The Letter Y

Yellow

I painted the two main living areas on the first floor in shades of yellow - one a bold yellow called Deep Cowslip; the other almost a toasty brown called Apple Crisp.

Yellow Submarine

When I was eight, Yellow Submarine was my favorite song in the whole world. Not long after, it was Yesterday. I must have started at the wrong end of the alphabet, for I never heard Julia (that I can remember) until Smita played it for me at Smith.

Yesterday

When I was about nine, this was my favorite song. Probably because I could sing it nice and low, which is just about the only way I can tolerate my singing voice.

Yo-Yos

Fling your arm out, roll it up, and catch it up again. Sometimes you have to ...um, acquire ... the project yoyo back from a certain coworker.

Yon Yonson (childhood spelling)

One of the classic childhood tunes - sung with a hugely fake scandihoovian accent: My name is Jon Jonsson, I come from Wisconsin. I work in the lumberyards there ...

Young Frankenstein

Mel Brooks' best movie - by a hair over Blazing Saddles.

Yule

At 6 p.m. every December 24, my family gathers at the door, flings it open, and welcomes in Yule. My mother drops some Norwegian, my father jocularly urges "the Spirit" in. One of the cats darts in the open door, I start to shiver, and my brother flicks on the christmas lights.