The Slice Cold Weather Brings Out Our Best Behaviour - Or Not

In winter, there is one sure way to solicit entertaining horror stories.

Start talking about etiquette and public coat racks.

No humming, please: The No. 1 pop-chart song on this date in 1966 was Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’.”

Slice answers: John Rowicki said that if there had been a president whose last name was Idaho, his first name would have been Duncan.

Beaner Johnson, Christopher Colwell, Kip Krogh and others suggested his name would have been Spud.

Andreah Haines said her name would have been Heidi Idaho.

Einer Loreen said the president’s full name would have been Fora Potato Idaho. (Several readers argued that, no matter what the name, the president would have been known as “Mr. Potatohead.” “Silver Tongue” also had support.) Evelyn Miller went with Woodrow Idaho, known as “One Smart Spud.”

But our favorite might have been submitted by a caller named Rick. He said the president would have been Nordman Idaho and that his nickname would have been “Old Tamarack.”

Slice salute: It’s National Engineers Week. Hats off to the few men and women who actually understand how things work.

You can tell someone grew up drinking fluoridated water: “By the fact that our teeth are not white-white but an off-white (ecru?),” wrote Joe Fleck, who grew up in New Jersey but now lives in Pullman. “However, I got my first cavity at 27, and only four more in the 30 years since then.”

Looking good: Call (708) 843-2020 to find out about entering the “Most Beautiful Eyes in America” contest.

DON’T WALK: It’s not just drivers. Spokane’s pedestrians don’t pay much attention to signs either, said Slice reader Pat Palmer.

Today’s Slice question: How would you rate Inland Northwest residents’ knowledge of American geography?

MEMO: The Slice appears Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday on IN Life. Write The Slice at P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; fax (509) 459-5098.