Cherry suggestion is the pits
DEAR HELOISE » Now that fresh cherry season is upon us, I thought your readers might want to know about this easy cherry-pitting trick.
I use a metal reusable drinking straw, insert it at the top of the stem-end of the cherry (stem already removed), and firmly push the straw down to the pit till it comes out the other side.
Hold over a bowl and clean the straw with pipe cleaner. Enjoy!
— Lindsay Collins
DEAR HELOISE » As a second grade teacher, my students are always bringing money to school in plastic zip-top bags. These bags just went in the trash, until I realized I can recycle them! Since the bags had previously held money, I didn’t want to reuse them for food products. Now, I take them to the teachers’ lounge and to my house, where they are repurposed to hold several days worth of the used, wet coffee filters and pods before going into the trash. One teacher sometimes gathers up the used coffee grinds for her compost pile!
— Jane Farris, Holly Springs, Mississippi
DEAR HELOISE » After reading your item regarding a stock scam over the telephone, I thought I would share an example of how sophisticated these threats can be. Recently, I received a phone message from my boss asking me to call him at a number I did not recognize. I instead called his office to see what he wanted. He answered, yet said he had not called me. The voice on the message was certainly his. I have known this man for over 30 years. This is an easy example of why phone solicitation should always be dismissed.
— Tim Woodington,
Glendora
DEAR HELOISE » The letter from Kay W. in your column made me chuckle. You see, when my daughter graduated from college, I gave her a nice toolkit to help her in her new apartment. I also put a $100 bill under the bottom tray. Over the next year or so, she would sometimes mention how handy her toolkit was. When she came home for a visit, she needed to put on a new license plate, so she asked her brother to help. She got her toolbox from her car and gave it to her brother to use. He rummaged around a bit, and then pulled out that $100 bill! She was shocked, while the rest of the family just laughed!
— Bob Grand
DEAR HELOISE » I have a house from 1930 that I have lived in for over 20 years. The toilet has never been a problem until now. I just learned that it, too, can get clogged with calcium deposits — just like everything else. After replacing parts with no help, I put vinegar in the overflow and let it sit. Turning off the water first and also cleaning the jets is best. Who knew? I bet you did!
— Candy Rivera
ACROSS
1
7 13
15 16
17 18 19 21
22
23 24 25 26 27 29 34 35
Typical ice cream servings
Talkative
“Try and do better!” Traditional medicine uses its oil
Two pair beats it in poker
Terrible things Totally vanished Tip of a plane Tierney of “The Affair”
Theater’s ___’acte
Trade
“Trapeze: The Unexpurgated Diary of Anaïs ___”
Twosome
“Take heed, ___ summer comes, or cuckoo-birds do sing”: “The Merry Wives of Windsor”
Tagged surreptitiously, as on an email Tantalizing film preview
Tipplers drink this in the belief it helps sober them up
Thieves’ stash, maybe 40 41
43 44
46 47
50 51 52 54 56 57 58 59
DOWN
1 2 3
Three Stooges member, for a time
“Touch and Go” singer Ocasek Toxicological E.R. cases
To what effect? Thames-side art gallery
TDs or FGs Thunderous, as a crowd Turin-based automaker ___ Romeo
“To: All Staff” note
Testarossa or Portofino Transgressive, say
Table the rehearsal for a bit, say
Tiger’s slot on the schedule, e.g. Thought through, with “out” Third-largest country in the European Union, after France and Spain
Theatrically presented Tropical source of milk
Type of sandal 4 5 6
7 8 9
10 11
12
14 15
20 27
28 30
Turn the ___ cheek
The Eagles, on scoreboards Taurus, Virgo, Libra, etc.
Top dog at a corp. Tort basis Twin-blade razor brand
Thrash
Toto in “The Wizard of Oz,” e.g. Two-word tenet of improv comedy Tub accessory This is what a tailor seeks to provide Tailoring-related Tall one or cold one, in Germany Title role for Liz Taylor, in brief Throat-clearing 31 32
33 35
36 37 38 39
42 45 46
48 49 53 55 sound
Telenovela, e.g. Travelers from afar, for short Toward the stern Transcendentalist who wrote “Walden” Thoroughly overhauls
Thing checked at a polling station Teriyaki appetizer, maybe
Treats very unfairly, in slang Taken dishonestly Type of chair Thwacked, biblically
Trojan War god Tempo
Tomato shade Tabby’s cry