VUMEA = MAUVE

OBTOA = TABOO

SINBHA = BANISH

CADILP = PLACID

CARTOON ANSWER:

WHEN THE PIRATE WITH THE PEG LEG WAS TOLD TO WALK THE PLANK, HE WAS – – –

MUTOOBNLAI = OUT ON A LIMB

Happy Wednesday, Jumble fans! David and Jeff sure started the month off right with a puzzle that featured a new clue word, a tricky surprise answer, and some of the best artwork we’ve ever seen. BANISH made its gameplay debut this morning, but it wasn’t too difficult to decipher. PLACID was the word that caused me to pause for a few extra moments which made it my pick for the most difficult anagram of the day. The remaining three clue words were all used in early 2017. The oldest of the group was MAUVE which was last seen on March 17th.

If you rushed through this mornings puzzle and didn’t take the time to soak in all of the amazing details that Jeff painstakingly added to his cartoon then you’ve missed out on one of the best pieces of his artwork this year. This panel was simply gorgeous and featured a pirates crew in the final stages of a mutiny on the high seas. It’s definitely not a warm and friendly piece like we usually see which made it even more intriguing.

The frustration and anger of the crew is on full display with the dialogue filling in the blanks of this chaotic scene. They’ve accused him of cheating them out of the their fair share of the riches they’ve plundered and now he’ll pay the ultimate price. The pirate is literally standing on his last leg as he teeters at the end of the plank that he’s been forced to walk. Three hungry sharks circle in the water below and wait patiently to deliver what will surely be a gruesome demise.

Jeff managed to pack this piece with every imaginable detail from pirate lore. There’s actually so many bits of goodness that I’ll list it all for the sake of brevity. We see a crew hand pointing a blood smeared cutlass, a skull and crossbones on the pirates hat, a skull earring dangling from his left ear, a scar on his cheek, a parrot fleeing the scene, a peg leg, a hooked hand, four nails barely holding the plank in place, a mermaid bow ornament and a sinking ship in the background. Phew!!! My favorite detail, even though it was minor, was the shading under the plank. It gave a sense of height to the cartoon which made it feel even more realistic.

The final solve was a bit tricky and took some time to decipher. The letter layout was especially cryptic and kept the answer well hidden. “A” seemed like the obvious choice for the single letter block. Just staring at the remaining letters for a few moments brought OUT to mind as all three letters were grouped together. ON came next leaving LIMB for my finish. A HUGE thank you to Jeff and David for giving us a puzzle that is an instant classic and that we’ll no doubt remember for many years to come. Have a wonderful Wednesday, and I’ll see you tomorrow!