Imperfection

by Alan Winson


What do you get when you remove what is Perfect from The Immaculate Universe?

Solve the four puzzles. Each puzzle will give you a word suggested by perfection or perfect.

After you have the four words, the last page will tell you how to remove parts of them from The Immaculate Universe to find the answer.



Word 1

Solve the four horizontal clues in the 4 x 7 grid.

There are also three vertical clues. The three marked columns each spell a four-letter word. Two of them have to be unscrambled after you fill in the grid, but the one you want does not, and that's the word you're looking for.

Horizontal clues:

the 28th element, a common metal used by the U.S. Mint, between cobalt and copper in the periodic table ____________
the 28th state (gave up its sovereignty Dec. 29, 1845) __________
the 28th President, wanted to make the world “safe for democracy” ____________
the 28th Best Picture Oscar winner (1955), starring Ernest Borgnine __________
123

Vertical clues:

1. (unscramble) hang around; delay
2. (unscramble) one of the world's most popular foods
3. perfect, or, at least, not at all impossible


Word 1 (the answer to vertical clue 3): __ __ __ __



Word 2

Solve the four horizontal clues to find single words of 4, 7, 14, and 28 letters.

There are also seven vertical clues. One of them is a synonym for perfect, and that's the word you're looking for.

Clue words in UPPER CASE are anagrams of the answer.

Horizontal clues: Adjectives for the Perfect...

(except for the 28-letter one, which is just an anagram, but who knows more than one 28-letter word?)

fruit _ _ _ _
polygon _ _ _ _ _ _ _
explanation (not as hard as a PROBLEM in CHINESE) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
MAN AIDS A MINISTER IN HIS BATTLES _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Vertical clues:

1. Messrs. Carew and Steiger each take one when they go fishing
2. sultan (unscramble); mud (unscramble); ice (unscramble)
3. never teach them to sing (unscramble)
4. perfect
5. sediment or dregs (unscramble); otherwise (unscramble)
6. you can wear one on your head (unscramble)
7. period (unscramble); exist (unscramble); Tyson snack (unscramble)


Word 2 (the answer to vertical clue 4): __ __ __ __



Word 3

Solve the five clues A-E and count how many times you use each of the letters in your answers. Unscramble the six different letters used most frequently to form the word you're looking for.

You can get some help by filling in the 4 x 7 grid and transferring the letters from the answers into the corresponding spaces in the A-E answers.

Horizontal clues:

A. perfect, according to Kelvin __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
B. perfect alignment of the planets __ __ __ __ __ __
C. cylindrical slang for perfect, ten years ago__ __ __ __ __ __ __
D. imperfect form of iron (ore, actually) __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
E. whole, pristine, intact, perfect __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Cross clues:

Every 28-31 days __ __ __ __ __ __ __
D3 A4 E8 C1 D1 C5 B4
former pirate refuge, nickname for our Bay Area: ___ Coast __ __ __ __ __ __ __
A2 A1 C7 E3 D4 E4 B6
like necklaces, but near the feet __ __ __ __ __ __ __
C6 E2 E6 A5 D2 D7 B1
fertilized gametes __ __ __ __ __ __ __
B3 B2 B5 E5 D5 E7 A3


The six different letters used most frequently in the A-E answers: __ __ __ __ __ __

Unscramble to form Word 3: we often expect it from perfection: __ __ __ __ __ __



Word 4

The number 28 is not only perfect, it's in the middle of a sequence of nine numbers that each belong to a different category. Fill in the category for each of the nine numbers. You will need only seven different letters to fill in all the boxed spaces in your answers. Take one of each of the seven different letters, plus a second copy of one of them, and unscramble. When you are done, you will have word 4.

For those not interested in number theory, some of the words have other clues.

24:Product of consecutive integers      __ __ __ __ __      __ __
25:Interesting factors; unhip      __ __ __ __     
26:Its factors add up to less than itself; inadequate; lacking something                     __                __
27:More interesting factors __ __ __     
28:Its factors add up to itself __      __           __ __
29:All multiples of its reciprocals repeat the same digits in the same order; sorcery; wizardry __ __ __      __
30:Its factors add up to more than itself; plentiful, copious, profuse, overflowing __ __ __           __      __
31:Factors? What factors? __ __      __     
32:Still more interesting factors (2 words)                __          __ __ __      __


The seven different letters: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ plus another copy of one of them __

Unscramble. Note that the two copies of the same letter are marked with a *:

Word 4, the last word from part 1:________________
**


The Last Word


What do you get when you remove what is Perfect from The Immaculate Universe?

Take all the letters in the four words and drop letters in pairs, i.e., two occurrences of the same letter:
Start with:__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
Drop:      __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
Get:       __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
Add The Immaculate Universe:
Get:       __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ THE IMMACULATE UNIVERSE
Delete Perfect:
Get:       __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
KEEP only paired letters:
Drop:      __ __ __ __ __ __
Get:       __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
Keep only one letter from each pair:
Get:       __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __


You're nearly done, but what you have is not quite perfect. Finally, you must change one of the letters into a different letter. Then you can unscramble the result to find out the answer to the question:

What do you get when you remove what is Perfect from The Immaculate Universe?

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __