TOUCH
B. Jump off the forward edge, AXEL
C. Coach, trainer and bodyguard, for example, RETINUE
D. Area adjoining a rink where marks are awaited (hyph.), KISS-AND-CRY
E. River through Smolensk and Kiev, DNEIPER
F. On cloud nine, in seventh heaven, EUPHORIC
G. Unit used to measure the force of gravity, NEWTON
H. Side effect of vertigo, NAUSEA
L. Fledgling, squirt, moppet, YOUNGSTER
J. A puck might ricochet off it (2 wds.), GOAL POST
K. "Chill out!” (2 wds.), LIGHTEN UP
L. Sluggishness, resistance to change, INERTIA
M. Lacking a definite plan or regularity, DESULTORY
N. Follies involving blades (2 wds.), ICE SHOW
O. Fine distinction, NUANCE
P. Act of whirling or rotating, GYRATION
Q. Unattached, not held back by ties (hyph.), FANCY-FREE
R. Player in an arena who never scores, ORGANIST
S. Use a Zamboni on, say, RESURFACE
T. Focus of certain protests before the Sochi Olympics (2 wds.), GAY RIGHTS
U. Figure of interest to some powerful Olympians, ODYSSEUS
V. One engaged in a vault, LEAPER
W. Like a normal bobsled run … or worse?, DOWNHILL


Skaters, a scene at Duddington Loch, Charles Lees
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The full paragraph of the quotation:  Angular momentum is the tendency of a rotating body to keep rotating  A spinning body has a high angular momentum if it is hard to stoop it from spinning.  High angular momentum may derive from spinning the body very fast or from spinning a very heavy body.  We are all familiar with the concept of angular momentum conservation, in practice if not in theory.  We know that a spinning skater can increase her angular speed    the rate at which she turns   by drawing in her arms and legs.  You may reproduce this behavior in a modest way by spinning on your office pedestal chair.  First, get spinning with your legs extended, and then draw you legs in toward the chair axis.  This action will cause your office colleagues to stare and you to spin faster.  Extend you legs again and you slow down.  If your boss complains, just say that you are learning some physics.


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Puzzle available on the internet at
THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.


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