Hi Folks. Let’s open today with a diatribe from our style/culture consultant, the beautiful Ana de Armas. So many of the women (and men!) at the Actor Awards were dressed abominably, she says (and who are we to argue?). She slammed over a dozen, but here are two examples that speak for themselves: Sarah Pidgeon and Ethan Hawke. Actually, seeing their names, we’d have to say they “chirp” for themselves.

Sarah is wearing a Balenciaga Spring 2026 Double Maxi Balloon Dress in dusty pink. Jeez Louise, haven’t the Kennedy’s suffered enough? She’s been in hiding since wearing those bags, but Phil caught up with her. She’ll live, he says.

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The Hokey Pokey made an appearance in the puzzle, prompting Commenter Gary to share this with us:

Here’s my HOKEY POKEY story: I had an ukulele student with a physical disability so we could only do the two easiest chords. We worked on Hokey Pokey regularly and it was one of our big hits. She decided to sign up for the elementary talent show without telling anyone and she rocked the whole school solo with her pink Fender ukulele. She sang, the rapt audience in the cafegymatorium sang, the F and C7 chords thundered like Beethoven’s Fifth. And, as you’d expect, mom and dad, and the grands were all in tears. Hokey Pokey was way more than a kid’s song that day.

This video is from the recently released Epstein files. [Sorry. Too soon? Apparently, there’s no level too low I won’t sink to for a cheap laugh.]

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Okay, now you may have noticed that Gary wrote “an ukulele,” and not “a ukulele,” and he was taken to task for doing so by another commenter. It prompted Gary to explain that it’s a little messy. In its mother tongue (Hawaiian) the instrument is pronounced “ooh” and that’s why he (intentionally) uses “an.” But he conceded it’s normally pronounced “you” in English, which would call for an “a.”

A similar issue arises for the Yiddish-origin word “ungefloozen.” (No it doesn’t.)

Here’s another video from the Epstein files. (Sorry! Last time! I promise.)

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A pat on the back for me! On the heels of Delaware Pam, I also got a submission to Bruni’s “For the Love of Sentences” feature accepted! Woo hoo! I’m not going to repeat it today — I shared it with you last week when I sent it in. (It was about Minnesotans and their take on cold weather.)

Thanks Frank!

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Steven Danby of the Dull Men’s Club (UK) shares the following: I like to add used toilet rolls inside another one until I can add no more, my family respect this and keep them for me. This is approaching breaking point

If you can guess how many there is, you can win it!

Matt Gilley: Keep them until you have enough then add a piece of thin ply top and bottom and around the edges and you’ve got a nice strong but lightweight coffee table top you can paint however you want.

John Hodgson: What are the painting options again?

Ian Taylor: If you ironed them, you’d be able to get more in.

Rob Ade: I do exactly the same. Always nice knowing you’re not alone!

Andy Fowles: Me too.

Ian Dalziel: Would there be any mileage in “Why”?

Andy: It saves space in whatever container they are being stored.

Graham Reece: 23.

Robert Rhys Jones: Try to get out more.

Finally, Bruce Everett shared this short video:

[OC note: I do the same thing, but never above three. Have no idea why.]

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Mom!

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See you tomorrow! Thanks for popping by.