Cryptoquote Spoiler – 08/31/16

“Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.”   —   George Herbert

(Very good advice!  Too many of us – myself included – make too many excuses for not doing things.  Doing anything . . . and failing is much better than doing nothing at all.  The biggest hurdle in life is getting over the can’t do mindset.  So much of confidence is just a matter of momentum.  Inertia cripples it.  Be well . . . get going and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Jumble Spoiler – 08/31/16

Visual Description:  Team cards tournament.

HLIEW  =  WHILE,  LRUBB  =  BLURB,  RATEHH  =  HEARTH,  FRIDTA  =  ADRIFT   —   Giving us:  WLELBEARDIF

Clue/Question:  The Bridge pair argued constantly, so their opponents hoped they’d – – –

Answer:  BID FAREWELL

(A fairly challenging solve, and a nice pun!  None of today’s clue words are new, but all of the jumbles came up as new.  I struggled to get “adrift”.  I thought I might be able to back into it, but without the DIF I wasn’t seeing the answer, at all.  At first I thought the answer was going to be ALL something!  But, I went back to the jumble and considered that the word did not need to start with a consonant, and finally saw “adrift”.  I don’t know if they’d be considered archaic, but words like adrift, afield, amiss, asea, astray, etc. just don’t come to me right away.  I know that I do use them, from time to time, but they also come off as a little poetic and Shakespearean.  And, you all know that I’m just yer average American couch potato!  Very good answer letter layout.  I really did need the DIF to solve the answer.  I think if you know nothing about Bridge – which I know very little of – today’s answer might have been a little tough.  I don’t think I’ve ever played the game, but I have played Euchre, which is supposedly similar.  I haven’t played Euchre probably in 30 some years!  Do many people still play team card games, or is it kind of a dying art?  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Cryptoquote Spoiler – 08/30/16

“Love doesn’t grow on trees like apples in Eden – it’s something you have to make.”   —   Joyce Cary

(Girls named George, guys named Joyce!  What was this world coming to???  LOL!  Be well, do good . . . and make love, friends.)   —  YUR

Jumble Spoiler – 08/30/16

Visual Description:  “And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”

DEGAA  =  ADAGE,  GEJDU  =  JUDGE,  TINKTE  =  KITTEN,  HNPEYH  =  HYPHEN   —   Giving us:  GUKIHH

Clue/Question:  The pilot’s three-line poem spoken at 30,000 feet was a – – –

Answer:  “HIGH–KU“

(It doesn’t have to be a difficult solve to make it a satisfying Jumble.  As long as the pun is clever, I’m happy.  And, today’s pun made me smile, just like the airplane appears to be smiling!  All of today’s clue words were old favorites again.  However, all of the jumbles came up as new.  I saw all of them instantly.  The answer letter layout was good, but again, it’s hard to hide the answer in six letters.  Another great cartoon.  And, it’s politically correct too!  Unlike my cartoon selection!  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Cryptoquote Spoiler – 08/29/16

“The first rule of hurricane coverage is that every broadcast must begin with palm trees bending in the wind.”   —   Carl Hiaasen

(But of course!  It’s a tropical storm.  You need to show tropical trees.  Actually, there are a lot of things where the corporate media uses stock footage.  When it came to their reporting on al Qaeda, how many times did we see the guys dressed in black, swinging on the monkey bars and crawling around on that obstacle course?  It got to be comical.  Or, how about the way they always show ISIS/ISIL in black clothing and masks!  If they’re so “fearless”, as the media tries to portray, then why are they always hiding their faces???  I tell ya, it lends some credence to some of the “conspiracy” theories.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Jumble Spoiler – 08/29/16

Visual Description:  Next Olympics latest event???

