Cryptoquote Solved – 11/09/22

“Once the travel bug bites there is no known antidote, and I know that I shall be happily infected until the end of my life.”   —   Michael Palin

(I guess his travel documentaries play primarily in England.  But he’ll always be remembered for all his great work with Monty Python’s Flying Circus!  A great comedic talent.  This would appear to be the first of his quotes to be used for a Cryptoquote, so we welcome Michael to the Cryptoquote Club today!  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Image courtesy of Google

Jumble Solved – 11/09/22

Visual Description:  The speaking trees.

ZAGEL  =  GLAZE,  PAHYP  =  HAPPY,  NRHEDC  =  DRENCH,  LMYEDO  =  MELODY   —   Giving us:  LAEAPPDRNMOD

Clue/Question:  The fast-growing trees were back by – – –

Answer:  “POPLAR“ DEMAND

(Loosely speaking aspens are in the poplar family, but strictly speaking they’re not one and the same.  Aspens, balsam poplars and cottonwoods are all in the genus Populus.  You might call them sister trees, as the Populus genus is part of the Salicaceae family.  But there’s no sense in splitting hairs here, as no one really likes a smarty pants anyway!  But the aspen tree is pretty synonymous with the state of Colorado . . . even though their official state tree is the blue spruce.  The medium now says that Cliff Claven has left the building!

Hoyt won’t admit it, but I think he he has ceased searching for new clue words to give us.  So, of course all of today’s clue words are on the ralis95 clue word database.  The two six-letter jumbles are coming up as new, but we’ve definitely seen both “zagel” and “pahyp” in past Jumbles.  They all kind of leapt off the page for me this morning.  I didn’t even need to write out the answer letter layout to solve the final answer!  But of course I did anyway, as it was a tremuloides twelve letter jumble!  The leading nature of the clue/question, and the quotation marks, AND realizing that aspen trees are popularly referred to as poplars, all led to the quick solve.  But without all those things, I thought it was a very cryptic jumble.

Nice cartoon of the lady looking to buy a few trees.  It has been a number of years since I’ve planted a tree, but two of the trees that I planted when my son was born tower over my house.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Images courtesy of Google