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Jumble Answers for 06/12/2018

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GIRRO = RIGOR

UGGAE = GAUGE

LHEWAT = WEALTH

TAREHF = FATHER

CARTOON ANSWER:

THE BATTLE FOR BUSINESS BETWEEN THE SOD SELLERS WAS A – – –

RAUWTFR = TURF WAR

Happy Tuesday, everyone! WEALTH was the only clue word to give me pause making it my pick for the most difficult anagram of the day. We last saw it used in a Sunday puzzle on 7/30/17 where it was jumbled as THALEW. With all of the clue words solved in a flash, it was up to the surprise answer to give me the challenge that I’ve been craving for over a week.

The setting for Jeff’s cartoon was a yard where some new sod is being rolled out. Reading the dialogue and sentence we discover that it’s actually two competing businesses laying fresh turf with a simple chain link fence separating the crews.

The two business owners are in the middle of the panel having an argument over who handles customers in this particular neighborhood with the gentleman on the left insisting that it’s his territory. The man on the right won’t admit that he’s cutting in on his competitors turf and instead argues his opinion which is that he does a better job. Even the laborers are getting into the fray with the woman sticking her tongue out and the other gentleman telling her to grow up. The only thing that these two businesses can agree on is that they both want to make some quick green.

The final solution was a blind solve after reading the cartoon sentence. The letter layout was a great Jumble but not challenging enough being only 7-letters in length. Have a terrific Tuesday, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Jumble Answers for 06/11/2018

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CUOST = SCOUT

LOEHL = HELLO

TNYERD = TRENDY

RATMUI = ATRIUM

CARTOON ANSWER:

THE ANCIENT DELI USED THE ABACUS AT ITS – – –

CUTEORENATM = MEAT COUNTER

Happy Monday, Jumble friends! Last week was rather tame in regards to the difficulty of the puzzles that we encountered. TINLOO, VONGRE and CAYNUL were the most searched for clue words and GET IN THE DOORS took the prize for the most difficult surprise answer.

A new week is upon us so let’s take a look at how David and Jeff chose to challenge us today. Both of the 5-letter clue words were instantly visible and were used late last year. TRENDY required a quick second glance before coming into view but it too wasn’t any trouble. My choice for the most difficult anagram of the day ended up being ATRIUM. I could have sworn that we’ve seen it used in a puzzle more recently but my search showed it was last used on 11/6/16.

Jeff’s cartoon was a feast for the eyes with intricate detail work visible from the moment that you looked at it. Although I wasn’t quite sure what the setting was, it was apparent from the period clothing that we were being transported way back in time. The dialogue and sentence provided no clue as to the exact location of the piece but the sign above the counter reading DEMETRIUS’ DELI tipped me off that this was most likely somewhere in the Roman Empire. A quick search of the name Demetrius showed that it’s a Greek baby name meaning earth-lover. The Romans destroyed Corinth in 146 BC making Greece a province of their vast Empire which gives us a general idea of where this merchant is located.

The deli case has the veiny look of marble and it contains some odd looking cuts of meat. The lamb head was the only item that I could positively identify leaving the other 4 items shrouded in mystery. Next to the deli sign we see two portions of meat hanging from hooks. There are two flies buzzing around the left one which gave the cartoon a very primitive feel.

The final solution was a wonderful Jumble that kept the answer well hidden. The anagram began with CUTE in an attempt to throw us off track. The assortment of products in the case brought MEAT to mind leaving me with 7-letters to unscramble. It took a bit but COUNTER came into view after staring at the remaining letters. This puzzle was a tricky one for a Monday and an excellent way to start the week. Have a wonderful day and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Jumble Answers for 06/10/2018

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LNHETG – LENGTH

TAANSO – SONATA

LYUPLE – PULLEY

AMLERV – MARVEL

TNIBET – BITTEN

GRIGEB – BIGGER

CARTOON ANSWER:  THE NEW BOWLING ALLEY WAS JUST COMPLETED,

AND THE OWNER WAS ANXIOUS TO: 

LH   OAT   LLE   REL   ITN   BGG =    GET THE BALL ROLLING

Good Morning, Everyone!               🎳  RIGHT UP OUR ALLEY 🎳

🎶 Keep the BALL ROLLIN‘, Keep the BALL ROLLIN‘…Girl, the name of the game is love…On your mark, get set, let the kissin’ start, and just keep the BALL ROLLIN‘, Baby right into my heart….🎶

