A text I got from Caity today had me roaring. I asked her if she needed anything from Costco. We often pick up items like eggs, milk, bread, etc., for her — and she sometimes asks for unsalted mixed nuts. This time she gave me a short list and then asked: Do they sell cashews separately? — the kids seem to pick just the cashews out of the mixed nuts.
Why did that set me off? Several years ago I was watching Jerry Seinfeld’s show “Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee,” and I think it was Martin Short who asked him for a definition of the Yiddish term schnorrer. And without hesitation Jerry replied: It’s the guy who takes all of the cashews out of the mixed nuts.
I told Caity and she texted back “It’s Isaac!”
Our four-year-old schnorrer!! We are so proud!
From schnorrers to supermodels. In the puzzle today, the clue at 61A was “Supermodel Carangi,” and the answer was GIA. It led commenter jberg to ask: “What is the definition of “supermodel” anyway? There seem to be more of them around all the time, and I’ve never heard of any of those who appear in the puzzle.”
Good question! There’s no particular test for supermodeldom — like earnings or “covers.” It’s just some vague combination of looks, wealth, and celebrity. Claudia Schiffer said “In order to become a supermodel one must be on all the covers all over the world at the same time.” That seems like a pretty a high bar, but who am I to disagree with CS? Maybe it’s like what Justice Potter Stewart of the Supremes said about pornography: “I know it when I see it.”
In any event, Gia Carangi was one of the first supes. A well-received HBO movie came out about her in 1998, starring Angelina Jolie. Gia was from Philly and extraordinarily beautiful, according to our Phil (see his photo of her, below). She made it to the top of the modeling world, only to meet a dreadful end: drug addiction and an AIDS-related death at the age of 26. She was gay or bi and is considered a lesbian icon who “epitomized lesbian chic more than a decade before the term was coined.” Kudos to constructor Joe Marquez for the salute to her in today’s puzzle.
Gia is commemorated on the AIDS Memorial Quilt on blocks #5949 and #3505.
Sometimes it’s hard to find the words to describe your displeasure at spending time on a puzzle you did not like. Here’s how commenter Gary put it last Sunday: “This was like sweeping the unfinished basement in your dead grandmother’s house before it’s sold to a fix-and-flip company and being served a slice of cold cheese pizza and a warm coke as a thank you.”
OK, thank you for sharing. But one Anony Mouse was miffed. “Dead grandmother — horrible analogy.”
With plans afoot to attend the Princeton-Harvard Women’s ice hockey game on Saturday, let’s take a closer look at two Princetonians of special interest. The first is Junior Forward Issy Wunder, who leads the team with 40 points (20 goals and 20 assists). And she’s Jewish! She’s from Toronto and attended high school at the Community Hebrew Academy.
And the second is Jennifer Olnowich, a Senior, and the team’s starting goaltender. Jen has a 10-7 record and a goals against avg of 2.55. She attended Chatham High School, right up the street from Owl Chatter headquarters! As you can see, she’s got a smile that could light up the whole town.
Favorite name (by far): Brooklyn Nimegeers, Freshman, Defense, from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.
Closing shop early tonight — tired. See you tomorrow!
The Wellington Files 