CNAIP = PANIC

NTTEH = TENTH

LBPBEE = PEBBLE

RULLAP = PLURAL

CARTOON ANSWER:

THEY BUILT THE CASTLE ON THE HIGHEST POINT SO THEIR ENEMIES WOULD HAVE AN – – –

PAITTHBLELUL = UPHILL BATTLE

Happy Thursday, Jumble fans! Although there weren’t any new clue words this morning, David offered up four brand new anagrams in an attempt to get us to wave our white flag of surrender. It definitely wasn’t the first two words with both of them coming instantly upon first glance. The last two were rather challenging, and rightfully so, with only one puzzle remaining before the weekend. PLURAL took the most time for me to decipher which earns it the title of most difficult anagram of the day. TENTH is the oldest word in the quartet with with its last appearance on 3/16/17 and jumbled as HENTT.

There’s nothing more exciting than a medieval battle scene filled with swords, knights in shining armor, and a king in a castle. Jeff provided all of the above elements to turn today’s cartoon into an instant Jumble classic. The panel features a group of brave souls that are plotting to besiege a castle in a very hostile takeover. The dialogue between the men indicates that the campaign won’t be a cakewalk and that they’ll continue their forward progress at all costs.

There were plenty of extra details within today’s cartoon to keep our attention long after the solve. The little scar on the right cheek of the knights face was a hidden gem that lets us know that he’s been battle tested before. We also see a plethora of weaponry from the period including seven polearms with extremely sharp points. There’s also a large sword being held by the brains of the operation that has a minimally decorated cross-guard and an oversized pommel. Looking closely at the castle in the background you can spot a group of eight men that are ready to protect their king at all costs. The castle is small in size but it did have indented parapets for extra visual appeal. Lastly we see The king in the middle of the group and he’s wearing a four-pointed crown and a stoic look upon his face.

The final solve consisted of an anagram containing 12-letters. The layout was extremely cryptic and kept the solution well hidden. The dialogue and sentence focused on the castle being built on the “highest point” and the difficulty they’d have reaching it. Spotting the U in the anagram brought UPHILL to mind leaving BATTLE to be found a few moments thereafter. Today’s cartoon is a perfect example of how the pun is truly mightier than the sword. Have a terrific Thursday, and I’ll see you right back here tomorrow!