Cryptoquote Spoiler – 01/05/19

“Appreciation is the highest form of prayer, for it acknowledges the presence of good wherever you shine the light of your thankful thoughts.”   —   Alan Cohen

(Phew!  That was a long one!  Fairly tough too.  I’m guessing that this quote is from the self-help guru, and not the former owner of the Florida Panthers!  This appears to be the first quote from Mr. Cohen, so we welcome him to the Cryptoquote Club!  It looks like our “puzzle friends” are on a gratitude kick, which is a good and positive thing.  Be well, be appreciative and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Image courtesy of Google

Jumble Spoiler – 01/05/19

Visual Description:  Duh, duh, duhhh!  Caught red handed!

EGTUS  =  GUEST,  MNOWA  =  WOMAN,  TINKET  =  KITTEN,  SLOPIH  =  POLISH   —   Giving us:  UETWMNKENPOIS

Clue/Question:  His attempt to give up cigarettes – – –

Answer:  WENT UP IN SMOKE

(The stinkiest kind of pun known to man!  One involving the smoking of tobacco.  Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances there is.  Of course, like with so many other addictive substances you also have to have an “addictive personality”.  But, to a certain extent, I think everyone could be addicted to something, which is why I do some things in moderation, and avoid certain other things altogether.  Partly because of the era in which I was raised, and partly because both my parents, and grandmother, and aunt all smoked, I picked up the “habit” a few times in my younger years.  For the first 13 years of my life there were cigarette commercials on TV and radio, before they were banned.  They either had great jingles and/or slogans, and/or the commercials romanticized the action of smoking.  Cool people smoked.  Confident people smoked.  Sophisticated people smoked.  Or, so they led us to believe.  Fortunately for me, I never enjoyed smoking.  I just did it to be “cool”, and sometimes just to kind of mock my smoking friends.  I did inhale, because that really was the point of smoking, but I never smoked really regularly, and never for a long period of time.  So, combine the fact that I never enjoyed the taste, or feeling, of smoking, along with not having an “addictive personality”, and it was simple for me to stop.  Unfortunately, that is not the case for most people who “pick up the habit”.  If I ever do develop any tobacco smoke related illness it will probably be more due to all the second hand smoke I have been exposed to throughout my life, than my actual flirtations with personally smoking.

Hey, guess what?!  We actually have a new clue word today, and you’ll probably be as surprised as me to hear which one.  The newest word to soon be added to the world famous, ralis95, clue word database is . . . “woman”!  How the heck did it take so long for all the Jumble guys – past and present – to use “woman” as a clue word?  The plural form of the word is on the database, but somehow the singular form had escaped Jumble usage . . . until today.  Three of the jumbles came up as new, with “tinket” having definitely been used before.  I really liked the jumble “egtus”.  It had me going for a few seconds.  The answer letter layout was an impressive 13-letter jumble.  Nothing obvious about it.  It was the leading nature of the clue/question, and the answer word layout, that made the answer pretty obvious to me.

The cartoon is great.  The woman looks sufficiently angry and disappointed.  And, the poor addict looks so guilty, and embarrassed.  Looks like he might need some professional help, in order to kick the habit.  Best of luck to him, and everyone else in his shoes.  Don’t smoke, people.  And, if you do, please try to quit!  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Images courtesy of Google