| prize, orbit, rodent, fungus, fine print.Comments are the lifeblood of a blog!
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Do not reveal any of the actual answer words until after closing time!
24 comments:
The new world beckoned, among the stars.
The colonists knew, "This prize is ours!"
Exploring parties descended from orbit
To seek out indigenous life, and probe it.
The area they landed was in the tropics.
The air was okay, strange but not toxic.
Trees like a palm had bred with a mushroom.
Gerbilish rodents didn't take much room.
Were spores from fungi hallucinogenic?
That's how they explained finding the relic.
A deed carved into a mountain face --
Fine print read, "Mortgage due the 28th."
Nice & easy to start a new week.
In a neat late summer poem Owen literally sums up our quest with the solution spelled out in his final line. I don't object, but wonder if that doesn't actually cross the line?
Please advise...
~ OMK
Delightful poem, Owen. I had a lot of trouble getting that little #3 critter, but got the punny solution without it. I love those Jumble cartoons. Wish Dave and Jeff would check in with us sometime.
Didn't need glasses for this one . #3 did slow me down. I used to be a fun guy . But I got out of that circle and into the rat race .
I see we had Blu Ribbon in the CC today.
WC
Ps. Omk, I think it's a given that reading Owen's poem is going to give away the J.
Except yesterday I was looking for GRATER where TARGET was .
WC
Wilbur C ~
Well, yes, I have noticed that he has spelled out the answers in previous poems, but it has always puzzled me. We go to lengths to avoid stating the answers in our postings, respecting the "no spoilers" principle.
I thought it might be time to get a clear statement about that. Are no others wondering?
Maybe we can ask Owen to give a spoilers warning. Or perhaps there could be an addendum to the rules, something like: "Answers may be spelled out if embedded within lines of verse."
~ OMK
Hi. I think Owen covers that in his introductory statement. And since his poem is one of the comments, it seems fine to me.
I'm fine with it too.
BTW, I had a little trouble with clue word three also, and in fact solved the cartoon without it. Of course, as soon as the letters for that word were available it was a d'oh moment. The solution was ok cute. Guess I like puns, though, and this wasn't really one.
The poem was off the wall funny, especially the ending. It kind of reminded me of "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". Have you ever seen that film, Owen? Or read the book?
Sandy ~
I think part of the problem is that there are conflicting statements right at the top. You favor the one that says "...or masked by burying them in comments," while I have been seeing the one that says, "Do not reveal any of the actual answer words until after closing time!"
Believe me, I am not trying to cause trouble, but if we're not to stir confusion - especially among new customers - I suggest we have some consistency in the opening instructions.
~ OMK
Ok. Fair point, except that I have always been clear that Owen was directing that to us, not referring to his poem, which has always had as a main feature, including the words or a form of the words from the jumble. That's been a large part of the fun for me and others as well. I think that "revealing" words overtly would be saying outright that such and such was the second clue word, or the solution, versus masking it by putting it in another context.
Does that make sense?
Sandy ~
Sure, it makes "lawyerly" sense. I mean, for sure you can make the case - with a three-part explanation.
But Owen (Bless him!) doesn't give his "main feature" poem any different type face than our regular comments, nor can a visitor tell that he's the operator (is that the word?) of the site.
Except that our little group (an inner circle?) is used to our "ways," how is anyone else to tell that the injunction against posting "actual answer words" is not entirely true?
I can let it go. But why should you have to come up with such a long explanation? - when all this could be resolved by clarifying or just removing the troubling instruction.
~ OMK
OK,
Here are my hints, clues, whatever, for today!
Sounds like:
Dyes, Docent, Your Butt, & Humongous - not in that order.
~ OMK
PS. No actual answers were harmed in this posting.
OMK, sorry if my post semed unduly long and lawyerly. I didn't see it that way, but we all have different perspectives, yes?
I have suggested to Owen that modifying his title and introduction might be a good idea, but primarily to include the word "answers" to get the blog higher in Google searches and thus possibly attract some non-CCorner people.. He could certainly also elaborate there a bit on the fun of both finding and providing hints. And I continue to believe that hints include putting the real words in different contexts. I hope you do too.
I believe the reveal has usually been part of Owen's poem though not always so obvious. For myself, I don't come here until I've finished the entire Jumble. My purpose is to read the poem and everyone else's comments. My own experience today was fast and easy except the third word as all have mentioned. That little rat almost escaped me.
Dear OMK,
I have heard that mammals of the order Rodentia prize the taste of fungi for their tartness. Howver, since I try to stay out of the normal orbits of rats, I don't have first-hand information on this. And I couldn't actually find anything in print about it either.
(Some 'real' answers, some modified. Fun composing it. And fun communicating with you.)
Re my including the final answer in today's poem -- I really didn't. In the Jumble solution, the first word is punningly used as a synonym for penalty. In the poem, it's used in its more common but less funny sense of something tiny.
More anon.
Yes!
This is the amusing part, Sandy!
Now if only we can encourage others to join in - to keep things plain & simple & and have a level playing field, as 'twere...
~ OMK
Very fine reasoning if I may say so.
I'll leave it to others to decide which of our perspectives is the less convoluted. I appreciate your appeal to Owen to consider some changes. Thank you for that.
~ OMK
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