Cryptoquote Spoiler – 04/30/20

“Tell me and I forget.  Teach me and I remember.  Involve me and I learn.”   —   Benjamin Franklin

(A very astute quote from one of our more endearing founding fathers.  I wish that today’s corporate employers would take this quote to heart.  A little something called “on the job training”, and “hands on experience” used to be much more prevalent.  When I began my banking career, back in 1980, I had absolutely zero background in either finance or accounting.  But, they saw that I was a college graduate, and that I could easily learn what I needed to know.  Through mentoring, and experience gained while on the job, I went from being a two week temp to a low-to-mid level manager, in a career that served me well for 24 years, until the downsizing, as a result of my division being sold off.  Small businesses still get it.  But, the corporate guys are more interested in hiring only kids who are specialized in the areas of study that apply to their positions.  I think that’s a shame.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Image courtesy of Google

Jumble Spoiler – 04/30/20

Visual Description:  When Gere was really in gear.

HMTIG  =  MIGHT,  NRIYO  =  IRONY,  SALHPS  =  SPLASH,  DAREDM  =  MADDER   —   Giving us:  MIHONYSPLAADDE

Clue/Question:  When Richard Ger starred in the movie “Pretty Woman”, he was – – –

Answer:  PAID HANDSOMELY

(The wimens is gonna hate me if I calls dis a stinky pun!  I always thought Ricky Gere was kindova shorter, pretty-boy version of Clint Eastwood.  They both have those squinty, beady eyes.  I’m sure the ladies – in the case of Gere at least – would argue that they’re smiling/bedroom eyes.  But, I can’t really say anything bad about a guy who grew up about an hour down I-90 from me.  Apparently, he was born in Philly, but raised in Syracuse, NY.  We were practically neighbors!  LOL!  But, he woulda been one of the big kids, considering he’s eight years older than me.

All of today’s clue words are familiar old friends.  Although, all of today’s jumbles are all newbies!  The kids today would just call them “noobs”.  None of them tripped me up any.  The answer letter layout was a very impressive fourteen letter jumble!  It hid the final answer very well.  My first impulse was that the first word might be MADE.  But, IHONYSPLAD left me scratching my head.  It did help see PAID though, and then I got the pun.

Even though the clue/question clearly states “Pretty Woman”, I was getting more of an “Internal Affairs” vibe.  The woman talking to the other guy looks, to me, more like Nancy Travis than Julia Roberts.  The guy looks a little like Howard Cosell!  LOL!    But, I guess that could be Larry Miller.  Fun Jumble.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Images courtesy of Google

Cryptoquote Spoiler – 04/29/20

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

(Someone should have read this quote to Michael Dukakis before he posed on that tank!  Adlai wouldn’t have made that mistake.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Image courtesy of Google

Jumble Spoiler – 04/29/20

 

Visual Description:  Location, location, location.

SEERU  =  REUSE,  DAAPN  =  PANDA,  HAWTTR  =  THWART,  HOTSEO  =  SOOTHE   —   Giving us:  REENDTRTE

Clue/Question:  The house was available to lease, but the highway next to it was a – – –

Answer:  “DETER–RENT“

(Stinky pun!  Smells like diesel fumes.  Ugh!  Definitely NOT a bargain.  Besides the noise, I’m sure there would be some pretty serious vibration issues.  You probably couldn’t pay me to live there.

All familiar old clue words today.  Three of the jumbles are coming up as new, but we’ve definitely seen “daapn” sometime before.  The answer letter layout was a fine nine letter jumble.  I knew the second half of the word had to be RENT, but I had to write out the EDRTE in order to see DETER. 

Great cartoon of a house below a highway overpass.  I’m guessing the house was there first.  I can’t see anyone building in that kind of location.  Good Jumble.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Image courtesy of Google

Cryptoquote Spoiler – 04/28/20

“Our music’s kind of about taking something ugly and making it beautiful.”   —   Jerry Cantrell

(Wow!  A quote from the founder and lead guitarist of Alice In Chains!  I guess Rebecca has a bit of a wild side.  They were a big band during the Grunge years.  They’re good, but just a little too dark for my tastes.  Lots of people also rave that Pink Floyd is one of the greatest bands of all time, but they also leave me cold.  I’m not a fan of downer, depressive music, no matter how technically proficient they are.  I need music that stirs my soul.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Image courtesy of Google

Jumble Spoiler – 04/28/20

 

Visual Description:  Mon Dieu!

XDEEU  =  EXUDE,  KIRHE  =  HIKER,  GJEGOR  =  JOGGER,  PAULRB  =  BURLAP   —   Giving us:  DEHEOGRLA

Clue/Question:  When Jeanne Calment turned 122 in 1997, 121 was – – –

Answer:  HER OLD AGE

(Sacré bleu!  C’est incroyable!  122 years, 164 days is gonzo wacko.  I don’t think I’d even want to live that long.  Outliving your siblings, spouse, children, and grandchildren doesn’t sound like much of a life to me.  They always say that women generally live longer than men.  I guess that’s true, because the oldest recorded man was a mere 116 year, 54 days.  Japanese fellow, named Jiroemon Kimura.  All things being equal, I think I’d prefer a life in the South of France, eating French bread, great cheese, and drinking red wine, as opposed to anywhere in Japan, eating sushi, rice, and drinking saké.  But, that’s just my American/Eurocentric upbringing.  I am a fan of Japanese Hibachi restaurants though.  But, saké never thrilled me.  Much too bland for my tastes.  Maybe, I just don’t have a sophisticated palate.

