Making a Difference

by Andrew Marc Greene

Answer: RITA HAYWORTH AND SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
Problem: Christmas Town/Halloween Town

Answers can be paired up such that, in each pair, the shorter answer is the longer answer with one letter removed, essentially subtracting the shorter answer from the longer answer.

Repeating this process by subtracting the clue number of the shorter answer from the clue number of the longer answer gives a unique integer between 1 and 44 for each pair.

Ordering the orthographic differences by the numerical differences yields the clue phrase KING STORY ADAPTED AS A FILM IN TWO THOUSAND MINUS SIX which clues RITA HAYWORTH AND SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, the Stephen King novella which was the basis for the 1994 hit movie The Shawshank Redemption.

Number	Answer	Clue
1	DEAL	Distribute cards
2	PAIN	Agony
3	NAVE	Part of a church along the main axis
4	CHING	I ____ (Chinese text used for divination)
5	RISE	Angelou’s “Still I ____”
6	ARGOT	Vocabulary particular to a certain group
7	RAIN	Fall from the clouds
8	ASTRAY	Off the path
9	COED	Open to all students, in a way
10	LORE	Traditional tales of a culture
11	GRAIN	Something seen in old photographs
12	BOON	Asked-for favor
13	LORNE	Greene of Galactica
14	RAVE	Give an enthusiastic review
15	SMILE	Candid Camera imperative
16	ACHING	Sore
17	FAKES	Forgeries
18	STAR	Headliner
19	CATION	An atom, after losing an electron
20	CODED	Represented numerically, perhaps
21	ARES	Greek god of war
22	ABASH	Embarrass
23	RUE	Kick oneself for
24	STRING	One of four on a violin
25	INDEED	“Yes, certainly!”
26	CAGE	Composer of 4'33"
27	NAIVE	Inexperienced and easily taken advantage of
28	RUSE	Subterfuge
29	PEAL	Complete permutation of a set of bells
30	RINSE	Step before “repeat”
31	CLOT	Dangerous blockage
32	CAPTION	Something many people read in The New Yorker
33	STARE	Gaze
34	SWAM	What Gertrude Ederle famously did
35	SPAIN	The Prado’s country
36	SIMILE	It’s like a metaphor
37	PEARL	Something dived for
38	ASHTRAY	Something needed where smoking is permitted
39	IDEAL	Flawless, utopian
40	KICK	“I get no ____ from champagne”
41	FARES	What Charlie Cards are used to pay for
42	FORGE	Place for an anvil
43	MARGOT	Actress Kidder
44	FAWKES	Guy you may want to remember, remember
45	META	What the answer to this puzzle will be used in
46	REIN	Equestrian control line
47	IDES	Mid-month to Brutus
48	EROICA	Symphony originally dedicated to Napoleon
49	RAVEN	Poe’s avian interlocutor
50	FOND	Gently affectionate towards (with “of”)
51	ATBASH	Cipher supposedly used in the Book of Jeremiah
52	PRIM	Proper to the nth degree
53	IDEST	That is (2 wds.)
54	BOSON	Particle exempt from the Pauli Exclusion Principle
55	STORING	Setting aside for later
56	SCOT	One from Inverness
57	MACH	Eponymous unit of speed
58	SHRED	Protect against prying eyes, as an old tax return
59	DUCT	Passageway for a tear or for air
60	SUMER	The ur-civilization, or the Ur civilization
61	DANE	Hamlet, for one
62	CADGE	Sponge off a friend
63	EAST	Cardinal point
64	LOGE	Place with good, but not great, seats
65	SATE	Meet completely, as an appetite
66	SKATE	Emulate Brinker
67	METAL	Iron Maiden genre
68	SHARED	Split with others
69	INDEXED	Easily searched, e.g. by having thumb tabs
70	PRISM	Polyhedron that might produce a spectrum
71	CLOUT	Influence
72	YEAST	Need for beer
73	ASCOT	Neckwear named for a racetrack
74	EROTICA	Arousing presentations
75	DANTE	Inferno creator
76	FORAGE	Seek food in various places
77	SWAMI	Hindu religious leader
78	DUCAT	What Polonius was dead for?
79	KNICK	New York basketballer
80	LODGE	Place where skiers stay
81	HARD	Given a high number by Mohs
82	FOUND	Discovered
83	SUMMER	Été, ici
84	IVES	Famous insurance agent Charles
85	MACHO	Aggressively adopting certain sexist stereotypes
86	IVIES	Brown et al.
87	RESIN	Varnish ingredient
88	HOARD	Collect obsessively

