Halloween Crypt-O-Quote Spoiler – 10/31/20

“I’ll stop wearing black when they make a darker color.”   —   Wednesday Addams

(Not sure if Charles Addams actually penned this line, or if it was simply spoken by Christina Ricci in one of the “Addams Family” movies.  I don’t think she ever said anything that dark – or funny – in the old television series.  That old series was one of the highlights of my childhood.  John Astin and Carolyn Jones were the best!  Be well, be safe and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Image courtesy of Google

Halloween Jumble Spoiler – 10/31/20

Visual Description:  Family fright night.

RUBYL  =  BURLY,  PAATD  =  ADAPT,  SJYULT  =  JUSTLY,  MOONDI  =  DOMINO   —   Giving us:  BRLAPUTLIO

Clue/Question:  The horror movie set in the cemetery had a – – –

Answer:  BURIAL PLOT

(Ooh!  That’s a rancid stinker of a pun.  Smells like formaldehyde, fetid soil, and withering rotting flesh, with just a soupcon of dangling eyeball and musty mold-encrusted clothing.  You can almost hear the linguistic zombies moaning and groaning.  But, Jumble-pun lovers rejoicing!

All of today’s clue words have ralis95 headstones.  Two of the jumbles have freshly dug graves, but both “rubyl” and “paatd” have been entombed in the ground a long long time.  The answer letter layout was a terror-ific ten letter jumble.  Beautifully crypt-ic. 

Those crazy teens always think hanging out in a cemetery is so cool.  Until that first hand pops out of the ground, and grabs you around the ankle!  It’s pretty clear that Ben Better never got better.  But, at least now he’s un-dead!  Be well and do good, friends.  Have a safe and Happy Halloween!)   —   YUR

Images courtesy of Google, GraphicRiver and AtmosFX

Cryptoquote Spoiler – 10/30/20

“There is nothing that gives more assurance than a mask.”   —   Colette

(Very true.  I wouldn’t think of singing in the supermarket, before this pandemic.  But, now I often do!  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Image courtesy of Google

Jumble Spoiler – 10/30/20

Visual Description:  Irons in the fire.

LIGAE  =  AGILE,  RADHO  =  HOARD,  RRTEEF  =  FERRET,  CDTEKO  =  DOCKET   —   Giving us:  AGHADFREDOE

Clue/Question:  The artist initially struggled to learn how to create metal sculptures, but she – – –

Answer:  FORGED AHEAD

(Gotta love it!  A very artistic stinky pun to close out the work week.  Metal sculptures are not for the faint of heart.  You need to have an iron will, and nerves of steel.  And, you need to be able to take the heat, and not be afraid of getting burned.  Macrame is a lot safer!

All old reliable clue words today.  However, all of the jumbles appear to be new.  It took me a few looks to see “ferret”.  The other three I got right away.  The answer letter layout was an interesting eleven letter jumble.  I thought it was wonderfully cryptic.

Great cartoon of an artist’s studio.  Jeff always pay a lot of attention to detail.  The forge, the block, the anvil, the blacksmith’s rounding hammer, the blacksmith’s apron, goggles and heavy gloves.  Her hair is properly covered.  The lady is all set!  Great Jumble.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Images courtesy of Google

Cryptoquote Spoiler – 10/29/20

“Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.”   —   Ruth Bader Ginsburg

(Yeah.  Not by “executive order”!  Circumventing the legislative process is downright UN-American!  Our country fought to free ourselves from tyrants.  Why would anyone want a leader who sees himself as a king?  Get out and vote, folks!  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Image courtesy of Google

Jumble Spoiler – 10/29/20

Visual Description:  Forerunner of Yukon Cornelius?

SOKKI  =  KIOSK,  NYRNU  =  RUNNY,  YLEMEK  =  MEEKLY,  CCSUTA  =  CACTUS   —   Giving us:  KIORNNMEECAT

Clue/Question:  During the California gold rush, this land owner had a – – –

Answer:  ONE–TRACK “MINE“

(Another fairly tough solve!  But, there were lots of clues, I guess.  The quotation marks and the hyphen in the final answer slots, and the little tracks – to nowhere – in the cartoon.  I usually think of those kind of tracks going into a mine that’s already been started.  But, I guess our guy does things a little differently.

I’m coming up with two new clue words today, in “runny” and “meekly”.  I was very surprised  to not see “runny” on the ralis95 clue word database.  “Meekly” sounds a little familiar too.  Three of the jumbles came up as new, but we’ve definitely seen “sokki” before.  The answer letter layout was a terrific twelve letter jumble.  I thought it was nicely cryptic.

