Cryptoquote Solved – 06/09/23

“I am certain of nothing but the holiness of the heart’s affections and the truth of the imagination.”   —   John Keats

(Keats is a poet that I can both understand and appreciate.  Such a shame that he died so young.  Tuberculosis was really a scourge back then.  Though it is mainly controlled these days it is still around, and it shouldn’t be taken lightly.  They used to vaccinate against TB, but they did away with that a while back.  Not sure why.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

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Cryptoquote Solved – 06/08/23

“Green was the silence, wet was the light, the month of June trembled like a butterfly.”   —   Pablo Neruda

(Poetry solves are always a little tougher!  Especially when the author is a little foreign.  I guess I’m just geared more toward more northern European type names.  The month of June is really trembling this year!  At least here in the Northeast of the U.S.  All these Canadian wildfires are sending down massive amounts of unsafe smoke, which is blanketing the sky.  Air Quality Index numbers are off the charts.  Normally in the 20s, it has been as high as 400 here!  But enough of our problems here.  There are over 400 wildfires currently burning in Canada!  Drought conditions there are making this the worst year in Canadian history.  We all need to take more decisive action to combat global warming before it is too late.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

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Jumble Solved – 06/08/23

Visual Description:  Hoyt branching out.

TOBOH  =  BOOTH,  TLIEE  =  ELITE,  BGOTEL  =  GOBLET,  FRAIMF  =  AFFIRM   —   Giving us:  BOHELTEGBTAIM

Clue/Question:  Can you think of a word meaning “physical strength”?  You – – –

Answer:  MIGHT BE ABLE TO

(Ooh!  A semi-non-pun, puzzle solving answer!  Very fun.  Okay, MIGHT is a synonym of STRENGTH, but that was a non-factor in my solving this Jumble.  I just focused on David L.’s crossword puzzle, and the center word, with a couple missing letters.  It didn’t seem like it could be any other word.  Unless it was some funky Scrabble type word, that just about no one has ever heard of.  That’s why the Jumble is much better than Scrabble.  It only uses common, easily identifiable words!

All for of today’s Jumble clue words were easily identified on the world famous ralis95 clue word database!  Three of the jumbles are coming up as new, for me.  But we’ve definitely seen “toboh” in an earlier Jumble.  None of them stumped me though.  Not even a little.  The answer letter layout was a thrilling thirteen letter jumble.  Might-ily cryptic.  But BE had to follow MIGHT, and ABLE TO was able to finish the clue/question.

Fun cartoon of our favorite word-nerd, David L. Hoyt, giving us a little change of pace.  We know that he is into a multitude of word games.  I liked the send up to a largely forgotten comedian, Norm Crosby.  He was always great with his malapropisms!  Playing dumb takes a lot of smarts, folks.  And of course I like the inclusion of David’s dog!  Really fun Jumble.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

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Cryptoquote Solved – 06/07/23

“If my life wasn’t funny it would just be true, and that is unacceptable.”   —   Carrie Fisher

(I didn’t find her all that attractive as a younger lady.  But she turned into a pretty darn cool *dame*.  Such a shame she died at only 60.  Cardiac arrest, brought on by sleep apnea and clogged up arteries, and some of her bad . . . habits.  So weird that her famous mother, Debbie Reynolds, died a day later.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

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Jumble Solved – 06/07/23

Visual Description:  NOT the Super 8.

CNUED  =  DUNCE,  NIOGG  =  GOING,  FNURIA  –  UNFAIR,  NCWHR  =  WRENCH   —   Giving us:  DNOINRWC

Clue/Question:  They opened the small lodging establishment in the hope of attracting the – – –

Answer:  “INN“ CROWD

(And Dobie Gray is spinning in his grave!  I guess the bed & breakfast market is pretty competitive, and everyone is looking for some kind of edge.  I think this place might appeal to the pseudo-hippies.  The new Bohemians!  A little peace, love and happiness to go along with clean sheets and a bagel . . . and a cup of coffee, of course.

