Title: In Search of a Colorful Metaphor
Prompt: The meta answer is a metaphor with its origins in American literature that could serve as a fifth theme entry.
Answer: WHITE WHALE (from Moby-Dick)
Explanation: there are four theme entries in the puzzle:
16A {*Absolutely perfect candidate, to human resources} PURPLE SQUIRREL
21A {*Hidden-away family member,
perhaps} BLACK SHEEP
43A {*Awkward suspect for a
detective to accuse in a murder
mystery} RED HERRING
59A {*Bizarre hallucination} PINK ELEPHANT.
So to make a fifth theme entry, we’re looking for a metaphor that consists of a color + an animal. The metaphor from American literature that fits this pattern is WHITE WHALE.
For some extra confirmation, the title hints at the meaning of the metaphor, and the first letters of the clues for the four theme entries spell AHAB, the captain who famously searched for Moby-Dick.
There were 68 correct answers and 7 incorrect submissions this month. Most of the incorrect submissions were “scarlet letter,” which is close but only fits half the pattern. One solver did mention they got stuck on “golden goose” for a while before seeing the right path – funnily enough, “golden goose” is exactly the answer I was trying to steer solvers away from by specifying American literature in the prompt.The Golden Goose is originally a German fairy tale. “White rabbit” has a similar flaw, as it comes from English literature.
Congratulations to this month’s randomly chosen winner: Nathaniel Meyers of Carmichael, CA! The prize this month is a copy of a thematically apt novel embossed with FROM THE LIBRARY OF ARIADNE. This month I opted for a thematic tie-in to one of the theme answers (RED HERRING), and so the prize is one of my favorite mystery novels,The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie. (I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say a mystery novel features some red herrings.) Congratulations, Nathaniel!
You can read Ben Chenoweth’s blog post about this month’s contest over at Crossword Fiend, where you can also leave a comment and rate the puzzle.
Dubious Honors
This month’s Tick-Tock Award, which is awarded to the solver whose submission I received first, goes to Lindsey S., whose answer came in at 9:36 AM EDT on October 1. The White Rabbit Award, which is awarded to the solver whose submission I received last, goes to Tom M., whose answer came in at 11:11 PM EDT on October 5. I have no actual prizes to hand out to these solvers, they just get the satisfaction of BOOKending this month’s contest. Well done!
Can you beat their times next month??
EXTREMELY Dubious Honors
With her “win” of the Tick-Tock Award, Lindsey Shultz becomes the first solver to achieve the ACL Trifecta: the Tick-Tock Award, the White Rabbit Award, AND the monthly contest prize. Lindsey won the monthly contest in March, and she has “won” the White Rabbit Award an astounding three times (given that ACL has only published ten puzzles), in April, June, and August. So an extra shout-out to Lindsey this month, congrats!
Thank you to everyone who submitted an answer to October’s contest! See you in November!
Ex libris Ariadne
Ariadne's Crossword Library 