Cryptoquote Spoiler – 05/18/21

“Doctors say hay fever can be positive or negative.  Sometimes the eyes have it, and sometimes the nose.”   —   Anonymous

(Very cute quote!  But in my newspaper the cryptogram was broken up, so that the third line started with a T, and the fourth line with FGST.  So, initially, I thought that the T was either the A, or the I.  This slowed down the entire process for quite a while.  I suspected the S was the E, but I couldn’t really act on that until I figured out SOMETIME

S . . . and SOMET

IMES.  Also FEVER is surely NOT as common as NEVER, you rarely see the word HAY, and even EYES is not the first word that comes to mind from that short cryptogram.  And, it seems like forever since we’ve had an ANONYMOUS author, so I didn’t pick up on that for a long time either.  But solve it I did!  Was it messed up in other newspapers?  Or, was I the only lucky one?  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Image courtesy of Google

Happy birthday, Page Hamilton of Helmet!

Jumble Spoiler – 05/18/21

Visual Description:  Of all the unmitigated gull!

ETLFE  =  FLEET,  BTAEA  =  ABATE,  DPTUAE  =  UPDATE,  SPIRCT  =  SCRIPT   —   Giving us:  FLAAEUDASCP

Clue/Question:  Birds invaded their cookout and – – –

Answer:  CAUSED A FLAP

(“A” flap???  More like a multitude of flaps, from a multitude of gulls.  But that would definitely make for a much more difficult Jumble pun, now wouldn’t it?!  Saying that seagulls are persistent is a gross understatement.  When it comes to getting food – no matter who might be holding it – they are extremely aggressive, to the point of being both obnoxious, and fairly vicious.  Ms. du Maurier was no doubt traumatized in a similar fashion, which inspired her to write “The Birds”.  

No new clue words today.  Three of the jumbles did come up as new, but we have definitely seen “spirct” sometime in the past.  None of them tripped me up.  The answer letter layout was an elevated eleven letter jumble.  I think it would have been a little better if “abate” had come before “fleet”, because as it stands you see FLA right away.  And, you see the P at the end.  FLAP came to mind right away.

Great cartoon of a family under attack at a beach picnic.  Wave that hat, as much as you like, bub!  It’s not going to deter these hungry birds.  In this case this family will get no satisfaction.  Love the classic sinking sailboat on the horizon, in the upper left hand corner!  I hope they didn’t shoot an albatross!  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Images courtesy of Google

Happy birthday to Mark Mothersbaugh, of Devo!