🎳 Get BITTEN by the Bowling bug, and one is sure to see,
It tends to grow much BIGGER, there is MARVEL, not ennui…
I heard the faint SONATA of the pins all tumbling down,
When my friend from Indiana brought his bowling love to town.
He spoke at LENGTH about its’ pros, why I would surely love
The sport of hurling this big ball, while wearing a small glove,
Persistent as a PULLEY, he dragged me to a lane…
And I must say my interest piqued, the doubt began to wane.
So now it’s added to my list of pastimes I find grand,
It’s exercise, it’s fun for me…(the shoes though I can’t stand)…
I’ve gotten better at it, this sport that they call Bowling,
It’s not up there with Baseball, but I do GET THE BALL ROLLING! 🎳

After a week of considerably easy puzzles, we thought maybe we’d be subject to a PARALYZER today..something to really STRIKE our solving ability. But alas, we’ve been SPAREd! The words all seem to be old favorites, and nothing to really KNOCK us DOWN! I couldn’t PIN DOWN MARVEL or BIGGER in my records, yet they do seem familiar. If anyone does remember them, please feel free to let us know. So, let’s ROLL over to our cartoon, and work on our solution. Looking at the FRAME today, we find ourselves at the Grand Opening of a new BOWLING ALLEY. The owner, Mr. HAM BONE, looking to get things off to a good START, is shown standing at the FOUL LINE, poised to throw his BALL. He seems to have a distinctive look about him, meaning he may be an actual person Jeff knows. But I really don’t know where to APPROACH a search from, so I’m just mentioning it, but there’ll be no FOLLOW THROUGH. The LINE he’s speaking is classic Jeff! “Get the GAME going, with the first STRIKE“! HA! The pun within the fun! Good PLAY, Jeff, a DOUBLE WHAMMY! Standing watching, are a group of FIVE. The man farthest left, looks to be our Jumble HEAD PIN, David Hoyt…Not that I automatically think of David every time I see a bald man now…And not that there’s anything wrong with that..if I did..it just looks like him. The others, from LEFT to RIGHT, are a guy who seems to have just ROLLED out of bed, a woman, holding a BOWLING BAG, and at the BACK END, a man and a woman who appear to be clapping…Everyone looks to be anxiously waiting… Our question asks…What was the owner anxious to do…GET THE BALL ROLLING! Well, DROP THE BALL..I mean Drop the Mic! Good one, Dave! PERFECT STRIKE!

Ok, eye candy…Again, I’ll go DOWN the LINE..Dave, is giving a little THUMBs UP. The next guy? Uh, let’s get BACK to him…The blonde woman, whose name is ANNE, according to her shirt, for some unknown reason, has her tongue hanging from her mouth…I can’t PIN that one DOWN. The next man, who I’m naming DIRK, is very SOLID looking, and our women at the END, who I’ll call MEG, is looking AVERAGE. So, let’s go BACK to our number TWO…Ok, I hate to sound FOUL, but I am from BROOKLYN, so I’m not going to SPARE this guys’ feelings. Where’d he ROLL in from, the GUTTER? He’s dressed in shorts and a Tee-shirt. (At least I hope they’re shorts)! Over that, he’s wearing a bathrobe! C’mon, SPARE me! I mean has this guy CROSSED THE LINE, or what? He’s holding a Pilsner glass with what I presume to be beer. He looks like an regular ALLEY cat. You know, maybe that’s why Anne has her tongue hanging out..She many be afraid he’s going to BUMPER! I just can’t CHANNEL this guy..but I’ll name him MARK MURRAY, and pick him as the eye candy for today. THE FULL MURRAY…So, There you have it, Folks, Done! Have a great day, Everyone!..And remember..STRIKE while the iron is hot…and you’ll always be SPAREd any indecision. Bottom LINE, no one likes those SPLIT decisions…At least not in my oPINion! 🎳🙋🏻

Jumble Answers for 06/08/2018

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SYIRK – RISKY

OSNOW – SWOON

CAYNUL – LUNACY

NNIALD – INLAND

CARTOON ANSWER: TO ENTER THE CAVE WITH THE LOW ENTRANCE, 

THEY WOULD NEED ALL THEIR – – – 

RK  SWO  UNC   IAD   =     DUCKS IN A ROW 

Good Morning, Everyone!             🔦 MINORS ARE ALLOWED 🔦

🎶ROCK steady…ROCK steady Baby…Let’s call this song exactly what it is…
(What it is -what it is – what it is It’s a funky and LOW DOWN feelin’
(What it is)…In my hips from left to right…(What it is)…What it is…Is I might be doin’…(What it is)…This funky dance all night…ROCK steady, Baby…🎶