I think it’s a fun cartoon.  Just a little on the goofy side.  Speaking of holiday cartoons . . . well, I kinda started with a reference to one . . . have you guys seen the uproar over Apple TV buying up the rights to all the Peanuts holiday specials?  People are pissed!  These shows have been on network television forever, and now Apple wants to charge us to watch them.  The world is going to Hell in a hand basket!  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Images courtesy of Google

(Belated) Cryptoquote Spoiler – 10/28/20

“They give you a round bat, and they throw you a round ball, and then they tell you to hit it square.”   —   Willie Stargell

(For whatever reason, I pulled out my Pittsburgh Steelers sweatshirt this morning, that my Dad had given me for Christmas, nearly 29 years ago.  I rarely wear it, because I’m primarily a Bills fan, and I just don’t look all that good in black and gold.  So, now I’m wearing it, walking the Wally, and I stop and think.  Hmm.  Did I post the Cryptoquote Spoiler yesterday???  Oh, crap!  I didn’t!  And, I was all set to pour out praise on one of my all-time favorite baseball players. 

“Pops” Stargell was awesome!  He played for 21 years, all for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  He was a 7 time All-Star, won two World Series, a .282 lifetime batting average, with 475 Home runs, and 1540 RBI.  A first ballot Hall of Famer in 1988, he hit some of the longest home runs in baseball history.  He likely would’ve had a lot more home runs too, but his earlier years were played at the old Forbes Field, where center field was a whopping 457 ft.!  Dodger Stadium’s is a mere 395 ft.  Besides being a stud of a ball player, he was also one of the classiest and friendliest guys to ever play the game.  It was so great to see a quote from one of my heroes!  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Image courtesy of Google

Jumble Spoiler – 10/28/20

Visual Description:  Photo opp?

RMEAF  =  FRAME,  KRAFN  =  FRANK,  TFUIOT  =  OUTFIT,  GEEEMR  =  EMERGE   —   Giving us:  FRAFNKOITERGE

Clue/Question:  The no-cost family photo coupons were – – –

Answer:  FREE FOR THE TAKING

(Ooh!  A sneaky good, stinky pun!  And, one that I didn’t see right off the bat.  At first, I thought that the three letter word was going to be OFF!  But, I wasn’t feeling it with RANKITERGE.  But then, something about no-cost clicked in my pea brain, and I was FREE to develop the final answer!

Apparently, we have a new clue word today, in “frank”.  It seems to me we’ve had it before, but it’s not on my latest version of the ralis95 world famous clue word database.  I’m sure after today it will be.  All of the jumbles came up as new, for me.   The answer letter layout was an ingenious thirteen letter jumble.  Nice job, David L.!

Great sidewalk, storefront scene cartoon of a photography studio.  The mom is being very non-committal.  I think the only professional posing photo I’ve been part of  was my high school Senior yearbook photo.  We did have photos taken of the kids when they were young, but that was a long time ago.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Images courtesy of Google

Cryptoquote Spoiler – 10/27/20

“When a woman tells the truth she is creating the possibility for more truth around her.”   —   Adrienne Rich

(I understand that she was a feminist – and a poet – but shouldn’t this really apply to women and men?  Was this her way of balancing the scales, considering so many quotes come from men, and start out “When a man . . .”?  Regardless, we welcome Ms. Adrienne Rich to the Cryptoquote Club today!  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Image courtesy of Google

Jumble Spoiler – 10/27/20

Visual Description:  A rasslin’ affair.

RETWH  =  THREW,  ALGEE  =  EAGLE,  LAHNIE  =  INHALE,  VINDIE  =  DIVINE   —   Giving us:  THEEAENLDVN

Clue/Question:  To see who was the best arm wrestler, they – – –

Answer:  HELD AN EVENT

(Could they hold such an event, in our current state of the COVID pandemic?  I suppose they could pull it off, assuming they wear both surgical type masks, and some kind of latex gloves.  But, the masks would hide most of the entertaining grimaces.  That’s a big part of the fun!

There were no new clue words today.  They were all old standards.  Two of the jumbles appear to be new, but we’ve definitely seen both “algee” and “vindie” in the past.  The answer letter layout was a fairly challenging eleven letter jumble.  After a couple of looks I spied the word HELD.  Then the rest fell into place.

Fun arm wrestling cartoon.  I’ve seen women arm wrestlers before, but not inter-gender matches.  Except there was that commercial where this mom is taking on all these burly guys, and beating their butts.  I can’t remember what it was selling though.  Anyone out there remember???  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Images courtesy of Google