Mandy Patinkin (aka Inigo Montoya of “The Princess Bride”) thanked the woman profusely for saving his life as my wife and her sisters looked on from their nearby table yesterday.  Apparently Mr.Patinkin had choked on his lunch at Louie’s in Manhattan and was snatched from the hands of Death by a five-fingered stranger familiar with Dr.Heimlich’s maneuver.

At first the compassionate good Samaritan struggled to dislodge the lunch special from Mr.Patinkin’s golden throat.  Yet the stranger stayed calm, even smiling at times, causing Mr.Patinkin to ask, “Why are you smiling?”

“Because I know something you don’t know,” replied the hero,”I am not left handed.”

Switching to his right, the stranger effortlessly forced up Mandy’s meal to the applause of strangers throughout the eatery.  Louie, the stranger and Mr.Patinkin were not available for comment.

Mr.Patinkin has given the world a handful of shlocky (not shloggy) CDs over the years but made up for it by first speaking the quotable one-liners “You keep using this word.  I don’t think it means what you think it means” and “You killed my father.  Prepare to die.” Mr.Patinkin, we’re glad you’re alive.  Shalom.