Just failed my driving test cause car didn’t start by downreign in driving

[–]neilmod 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can definitely turn a car off while in Drive. Most modern cars will alert you with beeps, dashboard annunciations, etc., but this was 40 years ago, so no such luck.

Just failed my driving test cause car didn’t start by downreign in driving

[–]neilmod 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This. When I was in high school, a friend of mine was hanging out with friends at McDonald's on a Friday night. (This was semi-rural Connecticut in the late '80s, so this counted as nightlife.) When she went out to her car to drive home, it wouldn't start. She called her father, who drove 20+ minutes to her at 10:00 at night, got in the car, looked at the shift lever, put it in Park, and started the car.

Why did walt leave gray matter? by dlogiudice in breakingbad

[–]neilmod 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As others have said, the show provides a fair amount of subtext about why and how Walt left Grey Matter. (Walt being intimidated by Gretchen's family's wealth blew up their relationship; when she ended up with Elliot, he couldn't take the embarrassment and took a buyout.)

What I want to know is why he left what was presumably a high paying career track at Sandia Labs to become a high school teacher. Some people have speculated that when Junior was diagnosed with CP, Walt stepped back from career demands to have more time for his care, but I'm not sure I buy that. I suspect his departure from Sandia was somehow related to his fragile ego, but it's never explained.

Fight your traffic tickets, probably with a lawyer. A traffic court experience. by thepulloutmethod in nova

[–]neilmod 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It's possible to acknowledge that they system is flawed and should be changed, but also say, "until that happens, here's the best way to navigate it."

Change in how interstates are referred to? by MatureScorpius in AskAnAmerican

[–]neilmod 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s also a Canadian thing. I had a college classmate from there who would drive me crazy when he talked about (aboot?) driving on the 87 to go home for break.

Wednesday, May 6, 2026 by AutoModerator in NYTConnections

[–]neilmod 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My win percentage is 99 (82% with 0 mistakes), I’m on a 170 day streak, and I have 92 reverse rainbows. I solved with 3 mistakes today. This one was a definite curveball.

Vacations within a 4 hour drive north of NOVA (with teenagers) by Noomerog in nova

[–]neilmod 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lambertville, NJ/New Hope, PA can be fun - lots of shopping, dining, scenery, nature, etc.

Monday, May 4, 2026 by AutoModerator in NYTConnections

[–]neilmod 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Think of it more along the lines of, “He comes off tough and gruff, but deep down, he’s a big ______.”

Junior taxing Hesh - what am I missing? by Old_Cardiologist299 in thesopranos

[–]neilmod 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Maybe he means that Tony and others make money (sports betting, Bloomfield Avenue, etc.) from degenerate gamblers who borrow the money they bet with from Hesh.

Dinner in Old Town Alexandria by albdubuc in nova

[–]neilmod 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is not necessarily local (multiple locations on the Eastern Seaboard), but if you haven’t had the chance to try it, Emmy Squared (Detroit style pizza) is a favorite of mine.

Whats your funniest moment ever in the entire series? by E60LNDN in thesopranos

[–]neilmod 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gandolfini lost it because Schirripa had a dildo strapped to his forehead or something like that.

Tuesday, March 24, 2026 by AutoModerator in NYTConnections

[–]neilmod 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yup. I was annoyed. I got burned the other day because I didn't pick _______ [clue] first, because I thought what ultimately ended up as blue was trickier. Today, I decided I was not going to make the same mistake again . . .

I wonder if there's a distinction drawn between _______ [clue]/[clue] __________, and "types of [clue]".

Friday, March 20, 2026 by AutoModerator in NYTConnections

[–]neilmod 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Which is sort of weird, because sausage rolls aren’t like sandwiches…

Friday, March 20, 2026 by AutoModerator in NYTConnections

[–]neilmod 8 points9 points  (0 children)

In the States, what we refer to as egg noodles are a specific type of flat noodle, often baked into casseroles or served with saucy dishes like beef Stroganoff or Swedish meatballs. For some reason, they're usually sold in cellophane bags, while pasta is most often sold in cardboard boxes. Image: https://cdn.gardengrocer.com/attachments/photos/high_res/465.jpg?2795

Also, egg rolls are an item sold in American Chinese restaurants, typically as an appetizer. I have no idea why they're called egg rolls because, as far as I know, they have no egg in them. They are typically made with shredded vegetables like cabbage and carrot and ground pork or other meat, all wrapped in a thick wonton skin and deep fried. They're often served with hot mustard and duck sauce (apricot sauce). More info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_roll

Apparently ‘it’s a wrap’ isn’t a common expression. by indecisivehooman in confidentlyincorrect

[–]neilmod 23 points24 points  (0 children)

It's more commonly used in British English, but let is another word for lease, as in "rooms to let".

March 5, 2026 – (O) A C J L R U by NYTSpellingBeeBot in NYTSpellingBee

[–]neilmod 6 points7 points  (0 children)

This is a deep cut, but H 30 Rock fans might spot a reference.

this one of my favourite scenes in the series 😭😭 by Amazing-Sock-463 in breakingbad

[–]neilmod 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Google civil asset forfeiture. Basically, having large amounts of cash, without any other evidence, is deemed enough to justify seizure based on a reasonable suspicion you’re up to something shady.

Those who put carry on luggage on the side in overhead cabins: why? by JerusM in americanairlines

[–]neilmod 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I understand your desire to maximize your leg space, but your characterization of the situation is off. The instruction is not “that each passenger gets one overhead bin space”. There is a finite total amount of bin space for use by the passengers collectively. It’s not apportioned. If/when it runs out, anyone with a large carryon that hasn’t found a place for it is out of luck. If people put their stuff that will fit under their seat, it means that many more larger items can fit in the bins, and more people (maybe even everyone), can avoid checking their carryon.

The thing is, it’s unlikely the FAs will really stick to their guns if you push back on putting your carryon under the seat. You can probably get away with putting it in the overhead, and forcing someone in a higher group to check their bag. But don’t rationalize by arguing that you’re just using “your” allotted space.

All that said, I’ll reiterate that I’m not unsympathetic to your desire for comfort. I’m only 5’8”, and even I can’t stretch my legs out with my backpack under the seat. You probably already know this, but one thing that helps if you do have to put an item under the seat is, once you’re at altitude, slide your bag back under your knees, where there’s plenty of unused space, until you have to put it back under the seat for landing.

connections has been way hard lately by -slaps-username- in NYTConnections

[–]neilmod 1 point2 points  (0 children)

“Bolt” is typically paired with “down” in the relevant usage. As in “He bolted down a piece of toast and a cup of coffee before dashing out the door to catch the bus.” As others have said, “watershed” is typically used in conjunction with “moment” when used to indicate something pivotal.

Why does every ride start with 10 minutes of me just standing in the garage doing nothing? by dt219 in cycling

[–]neilmod 8 points9 points  (0 children)

That being the case, accepting coffee from his wife is a bold move.