Jumble Spoiler – 04/29/17

Visual Description:  Clever copper.

NUJTO  =  JOINT,  CCINY  =  CYNIC,  CURPSE  =  SPRUCE,  TUREMT  =  MUTTER   —   Giving us:  JOICICSPEUTTE

Clue/Question:  The rhyming sheriff specialized in – – – 

Answer:  POETIC JUSTICE

(A very nice, and long answer!  No new clue words today, but three new jumbles.  We’ve seen “curpse” before.  The answer letter layout was definitely nifty!  A cryptic jumbo jumble!  The cartoon has a semi “Smokey and The Bear” feel to it.  Maybe “The Dukes of Hazard”.  Don’t sass the sheriff!  Nowadays, you just might get shot!  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Cryptoquote Spoiler – 04/29/17

“Solitude either develops the mental power or renders (wo)men dull and vicious.”   —   Victor Hugo

(I think it can easily do both.  And unfortunately, I have recent first hand knowledge of the second part.  Get out and see people.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Jumble Spoiler – 04/28/17

Visual Description:  Cardio care.

TEHET  =  TEETH,  SOKKI  =  KIOSK,  VHIRET  =  THRIVE,  TOTOPA  =  POTATO   —   Giving us:  TETKIOTHROATO

Clue/Question:  The patient was told to lower his blood pressure, and he – – – 

Answer:  TOOK IT TO HEART

(My Cardiologist is always pushing this weight loss plan/scheme that his wife sells!  My numbers and weight may not be ideal, but I’m actually in pretty good shape.  Other than that, he’s a pretty decent sort.  Not mega-arrogant, like so many physicians.  Just a little arrogant.  LOL!  What?  Clue words, and such?  All right.  Keep your shirt on.

THERE WERE NO NEW CLUE WORDS TODAY.  THREE OF THE JUMBLES WERE NEW, WITH ONLY “SOKKI” HAVING BEEN USED PREVIOUSLY.  THE ANSWER LETTER LAYOUT WAS JUST PEACHY KEEN.  A WELL THOUGHT OUT JUMBLE.  THE CARTOON WAS DOC STOCK.

Happy now?  Soave.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Cryptoquote Spoiler – 04/28/17

“A rumor will travel fastest to the place where it will cause the greatest harm.”   —   Gustavo Agrait

(One great thing about the Cryptoquote is that it frequently introduces you to new people.  New people is probably not the most appropriate appellation for a man who is either 112, or 113, years old!  You’d think that a published author, of this rare longevity, would garner his own Wikipedia listing.  But, no!  Maybe, he has outlived all his children and grandchildren!  Surely there is a great grandchild, or great grand nephew/niece, out there who could post some kind of a biography for the man.  Even a fan.  Born in 1904, and still kickin’!  That alone should count for something.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Jumble Spoiler – 04/27/17

Visual Description:  Benedictines . . . monk-eying a round.

TALOG  =  GLOAT,  MEPLI  =  IMPEL,  DUNEDS  =  SUDDEN,  RUBSAD  =  ABSURD   —   Giving us:  OTELNAB

Clue/Question:  When they figured out how to write down music, it was – – – 

Answer:  NOTABLE

(A very literate stinky pun.  I like it!  There were no new clue words today.  However three of the jumbles came up as new.  We have definitely seen “talog” before.  The answer letter layout probably would have been a little more challenging had “gloat” and “impel” been switched.  As it was, the OTE made it just that much easier for me to see the answer.  Another fun period cartoon.  I thought the poplar trees in the background were a nice touch.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Cryptoquote Spoiler – 04/27/17

“The path to my fixed purpose is laid with iron rails, whereon my soul is grooved to run.”   —   Herman Melville

(Our very first Melville quote!  At least since I’ve been posting these spoilers.  And, it certainly was no gimme.  I suspected the essential T and E – and lesser O – right away, but I couldn’t commit to them, and go forward, until I looked at the author cipher.  I generally don’t like to do this, but nothing was jumping off the page for me.  I even had to write out the heretofore unused consonants BCFGJKQXZ before I could solve FIXED and GROOVED.  Truth be told, I whiffed on GROOVED and went with BROOKED, because it just seemed more 19th Century to me.  IF this partial quote had been put into the context of the full quote – even just the two preceding words – I probably would have come up with GROOVED on my own.  The remainder of the quote would have helped greatly in getting the F and G, although it would have made for a very lengthy quote.  The Cryptoquote people probably gave us this partial quote – and omitted the first two word sentence – on purpose, to make it more challenging.  It worked!  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

“Swerve me? The path to my fixed purpose is laid with iron rails, whereon my soul is grooved to run. Over unsounded gorges, through the rifled hearts of mountains, under torrents’ beds, unerringly I rush! Naught’s an obstacle, naught’s an angle to the iron way!”

Jumble Spoiler – 04/26/17

Visual Description:  A bad day of fishing beats a good day of work.

SNIYH  =  SHINY,  CCOLK  =  CLOCK,  AMTENG  =  MAGNET,  ARQUES  =  SQUARE   —   Giving us:  SHYCOCMATSARE

Clue/Question:  The fishermen wanted to reel in some fish, but they were only able to – – – 

Answer:  CATCH SOME RAYS

(A more modern idiom, and a little more subtle cartoon today.  There were no new clue words, but all of the jumbles are coming up as new today.  The answer letter layout made for a phenomenal jumble!  There was nothing obvious about it.  Fun cartoon.  The guy not even trying to fish was the big giveaway.  He of the no shirt, asking for the sunscreen!  Very amusing.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR 

Cryptoquote Spoiler – 04/26/17

“In a world of peace and love, music would be the universal language.”   —   Henry David Thoreau

(It kind of is anyway.  Hopefully, that means there is more peace and love in this world than most of us might think.  Let’s strive to make it so.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Jumble Spoiler – 04/25/17

Visual Description:  Friendly formula for feasting.

PLOEE  =  ELOPE,  CIRKB  =  BRICK,  TARREH  =  RATHER,  DUPIMO  =  PODIUM   —   Giving us:  LPEBICRATEODI

Clue/Question:  The chemists ate lunch every day at the  – – – 

Answer:  PERIODIC TABLE

(That’s a good, stinky pun.  Like Ammonium sulfide!  No new clue words today, but three new jumbles.  Hoyt has used “tarreh” before.  The answer letter layout was pretty awesome.  Too bad the cartoon gave away the answer, with the PERIODIC TABLE hanging right there on the wall.  I don’t think that *bonus clue* was necessary.  The clue/question and the cartoon’s convo was enough to solve it.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Cryptoquote Spoiler – 04/25/17

“The more unintelligent a man is, the less mysterious existence seems to him.”   —   Arthur Schopenhauer

(Yoda-speak makes my brain hurt!  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR