Cryptoquote Solved – 11/26/22

“Animals are such agreeable friends – they ask no questions; they pass no criticisms.”   —   George Eliot

(Thank you, Ms. Evans!  This is so true.  All our pets ask of us is to love them.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Image courtesy of Google

Jumble Solved – 11/26/22

Visual Description:  Jeff’s mentor.

CRKUT  =  TRUCK,  KLASF  =  FLASK,  LOCLSR  =  SCROLL,  NJRIUO  =  JUNIOR   —   Giving us:  TUKFSKSCOJIR

Clue/Question:  Charles Schulz drew Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown – – –

Answer:  JUST FOR KICKS

(Happy hereafter birthday to America’s most iconic cartoonist!  It didn’t dawn on me – initially – that it was his birthday, until I did the Celebrity Cipher.  I always do the Jumble first.  More often than not they go with a celebrity – living or not – whose birthday it is.  For guys like Jeff I’m sure that it’s practically a sacred day of observance!  Even though he died more than 22 years ago, you can still see the comic strip “Peanuts” in a number of newspapers.  And you can still find the television holiday specials somewhere on TV.  Ironically, today’s Celebrity Cipher speaks of learning to not discuss religion – among other things – yet a major scene in “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is heavy with religion.  Maybe he learned that lesson later in life?

We have all classic Jumble clue words today, with all new jumbles!  The only one I had to look at twice was “loclsr”, but I saw “scroll” quickly enough.  The answer letter layout was another terrific twelve letter jumble.  Beautifully cryptic, but for me the “J” kinda gave it away.

In today’s cartoon, Mr. Schulz speaks of Charlie Brown’s optimism, but I see it even more as Lucy being the tiger who can’t change her stripes.  Maybe even to the extent of The Scorpion and the Frog.  Yep, I think Lucy would pull away that football even if it killed her!  All in all, I think that Jeff chose the perfect hero to emulate.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Images courtesy of Google

PS.  Apologies for missing the bigger picture, folks!  Thanks to my newspaper NOT being physically delivered on Saturday anymore, I did not even see that this is the 100th anniversary of Charles M. Schulz’s birth!  I go straight to the three puzzles – that I’m forced to print out – and then close down the window, because if I leave it up for long it slows down the computer terribly.  I just came back to read the Funnies, and saw the multitude of tributes to the great man.  My paper carries 17 comic strips and panels, and of them 14 paid tribute to Mr. Schulz.  15 of 18 if you include the Jumble!  Great going, guys!   —   YUR