Scalloped potatoes

“These movies are to Fox News what scalloped potatoes are to Pop Rocks soaked in Red Bull and PCP. A balm”: Virginia Heffernan writes in praise of Hallmark Christmas movies.

Good call, TCM

Among the Christmas movies on the TCM schedule: The Apartment (dir. Billy Wilder, 1960), airing today (4:45 Central). I’ve always thought of The Apartment as a Christmas movie, and I’m glad TCM does too.

Elaine’s little phrase

Elaine thinks that “the little phrase” from Venteuil’s Sonata for Piano and Violin that runs through Swann’s Way may have its model in a piece by Mendelssohn. As far as either of us can tell, no one has made this suggestion before.

Related reading
All OCA Proust posts (Pinboard)

An observer observed observing

Général de Froberville, the Marquis de Bréauté, Charles Swann, and an observer:

Marcel Proust, Swann’s Way, trans. Lydia Davis (New York: Viking, 2002).

Each man in this scene wears a monocle. Individual monocles, as seen from Swann’s perspective, are the subject of extensive description before and after this sentence.

Related reading
All OCA Proust posts (Pinboard)

Christmas 1920

[“Tree for Horses in Boston: They Nibble Apples and Sugar From Branches in Post Office Square.” The New York Times, December 25, 1920.

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it.

[Post Office Square: at the intersection of Milk, Congress, Pearl, and Water Streets.]

Cover for the turn of the year

[Harry Bliss, “In with the New.” The New Yorker, December 28, 2020. Click for a larger view.]

Some background on the cover here.

[There’s still plenty of time for him to burn things. But today it’s time for golf.]

Alvin will return

Gunther at Lexikaliker shares the good news that Alvin & Co. will return. A welcome development for all fans of “supplies.”

Mystery actor

[Click for a larger view.]

Do you recognize her? Leave your answer in a comment. I’ll drop a hint if necessary.

*

Here’s a hint: There’s a farm in her future.

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Another hint: Also space travel.

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Oh well. The answer is now in the comments.

More mystery actors (Collect them all!)
? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ? : ?

[Garner’s Modern English Usage notes that “support for actress seems to be eroding.” I use actor.]

“Pestilential and longed-for”

Two staircases. Odette will travel one, to her old dressmaker’s apartment. Swann now travels the other, in the home of the Marquise de Saint-Euverte.

Marcel Proust, Swann’s Way, trans. Lydia Davis (New York: Viking, 2002).

Related reading
All OCA Proust posts (Pinboard)

[Anfractuosity : “a winding channel or course especially : an intricate path or process (as of the mind).”]

Dokchok

[All foods are vignettes. Click for a larger vignette.]

We ordered takeout yesterday, the last takeout of the year before our favorite restaurant (Thai) closes for a short vacation. And we received a special treat: dokchok, or dokjok, a traditional Thai dessert. It’s delicious — a thin, crispy treat. Here’s an explanation of how it’s made. Thank you, Mao, Aoy, and Pean.