jumble'd up

Puns... you know I love them, right?
I especially like those which are hidden in puzzles.
So, lately, I've been receiving the local newspaper. I happened to be home when they were soliciting to enlarge their route, and, silly me, I signed up.
You should see the stack of unread, still rolled up (some with rubber bands, other in plastic bags), untouched papers. Then there's the stack of dismantled remnants of newspapers, in which the only remaining pages are those containing the comics and the games. The bulk of those papers went into the recycling bin outside, awaiting pick-up by the city trash service.
Honestly, once I've skimmed the headlines, I'm done with the "news". After all, if it's only bad stuff, why read it? Change the names and it's the same thing over and over, proof positive that humans haven't changed much in the last few thousand years.
Only our toys are newer, bigger, faster!
So, if I could get the carrier to only bring the "good stuff" to me, my house would be neater and I could stay caught up with the onslaught of print.
(sigh)
I have definitely enjoyed reading the comics! I especially enjoy tearing them out and sharing them with others! That is certainly made clear in this post and this one and this one, too.
But, more so than the comics, the games page truly brings me great pleasure. Crossword puzzles! Sudoku! Jumble word games!
Oh, yes! The Jumbles, the game which features scrambled words, the comic clue, and the answering pun to be puzzled out!
You may have noticed some of those games in the aforementioned posts, right?
Definitely fun!

So, here is a collection of Jumble'd up puns, as I think of them.
Enjoy!
I certainly do!

After arriving late, they symphony conductor... faced the music.

After the collision at home plate, the player's mother was glad he was... safe and sound.

He wanted to follow the instructions for installing the new staircase... step by step.

The eagle planned to escape from his cage at the zoo because he wanted to be... free as a bird.

To paint the swimmers, the artist used... brush strokes.

After losing the hot air balloon race, the team was... deflated.

The cattle rancher wanted to stock up, so he went to the... bull market.

She thought that winning the $1000 in the raffle was a... grand prize.

He wanted to practice with his new clubs, so he planned to... swing by later.

The astronomer was very good at his work. He did a... stellar job.

When he beat the Grim Reaper at the poker game, he was... cheating Death.

Asked if their band would succeed, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey said... Who knows?

Getting hit on the head with a can of soda hurt a lot, in spite of it being a... soft drink.

When the plane hit turbulence, everything... went flying.

He needed to look for his missing watch, but he couldn't... find the time.

The tree wasn't growing coconuts like it should, and in order to find out why, they hired a... palm reader.

Trying to find their misplaced map was a... lost cause.

After losing his lease, the owner of the plant nursery was being... uprooted.

Cities built on the lunar surface could result in a... full moon.

The new shoe company was gaining a... foothold.

The tennis courts at the minimum security prison featured... servers.

After trying to use a stolen credit card, the identity thief was going to be... charged.

They parachuted together on a regular basis, until they had a... falling out.

When it came to Neil Armstrong's determination to walk on the moon, he was... on a mission!

When he was arrested, the mime chose to... remain silent.

After his plastic surgery, Donald Duck had... bill payments.