The Slice: Guess our little metro area must only extend so far

A friend who works in a downtown Spokane shop tried to help a customer.

“He was looking for something that we normally stock, but we were out,” said my friend. “I told him that we have it on order and could call him when it comes in.”

The customer said he was from out of town and didn’t get here very often.

My friend asked the guy where he lives.

“Liberty Lake,” said the customer.

Slice answers: In the matter of your first thought when the doorbell rings, Ann Echegoyen said the answer is obvious. She quoted writer Dorothy Parker: “What fresh hell is this?”

Among the other answers:

“UPS guy,” said Bill Shugg.

“Young people in the neighborhood looking for work,” said Janet Culbertson.

“Let the machine answer it,” said Carlos Lynch.

Several others said the first reaction would be surprise because their doorbells haven’t worked for years.

Speaking of doorbells: Here’s a personal note to the pizza delivery kid.

I wasn’t drunk the other night. I had fallen asleep in a chair and stood up so fast it left me dizzy for a minute or so.

Identify the movie character who was not a newspaper columnist: A) J.J. Hunsecker in “Sweet Smell of Success.” B) Ellsworth M. Toohey in “The Fountainhead.” C) Ernie Souchak in “Continental Divide.” D) Ann Mitchell in “Meet John Doe.” E) J.J. Gittes in “Chinatown.” F) Michael McDougal in “The Paper.” G) Mark Forman in “Heartburn.”

The answer is above today’s question.

Vittles: Glancing at a front-page promo for a food story Wednesday, Karen Mobley saw “porcine” but thought it said “porcupine.”

Answer: E.

Today’s Slice question: What vile candy did you love as a kid?