(Belated) Cryptoquote Solve – 12/17/22

“The proper response, as Hanukkah teaches, is not to curse the darkness but to light a candle.”   —   Irving Greenberg

(What if there’s not a match, or a lighter?  What are ya gonna do then, smart guy?!?!  Just kidding.  Whenever you can shed some light on a situation it’s better than grumbling.  Be well and do good, friends.  Happy Chanukah, folks!)   —   YUR

Image courtesy of Google

(Belated) Jumble Solved – 12/17/22

Visual Description:  The luck of the draw . . . essentially.

TOHTO  =  TOOTH,  FWTIS  =  SWIFT,  NANULA  =  ANNUAL,  SYAPBS  =  BYPASS   —   Giving us:  TOTSWIAUAPSS

Clue/Question:  Would the coin flip result in heads or tails?

Answer:  IT WAS A TOSS–UP

(A seasonally appropriate Jumble pun!  I haven’t looked up the etymology of the phrase, but to me it sounds like it likely came from the coin toss.  Since I’m playing from behind, I’ll allow someone more ambitious to look this up!

All very familiar Jumble clue words this day.  Three of the jumbles appear to be new, but we’ve definitely seen “tohto” some time in the past.  The answer letter layout made for a twisty twelve letter jumble.  I thought it was nicely cryptic.  I think the layout of the final answer slots was the big clue.

Great cartoon of the coin toss before the game!  I think, when I was a kid, they did a coin toss before each half.  But it was determined to be not all that fair for one of the teams, so they just made it so whatever the first team – who won the toss – decided:  kick off, or receive, the other team would get that to start the second half.  A lot of teams opt to kick off first, so they can receive to open the second half.  There’s also a coin flip if the game should go to overtime.  It doesn’t always make a difference, but that’s the game.  With my computer print out of the Jumble the coin looks like a duck, or something!  But it looks like there is a blimp flying over #99.  Fun Jumble.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Images courtesy of Google

Sunday Jumble Solved – 12/18/22

Visual Description:  Star light, star bright!

ILCATI  =  ITALIC,  RETMIH  =  HERMIT,  GWLIEG  =  WIGGLE,  TCESHK  =  SKETCH,  SCWEHA  =  CASHEW,  SSAUHQ  =  SQUASH   —   Giving us:  IIHETIGGSTHSHSSH

Clue/Question:  When Isaac Newton built a reflecting telescope in 1668, he – – –

Pre-Answer:  Four Words  (3-letters)  (3-letters)  (6-letters)  (4-letters)

Answer:  SET HIS SIGHTS HIGH

(What an enlightened approach!  Ol’ Figgie really had quite a head on his shoulders.  They say he was born prematurely, on Christmas Day, 1642.  He had a tough upbringing, with his dad dying a month before he was born.  His mom remarried when he was three, and she dumped him on her mom – his grandmother – to go live with the new hubby.  Maybe that kind of abandonment was what drove him the rest of his life.  But he lived a great life, being only the second scientist to be knighted in England, and making it to the ripe old age of 84.  And he was the first scientist to be buried at Westminster Abbey!  Oh, and there appears to be no truth to the legend that an apple actually hit him on the head.  But observing falling apples helped him to develop his law of gravitation.

We’ve seen all six of today’s clue words before.  Fairly surprisingly, there are five Jumble clue words starting with SQUA!  Five of today’s jumbles appear to be new, but we’ve definitely seen “tceshk” some time in the past.  All the clue words came to me rather quickly.  The answer letter layout was a sensational sixteen letter jumble!  I was getting frustrated writing out all those “I”s and “H”s and “S”s, but I think that actually made for a faster solve.  Especially with the layout of the final answer slots.

Great cartoon of the historic moment.  I have no idea who he might be showing his telescope to.  Newton never married, and there were rumors that he was a repressed “homosexual”, but others say he was simply asexual.  Some folks just have bigger fish to fry than to dally in the dilly!  Coach always said: No sex before the game!  Not having to deal with those kind of relationships can be one less distraction, I suppose.  Be well and do good, friends.)    —   YUR

Images courtesy of Google