🔦 It’s pretty RISKY business, taking kids into a cave,
A guarantee is needed that no one will misbehave…
A kid with claustrophobia could never pull it off,
A SWOON from fear comes easily, it’s nothing we should scoff.
While little boys are curious, and INLAND treks are cool,
Exploring in a cave may seem exception to the rule.
But putting LUNACY aside, and forging right ahead…
These men decided, “What the heck”, and in the cave they led…
But looking at these faces, do they really want to go?
It looks more like there’s second thoughts ’bout these DUCKS IN A ROW!🔦

With no SWOONing over today’s words, and realizing that INLAND does not spell Inlaid, we’re ready to TREK over to today’s cartoon solution…We find ourselves somewhere in a mountainous region today. Four young boys, accompanied by two scout leaders I presume, are shown at the entrance to a CAVE. Knowing that exploring can’t be boring, our dialogue is telling us that the key thing so FAR is guaranteeing no one hits their head, as they line up SINGLE FILE at the LOW entrance… And that they will all need to DUCK in order to ensure this. So, our question asks…To enter what do they need to get? Their DUCKS IN A ROW! Well shine that light this way, we’re in! Good one, Dave!

Ok, eye candy. Besides the looks of apprehension on almost everyone’s face, the only thing catching my eye? One FLASHLIGHT? Well, no wonder no one’s BEAMing! It’s really not GNEISS! So, There you have it, Folks, Done! Have a great day, Everyone! And ROCK ON! 🔦🙋🏻

Jumble Answers for 06/07/2018

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RIWTL = TWIRL

GEEWD = WEDGE

TOMHOS = SMOOTH

VONGRE = GOVERN

CARTOON ANSWER:

JIM MORRISON AND HIS BAND HAD SO MANY FANS, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO – – –

TIREDGSOTHOEN = GET IN THE DOORS

Happy Thursday, Jumble friends! David and Jeff seem to be taking it easy on us this week by offering up another simple and straightforward puzzle for the fourth day in a row. GOVERN was the only clue word that caused a hiccup and is my pick for the most difficult anagram of the day.

Looking at today’s cartoon, it was immediately noticeable that the characters we see illustrated aren’t the typical Jumble folk that we usually encounter. By reading the dialogue and sentence we learn that the group we see depicted is Jim Morrison and his band. Jim Morrison is, of course, the vocalist of the band The Doors and the period clothing and hairstyles that we see them sporting date this period piece to the late 1960’s.

The group has little protection from the throng of fans that have amassed outside of their hotel. We see two police officers whose arms are outstretched forming a barrier between the crowd and the band which is getting the job done but a better solution is needed. In the rear of the drawing we see a man attempting to get the bands attention by signaling them with his hand in the air. It seems that hotel management has noticed the gravity of the situation unfolding in front of their property and they’ve opened up a side door to whisk them safely away. The look of panic on the bellhops face behind the giant glass door was a creative addition and brought The Doors song “Break on Through” to mind.

The abundance of clues in the drawing as well as the leading nature of the sentence made the surprise answer a blind solve. The letter layout was a terrific Jumble with TIRED being spelled out in an attempt to throw us off track. My fingers are crossed for a challenging puzzle tomorrow which would really Light My Fire! Have a terrific Thursday, and I’ll see you tomorrow.

Jumble Answers for 06/06/2018

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TAWIA = AWAIT

MHPTU = THUMP

VRSYUE = SURVEY

THAYCC = CATCHY

CARTOON ANSWER:

WHEN THEY USED FRESHLY-PICKED PEACHES TO MAKE THE PIES, IT WAS – – –

ITPSETH = THE PITS

Happy Wednesday, Jumble friends! The challenge was kept to a minimum today with this midweek breeze of a puzzle. The hardest part was choosing a clue word to feature as the most difficult anagram of the day because they were all instantly visible upon first glance. I’ll go with SURVEY because none of the others left me sPEACHless.

Today’s cartoon features a scene of three women in a kitchen making pies. An older woman is in the background preparing pie shells while two younger woman in the front prepare the filling. We see an oversized bushel basket of fresh peaches on the prep table with two large bowls next to it. Both of the filling makers are wearing expressions of bordem and fatigue as they slice the stone fruit and discard the pits into a pile. By reading the dialogue and sentence we discover that they’re baking up fresh peach pies but they’re not peachy-keen on all of the work that it takes.

