Do you have one of those private phrases in your family that sends you all into gales of laughter? You know the ones. You might not even remember who said it first or when or why. It might be a phrase that just comes up in conversation and suddenly…everyone’s laughing. And sometimes you don’t even have to say it, because just knowing that everybody is thinking it sets you off.
In the post-Jaws era, actor Robert Archibald Shaw’s name was widely recognized. But in our family, conductor Robert Lawson Shaw was also a usual topic of conversation. At one gathering, RLS’s name came up because he was coming to Portland to work with our choir. A friend snapped his head around and his eyes got wide. “You know Robert Shaw?” Our family’s collective response, the one that to this day still cracks us up, was “NOT THAT ROBERT SHAW!” It is the genesis of this crossword offering. Enjoy. In honor of my family and laughter. And yours.
Not THAT Robert Shaw Here – Click here for an interactive puzzle you can fill out in your web browser
Conversation