She looks at things differently, that’s all
A friend of a friend told me a story about a fashionably dressed female motorist who walked into a local car parts shop and asked for a “seven 10 cap.”
“What’s a seven 10 cap?” asked one of the workers.
“You know, it’s right on the engine,” she said. “Mine got lost somehow and I need a new one.”
“What does it do?” she was asked.
She said she didn’t know.
Finally the workers had her draw a picture of it. She drew a circle and wrote “710” in the circle.
The guys behind the counter, looking at it upside down as she wrote it, realized she wanted an “OIL” cap.
Turn this column upside down and take a look for yourself.
OK, thanks for turning the column right-side up again . . . : As I knew I would, I found that story on the website of snopes.com, debunkers of urban myths. The “710/OIL” yarn has been around at least five years.
The website also listed some related tall tales, such as the woman who asked if a mechanic could fix her “Pontiac Goose” (a 6000 SE), and the wife whose husband needed work on his “28-ounce Datsun” (a 280Z).
Food for thought: Mike Faneuff says his mom joked that $3.99 was a lot to pay for an unattractive vegetable. Or fruit (I’m not going to take sides in the what-is-a-tomato debate) (see accompanying). “Ugly” tomatoes are irregularly shaped. But their fans say the uglies are tastier than conventional tomatoes, charging that the latter are bred more for appearance than taste.
Don’t chew on this: Diana Davis noticed that one San Gabriel supermarket didn’t mince words when it came to labeling its high-calorie, low-nutrition fare (see photo).
Unclear on the concept: Dani Wawrzenski of Palos Verdes Estates said of one oddly timed “moonlight madness” ad (see accompanying), “I won’t lose any sleep over this offer.” And Katherine Kantardjieff of Fullerton wondered how big (or small) a large mini-store is (see photo).
G-O-O-D L-U-C-K: A group of senior actors from L.A. is among 10 semifinalists in a cookie company’s national online jingles contest. The group, whose routine is called “An Oreo Spelling Bee,” can be heard (and judged) on www.oreo.com (voting ends Sept. 4.) The 14 members all attend a free workshop at a community adult school (for information, call [323] 900-3500). Aged 55 to 91, they wear school outfits in the routine.
Said Laurel Shapiro, 79: “My mother would be so proud of me. She always wanted me to be a spelling bee champion.”
miscelLAny: The group of senior actors, directed by Adrienne Omansky, has placed several members in commercials. Even its setbacks are notable: When the group failed to land a part in a Heinz commercial, the company sent the center two crates of pickles. The performers also received a year’s supply of ice cream from Dreyer’s after an unsuccessful tryout. Omansky said at the time that the pickles would “go great” with the ice cream, “especially if one of our members gets pregnant.”
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Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) LATIMES, Ext. 77083; by fax at (213) 237-4712; by mail at Metro, L.A. Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A. 90012; and by e-mail at steve.harvey@latimes.com.