FINSF  =  SNIFF,  NOIYR  =  IRONY,  RELENK  =  KERNEL,  IGNNNI  =  INNING   —   Giving us:  SNNKII

Clue/Question:  The two plumbers installing the bathroom fixtures were working – – –

Answer:  “IN–SINK“

(THAT’S a stinky pun!  Probably inspired by Jeff’s second favorite band!  All of today’s clue words were old favorites, but three of the jumbles did come up as new.  We have seen “finsf” before.  The answer letter layout was as cryptic as it could possibly be, for a six letter answer.  The cartoon was workmanlike.  Plenty of comments on the Sunday Jumble!  And, well over 4300 queries yesterday.  That’s well above the general average of 2500 to 3000, and WAY above what we normally see for a Sunday.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —    YUR

Sunday Cryptoquote Spoiler – 08/28/16

“The last time I saw him he was walking down lover’s lane holding his own hand.”   —   Fred Allen

(Donald Trump???  I wonder who in the ’30s, ’40s, or ’50s he was talking about?  Possibly it was about Jack Benny.  They were fellow comedians and good friends, but they had a long running mock feud.  It made for some great lines.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Sunday Jumble (Failure) – 08/28/16

Visual Description:  How our guys work. (With canine inspiration?)

CIYIOD  =  IDIOCY,  MBENUR  =  NUMBER,  MICONE  =  INCOME,  NARPIS  =  SPRAIN,  SSALPH  =  SPLASH,  NLUUGP  =  UNPLUG   —   Giving us:  DONUOMPAISPHNG

Clue/Question:  To make a Jumble play on words understandable, the creators need – – –

Pre-Answer:  Two Words  (4-letters)  “(10-letters)”

Answer:  PUNS  something with DOG, or DOGS something with PUN?  —   Aah!  GOOD “PUNMANSHIP”!!!  Many thanks to Sue Law (first) and to all the other responders.  Although, Sue DID jump the gun a bit.  I generally don’t like people sending in unsolicited “answers”, but she lucked out that I had already thrown in the towel on this one! (She replied to Saturday’s as I was constructing today’s.)   —   YUR

(And, I have no idea what the answer is, folks!  The clue words are all old favorites, but four of the jumbles are coming up as new.  We’ve seen both “narpis” and “ssalph” in the past.  I was able to get all the clue words instantly, but the answer just isn’t coming to me.  The answer letter layout isn’t giving me anything.  I’m just figuring from the wording of the Clue/Question – “play on words” – that PUN, or PUNS, has to be part of it.  And, from the great cartoon, that DOG, or DOGS, has to be somehow part of it.  I’m just unable to put it all together at this point.  I’m sure the word “understandable” in the Clue/Question is probably a key as well, but I’m not there yet.  Are many of you struggling with this, or is it just me???  Feel free to blurt out the answer, if you know it.  I don’t have time to work on this.  Be well and do good friends.)   —  YUR

PS.  The pink-nosed golden reminds me of my Ginger!   —   YUR

Cryptoquote Spoiler – 08/27/16

“It will never rain roses:  when we want to have more roses we must plant more trees.”   —   George Eliot

(I think she really meant bushes, because roses don’t grow on trees, but I get it.  Let’s plant more trees anyways!  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Jumble Spoiler – 08/27/16

Visual Description:  The baseball rarity.

LEFTE  =  FLEET,  LUVAT  =  VAULT,  SOFAIC  =  FIASCO,  THYPRO  =  TROPHY   —   Giving us:  FLEULTFAOTRO

Clue/Question:  To make the triple play, the defense needed an – – –

Answer:  ALL–OUT EFFORT

(Beautiful!  I love it!  You don’t see triple plays every day!  There were no new clue words today, but three of the jumbles came up as new.  We’ve seen “luvat” before.  Both “fiasco” and “trophy” took me a few seconds to get.  The answer letter layout was a marvelous jumble.  It did a great job of hiding the answer!  The cartoon is a bit of a jumble, with the three defenders at first, but sure, it can happen.  Probably the pitcher, and first and second basemen.  I really like the dejected guy at second, and the guy who desperately tried to get to first by sliding head first.  An overall great jumble.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

PS.  These guys were famous for turning double plays, back in the day, but I thought I’d send our guys a little Cubs love, for giving us such a great baseball jumble.   —   YUR