🪷🎏 No need to fish for excuses—let’s dive right into today’s puzzle. 🎏🪷

🌊✨ Good Morning, Fellow Jumblers! ✨🌊

A koi pond comes alive in today’s puzzle, with two onlookers leaning over the water while a pair of koi fish trade whispers below. The woman kneels at the edge, scanning for a glimpse, while the man recalls seeing movement behind a rock. Inside the pond, a male koi wonders if the female koi is “playing” with the humans who won’t stop staring. The panel’s perspective cleverly places the people above, the pond below, drawing our eyes straight to the true stars of the cartoon panel — the colorful koi at center stage, pond-ering their fame.

🧩 Clue Word Breakdown

ZNOEO = OZONE
Once the double O anchored, the Z–NE snapped clean.
Last used — 10/11/2023 as ZNEOO.

RIQKU = QUIRK
The Q + U pair is your compass; the rest falls in line.
Last used — 01/08/2022 as RIQKU.

GHIRFT = FRIGHT
Spot –RIGHT and drop the F in front to finish it.
Last used — 09/19/2023 as GRITFH.

NBUELD = BUNDLE
Start BUN–, finish –DLE. Tidy and quick.
Last used — 01/25/2025 as NBLEUD.

💎 Jumble Jeff’s Jems 💎

➤ 🪷 Perspective play: the people sit high in the top third of the panel, while the bottom two-thirds reveal the underwater koi world; two lily pads float on the surface as anchors.

➤ 🐟 Who says what: left koi (male) asks the right koi (female), “Are you playing with them today?” — and the eyelashes on the right fish sell the feminine read. Up top, the woman says, “I thought I saw her a minute ago,” and the man answers, “She was peeking around the rock.”

➤ 🌊 Pond specifics: the garden pool setting, the rock they reference, and gentle ripples frame the colorful koi as the scene’s focal point.

✅ Final Solve

The dialogue above and below ties the whole scene together: the woman thinks she spotted movement, the man insists the fish was peeking, and the koi themselves fret about being watched. With the setup pointing toward shyness, the answer swims into view as a playful pun. Using the circled letters and the cadence (7 + 3), the solution falls neatly into place: the colorful carp that hid behind the rock in the garden pool was — PLAYING KOI.

🎭 Puzzle Poetry

🔍 Click-to-Reveal Facts

🧩 Get a Clue (About Each Other!) 💬

Solving the Jumble might be the main event, but connecting with one another is just as fun. Here’s a quick poll to share your perspective and find out how other players answered. Cast a vote, peep the results, and see where you land among your fellow players. 🗳️

🎂 Notable Birthdays — September 22

• 🎬 Tom Felton (born 1987) — 38. English actor best known for playing Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films. Epsom, Surrey, England. SOURCE
• 🎤 Tatiana Maslany (born 1985) — 40. Canadian actress acclaimed for her many roles in Orphan Black. Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. SOURCE
• 🎭 Bonnie Hunt (born 1961) — 64. Actress, comedian, director, and voice actor with a wide-ranging career. Chicago, Illinois. SOURCE
• 🎸 Joan Jett (born 1958) — 67. Rock icon and frontwoman of the Blackhearts; famous for “I Love Rock ’n’ Roll.” Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. SOURCE
• 🎹 Andrea Bocelli (born 1958) — 67. Italian operatic tenor celebrated worldwide for his extraordinary voice. Lajatico, Tuscany, Italy. SOURCE
• 🌟 David Coverdale (born 1951) — 74. Rock vocalist with Whitesnake and Deep Purple, legendary stage presence. Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England. SOURCE

🕯️ In Memoriam — September 22

• 👤 Nathan Hale (1755–1776) — 21. American Revolutionary War hero, remembered for his famous last words. Canaan, Connecticut. SOURCE
• 🎤 Big Boss Man (Ray Traylor Jr.) (1963–2004) — 41. Professional wrestler remembered for his run in WWE. Snellville, Georgia. SOURCE
• 🎭 Jackie Burroughs (1939–2010) — 71. Actress recognized for Road to Avonlea and Canadian film/TV. Southport, Lancashire, England. SOURCE
• 🎬 George C. Scott (1927–1999) — 71. Actor and director, best known for Patton. Wise, Virginia. SOURCE
• 🎶 Eddie Fisher (1928–2010) — 82. 1950s pop singer and TV star, famous for “Oh! My Pa-Pa.” Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. SOURCE
• 👟 Marcel Marceau (1923–2007) — 84. Legendary French mime, celebrated worldwide for his silent artistry. Strasbourg, France. SOURCE
• ⚾ Yogi Berra (1925–2015) — 90. Hall of Fame catcher and Yankees legend, also known for his “Yogi-isms.” St. Louis, Missouri. SOURCE

🍽️ Food Holidays — September 22

• 🍦 National Ice Cream Cone Day — Celebrate the classic cone with your favorite scoop(s). SOURCE
• 🤍 National White Chocolate Day — Indulge in creamy white-chocolate treats, from bars to bakes. SOURCE
• 🌱 National Eat Local Day — Show love to local farms, markets, and makers with a home-cooked, local meal. SOURCE

📜 Today in History — September 22

• ✉️ Postmaster General Established (1789) — The U.S. formally created the office of Postmaster General, laying the foundation for a national postal system. SOURCE
• 📜 Emancipation Proclamation (1862) — President Abraham Lincoln issued the preliminary proclamation, declaring enslaved people in rebelling states would be free as of January 1, 1863. SOURCE
• 🏠 Full House Premieres (1987) — ABC’s family sitcom introduced the Tanner clan and became a rerun staple for decades. SOURCE
• ☕ Friends Premieres (1994) — NBC’s sitcom about six New Yorkers debuted and went on to become a global pop-culture phenomenon. SOURCE
• 👨‍👦 Two and a Half Men Premieres (2003) — The CBS comedy starring Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer launched and quickly became a ratings force. SOURCE
• 🏝️ Lost Premieres (2004) — ABC’s island mystery drama took off with a blockbuster pilot and massive weekly buzz. SOURCE
• 🧠 Criminal Minds Premieres (2005) — CBS introduced its BAU profiling team, spawning spinoffs and a long-running franchise. SOURCE
• 🦇 Gotham Premieres (2014) — FOX’s Batman-adjacent origin series arrived, charting pre-Caped Crusader Gotham and its rogues’ gallery. SOURCE
• 📱 iPhone 15 Launch (2023) — Apple’s iPhone 15 and 15 Plus officially hit stores, with availability beginning Friday, September 22. SOURCE

🌙 That’s a Wrap! 🌙

As today’s koi caper drifts downstream and the ripples settle, thanks for splashing around with me on another puzzle. 🐟✨ Your likes and votes keep this little pond bubbling — I can’t thank you enough.

If you don’t already, make sure you’re signed up for the daily email so you never miss a single set of answers — no fishing around, they’ll land right in your inbox. 📬

And yes… the comments section will be coming back soon. I know it’s been missed, and I can’t wait to get the chatter flowing again like water over smooth stones. 💬💦

Until then, may your day be bright, your mind stay sharp, and may your puzzles always be more koi than coy. 😉