Cryptoquote Solved – 06/13/22

“At midnight, in the month of June, I stand beneath the mystic moon.“   —  Edgar Allan Poe

(This is his opening line from his poem:  “The Sleeper”.  Sounds like a good opening to me.  Poe is one of the few poets that I can – generally – understand.  And, I’m a big fan of my birth month.  He was also a literary critic!  Sad, lonely life though.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Image courtesy of Google

Jumble Solved – 06/13/22

Visual Description:  Hushed hagglers.

PTZOA  =  TOPAZ,  NIHYS  =  SHINY,  UISNFE  =  INFUSE,  CLOTEK  =  LOCKET   —   Giving us:  TOASININULCET

Clue/Question:  The mime had the winning bid at the – – –

Answer:  SILENT AUCTION

(Very cute.  And, very clever.  Having people known for their silence bidding to own Edvard Munch’s most famous painting, “The Scream”.  I guess Alanis Morissette would say “Isn’t It Ironic”.  The painting kind of sums up how I feel when talking to Trump supporters in the face of all the evidence that he’s been lying – all along – about the 2020 election being stolen, and that he fully instigated the January 6th, 2021 insurrection, to stop the certification of the 2020 Presidential election results.  Probably, the hardest thing for them is to own up to the fact that they were duped out of $250 Million, by a charlatan who refuses to abide by the Constitution, and the will of the people.  It’s tantamount to falling for one of those text, or telephone, scams about a loved one being hurt and in the hospital!  The embarrassment is petrifying, and it’s so much easier to just deny that it ever happened.  History is rife with Svengalis, who play on our basest dark fears, under the ploy of “security” and “patriotism”.  Eventually, their deceptions are brought to light.  As Justice Louis Brandeis once said:  “Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants”.  Which version of “Here Comes The Sun” do you prefer, The Beatles, Richie Havens, or a solo George Harrison?

All of today’s clue words are already on the ralis95 clue word database.  And, only one of today’s jumbles appear to be new, meaning we’ve definitely seen “ptzoa”, “nihys” and “clotek” in previous Jumbles.  None of them were all that tough.  The answer letter layout was a theatrical thirteen letter jumble.  I thought it was wonderfully cryptic, but the final answer DID pretty much scream itself to me.

Great cartoon of some silent performers.  Teller, of Penn & Teller fame, seems to be running the auction.  Tape Face, Puddles and a classic mime – a la Marcel Marceau – are all in attendance.  And, the auction is being held by Mummer’s House!  Would that then be in Philadelphia?  Hmm.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Images courtesy of Google

And now, a great “locket” song!