I’ve never made a peach but it sure sounds delicious! I can imagine my kitchen smelling of warm cinnamon and fruit as it bakes in the oven to a golden brown hue. Doing a search for fresh peach pie recipes, most of them call for 5 cups of peach slices. Well how many peaches is that? One pound of peaches equals 2 3/4 cups of slices. So to make a pie we would need roughly 2 pounds of fruit. Looking back at the women cutting the fruit, I now understand why they dislike making the pies. A bushel of peaches equates to approximately 55-60 pounds of fruit slices so no wonder why they they think making peach pies is THE PITS!

Have a wonderful Wednesday, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Jumble Answers for 06/05/2018

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GURHO = ROUGH

PINTE = INEPT

TILNOO = LOTION

DYIMAD = MIDDAY

 

CARTOON ANSWER:

HE PAID BIG BUCKS FOR THE RACE HORSE AND HAD A LOT – – –

ROGINTINID = RIDING ON IT

Happy Tuesday, Jumble players! The clue word choices that we saw this morning were all old favorites and not too difficult to decipher.  The double O’s at the end of LOTION made for a wonderfully Jumbled word and I had to take a few extra glances before the answer finally came into view.  For that reason it ended up being my pick for the most difficult anagram of the day.  MIDDAY does deserve a mention because of those pesky double D’s smack dab in the middle.  It would have been my top choice but the DY at the beginning of the layout gave me a great starting point.  With all of the words complete, it was off to the races!

The setting for today’s cartoon is a racetrack where we see a jockey on a horse. There is also another dapperly dressed male character in the frame that appears to be feeding the animal some type of treat. Reading the dialogue and sentence we discover that the jockey is ready to start a race and the other man sure needs him to win. It turns out that our fashionable friend decided to take a gamble with his life savings and bought a horse. Talk about a high stakes investment!

The detail work in today’s panel made for a mighty fine cartoon. The square framed glasses on the horses owner looked very similar to those worn by Jumble artist Jeff Knurek, but I wouldn’t bet the farm that it’s him. The J on the jockeys shirt was a nice touch, but something else really caught my eye. Do you see the silhouetted building in the background? If you look closely at the middle spire, you just might make out a horse weathervane at the top!

The final solution came instantly after reading the cartoon sentence. The letter layout was a mighty fine Jumble but not overly cryptic. Have a terrific Tuesday and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Jumble Answers for 06/04/2018

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DWROL = WORLD

SOBUG = BOGUS

RLIMYF = FIRMLY

GUEHNO = ENOUGH

CARTOON ANSWER:

HE CHALLENGED HIM TO ARM WRESTLE. NOW THEY JUST NEEDED SOME – – –

WOBORMLEO = ELBOW ROOM

Happy Monday, everyone! The puzzles from last week were the most challenging we’ve seen in years. I know it’s a bold statement but after writing this blog for quite a few years, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing which puzzles flop or pop on a daily basis. Forget the pop, because last week we experienced an epic explosion of Jumble goodness!!!

It’s pop quiz time so let’s take a look back at the anagrams that gave our brains a workout. CIGNI, LOYUS, SPIOME, and PRAROL were the most searched for clue word answers and CLRRAETIO was the most sought out surprise answer. Each correct answer is worth 20 points, so grade yourself and let us know how you did in the comments section.

Today’s game was an easy Monday morning solve with no surprises. GUEHNO did require a couple of extra glances before it came into view so it’s my pick for the most challenging anagram of the day. They were all completed before I took my first sip of coffee so I decided to stare at the cartoon for a bit while my clasped hands enjoyed the warmth from my mug on this cold and rainy morning.

The setting for today’s panel appears to be a bar where we see 4 characters interacting around a table. Jeff added quite a few silohuetted heads in the background to give us the feeling that this place was filled to capacity. Two women are seated and can be seen splitting appetizers of mozzarella sticks and chicken wings along with a pitcher of beer to wash it all down. Their evening out is being rudely interrupted by a couple of guys in search of a bit of open table space for an arm wrestling match. As they look each other squarely in the eyes, they interlock their hands and prepare to settle their differences in a test of strength rather than a war of words.

