Owl Chatter is broadcasting today from the Best Western in Elkridge MD, just south of Charm City (Baltimore), although, again, George and Phil are ensconced in a Third-Best Western nearby, for budgetary reasons. We’re on a short getaway centering on the Orioles/Redsox game Monday at beautiful Camden Yards. Where better to celebrate Linda’s birthday?
Speaking of the Third-Best Western, did you know there’s a bank in Ohio and Michigan (and other states) named the Fifth Third Bank? What the hell is that about? They couldn’t decide? They merged but insanely kept both names?
Yes, I’ll have the money for you next week — it’s in my account at Fifth Third.
What? Where?
Fifth Third. The Fifth Third Bank.
What? What bank is that?
The Fifth Third Bank.
The Fifth Third Bank?
Yes.
Fifth Third?
Yes.
What?
I hereby declare the Fifth Third Bank the official bank of Owl Chatter. There can’t possibly be a more ridiculous bank. George! — See about opening some accounts! Also — while you’re out, I think we’re low on Fresca. We’re having a special guest today. She’s very pretty and she may be thirsty.
Fresh off a positive review in the NYT on Friday that intriguingly combined the terms “philosophy professor” and “hitman,” we shot down from Elkridge to Silver Spring (not Springs!) for the 6:40 showing of Hit Man, with a cast that was completely new to me, under my rock. Glen Powell was terrif in the starring role, Austin Amelio played a bad guy very broadly and entertainingly, and Adria Arjona was the romantic lead, Madison, with killer looks. Well, maybe killer — don’t wanna spoil it for you. Here’s AA. Could you plotz? She’s Puerto Rican, 32, and divorced. When she was 18, she moved from her family home in Miami to NYC on her own and worked as a waitress while studying acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute. Roles followed.
Adria is dating Jason Momoa now, the actor who played Aquaman. He’s 44, Hawaiian, and is very recently divorced from Lisa Bonet of the old Bill Cosby show.
Here’s Adria again, smiling this time.
Hey, Aqualung! Cue the violins!
At 11D today, the clue was “Claim on a ramen packet,” and the answer was NO MSG. Commenter kitshef, of the American Nitpickers Assn and League (ANAL) posted the following: My Ramen packets say “no added MSG”, not just “no MSG.” And indeed, several ingredients do contain MSG (e.g. yeast extract, hydrolyzed soy protein). I am willing to believe that in some other country there might be packaged ramen that says “no MSG,” but I’d feel better if I could find proof of that.
We all would, dear — we all would.
At 13A, the clue was “Academic résumés, for short,” and the answer was CVS. Old buddy egs noted: “I’ve known more than a few losers whose academic CVs only gained them employment at CVS.” Ha!
At 63A, “Dude, in lingo” was BRAH. (I had no idea.) But Rebecca said: The slang for dude is “bruh” not “brah.” I’ve got hundreds of texts between my 11-year-old daughter and her friends to prove it.
Hrummmmmmph!
Commenter Lewis likes to go back and see what else a constructor has done in the past. Today, he brought up two great clues John Kugelman crafted in an earlier puzzle. Brilliant, IMO. Here’s Lewis:
This is the man who brought us “I know they’ve had them on all day, but let the kids eat their candy. After all, a Ring Pop is a … “ for WEARABLE THING TO TASTE. And who clued JUNK DRAWER as “Erotic artist?”
The idea behind the puzzle was to repurpose common phrases as punny insults. So, e.g., at 59A the clue was “My dog could translate an ancient Mesopotamian tablet faster than you,” and the answer was ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG. Get it? A “dig” is an insult, right? And it relates to archeology. [I’ll pause to let you compose yourself.]
Another one was at 21A: “That rotted old log ain’t even fit for termite food!” The answer there was KNOCK ON WOOD. Rex shared the great Eddie Floyd song with us, sung by Eddie. But this version by some white kids is fun too.
A member of the Dull Men’s Club posted that he had a dream that he found very valuable binoculars at a flea market and was unhappy when he woke up and realized it was just a dream. But a comment noted that if it was a dream he shouldn’t need binoculars because he could just dream himself closer to whatever he was looking at.
Great lunch at The Land of Kush, a vegan soul food restaurant in Charm City. The woman taking our order asked Linda if this was our first time there and when Linda said yes she said “I love that!” We had the vegan BBQ ribs with collard greens and potato salad, and the curried vegan chicken with cabbage and rice&beans. Loved it all. Good-sized portions — $36 total for the two of us.
We headed there after a stop at employee-owned Union Craft Brewing, where I picked up a pair of sixes. Tried a can of their Duckpin Ale — very good! Canned May 21 — just 5 days ago — can’t get much fresher than that! (Burp!) That’s the company that makes Zaydie’s lager. Good stuff.
The weather is iffy for tomorrow O’s/Bosox game. Fingers crossed (or whatever the equivalent Jewish thing is). We’ll let you know how it goes.
The Wellington Files 