Cryptoquote Spoiler – 04/20/10

“An advertising agency is eighty-five percent confusion and fifteen percent commission.”   — Fred Allen

(Very tough, today!  No “A”, “I” or “THE”.  No “PEOPLE”, “EVER”, “NEVER”, “WHICH” or “THAT”, etc..  This ranks up there as one of the toughest I’ve ever had to solve.  But, as with most Fred Allen quotes, very amusing.) — YUR

Jumble Spoiler – 04/20/10

Visual Description:  A father handing over the car keys to his appreciative son.

SUYFS  =  FUSSY,  VERIP  =  VIPER,  BEEVAH  =  BEHAVE,  JUNIER  =  INJURE   —   Giving us:  SSIEEHINR

Clue/Question:  What the teen promised to do when he asked for the car.

Answer:  RISE AND SHINE

(Quotation marks around shine?  What do you guys think?  Maybe around the whole thing?  Not bad, I guess.  Pretty pedestrian clue words, today.) — YUR

Cryptoquote Spoiler – 04/19/10

“I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be flexible at all times.”   — Everett Dirksen

(The accomplished and respected U.S. statesman was a big fan of the common marigold.  A hearty and very useful flower, that holds up remarkably well after being cut.) —   YUR

Jumble Spoiler – 04/19/10

Visual Description:  Spellbinding spiel at the shore store.

LIVAL  =  VILLA,  GOYGS  =  SOGGY,  UNBART  =  TURBAN,  KROREB  =  BROKER   —   Giving us:  IASGRBNBO

Clue/Question:  How the sponge merchant described his business.

Answer:  ABSORBING

(Good scrambling of the answer letters.  But, how many other – single – words describe sponges anyway?  Cute pelican!) —   YUR

Sunday Cryptoquote Spoiler – 04/18/10

“To give man a full knowledge of morality, I would send him to no other book than the New Testament.”   — John Locke

(Hmm.  I wonder where Jack Shephard would send him???) — YUR ;~)

Sunday Jumble Spoiler – 04/18/10

Visual Description:  Unimpressed teens at the wedding reception.

CAPTER  =  CARPET,  FRUGEE  =  REFUGE,  PIDAUN  =  UNPAID,  YAQUES  =  QUEASY,  ZEABAL  =  ABLAZE,  KENRAT  =  TANKER   —   Giving us:  CRUGNIDQSAEAN

Clue/Question:  When the grown-ups swayed to the music, the kids said it was . . .

Answer:  “SQUARE” DANCING

(Do kids even say “square” nowadays?  I’m not really sure how well that idiom has aged.  Hmm.  And, for some reason I had the most trouble this morning getting “carpet”.  It’s usually the simplest words that trip me up!  Happy hunting, wordsmiths!) — YUR

Cryptoquote Spoiler – 04/17/10

“It’s hard to lead a cavalry charge if you think you look funny on a horse.”   — Adlai Stevenson

(Michael Dukakis had to learn this . . . the hard way.) —   YUR

Jumble Spoiler – 04/17/10

Visual Description:  Self-assured guy looking at another night of self-service.

SOSYM  =  MOSSY,  YONEH  =  HONEY,  CYRIKT  =  TRICKY,  STUJAD  =  ADJUST   —   Giving us:  MSNETIKAS

Clue/Question:  The bachelor was so sure of himself, he was never . . .

Answer:  “MISS–TAKEN“

Cryptoquote Spoiler – 04/16/10

“A community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm.”   — Henrik Ibsen

(Some kind of mandatory community service – similar to military service, or the Peace Corps – would be beneficial to this end.  Modern society has  conditioned us to narrow our focus and “specialize”, to the point where looking out for # 1 has kind of become synonymous with not being able to see the forest for the trees.  The world could use a new influx of concerned generalists.) —   YUR

Jumble Spoiler – 04/16/10

Visual Description:  Floor manager of a busy floating casino looking to bring in some help.

HUBSY  =  BUSHY,  KARCC  =  CRACK,  MODEOD  =  DOOMED,  CARNID  =  RANCID —   Giving us:  SHAKDENCD

Clue/Question:  What the gambling boat needed for the card games.

Answer:  “DECK” HANDS

(I don’t know when we last saw “rancid”.  It’s a great word.  For whatever reason it took a bit for me to get “doomed”, this morning.  Still not feeling up to par, I guess.  Nice scrambling of the answer letters!  I hate it when they make it too obvious.  Happy Friday, everyone!) — YUR