Today’s four clue words are long standing members of the ralis95 clue word database.  The Jumble establishment!  Three of the jumbles are coming up as new, but we’ve definitely seen “niogg” in a previous Jumble.  I didn’t think that any of them were all that tough.  The answer letter layout was an irate eight letter jumble.  Craftily cryptic.  The quotation marks, and the phrasing of the clue/question, made for a quick solve.

Interesting? cartoon.  Not exactly the kind of seats you’d expect to find on a front – or back – porch.  I greatly value bees, but I’m hoping that the wall hanging is purely decorative.  Don’t need to get stung, and go into anaphylactic shock!  But gazing at a koi pond can be very relaxing . . . for a few minutes . . . for some . . . I guess.  Just lay back and . . . drift away?  Wonderful Wednesday Jumble!  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

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Jumble Solved – 06/06/23 (D-Day 79)

Visual Description:  How non-New Yorkers discovered pizza.

FNTUI  =  UNFIT,  RDOOE  =  RODEO,  GUFTOH  =  FOUGHT,  THAROT  =  THROAT   —   Giving us:  UFTODOFOGHHROT

Clue/Question:  When the Carney brothers discussed franchising Pizza Hut, it was – – –

Answer:  FOOD FOR THOUGHT

(A savory smelling pun!  Growing up in suburban Rochester, NY, in the 1960s and 1970s, both Chinese food and pizza were fairly exotic.  I’d heard of them, and I remember the old – stupid/racist? – saying about Chinese food:  an hour later you’re hungry all over again!  I always thought that was some kind of put down, but there is some truth to it.  It’s high in carbs and fairly low in protein and fiber.  I never had a single bite of Chinese food until I moved to NYC, in 1980, when I was 22!  Actually, I think I had recently turned 23 when I first ate at the Mao Tai restaurant.  BUT my first pizza experience – finally back to pizza – was when I was 14 or 15.  And guess where that took place?  Pizza Hut!  I guess there could’ve been some mom & pop shops around, but Pizza Hut advertised big time on television.  They had some kind of promotion where one day of the week you could eat as much as you could for $5.  Drinks cost extra, but . . . such a deal!  The Pizza Huts were always full of teenage boys on those nights.  And when I went away to college Pizza Hut was the only place in town to get pizza.  Pizza snobs pooh pooh the chain pizzas, but like Mel Brooks once said:  “Sex is like pizza, even if it’s done bad, it’s still good.” 

All four of today’s clue words are on the ralis95 clue word database.  However, all four jumbles appear to be new.  It took a couple of seconds for me to see “unfit”, because UN words are kind of like cheating to me.  But if we didn’t allow them there would be 39 fewer Jumble clue words!  The answer letter layout was a forceful fourteen letter jumble.  Commendably cryptic.  But the final answer came to me right away.  Probably because of the final answer slots, and the phrasing of the clue/question.

Fine cartoon of the Carney brothers’ first shop, in Wichita, Kansas, way back in 1958!  Way before they came up with their iconic red roof!  But their sign foretells the purchasing of Pizza Hut by PepsiCo, in 1977.  I’m sure Dan and Frank Carney retired as very wealthy men.  I don’t know about all of them, but the ones around here are no longer dine-in restaurants.  It’s all take out.  I haven’t had it in ages.  There are so many pizza joints around here.  Fun memory lane Jumble!  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

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Cryptoquote Solved – 06/06/23

“Some people only ask others to do something.  I believe that, why should I wait for someone else?”   —   Malala Yousafzai

(I can still remember the inspired youth of my generation and that which immediately came before me.  I hope and pray that the Gretas and Malalas of today can resist the getting on with life, and actually affect positive change.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

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Jumble Solved – 06/05/23

Visual Description:  Proper preparation.

