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The Slice: Sign of cleverness, or stupidity?

Paul Turner is taking some time off this summer. In his absence, we’re diving into the archives at Slice Central. Today we revisit July 20, 2009. New columns will resume in August.

A friend noticed a message on Sacajawea Middle School’s electronic sign: “board this summer.”

It turned out that was just a sentence fragment. When placed in the context of the full message, the reader realizes it’s a reminder to wear a helmet when biking and skateboarding.

But for just a moment, my friend found himself hoping that he wasn’t seeing a poorly spelled and punctuated question about too much unscheduled time.

Slice answers: “How much corn-on-the-cob can my family eat?” wrote Steve Marque. “I don’t know – how much do they grow? We eat a lot of it.”

And Newport’s Dorothy Yeaw said her 22-year-old son, Tony, is the Inland Northwest’s messiest ribs eater. “A poncho would be appropriate attire for how Tony eats ribs. Then just hose him off when he’s done.”

Overheard: Cheney’s Laura Parker was seated in a Spokane-bound airliner that was just about to take off. The engines roared and the plane started to pick up speed. That’s when Parker heard the little girl behind her speak up.

“This is my favorite part,” she said. “The driveway!”

Movie titles that sum up the experience of going to the dentist: Curt Olsen offered “The Sting” and “Deep Throat.”Nancy Engard suggested “Bustin’ Loose.”

And another reader mentioned “The Dam Busters.”

Following up: The winner of Lori Decicio’s Lyle Lovett-ticket contest wrote a song that starts, “That’s right I’m not from Texas, just here in Ole Spokane.”

Things to do list: Call someone a “pipperoo.”

If he or she knows the tune “I’ve Got a Gal in Kalamazoo” it will be understood as a compliment.

Today’s Slice question: How many people besides Sandy Zink have had a hummingbird alight on an outstretched finger?

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