Political dude: When Democratic presidential hopeful Bill...

Political dude: When Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Clinton told rival Jerry Brown to “chill out, you’re from California, chill out” the other day, the Arkansas governor undoubtedly lost crucial support among members of one interest group:

California Dudes.

As L.A. writer Mike Horelick makes clear in his new tome, “How to Talk Like a California Dude in Only Two Weeks!” the in-vogue term for “relax” or “calm down” is, simply, “chill.” To wit: “Dude (or Ex-Governor), would you just chill for a second.”

Fortunately for Clinton, the California primary is more than two months off, leaving him plenty of time to enter the surfing, skateboarding, party-hardy world of California Dudedom.

No doubt he’s poring over Horelick’s book like a squid (bookish student). You can bet that Clinton will soon be declaring that with the support of so many brohams (friends) and the infusion of campaign frog skins (dollars), he’s confidant that his burly (difficult) quest to reach the White House is a double o (doing well), enabling him to grizzle (sleep deeply) at night.

On the other hand, should Clinton fall short, he’ll be able to take his own advice about chilling.

The Sta-Puft Marshmallow Man is a new father! In honor of the arrival of spring--and of the hospital’s maternity ward business--St. Luke Medical Center in Pasadena has a new display on its roof.

First come, first served: Delia Fernandez of Long Beach has a suggestion for her city, which is trying to figure out what to do with the Disney-less, money-losing Queen Mary.

“Leave the keys in the ignition overnight,” she said, “and hope somebody will steal it.”

Who’da thunk it? The other day The Times said that a South African-born, Harvard-educated attorney identified as Anthony Gordon cast an absentee ballot in Beverly Hills for his native country’s referendum. An accompanying photo pictured another Anthony Gordon, a Westside attorney who is also a South African-born resident of L.A.

The second Anthony Gordon phoned to say that he is not the first Anthony Gordon, noting that he didn’t attend Harvard and didn’t want “to create the impression” he was making that claim.

While we’re at it, we might as well mention that the Harvard-educated Gordon spells his first name Antony . Some days are like that.

What would Our Miss Brooks think? “High school newspapers have changed since we graduated!” write Gary and Judy Washburn of Northridge. They enclosed a copy of a Chatsworth High newspaper story about a ruling enabling students to obtain condoms. The headline says: “CHS Jumps on the Rubber Bandwagon.”

miscelLAny:

One legend has it that Herbert Somborn, founder of the Brown Derby (1926-1980) on Wilshire Boulevard, got the idea for the restaurant’s unique shape after a visit by New York Gov. Al Smith, a hat-wearing friend. Another story has it that a friend gave Somborn this challenge: “If you know anything about food, you can sell it out of a hat.”