PRINTOUT PUZZLE: [ ACROSTIC #1]
SOLUTION: [ SOLUTION]
PROGRAM: [Adobe Acrobat]
PROGRAM: [Java]
Dutiful followers of the BEQ.com know that Mike Shenk is one of the three so-called Crossword Jesuses. As if we needed any more proof, ole’ Em Ess stepped up big and let me use his amazing Java app to run this here Acrostic. Acrostics sometimes aren’t much fun to solve using pencil and paper, but boy oh boy, this applet really removes a load of the analog headaches. Thanks, Mike. You’re something of a saint, but you knew that already.
I rarely make Acrostics, but in the odd times I’ve done them I find they’re such fun word exercises. While making them, I marvel at the crazy long phrase after crazy long phrase that seem to come out of the alphabet soup that is the target phrase. And look at me, I’m not a big anagram guy! But here it is, anagramania for 23 slots until I’ve used all the quote’s letters. Good times. Hope you enjoy the change of pace.
But enough about me, back to Shenk. In the odd chance you aren’t aware of his puzzle company Puzzability, you should get acquainted immediately. They update their site weekly with nifty brainteasers, and oh, if you’ve got an iPad, you might like their app. Puzzability member Amy Goldstein described it as “a mashup of Rubik’s Cube, Jeopardy!, and our own Common Knowledge.” It’s, predictably, amazing. Not so sure this video is the best way to market it, but hey … it’s not like I have a commercial (yet).
Back to me: bonus themeless 21x still available after you go here and drop $10. For those unconvinced, read about it here. A ton of BEQ.com fans have gotten their copy, what’s your excuse?
Share the puzzle. New one on Monday.
I totally love acrostics, and agree that there is no going back to paper. Does anyone know sites that have acrostics regularly?
Thanks for this puzzle.
Clue L: Past, not passed.
The Wall Street Journal runs acrostics every four weeks. You can find the last several at , though you will have to scroll through to find them.
Let’s try that again, without killing the link:
The Wall Street Journal runs acrostics every four weeks. You can find the last several at http://blogs.wsj.com/puzzle/, though you will have to scroll through to find them.
Much tnanx for it, BEQ. When I started on XWPs and anacrostics online, I was unpleasantly shocked to see the appearance of only 1/8 of the clues for the XWP and only 1 clue for the anacrostic. I was wondering how I was ever going to get through the acrostics with such a disadvantage. Actually it beats doing acrostics on paper all the same.
Thanks, Brendan. What fun to see an acrostic. As I remarked on Orange, this was easy rather than medium, but I’m glad to see you trying a new art.
I’d never really considered the amount of work it must take to construct one. Can you describe the process or point me to a site that explains it?
@Eric Maddy – thanks for the tip. I was resigned to my once-a-fortnight NYT acrostic fix, so I’ll check out your link.
Denise, check out http://www.xwordinfo.com/SelectAcrostic
I enjoyed this because I could actually solve it, but it was also fun! Three cheers for clever construction of eas(ier) puzzles!
Nice one.
Solving acrostics on a computer is fun, where in newsprint it is and has always been a chore. This is the only way to go.