Pairs, in order of difference:

Difference	Longer clue	Shorter clue	Longer word	Shorter word	Letter
1	Emulate Brinker	Meet completely, as an appetite	SKATE	SATE	K
2	Brown et al.	Famous insurance agent Charles	IVIES	IVES	I
3	Greene of Galactica	Traditional tales of a culture	LORNE	LORE	N
4	Something seen in old photographs	Fall from the clouds	GRAIN	RAIN	G
5	Subterfuge	Kick oneself for	RUSE	RUE	S
6	That is (2 wds.)	Mid-month to Brutus	IDEST	IDES	T
7	Collect obsessively	Given a high number by Mohs	HOARD	HARD	O
8	Something dived for	Complete permutation of a set of bells	PEARL	PEAL	R
9	Need for beer	Cardinal point	YEAST	EAST	Y
10	Split with others	Protect against prying eyes, as an old tax return	SHARED	SHRED	A
11	Represented numerically, perhaps	Open to all students, in a way	CODED	COED	D
12	Sore	I ____ (Chinese text used for divination)	ACHING	CHING	A
13	Something many people read in The New Yorker	An atom, after losing an electron	CAPTION	CATION	P
14	Inferno creator	Hamlet, for one	DANTE	DANE	T
15	Gaze	Headliner	STARE	STAR	E
16	Place where skiers stay	Place with good, but not great, seats	LODGE	LOGE	D
17	Neckwear named for a racetrack	One from Inverness	ASCOT	SCOT	A
18	Polyhedron that might produce a spectrum	Proper to the nth degree	PRISM	PRIM	S
19	What Polonius was dead for?	Passageway for a tear or for air	DUCAT	DUCT	A
20	What Charlie Cards are used to pay for	Greek god of war	FARES	ARES	F
21	It’s like a metaphor	Candid Camera imperative	SIMILE	SMILE	I
22	Iron Maiden genre	What the answer to this puzzle will be used in	METAL	META	L
23	Été, ici	The ur-civilization, or the Ur civilization	SUMMER	SUMER	M
24	Inexperienced and easily taken advantage of	Part of a church along the main axis	NAIVE	NAVE	I
25	Step before “repeat”	Angelou’s “Still I ____”	RINSE	RISE	N
26	Arousing presentations	Symphony originally dedicated to Napoleon	EROTICA	EROICA	T
27	Guy you may want to remember, remember	Forgeries	FAWKES	FAKES	W
28	Aggressively adopting certain sexist stereotypes	Eponymous unit of speed	MACHO	MACH	O
29	Cipher supposedly used in the Book of Jeremiah	Embarrass	ATBASH	ABASH	T
30	Something needed where smoking is permitted	Off the path	ASHTRAY	ASTRAY	H
31	Setting aside for later	One of four on a violin	STORING	STRING	O
32	Discovered	Gently affectionate towards (with “of”)	FOUND	FOND	U
33	The Prado’s country	Agony	SPAIN	PAIN	S
34	Seek food in various places	Place for an anvil	FORAGE	FORGE	A
35	Poe’s avian interlocutor	Give an enthusiastic review	RAVEN	RAVE	N
36	Sponge off a friend	Composer of 4'33"	CADGE	CAGE	D
37	Actress Kidder	Vocabulary particular to a certain group	MARGOT	ARGOT	M
38	Flawless, utopian	Distribute cards	IDEAL	DEAL	I
39	New York basketballer	“I get no ____ from champagne”	KNICK	KICK	N
40	Influence	Dangerous blockage	CLOUT	CLOT	U
41	Varnish ingredient	Equestrian control line	RESIN	REIN	S
42	Particle exempt from the Pauli Exclusion Principle	Asked-for favor	BOSON	BOON	S
43	Hindu religious leader	What Gertrude Ederle famously did	SWAMI	SWAM	I
44	Easily searched, e.g. by having thumb tabs	“Yes, certainly!”	INDEXED	INDEED	X