LEWIS THOMAS, (THE) FRAGILE SPECIES — Our word "human" comes from the... root dhghem, meaning simply "earth." The most telling cognate word is "humus," the primary product of microbial industry. ... It gives a new... spin, to the old cliche for an apology: "Sorry, I'm only human."
| A. | Feathery plant for a woodland garden (2 wds.) | LADYFERN |
| B. | Environmental subgroup | ECOTYPE |
| C. | Maker of Hacky Sacks and Frisbees (hyph.) | WHAMO |
| D. | Element named for its blue spectral lines | INDIUM |
| E. | Like some bars or tennis matches | SINGLES |
| F. | Mouse-riding Arthurian knight of lore (2 wds.) | TOMTHUMB |
| G. | Gaga, overflowing with enthusiasm (hyph.) | HOGWILD |
| H. | Classic candy bar (2 wds.) | OHHENRY |
| I. | Halfway point in a presidential election cycle | MIDTERM |
| J. | O.K. to fly | AIRWORTHY |
| K. | Leave in the lurch; thread or fiber | STRAND |
| L. | Loud alternative to a lighthouse | FOGHORN |
| M. | Concern for certain banks (2 wds.) | RHFACTOR |
| N. | Hatred, hostility, loathing | ANIMUS |
| O. | Benjamin Franklin who founded a rubber company | GOODRICH |
| P. | "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" genre | IMPROV |
| Q. | Filled with light, brilliant | LUMINOUS |
| R. | Fungal cause of St. Anthony's fire | ERGOT |
| S. | Throw in the towel (2 wds.) | SAYUNCLE |
| T. | Greek author of "Parallel Lives" | PLUTARCH |
| U. | What someone with alexithymia can't express | EMOTION |
| V. | Active in sports, business or evolution | COMPETING |
| W. | Line connecting equal values on a map | ISOPLETH |
| X. | Atlanta campus boasting many a "green" building | EMORY |
| Y. | Much of the atmosphere's particulate matter (2 wds.) | SEASALT |