The letter layout for the final solution was a terrific Jumble that kept the answer well hidden. The cartoon sentence was phrased in a way that made the answer come instantly to mind resulting in an instant solve. We’ll never know who ended up winning the match but my guess would be baldilocks on the left! Have a merry Monday, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Jumble Answer for 06/03/2018

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CCTHIE – HECTIC

IGNNNI – INNING

GMGSOY –SMOGGY

SETNVI – INVEST

SOUMTT – UTMOST

MLHEBU – HUMBLE

CARTOON ANSWER:  TO TRULY COMPREHEND ADDITION, THE STUDENTS 

NEEDED TO – – –

HTI  IG   MOG   VST   UT   HUE   =   GIVE IT “SUM” THOUGHT

Good Morning, Everyone!                    ➕ COUNT ME IN! ➕

🎶ONE, TWO, buckle my shoe…three four, shut the door, five, six, pick up sticks…seven, eight, lay them straight…nine, ten, begin again…..Now everybody sing with me...ONE, TWO, buckle my shoe…🎶

➕ You figure it can’t be that HECTIC, your fingers can show what you mean,
You hold them up high, you wiggle them some, so easy…or so it would seem…
They look at you faces all SMOGGY, you’re hoping they’ll try to INVEST,
The UTMOST attention to detail, but penguins you’re getting at best.
You try to think baseball and scoreboards, it might be a good tack to use,
But you’re at the ninth INNING showdown, and one starts to play with his shoes.
If anything’s taught me ’bout HUMBLE, I swear to you it must be this,
A child will make you take notice that knowledge is laughter and bliss…
I’ve taught numbers to legions of littles, and I must say it’s never for naught…
When that lightbulb you see, go off when the Wees…finally GIVE IT “SUM” THOUGHT! ➕

🎶Twinkle Twinkle Little…Chicken!🎶 Seriously, this is what I got the morning I decided to teach one of my Littles 🎶Twinkle Twinkle Little Star🎶 Why? Because…that’s what he felt like singing! And there you have it! Logical? No, and that’s ok…We eventually got to the Little Star, but the laughter that we had along the way? Priceless! Like today’s words! Do we have a CACHE of logophilia today? Oh yeah! So, where should we start? Let me COUNT the ways…Today, if your day isn’t HECTIC, and your mind not too SMOGGY, and you chose to INVEST the time in this, perhaps one of the UTMOST challenging collection of words, imagine yourself at the plate at the bottom of the ninth INNING with 2 outs, and then you’ll know HUMBLE! Today’s words are excellent, and I found every one on a previous puzzle…except INNING. Which I’m sure we’ve had, but I STRUCK OUT trying to find it….Ok, our cartoon solution…We find ourselves in a classroom this morning. A teacher is attempting to explain the fundamentals of ADDITION  to a group of FIVE little tots. Using the tried and true TWO PLUS TWO, he’s asking the children to “picture” things, while drawing dots and the NUMBERS on a board. ONE child looks enrapt. ONE has a look of total bewilderment…(This may be my shoe boy)! Another is seen holding up his fingers on both hands in an attempt to emulate what he’s seeing. And another is asking if he could imagine penguins! Penguins! Like the chicken! You want to just shake your head, and say..”THINK, kids, THINK“! …So, as our question asks…What did these students need to do to learn how to ADD? …GIVE IT “SUM” THOUGHT! Ha! Is this a NUMBER ONE PUN, or what? Great job, David! We can always COUNT on you! Ok, eye candy. I’ve pretty much SUMMED it up already..All the cute little quirky things that Jeff has ADDED into our cartoon..But I THINK I’ll go with the little bewildered boy..He’s wearing a pendant, and it’s THOMAS, The Little Engine That Could! Good for you, Little One! Just keep saying it...”I THINK I CAN…I THINK I CAN“!…And you will! So, There you have it Folks, Done! Have a great day, Everyone! And always be sure to COUNT your Blessings! ➕🙋🏻

 

Jumble Answers for 06/02/2018

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TOIPA –  PATIO

TOBDU –  DOUBT

PRLIEP –  RIPPLE

WLEETV –  TWELVE

CARTOON ANSWER: UPON RETIREMENT, THEY BUILT A MOUNTAINTOP

DREAM HOME AND – – – 

PI   DU   IL   TEV   =   LIVED IT UP

Good Morning, Everyone!     🔝🎶’CAUSE YOU GOT HIGH HOPES 🎶🔝

 

