28 Comments
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Rona Maynard's avatar

Well, THAT was a first sentence to remember. Fun literary fact: the Wife of Bath was gap-toothed, thought to be the sign of a lusty nature.

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Deirdre Lewis's avatar

Ha! And I love that, it makes sense to me.

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Holly Starley's avatar

Oh that jalopy full of mosquitos! More than one has had its way with me and I never imagined I’d be having sexy imaginings about such affairs. I, too, I’m drawn to a gap in front teeth. And great opening video. 🦟💦

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Deirdre Lewis's avatar

They are the worst, I tried to pretend something nice about them and it didn't work!

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Nancy Friedman's avatar

Have you seen Les Blank's documentary “Gap-Toothed Women"? https://lesblank.com/films/gap-toothed-women-1987-2/

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Deirdre Lewis's avatar

I take that back. I have seen it! Ha. I just watched it again. Thanks so much for sending that.

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Deirdre Lewis's avatar

Oh wow, no. But I love Les Blank, I’ll watch it!

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Siobhán O'Connor's avatar

That mosquito is a ho. He stopped by my bedroom one night last year and left me whimpering. I stopped counting his love bites at 120. Not scratching myself for the 48 hours that followed was the definition of mental anguish.

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Deirdre Lewis's avatar

I knew it!

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Rosana S's avatar

'some people have teeth that seem to be telling you something' - hilarious. Really enjoyed this piece, great writing (and a few laughs, coming from a fellow humourist is not bad at all)

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Deirdre Lewis's avatar

Thank you so much, this is the first thing I read online this morning so I appreciate it!

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Susie Mawhinney's avatar

That video is brilliant… love it! Mosquitoes less so, yet no matter how I show my hatred of them they love me back regardless… aren’t I lucky!

A gap between the front teeth, now I’ve always believed what you say to be true, until I let one of my students this year who has the exact opposite qualities! How to teach a child like that? I don’t know… and I’ve probably Thats same child for at least the next three years. I wish you could dash over occasionally (like every lesson) and love her for me…

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Deirdre Lewis's avatar

And that video is from Sicily, the guy playing the horn is a trumpet player named Carmelo Salemi! I loved it too.

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Deirdre Lewis's avatar

Ha! I woke up covered in bites so I tried to imagine something nice about it, at least something to think of them without rage and vengeance. Try it with your student!

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Stephanie Sweeney's avatar

“What is it about a gap between the two front teeth that instantly makes me love that person?” They say “unrestrained joy” to me — I don’t know why!

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Deirdre Lewis's avatar

Yes I always imagine them in a mouth that is smiling!

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Miguel Tejada-Flores's avatar

A truly wonderful opening video, that made my feet tap and made me smile.

And... wonderful observations about mosquitos. Especially the first galant semi-romantic one. It made me remember that, unlike in English and Spanish, which share the same word for 'mosquito', in French, the s, q and t do a crazy shuffle and wind up all over the place - 'moustique' is the Gallic version. Kind of makes a person wonder... Are French moustiques more romantic than American mosquitoes? Instead of bouncing over country roads in a badly-in-need-of-a-tuneup jalopy, do they cruise along the Côte d'Azur in a tiny Citroen decapotable with the top down, blasting Piaf's 'Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien' to all within earshot, before stopping for a mandatory apéritif of Pernod + freshly squeezed biped blood?

One way to find out would be to head for the French Riviera, reporter's notebook in hand... If that's not practical, it's possible the answer may also be found in Cocteau's post-war masterpiece, La Belle et la Bête (which some French entomologists also refer to as, 'La Belle et la Moustique')

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Deirdre Lewis's avatar

And yes I've watched that video 100 times! It's in Sicily. And the horn player is a trumpeter named Carmelo Salemi!

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Deirdre Lewis's avatar

Thank you for this! And I Love the idea of heading to the French Riviera for a journalistic approach.

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Ben Wakeman's avatar

I think you managed to make mosquitos pretty sexy.

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Deirdre Lewis's avatar

ha!

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David Roberts's avatar

Especially loved the Ed Harris anecdote. I imagined him in his Glengarry persona, aggrieved at the world. I wonder if actors take on those personas from time to time as instinct.

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Deirdre Lewis's avatar

I think it’s hard to shake off, especially just after an intense two hour performance!

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David Roberts's avatar

Great excuse for being in a nasty mood!

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Reflections's avatar

That’s great you did a reading and sold all your books! Congratulations

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Deirdre Lewis's avatar

Thank you! 💕 wish you had been there!

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Jul 16
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Deirdre Lewis's avatar

Ha! Thank you so much for this and yes to all of it! :)

And so true how our teeth somehow say something about us. I have heard that your teeth and your car are a reflection of you. Not just what they look like (what model) but how you take care of them.

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Jul 7, 2024
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Deirdre Lewis's avatar

Oh I love that. It definitely spoke to me too. I look forward to your piece!

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