Cryptoquote Spoiler – 01/12/21

“Active natures are rarely melancholy; activity and sadness are incompatible.”   —   C. N. Bovee

(This one took some time getting started.  Once I settled on ARE RARELY the rest fell into place.  I don’t remember him, but apparently we’ve had a C. N. Bovee quote before.  Just as with the BLM protests, I wonder if this pandemic shutdown is partially responsible for the right-wing attack on the Capitol Building.  Folks who don’t have a job to go to have too much time on their hands!  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Image courtesy of Google

Jumble Spoiler – 01/12/21

Visual Description:  Boating and fishing billboard.

XTREE  =  EXERT,  MLYOD  =  MOLDY,  BLINEB  =  NIBBLE,  JNUIER  =  INJURE   —   Giving us:  ERMLNEIE

Clue/Question:  The fishing boat owner wanted more customers, so he put up a billboard to – – –

Answer:  REEL ‘EM IN

(Is this a fishy smelling pun, or what?  Of course it is.  Why did the guys float this upon us hook, line and stinker.  Just for the halibut!  After all, they know – net net – that they’re the only game in town.  Well, Jumble game that is.  It gives them a license to krill.  Oooh!  I’m really sorry for that last one folks.

As you might have guessed, there are no new clue words today.  Two of the jumbles appear to be new, but we’ve been exposed to both “xtree” and “blineb” sometime in the past.  No stumpers for me today.  The answer letter layout was another great eight letter jumble.  Not obvious.  It was the combination of the apostrophe and the answer letter slots, along with all the fishing talk going on, that made this like shooting fish in a barrel.

Fine big billboard cartoon, down the shore, near a pier.  There’s a seagull perched upon the billboard, and a trawler off in the distance.  Plus – almost imperceptibly – Jeff snuck in the classic sinking sailboat!  I always give him bonus points for that!  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

PS.  Stay away from any boat called the S.S. Minnow, folks!  Sadly, we lost our beloved Mary Ann Summers recently.  Yes, the lovely Dawn Wells passed on at the tender age of 82, from complications related to COVID-19.  Rest in peace, Dawn.   —   YUR

Images courtesy of Google