🎶 Climb every MOUNTAIN….search  high and low, follow every byway, every path you know…Climb every MOUNTAIN, ford every stream…Follow every rainbow…Till you find your DREAM…🎶

🔝 You work for years, you struggle some, and now they kids are grown…
It’s time to take it easy, find the time for you alone,
Take time to notice little things, the RIPPLE of a brook…
Sit outside on a PATIO, and relish a good book.
The DOUBTs that plagued you once before have all now gone away,
Your cares are few…you’ve paid your dues, here comes that sunshine day…
You’ve built the home you’ve dreamt about, high on a mountaintop,
The views are so amazing that you think your heart may stop.
You get up when you want to, your time is for yourselves…
You never thought that you’d be caught asleep till after TWELVE! 
But now you’re free to do it all, to you I raise my cup…
It’s time to have that High Life…Its time you…LIVED IT UP! 🔝

Nothing new with our words today, all old favorites, with PATIO and DOUBT having being seen as recently as January. No need to CLIMB the walls over any of these…Although, I looked at TWELVE and thought,  Boll Weevil?…I don’t even think I’ve ever seen a Boll Weevil, but there it was, stuck UP in my head! Go figure! Ok, our cartoon’s solution…Today we find ourselves atop a MOUNTAIN. We see a retired couple, wine glasses in hand, discussing their new found freedom… And how sweet it is! The freedom, that is…I’m not sure about the wine…Could be a dry Bordeaux, for all we know…Standing on the balcony of the home they’ve built, the wife is listing all the things she’d like to do…“Hiking to the summit”..”Rock Climbing“…etc. And she’s pretty perked UP about it! She seems a lot BOULDER than he…He just seems content with thinking about the new GRASP on LIFE…Anyway, with the dialogue and our question putting so much WEIGHT on these UPLIFTing words, our answer is …They built the dream home, and…LIVED IT UP! Good one, David! ASCENDING you a Shout Out!

Ok, eye candy…I’m pretty GREEN when it comes to Rock Climbing, but I must say…This is a lot of GREEN! Except for some snow capping the three MOUNTAIN TOPS,  it’s all GREEN! So, I’m going to go with two outSTANDing features on our couple. HEADS UP! One, our woman today is a REDhead, not a blonde! I could just DYE! And two…Even better? Our man isn’t sporting sideburns reminiscent of the ’70’s! Jeff, you’ve taken me to all new HEIGHTS! So, There you have it, Folks, Done! Have a great day, Everyone! And to SUMMIT all UP…Keep in mind…ABSEILING makes the heart grow fonder…RAPPEL after me…ABSEILING makes….🔝🍷🙋🏻

 

Jumble Answers for 06/01/2018

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THCCA = CATCH

CIYTH = ITCHY

PRAROL = PARLOR

MREEEG = EMERGE

CARTOON ANSWER:

WHEN NATE SHERMAN STARTED MIDAS MUFFLER IN 1956, IT WAS A GREAT – – –

CACICHARORERE = “CAR-REAR” CHOICE

Happy Friday and first day of June, Jumble fans! With my mind still blown after yesterday’s brain-buster of a game, I decided to get up extra early to see what Jeff and David had in store for us today. All of the clue words were once again quickly deciphered leaving me with high hopes for a challenging finish. PARLOR would be my choice for the most difficult anagram of the day because it’s a word that isn’t used all too often and it took a fraction of a second longer to come into view than the others.

Shifting my attention to the cartoon, the setting was instantly recognizable as an automobile repair shop where we encounter 2 1/2 characters. The man with the oversized pompadour hairstyle was drawn in a manner that was stylistically different than what we’ve come to expect from Jeff and the license plate solved the mystery. The plate stands for All Shook Up which means it’s Elvis that we’re seeing today!

The dialogue and sentence informs us that the automobile shop is a Midas Muffler and Nate Sherman is the the other gentleman that we see. In the early 1950’s, Mr. Sherman operated a family business in Chicago that manufactured car mufflers. With the American economy booming, he had the idea of competing against slower “mom and pop” service centers and decided to create a new type of service station where he could sell his mufflers directly to consumers. It was a huge success and customers embraced his idea of fast and efficient automotive services. MIDAS is an acronym of Muffler Installation Dealers’ Associated Service, and the first franchise opened in Macon, Georgia in April 1956.

