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The Slice: Once a catchphrase, always a catchphrase

Haven’t heard any complaints lately about a line I use over and over.

Perhaps offended readers bailed on The Slice. Oh, well. Buh-bye.

Let’s move on.

One family’s alternative to “Have a good day”: “My dad was a mining engineer who worked his way through the University of Washington working as a hard rock miner,” wrote Katherine Kennedy. “At that time, hard rock mining involved setting and detonating explosives. That involved carefully tapping dynamite into fissures and getting out of the way.

“My mom’s farewell, to wish one luck and a good day, was ‘Tap ’er light.’ ”

Happy birthday to Carole King: Which of the following were not her songs? A) “You’ve Got a Friend.” B) “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.” C) “California Girls.” D) “It’s Too Late.” E) “I Feel the Earth Move.” F) “A Natural Woman.” G) “Disco Duck.” H) “So Far Away.” I) “Surfin’ Bird.” J) “One Fine Day.” K) “Jazzman.” L) “Theme from ‘Shaft.’ ” M) “Private Idaho.”

Find the answers down below The Slice contact info.

Slice answer: I said we were done with first-flight tales and I meant it. As you will see, the story Steve Heaps shared isn’t really about a flight.

“The death last week of my penultimate girlfriend reminded me of the time when I was 17 and her father invited me for my first ride in a small plane.

“I was all set for the adventure, or so I thought. The night before, he called to tell me to meet him at his house so that we could tow the plane to Felts Field where we would bolt the wings on before takeoff. Bolt the wings on?

“I called him in the morning and told him I had the flu. I wasn’t going to fly in something that I had a hand in assembling.”

Wardrobe malfunction: Gerald Ray had lost a lot of weight before the day when he was to be honored at a local blood bank with news media in attendance. That’s probably why, moments after arriving, his pants fell down.

Today’s Slice question: What’s the No. 1 advantage to having Monday as one of your days off from work?

Write The Slice at P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; email pault@spokesman.com. C, G, I, L and M were not her songs. Are you insulted that I even felt the need to specify?

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