No new clue words today.  Three of the jumbles appear to be new.  We’ve definitely seen “kirhe” before.  The only one that I hesitated on was “paulrb”.  It’s a long time since I’ve seen a burlap bag.  They must still make them.  The answer letter layout was a fine nine letter jumble.  I thought it disguised the final answer rather nicely.

Awesome cartoon!  The likeness of old Jeanne is remarkable.  I like the other old gent wearing the beret.  A little cliché, but cute.  Not sure what got the guys thinking about her.  It’s not her birth day, or death anniversary.  Hey!  She avoided the “Spanish Flu”!  The vast majority of us will either avoid, or survive, this Covid19 pandemic too.  So, maybe we should all keep Jeanne in mind.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Images courtesy of Google

Cryptoquote Spoiler – 04/27/20

“There is always a way to be honest without being brutal.”   —   Arthur Dobrin

(Very true.  Too many people are brutally honest.  Some people think that life is too short to have to mince their words.  But, I think that life is too short to needlessly hurt people’s feelings.  If it takes an extra five to ten seconds to come up with more diplomatic words then I say:  please . . . take the time.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Image courtesy of Google

Jumble Spoiler – 04/27/20

Visual Description:  Misguided diner.

RUBOR  =  BURRO,  DEUNG  =  NUDGE,  OLIWLW  =  WILLOW,  LGENIJ  =  JINGLE   —   Giving us:  BONDEWLOJLE

Clue/Question:  His steak had been cooked thoroughly, which he considered a – – –

Answer:  JOB WELL DONE

(Hard to call this a stinky pun, because even a burnt steak is going to smell good!  I’m with the guys at the other table.  Steak, especially a good steak, should not need a steak sauce.  When you cook them well-done they’re much drier, and so much of the flavor gets cooked out.  I much prefer the unadulterated flavor of a juicy steak.  I know most people kind of inherit their steak preferences, but I also know that some cultural misconceptions come into play.  I know that the majority of Filipinos like their steaks well-done, but a good part of that is because cows are not indigenous to the Philippines.  But, pigs and chickens are!  Pork really has to be thoroughly cooked, or you can get trichinosis!  That can make you very sick.  And, of course under-cooked chicken can give you salmonella.  They just kind of employed their pork – and chicken – mentality to beef, which is understandable, but sad too.  I’m glad to be from a rare family!  If I’m splitting one with Carol, I will go medium-rare.  Yes.  I have gotten her to evolve!

No new clue words today.  Three of the jumbles appear to be new.  We’ve definitely seen “rubor” before.  I almost had to back into “nudge”.  I skipped over “deung”, thinking it might be dunge, which does come up as a valid Scrabble word, but I don’t think it’s a common word.  I’m not sure that I would’ve gotten the final answer without the NDE, so I’m glad that something gave me a nudge!  A fine eleven letter jumble for the answer letter layout.  Not obvious.

A fine dining cartoon!  Well, even a steak and chop house can be considered fine dining.  The main guy’s hair is a little dark, but I’m getting a Warren Buffett vibe.  Hey, great steaks do come from Omaha!  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Images courtesy of Google and Prime 13

 

Sunday Cryptoquote Spoiler – 04/26/20

“History is little more than the register of the crimes, follies, and misfortunes of mankind.”   —   Edward Gibbon

(True.  But also, history is probably the most subjective of the academic disciplines.  As they say:  History is written by the victors.  They usually downplay their own foibles, while magnifying their accomplishments.  In order to make your side more virtuous you need to demonize the other side.  “Facts” aren’t always what they appear to be.  It definitely makes me wonder why it’s always been my favorite subject!  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Image courtesy of Google

Sunday Jumble Spoiler – 04/26/20

Visual Description:  Factory incentive.

DEHNIR  =  HINDER,  VLIWES  =  SWIVEL,  RAIMED  =  ADMIRE,  TRUPYI  =  PURITY,  XUDSOE  =  EXODUS,  GAUTOE  =  OUTAGE   —   Giving us:  HIIVAMIPTEDSTA

Clue/Question:  She wanted to give her employees their bonus checks in person, so she – – –

Pre-Answer:  Four Words  (4-letters) (4-letters) (1-letter) (5-letters)

Answer:  PAID THEM A VISIT

(Ooh!  A nasty stinky pun.  Although, in these times of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of our factory workers deserve bonuses.  Especially, those who are producing Personal Protection Equipment, euphemistically referred to as PPE.  Will this new acronym join the English lexicon,  just like WMD did during the lead-up to the invasion – and early occupation – of Iraq???  Despite some states opening things up – or, maybe because of their doing so –  sooner than most medical experts would like, this isn’t going away as soon as we all would like.  If anything positive is to come of this current crisis, I hope that this will convince our corporate leaders of the value of MADE IN AMERICA!

Hopefully, Hoyt has learned his lesson, and is refraining from giving us new clue words on Sundays.  Zero today.  Four of the six jumbles do appear to be new.  I can only verify that we’ve seen “trupyi” and “gautoe” in the past.  The answer letter layout was a masterful fourteen letter jumble!  It had me swinging and missing for quite a while.  All the I’s  and the V kind of threw me.  I was also looking for an additional A, E and/or S.  I finally broke down and isolated the consonants from the vowels, but even after that it took me some time.  But, on the days that I usually struggle most of you think that the answer was obvious!  Could that be the case today?

Nice factory cartoon.  I like the conveyor rollers.  When I was a kid, a lot of the supermarkets used them to get your paper-bagged groceries from the checkout counters to the outside front of the store, so you could drive up, and have some teenager – usually – put them into your trunk!  Aah, the good old days of a service economy!  Also, so nice to see Nancy Giles – one of my favorites – running a company!  Stay safe and stay sane, people.  As always, be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Images courtesy of Google and ABC News