My favorite detail in today’s cartoon was very small and easily overlooked if you were rushing to finish the puzzle. In the rear of the shop you’ll see two automobiles side by side. The vehicle on the left has some writing on the rear which appears to be KNUREK in cursive. Knurek is the last name of Jumble artist Jeff Knurek and it was such a surprise when I found it!

The final solve was a grand Jumble that kept the answer well hidden. It was nowhere near as difficult as yesterday’s but it did provide a very satisfying finish. The visual clues in the cartoon brought CAR to mind with CHOICE jumping out at me next. REAR was a quick find to polish off the puzzle and cap off another fine week of gameplay. Have a wonderful weekend, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Jumble Answers for 05/31/2018

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LAGCN = CLANG

RYERB = BERRY

FEYAST = SAFETY

SPIOME = IMPOSE

CARTOON ANSWER:

QUESTIONING THE DOG ABOUT THE RIPPED-UP NEWSPAPER WAS – – –

CLRRAETIOE = “RE-TORE-ICAL”

Happy Thursday, Jumble friends! Today’s puzzle is all about the cartoon and its challenging surprise answer. I’ll skip my usual rundown of the words and just go ahead and pick IMPOSE as the most difficult anagram of the day.

The setting for the panel is rather basic. We see a man and a woman in an ordinary looking living room where they discover a torn up mess on the floor. The culprit is a dog and he looks as though he’s been in this situation many times before. The woman is asking her pooch a question as if the evidence of a torn up newspaper might elicit some kind of a response. The dog can obviously sense her ire and he opts to hunker down on the floor instead.

The man can be seen on one knee and he’s holding a single scrap of newspaper. With a smile on his face he informs the woman that the dog managed to keep the Jumble puzzle intact which adds some levity to an otherwise tense situation. If you look closely at the tiny scrap of paper you just might be able to see that it’s actually the same Jumble that we’re doing today! I have no idea how Jeff can draw such a tiny cartoon within an already small cartoon and it just blows my mind. The detail work on his drawings is absolutely stunning and this fine example proves that he’s the most talented artist the Jumble has ever had. Period.

The final solution was an absolute brain buster and it took me quite a while to figure out. Looking at the combination of letters that the clue words provided didn’t give me any clear starting point so I began reading the dialogue and sentence over and over again. It finally came to me that the woman was asking a rhetorical question and some self-jumbling got me on the right path. Don’t feel bad if you weren’t able to pull this one off because the Jumble is rarely this difficult. Have a terrific Thursday, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Jumble Answers for 05/30/2018

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LOYUS = LOUSY

AADNP = PANDA

RZAHAD = HAZARD

NTENUL = TUNNEL

CARTOON ANSWER:

SLEEPY HOLLOW’S INFAMOUS HORSEMAN WAS ABLE TO HELP HIS TUG-O-WAR TEAM – – –

LUPDAHAEL = PULL AHEAD

Happy Wednesday, Jumble fans! The clue words weren’t overly challenging this morning and were all instantly visible upon first glance. We’ve seen them all before but they haven’t been used in over a year. HAZARD was the oldest of the bunch with it’s last appearance on 8/2/16. TUNNEL would be my choice for the most challenging word of the day. The double N’s were the trickiest part of the solve and they were separated just enough to keep the solution well hidden.

We’re back in Sleepy Hollow this morning where we see a group of period clothed competitors partaking in a game of tug-o-war. The addition of the Headless Horseman transformed the cartoon into a dark and mysterious piece which added a layer of intrigue to the puzzle. We’ve covered the Headless Horseman exhaustively in the past so let’s change things up and talk a bit about the game that we see them playing.

The origins of tug-o-war are uncertain but there are accounts of the sport being played in ancient Egypt, Greece, India and China. A popular legend says that the Sun and Moon played tug of war over the light and darkness which seems to coincide with the imagery that we see in today’s panel. The Chinese elevated the sport to the “next level” with 548 ft ropes that had shorter ropes attached which allowed more than 500 people on each side to compete!

Did you know that tug of war was actually an Olympic sport from 1900 to 1920? Although we don’t see it anymore, it lives on in the lesser known World Games which are still held around the globe today. I bet a few of you will remember the television show “Battle of the Network Stars” back in the late 70’s. It featured celebrities representing each major network competing in different sporting events with the final one being the tug of war. Lou Ferrigno’s performance in May of ’79 was the shows greatest battle and was a blast to watch on YouTube.

