You don’t need Owl Chatter to tell you that some people really like tattoos. I have no feelings about tattoos either way. I appreciate the artistry. I’ve never been moved to get one and I’m glad my kids don’t have any (that I know of). I don’t like not being able to change my mind. Anyway, Ella Emhoff is one of those people who very much like them. So this inked back might have made it into the White House: she’s Kamala Harris’s stepdaughter.
Ella is a fashion designer, artist, and model. She’s 26 and earned a BFA at The New School. She lives in Bushwick, Brooklyn, where she is known as “the first daughter of Bushwick.” About her back tattoo, she posted: “I don’t even have words to describe how lucky I feel to have this piece by @rubymayquilter. All I have to say is… go get your back done.” She tagged her post “OUCH.”
In addition to the giant swan on her back, she has over 20 smaller tattoos, all over the place. She inked two of them herself — one was a salmon with a flower in its mouth (photo not available). We like this one.
And here she is, in the flesh. If you have a vague feeling of having seen her somewhere before, she spoke at the Democratic National Convention in 2020 and 2024.
The puzzle today featured some modest wordplay: two-word phrases that repeated their word, with an S interceding. So, e.g., at 17A, “Skimpy serving of foie gras, say” was LIVER SLIVER. And at 53A, “Idahoan, say,” was TATER STATER.
The clue at 4D threw me for a bit: “‘Richard of York gave battle in vain,’ for the colors of the rainbow.” My first thought was “What?” But then it came to me. Funny how the brain works. MNEMONIC. Its sibling is Roy G. Biv.
Yesterday’s puzzle was more impressive, construction-wise, IMHO. The entire grid — all across and down answers, alternated vowels and consonants. E.g., in the answer OVERIMAGINATIVE, it’s vowel-consonant-vowel-consonant, etc. And the entire grid was that way. Also, to avoid the issue of whether/when Y is a vowel, the constructor, Marshall Herrmann, avoided using any Ys. Don’t believe me? Check it for yourself. (Even the black squares kept the pattern going.)
At 38D, the clue was “Absurdly easy task.” CAKEWALK. You know this song?
She took off a silver locket
She said, “Remember me by this”
She put her hand in my pocket
I got a keepsake and a kiss
And in the roar of dust and diesel
I stood and watched her walk away
I could have caught up with her easy enough
But something must have made me stay
And now I’m searching through these carousels and the carnival arcades
Searching everywhere from steeplechase to palisades
In any shooting gallery where promises are made
First it was Taylor and Travis getting engaged. But have they been upstaged by Ollie and Fawn? Who could forget America’s sweetheart from the Iran-Contra scandal? The sultry Fawn Hall describing under oath how she snuck confidential papers out in her boots and clothing as every man in America raced for their heart pills. In case you need a reminder, here’s Fawn back in the day. Can you tell she has 35 folders full of classified material in her hair? It’s not bed head — it’s file cabinet head.
So now — about 200 years later — Ollie North and she get married! Better late than never, kids! Phil got these wedding photos for us. (It may not actually be them, but you get the idea.)
Since climbing stairs gets harder as we age, this post of Chris Corlett’s in the Dull Men’s Club (UK) caught my eye:
Chris asks: How could this possibly work!? Or be safer for a frail old person than sitting in a chair!?
Donna Watson: I’m definitely falling off that and breaking my neck.
Jan Brady: Unless it’s like a reverse slinky
Geoff Jenkins: He was 14 years old when he got on. Hasn’t moved in 50 years.
Ken Irvine: I suspect you’d get better results from a large, inflatable Santa suit using helium.
Mark Allen: A chap still has his dignity.
Tim Weller: It works by ejecting the passenger with just the required propulsion for them to reach the top landing. There’s a dial on the side where the number of steps can be inputted to ensure the person doesn’t over or under-shoot. It’s a lot easier and less restrictive to install than a rail and can be run on propane or Jet A-1. Cycle helmet recommended.
James Nolan: Boiiinggg.
Tim: Comes with/without comedic sound effect module. Most folks find without more dignified.
Let’s end today as we began. See you tomorrow!
The Wellington Files 