Cryptoquote Spoiler – 04/30/10

“If your ideas are any good, you’ll have to ram them down people’s throats.”   — Howard Aiken

(Kinda like with health care reform, or Wall St./banking reform, etc., etc.  But, the idea of going to war because some grainy, Cuban Missile Crisis quality recon photos show something that might possibly – if you have a very vivid imagination – be a WMD facility . . . well then, beyond all means lets swallow that!) —   YUR

(Tricky) Jumble Spoiler – 04/30/10

Visual Description:  Someone like yer uncle, at a Beat poetry reading.

LOVEH  =  HOVEL,  SIVOR  =  VISOR,  LUBOSE  =  BLOUSE,  TENCED  =  DECENT   —   Giving us:  VLSROUEDEC

Clue/Question:  What the couple said when the poetry reading left them puzzled.

Answer:  COULD BE “VERSE”

(Initially, I was playing with RULES BE COVED, but that didn’t make any sense.  Then I came up with DOVES BE CRUEL . . . and I thought: Why not?  It has a poetic, Beat-response-to-Elvis kinda sound to it.  But then the word COULD came into focus, and the pun became clear.  Reminds me of this little old Jewish doctor I had as a kid.  But, I digress.) — YUR

Cryptoquote Spoiler – 04/29/10

“He who lives by the crystal ball soon learns to eat ground glass.”   — Edgar R. Fiedler

(Very clever quote!  I like it!) — YUR

(Tough) Jumble Spoiler – 04/29/10

Visual Description:  Upset couple leaving the kitschy restaurant.

DUGAY  =  GAUDY,  PHOWO  =  WHOOP,  FARITY  =  RATIFY,  GUNJEL  =  JUNGLE   —   Giving us:  ADWORTUN

Clue/Question:  The couple left the restaurant because the accordion music was . . .

Answer:  “DRAWN” OUT

(I almost put this one up for grabs, today!  I first came up with ROUND WAT or ROUND TAW, but those didn’t make ANY sense.  Then I came up with WOUND ART, which arguably makes sense, due to the woman saying that her “ears hurt”.  But, even that seemed like a stretch, for numerous reasons.  Then the word DROWN came to me, but I couldn’t do anything with AUT.  Then finally, the light went on, and I saw “DRAWN” OUT.  And, it made sense, considering how an accordion makes music.  Some great clue words, and good scrambling of the answer letters as well!  Hope this didn’t drive some of you nuts . . . like the poor couple in the cartoon!) —   YUR

Cryptoquote Spoiler – 04/28/10

“Everything one invents is true, you may be perfectly sure of that.  Poetry is as precise as geometry.”   — Gustave Flaubert

(Was this meant to be a tongue-in-cheek remark?  I’ve never been very clear when it comes to poetry, and the invention line sounds strange as well.  Anyone know if this was said seriously . . . or satirically?) —   YUR

Jumble Spoiler – 04/28/10

Visual Description:  Television reporter busting in on some counterfeiters.

USSOE  =  SOUSE,  NAISE  =  ANISE,  PYTSHU  =  TYPHUS,  POURRA  =  UPROAR   —   Giving us:  SSESETPSPRO

Clue/Question:  What the counterfeiter said when he was confronted by the reporter.

Answer:  STOP THE PRESSES

(All great clue words, today!  I had to back into “typhus” by looking at the cartoon and question, and seeing what letters I still needed to come up with the answer . . . that I was 97.5% sure that it was.  Fortunately, I was correct with my answer assumption, and the necessity/placement of the “t”, “p” and “s” finally got me to “typhus”.  Sorry about the lateness of today’s posting.  I’m training for a new job, and I’m just getting the opportunity to post.) —   YUR

Cryptoquote Spoiler – 04/27/10

“He that is of the opinion money do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money.”   — Benjamin Franklin

(Did you hear that, big banker and Wall Street types?  Are you listening, party of “No”?  Maybe old Ben better watch his back.  Those Texas school boards might place him on the marginal list, in their retro-revisionism of American History.) —   YUR

Jumble Spoiler – 04/27/10

Visual Description:  Janitor cleaning up after the big cats.

SHAMC  =  CHASM,  JABON  =  BANJO,  ENPOLL  =  POLLEN,  YAUBET  =  BEAUTY —   Giving us:  ASBJOLEBTY

Clue/Question:  The zookeeper described cleaning the lion cage as . . .

Answer:  A “BEASTLY” JOB

(“Pollen” was a little obvious, but “banjo” and “chasm” were good clue words.  And, the answer letters were nicely scrambled, but the answer wasn’t much of a challenge.) —   YUR

Cryptoquote Spoiler – 04/26/10

“High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation.”   — Charles Kettering

(This one took a while, because there was no “A” or “I”, and the first word was NOT “that”.  A good challenge.  And, a nice aim high/reach for the stars message.) — YUR

Jumble Spoiler – 04/26/10

Visual Description:  Classic Gilligan’s Island scene.

HORAC  =  ROACH,  NUIFY  =  UNIFY,  MOAPED  =  POMADE,  GISTED  =  DIGEST —   Giving us:  RAIFAEDST

Clue/Question:  What the stranded boaters came up with to get off the island.

Answer:  A “RAFT” OF IDEAS

(Only “unify” jumped off the page for me this morning.  “Pomade” and “digest” took some thought, and I wasn’t completely sold on “roach” – don’t ask me why – until I saw that the letters fit the answer.  Couldn’t the guys have thrown in either Ginger or – even better – Maryann?!?!  For you deprived youngsters out there, “Gilligan’s Island” was the original “Lost”, except they were “shipwrecked”, as opposed to surviving an airline crash.  Oh, and there was no serious hanky-panky . . . as it was a half hour sitcom, without any metaphysical mystery to it.) — YUR