Smiley Anders

Baton Rouge

General Columnist at The Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA)

Columnist @theadvocatebr, @theadvocateno, @theadvocateaca

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Articles

Smiley: And the walk was uphill both ways

May 27, 2024 | theadvocate.com | Smiley Anders

"I'm afraid I'm revealing my age, but that's OK," says 'CJD,' of Lafayette. "I was telling my grandson, 'Imagine a world where you had to walk up to the TV to turn it on and walk up to it to turn it off.
Smiley: 'We're not in Britain anymore, Toto'

May 26, 2024 | theadvocate.com | Smiley Anders

Our unpaid British correspondent, Martin Hugh-Jones, of Baton Rouge, says our climate (and the way it's dealt with) differs from that of his home isle. He imagines this conversation: "'How and when do you know someone lives in southern Louisiana?'"'Good question. How?'"'They wear a sweater in summer.'"'Oh.'"'The air conditioning is arctic.'" "When I read on Friday about the rats at LSUNO, I almost fell out of my chair!," says David Muller, of Folsom.
Smiley: Sometimes you wanna get away

May 24, 2024 | theadvocate.com | Smiley Anders

Dear Smiley: I have a possible answer for Morgan Landry, who asked in Tuesday's column why his grandfather was in the outhouse he was using for target practice, when "You have a toilet in your house."I grew up in Indiana, and my grandmother also had an outhouse and indoor plumbing. When she needed a break from her loving family (i.e. the grandkids), she would go to the outhouse for some "peace and quiet." We were told not to bother her there.
Smiley: This college offered Rodent Behavior 101

May 23, 2024 | theadvocate.com | Smiley Anders

"The article about buildings at LSUNO (now UNO) in the '60s reminds me of an incident," says Don Pekarek, of Slidell. "My office was in one of those barracks buildings. Upstairs was the psychology department with experimental labs. Downstairs was a diagnostic clinic that evaluated children experiencing learning difficulties. Upstairs were cages of white rats, part of a governmental grant.
Smiley: Don't mess with the Gator Queen

May 22, 2024 | theadvocate.com | Smiley Anders

Our stories of strong women remind me of an alligator cooking contest in Franklin that I judged in the early days of this column. During breaks from judging the 36 dishes (fried, stewed, bisque, kabobs, cold salad, etc.) I chatted with the cooks. One of them was a petite young lady with long black hair and dark eyes. When I asked where she got her alligator meat, she answered in a thick Cajun accent: "I backed my truck up to a place on the bayou where I'd seen gators.
Smiley: Back when drivers used hand signals

May 21, 2024 | theadvocate.com | Smiley Anders

Want to feel old? Here's a TV nostalgia story for you:Alex "Sonny" Chapman, of Ville Platte, says, "Perry Mason, the black-and-white TV series starring Raymond Burr, came into America’s living rooms in 1957. "Recently I saw an episode that probably confused younger folks who may have been watching. "Perry was driving his car with a client police Lt. Tragg (Ray Collins) wanted to arrest. As soon as Perry realized what was going, on he stuck his left arm out of his car window and turned it down.
Smiley: Tale of the bloodthirsty librarians

May 20, 2024 | theadvocate.com | Smiley Anders

"The recent article about mice reminded me of an incident when I was a student worker in the old LSUNO library in the early 1960s," says Collin B. Hamer Jr."It was in one of the many former Navy buildings on the campus. "Once a mouse ran out from the book stacks and stopped to stare at us.
Smiley: 'Ahmet, hand me that zamazingo,'

May 17, 2024 | theadvocate.com | Smiley Anders

Dear Smiley: One to add to your list of malapropisms and spoonerisms:The story goes that my sister was having Thanksgiving dinner at a friend's house when a nervous young man at the table requested someone pass the "sitpatweetas."That's what we've called yams ever since. And apparently, English speakers didn't invent the word you use when the right one is on the tip of your tongue. Or not.
Smiley: And a happy squid to you, too

May 16, 2024 | theadvocate.com | Smiley Anders

A "language barrier" story from Gwen Briggs, of Abita Springs:"Last year, my family went to Greece and Italy for our 50th anniversary and our daughter's 40th birthday. "I have a hard enough time mastering the English language, so I really have given up on other languages. "Every morning the locals would say, 'Kalamera,' which is 'Good morning' in Greek. My response was always 'Calamari.' Hey, close enough, right? "The Greeks are such lovely and gracious people. They would nod and smile.
Smiley: The merry prankster strikes again

May 15, 2024 | theadvocate.com | Smiley Anders

A warning to friends and co-workers of Tim Palmer, of Lafayette: This guy likes to scare people. "I worked at the Saturn plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee, for nine years," he says. "It was built in an old cornfield. Before the facility was built, we had our office in a trailer. "Mice love living in cornfields, and they love exploring trailers. We saw them often. "One guy was at his computer when I got something and lightly rubbed his foot. He backed up so fast I nearly got run over.