RIFTL = FLIRT
SUDEO = DOUSE
FRETOF = EFFORT
NSAATZ = STANZA
CARTOON ANSWER:
AFTER HIS THIRD BULL’S-EYE IN A ROW, IT WAS CLEAR THAT VINCENT VAN GOGH WAS A- – –
IDSRTTA = “DART-IST”
Happy Monday, everyone! Even though the final solution was in quotations, it was super easy to land. All of today’s clue words came off without a hitch for an easy-breezy start to the week. STANZA made its debut into gameplay, but the Z at the end of the jumble made it an instant solve. The only repeat anagram this morning was SUDEO, and David must really like the layout because he’s used it 9 times over the past few years! It was last used exactly 6 months ago today making it our most recent repeat while EFFORT clocks in as the oldest with a date of 6/25/15.
Today’s cartoon transported us to a tavern where we see a game of darts being played. The sentence identified the player as Vincent Van Gogh, but the name of the man enjoying a glass of wine was kept a mystery. A little research into Van Gogh’s friendships led me to believe that the beret wearing Beaujolais sipper is Paul Gauguin.
Everyone has heard the tale of Van Gogh cutting off his left ear, and he was with Gauguin when the incident occurred. In today’s panel we see that Jeff has decided to show us that his left ear is still intact so the cartoon predates the unfortunate event. On the small table we see a glass that is presumably Van Gogh’s. There is only a small amount of intoxicating beverage in the glass and it most likely contained Absinthe as it was all the rage in Paris at the time. Van Gogh was a heavy drinker and smoker and I’m sure those factors, coupled with his own mental illness, led him to sever off his own ear. Unfortunately Van Gogh lived at a time when mental illness and depression wasn’t understood and treated like it is today and he fatally shot himself in the stomach at the age of 37.
The final solve was an anagram consisting of 7-letters. The visual clue of darts being played made the word jump right out at me leaving -IST for the finish. Have a terrific Monday, and I’ll see you right back here tomorrow!
Jumble Answers 
The country singer made an effort to douse his audience’s disappointment at the open air tsuami of a concert & flirt with a stanza of “Amazing Grace” polka. J…D…DART-IST? REALLY? It’s something I would think of ( and end with a preposition). Maybe we ALL should change our brands of coffee. Seriously, everyone, have a great cooler Summer day!
Same to you, Jamu🙋🏻
Hi Jamu; ever heard the saying “Ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put”?
Good Morning, Mike. Good Morning, Everyone…I took a GOGH at these VANtastic words! 🙋🏻
° In an EFFORT to FLIRT with her, using his love of puns, but not DOUSE her enthusiasm for the music, he wrote a special STANZA titled, “I hope after today I’m the “DART-IST” guy to forget”…
° He flew through the air with the greatest of ease,
He hoped that his EFFORT the whole crowd would please…
He’d FLIRT with disaster to win tha bonanza,
His finale set for the music’s last STANZA…
His fears he did DOUSE as he tightened his wrist..
The human missile known as the great “DART-IST”
Clever is as clever does.
Hey Brooklyn. Thank you! 😘🙋🏻
Have a great week, Angela!
Tks. Mike, you too! 🙋🏻
Good morning. My head is in a cloud this morning. No it had nothing to do with just two drinks last night. I got the first word and had my own for the next three. Was I surprised when they were all wrong. I’m not going to divulge my mistakes. The cartoon answer was achieved even though it’s a little lame for me. Until tomorrow stay well.
Just do a quick check and make sure you still have your left ear, Paul! 😉
Hopefully tomorrow’s game brings you better results. Have a great start to your week!
Brooklyn…I wouldn’t stress over it. Sometimes after drinking it’s hard deciphering some VODKAbulary words….But as long as you’re in HIGH SPIRTS…it’s all good! 🍸🙋🏻
Effort gave me reason to pause but then popped into my mind.Given the puzzle,I thought the solution might be “dead eye”,but lacking the right letters ,clearly no ‘y’,and the artist reference ,”dart-is-t”came to mind.
Well done, Chuck! Happy Monday! 🙂
Paul, Chuck,we share the same DISSbelief. Saw the answer immediately, took a while to cleave to it. As the one-armed zombie once said ” cleaver is as cleaver does”. I kinda feel a little responsible. “WHAT JAMU? OUR WORDS ARE TOO LONG? TOO MADE UP? TOO HYPHENATED?……TAKE THIS!!!!
After having read the first STANZA of the poem, she could see the old man was making an EFFORT to FLIRT with her so she thought she’d better DOUSE his intentions asap.
Oh my! Absolute perfection, Chuck!!! 🏆🏆🏆
Thanks, Mike. Hope all is cool in NH! Have a great week..
Thanks, my friend! Ditto!
Hi all – Not a typical Monday puzzle, eh? Had to do several jumbles with the first and third word, and then I thought STANZA took the longest despite the Z. But when I wrote the answer letters, I realized I had mistaken EFFORT for a misspelled FORFET. I’ve played darts a little bit, but I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I’ve actually watched it on TV once in awhile. Things you sometimes don’t want to admit watching, like poker or curling, for some people.
Have a great day everyone!
Seeing STANZA brought back some great Seinfeld memories of the Costanza’s, Steve. And I love the sound those curling brooms make. It’s like live ASMR! 🙂
Have a great week, my friend.
Yes Steve, I’ve read & heard that prOpostion before. So, you live on Cape Cod and having coffee with little effort? I think I might know him; is Dad Effort Sr.?
No Jamu, I don’t live on Cape Cod. That’s a new poster named “Steve s” with a different color icon. I’m just “Steve” on the West Coast.
Steve,that was one of my
made up words. At least I wasn’t alone on that word.
Morning everyone. I live on Cape Cod and get the paper late, sometimes not at all. I did the puzzle having coffee with little effort, until I came to the last word, STANZA..That took a few more minutes. I was thinking of writing a poetic reply, then after studying the picture, I remember a conflict that Van Gogh may have been left handed. Just saying. Steve S. Hope everybody who is not retired have a nice day at work. 🙂
That would have made him a left-ist !
Hi, Steve! The Van Gogh Museum posted THIS about whether VVG was LH or RH.
Very true due to the mirror in the self portrait. However the buttons on his shirt didn’t move as they would have in a mirror. That leaves me to believe he was using a small portrait of himself not shown in the picture. I think he was a brilliant but devious man that loved playing tricks on other artists and critics, and did this on purpose to cause confusion. Just my opinion or food for thought not to believe everything you read. Thank you for your reply, I’m not a troll just a man that leaves some doubt as to what I hear and what I read. Steve S.
That’s a unique take on it, Steve, and I would never have thought of that. Thanks for providing a very plausible explanation. 🙂
—Mike
Dear just Steve,
That shows how lost I am. I’d never noticed the icons nor their color. And I’m disappointed when all appear to have an easy time with the anagrams & the solve? Wake up Jamu, you’re not thinking, you’re snoring and loudly too!