Jan.12

electoral-vote.com

Dem 51

   

GOP 49

I Read the News Today, Oh Boy: Edge of Darkness

Last week's headline theme was tricky; we warned you in advance. We got some pretty good answer keys, but the one that really knocked it out of the park came from Canada (uh, oh); specifically M.H. in Ottawa, ON, Canada:

This week's theme: each entry contains a word which is an contronym, or "Janus word," meaning it has possible meanings that are opposite each other. (FYI, it was "cleave" that got it for me, so thanks for the extra hint!)

• Stressed Out: "Out" can mean both "visible" ("the stars are out") and "invisible" ("the lights are out").
  
  
• Don't Overlook the Emoluments Clause: "Overlook" can mean both "watch closely" and "ignore."
  
  
• Will Lightning Strike in New Hampshire?: "Strike" can mean both "to hit" and "to miss in an attempt to hit, as in baseball."
  
  
• Political Venue Shopping: "Shopping" can mean both "attempting to purchase something" and "attempting to sell something" ("shopping around an idea").
  
  
• Are We Finally Finished with this Story?: "Finished" can mean both "completed successfully" and "destroyed."
  
  
• Time to Go: "Go" can mean both "succeed well" ("the car could really go") and "fail" ("my hearing is starting to go").
  
  
• Buckle Up!: "Buckle" can mean both "put together" ("I buckle my seat belt") and "fall apart" ("I buckle under the weight").
  
  
• Oxman Offers Apology for Being a Plagiarist: "Apology" can mean both "a statement of contrition for one's actions" and "a reasoned defense of one's actions."
  
  
• A Fine Career Comes to a Close: "Fine" can mean both "excellent" and "barely acceptable."

Very impressive, M.H., especially given that you come from a country where everyone seems to misspell "color," "center," "defense," "practice" and a whole bunch of other words.

The theme was hard enough that only 20 readers nailed it:

1. N.S. in Los Angeles, CA
2. J.N. in Zionsville, IN
3. J.K. in New Orleans, LA
4. B.C. in Phoenix, AZ
5. S.F. in Pemberton, NJ
6. M.B. in Albany, NY
7. G.M. in Chevy Chase, MD
8. D.L. in Springfield, IL
9. N.H. in London, England, UK
10. M.S. in New York City, NY
11. D.E. in Ann Arbor, MI
12. M.P. in Chapel Hill, NC
13. K.G.W. in Lafayette, IN
14. D.E. in High Springs, FL
15. O.B. in Santa Monica, CA
16. M.H. in Ottawa
17. M.S. in Canton, NY
18. J.L. in Walnut Creek, CA
19. D.B. in Farmville, VA
20. B.M. in Chico, CA

Congrats to all of you; we know some of you went down multiple paths before discovering the correct one. Incidentally, the word "edge" (in the headline of this item) can mean "comprising the outside boundary" or "to remove the outside boundary."

This week's theme should be easier. It fits in the category "Arts and Entertainment," and the hint we will give you is that we hope this theme doesn't explode in our faces. Also, please note that we do not turn the deaths of people into a game, and so the first item's headline ("U.S., U.K. Fire on Houthis") is not a part of the theme.

Anyhow if you have a guess, send it to comments@electoral-vote.com with the subject line "January 12 Headlines." (Z)