03.09.14 — The Story of Ain't — the Acrostic


Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.
New York, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1911.

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Sunday, March 9, 2014

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



The Story of Ain't describes a great societal metamorphosis, tracing the fallout of the world wars, the rise of an educated middle class, and the emergence of America as the undisputed leader of the free world, and illuminating how those forces shaped our language. Never before or since has a dictionary so embodied the cultural transformation of the United States. ~ amazon 

The quotation;  ETIQUETTE BOOKS IN THE TWENTIES LICENSED THE USE OF SLANG IN POLITE COMPANY …, MODESTLY ADMITTING THAT ‘EVEN ‘SWELL’ AND ‘SWEETIE PIE’ ARE CORRECT IN CERTAIN MOODS,”  IN… BUSINESS, HOWEVER, … “O.K.” AND “ALL RIGHTY” WERE NOT TO BE USED …

The author’s name and the title of the work:  DAVID SKINNER, THE STORY OF AIN’T

The defined words:

A. Excessive, a bit much (2 wds.), DE TROP
B. “Some people think I’m gay … which I think is AWESOME” (Daniel Radcliffe)
C. Hopping, buzzing, lively, VIBRANT
D. One’s unique way of talking, IDIOLECT
E. Gradually shrink in size or number, DWINDLE
F. Pinking and pruning tools, SHEARS
G. Give the main address for, KEYNOTE
H. “Snap” in a game of the dozens, INSULT
I. Yum-Yum’s beau in “The Mikado” (hyph.), NANKI-POO
J. Genre for the mystically inclined (2 wds.), NEW AGE
K. Of indeterminate sex, EPICENE
L. Sound from the bushes, maybe, RUSTLE
M. Second-rate, cheesy (hyph.), TWO-BIT
N. Outbreak of evanescent bumps, HIVES
O. Regard with respect, ESTEEM
P. First hotel chain with an automated electronic reservations system (1958), SHERATON
O. Decoration once made of extruded silver, TINSEL
R. “Awake and  Sing!” dramatist, ODETS
S. Entertainer in a top hat and tails, RINGMASTER
T. Nodding acquaintances? (2 wds.), YES MEN
U. Kind of muscle worked by side planks, OBLIQUE
V. Norman Mailer coinage for a piece of info, FACTOID
W. Trippy drug commonly smoked in a joint (2 wds.), ANGEL DUST
X. Fossilized footprint, ICHNITE
Y. Illustrator of “Treasure Island” (3 wds., two of which are inits.), N C WYETH
Z. Go for a drive; play on a fife, TOOTLE


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