The final solve wasn’t much of a challenge after writing out the clue letters. Our cartoon sentence sneakily omitted Headless which I picked up on at the start. By simply crossing out HEAD made the rest of the solution instantly visible leaving us with a dandy of an answer. Have a wonderful Wednesday, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Jumble Answer for 05/29/2018

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OYNIS – NOISY

CIGNI – ICING

RELHAB – HERBAL

TORETH – HOTTER

CARTOON ANSWER:   SHE LOVED LOSING WEIGHT AND SEEING THE POUNDS VANISH – –  – 

NI   IIN   HRA   OTT   =   INTO THIN AIR 

Good Morning, Everyone!           💃🏻 WEIGHING IN 💃🏻

🎶 When somebody loves you, it’s no good unless he loves you, all the WEIGH. Happy to be near you, when you need someone to cheer you, all the WEIGH….
Through the good or LEAN years…And for all the IN-BETWEEN years come what may…Who knows where the road will lead us, only a fool would say…But if you’ll let me love you…It’s for sure I’m gonna love you, all the way…ALL the WEIGH…🎶

💃🏻With HERBAL wraps and calories that she put to a count,
And exercising every day, and walking all about…
The ICING on the cake is shown, no pun is here intended…
Determined to lose all that weight, her goal is now so rendered.
But what’s with him, and looking at her like he’s quite impressed?
Gee, don’t you think his phrasing to her needs to be addressed?
Just something in his wording, he’s so NOISY…and I’m bothered
He seems just too excited here. He should say…”Looking HOTTER”
The “great” don’t seem to cut it, Why? Wasn’t she great before?
I think he needs to check himself, and praise her even more.
I’m sure that she looked good before, just now it’s less to see,
And I hope she’s feeling good for her, and did it not for he.
I like to see her confidence, she’s happy and it shows…
She’ll feel a whole lot better too, when she gets all new clothes!
Let’s hope he’s thinking twice before expressing how he cares…
‘Cause sometimes saying the wrong thing don’t go INTO THIN AIR! 💃🏻

With NOISY leading the PACK as recently as 3/13, today’s words are returning favorites…POUND for POUND a nice mix of easy, breezy with perhaps a little HOTTER spice with HERBAL. Ok, our cartoon. Looking at the FRAME, my first thought, as you already know, is what’s up with this guys reaction? Oh, BUTT WEIGHT, maybe we should MEAT our characters first…Today, Jeff has us in a bedroom, where we see a couple, MOIRA and LES. MOIRA’S  trying on clothes, that are now all too BIG for her because she’s lost a lot of WEIGHT. LES is looking on, and commenting that she “looks great“. Ok, now, lets be honest here. On a SCALE from 1 to 10, doesn’t it seem a little OFF? You know like one of those left handed compliments? And I’m left handed, so I think I know from whence I speak! Maybe it’s just me, BUTT I feel he’s kind of speaking with a FORKed tongue. I DONUT know… Maybe I shouldn’t UNLOAD on him so HEAVILY? It’s just that I think he could have WEIGHED in a little differently. He’s definitely not in the RUNNING for a NOBELLY Prize in Tactfulness here. Anyway…With LES’S saying..”Where have you GONE“? and our question telling us…how happy MOIRA is with all the WEIGHT she’s LOST and loving seeing the POUNDS vanish..What does that give us? INTO THIN AIR! “THIN” air! Good one, David! WEIGH to go!

Ok, eye CANDY…or today, we’ ll call it dEYE-it candy…There’s a pile of clothing on the floor, and hanging out of the drawers. Quite FITTING for the theme here, but not what I was GOING for…We see more clothing hanging in the closet, but they’re no BIG deal. We can see MOIRA’s image in the mirror, but it’s a little THIN…So that leaves our couple themselves, MOIRA or LES…I’m going to ignore LES’s paunch, and DOUBLE CHIN, because the irony alone makes it a WAIST of time…Am I right?…AlDOUGH I do like the little DRAWstring on his SWEAT pants…Great deTAIL, Jeff. And there’s a Jewelry Box atop the bureau…BUTT, today, the solution? I’m going to CHEWs the team EMBLEM on MOIRA’s jersey. The HORSESHOE “U”. INDY COLTS. And Number 4? JIM HARBAUGH? Captain Comeback? A little MOIRA irony, Jeff? Come BACK? Gee, I hope not. Not after all that DIETING! So, There you have it, Folks! Done! Have a great day everyone…And keep this in mind…No one means to GAIN WEIGHT. It just happens by SNaccident!  💃🏻🙋🏻