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!