RACYR  =  CARRY,  RIROP  =  PRIOR,  DHLEUD  =  HUDDLE,  LYWLOE  =  YELLOW   —   Giving us:  RRYRORDDLEYELO

Clue/Question:  The organized, methodical and precise hospital attendant was an – – –

Answer:  ORDERLY ORDERLY

(NOT to be confused with the Jerry Lewis character, from his 1964 Movie “The Disorderly Orderly”!  I haven’t even thought of that movie in probably 40 years!  But it also starred a fairly famous – mostly for television – actress, Susan Oliver.  A very attractive, blue-eyed actress, television director and aviator, who tragically died at the age of 58 from cancer.  What does she have to do with today’s Jumble?  Absolutely nothing, but I frequently go off on little tangents.  There’s nothing wrong with the occasional trip down memory lane.  Right?

All four clue words are on the ralis95 clue word database.  Three of the jumbles appear to be new.  However, we have definitely seen “racyr” in a previous Jumble.  It took me a couple of looks to see “yellow”.  The answer letter layout was a fanciful fourteen letter jumble.  Lots of repeating letters though.  The synonyms of orderly, in the clue/question, made for a quick final answer solve.

Very fine hospital scene cartoon.  I don’t think that hospital orderlies can give this kind of individualized attention, but it’s a nice – idealized – thought.  Magical – medical – Monday Jumble!  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

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Cryptoquote Solved – 06/05/23

“The world is like a great empty dream.  Why should one toil away one’s life?”   —   Li Bai

(Man!  And I thought that English was difficult?!?!  You should look up the pronunciationS of this cat’s name!  Chinese makes English look like child’s play.  I think that this is the first of the poet’s quotes to be used for a Cryptoquote.  It’s a good one, and I think that it may have influenced John Lennon.  I might just be talking through my tuchus, but that is nothing new.  Regardless, we welcome Li Bai to the Cryptoquote Club today.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Image courtesy of Google

Sunday Jumble Solved – 06/04/23

Visual Description:  Watch-ing their wrists.

TIXCEE  =  EXCITE,  HLANYM  =  HYMNAL,  TINOON  =  NOTION,  RESJET  =  JESTER,  NICROI  =  IRONIC,  AARTYS  =  ASTRAY   —   Giving us:  TEHMNOTOETERNIAA

Clue/Question:  Eventually she would replace her wristwatch – – –

Pre-Answer:  Five Words  (2-letters)  (3-letters)  (4-letters)  OR  (7-letters)

Answer:  AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER

(The cyclical nature of life . . . and stinky puns!  I remember when cell phones were just starting to become common place.  All the snarky tech nerds would look down on – and even laugh at – people who still wore wristwatches.  Only dinosaurs wear wristwatches!  But then the Apple folks came out with their “smart” watches, and suddenly looking at your wrist became hip again!  I’m pretty sure that you can still do a few things with your cell phone that you can’t do with your “smart” watch, but you no longer have to reach into your pocket for a bunch of things.  All you have to do – ironically – is look at your wrist!  I don’t own one, but as I understand them they’re not stand alone items.  You still have to sync these watches to a cell phone.  With the – additional – average cost of these watches being about $400, I’m more than happy to keep reaching into my pocket.  I know.  Only dinosaurs reach into their pockets!

I didn’t really have to reach into the ralis95 clue word database to realize that all six clue words have been used before.  But I did anyway.  Five of the jumbles are coming up as new, but we’ve definitely seen “tinoon” in a previous Jumble.  All the clue words came quickly to me.  The answer letter layout was a sensational sixteen letter jumble.  Remarkably cryptic, with nothing given away.  The arrangement of the final answer slots was the big clue for me.  With the cartoon and the clue/question the four letter word HAD to be the word TIME.  Followed by the given OR, the word ANOTHER seemed to make perfect sense.  From the remaining OETNA at once I saw AT ONE.

Fine cartoon of the hip young couple, with their faithful dog.  My Wally boy is how I know that it’s time for me to take a walk.  He’ll come right over to me and nuzzle me gently.  Or, he’ll silently send out an olfactory hint.  Man, dog farts are the worst!  But we love our dogs anyway.  Be well and do good, friends.)   —   YUR

Images courtesy of Google