The Slice: ‘June’ before ‘Joon’ except in the movies

The Internet has proven that a lot of people don’t worry too much about spelling or accuracy.

In honor of June’s arrival, I did a Google search on the filmed-in-Spokane 1993 movie, “Benny & Joon.”

Only I purposely misspelled it, “Benny & June.”

And I got more than 5,000 hits.

“Child labor: North Idaho’s Marje Peterson noticed the following classified ad in a Brand X publication:

“The City of Post Falls seeks Summer Ticket Taker/Park Aide for Q’emiln City Park. Position is approx 25-35 hrs/week. Primary Duties: Selling park admission tickets & passes from park ticket booth; cleaning restrooms, moving picnic tables, trash cans & general park cleaning. Req. Good customer service skills, ability to count & balance money. 6 or older.”

Said Peterson, “If there is a 6-year-old with all the listed abilities, I want to hire that kid!”

Yes, you could imagine a first-grader with decent customer service skills. But cleaning restrooms might be asking a bit much.

So perhaps that ad was supposed to say 16. Of course, I’m not sure there are many 16-year-olds who excel at cleaning restrooms. But at least moving picnic tables might be easier for the older kids.

“Speaking of communications breakdowns: A colleague was on the phone with a woman who referred to “native dancers.”

For just a moment, though, he thought she had said “naked dancers.”

Perhaps it’s just that I’m easily amused. But I couldn’t help but wonder how that switch could have changed the meaning of any number of sentences that have appeared in the newspaper recently.

“Naked Spokane residents may carp about Californians…”

” ‘How would people feel?’ naked Hawaiian activist William Aila asked.”

“The annual powwow celebrates naked culture and traditions.”

“Jonker is a naked of the Netherlands.”

“…during a recent Qantas Airways flight in his naked Australia.”

“The Virginia naked and Civil War buff had a musket and…”

“And while we’re on the subject of misspeaking: The Slice heard about a 4-year-old girl named Nichole who doesn’t say “bumblebee.”

She says, “jungle bee.”

I wonder if she is familiar with Rimsky-Korsakov’s “The Flight of the Jungle Bee.”

Or perhaps, like my neighbor’s cat, she enjoys Jungle Bee tuna.

The fuzzy insects might get a kick out of the ferocious sound of that new name. But whatever you call them, it’s a good idea to leave them alone. They will almost always return the favor.

“Today’s Slice question: If ArtFest promoters decided they needed to refer to the event as “the nation’s largest” this or that, what claim could they make?