“___ is to place as eternity is to time”: Joseph Joubert

Cracking the Code: A Cryptic Crossword Clue with a Literary Twist

Crossword puzzles are a delightful exercise in deduction, a playful dance between the mind and the grid. But sometimes, the clues throw us a curveball, leaving us scratching our heads in confusion. Today, we’re tackling one such cryptic clue that’s steeped in literary history and philosophical intrigue:

“___ is to place as eternity is to time”: Joseph Joubert

This clue, a quote attributed to the French writer and moralist Joseph Joubert, might seem like a philosophical riddle at first glance. However, beneath the surface of this seemingly abstract statement lies a hidden answer, a word that completes the equation of time and space.

The clue presents a metaphorical analogy, suggesting a parallel between two concepts. To solve it, we need to decipher the relationship between “place” and “eternity,” and then find a word that holds a similar relationship to “time.”

Think about the nature of “place” – it represents a physical location, a defined area in the vast expanse of space. Eternity, on the other hand, is a timeless concept, a boundless expanse beyond the constraints of time.

The word we seek needs to embody a comparable concept – something that stands in relation to “time” in a manner similar to how “place” relates to “eternity.”

With this in mind, let’s dive into the world of words, and see if we can unearth the answer to this cryptic clue. Remember, the key lies in understanding the metaphorical connection between the two pairs of words – “place” and “eternity,” and the word we need to discover and “time.”

Stay tuned for the solution in our next post!

Available Answers:

SPACE.

Last seen on the crossword puzzle: NY Times Crossword 11 Aug 24, Sunday