Ask Clay: I'm fed up to here with Christmas

Today’s question:

OK, I’m sorry to say so, but I am now officially sick and tired of Christmas. I’d have to go back in the files and check, but I think this maybe my earliest date ever for being sick and tired of Christmas.

It’s a shame, but Christmas actually is my all-time favorite holiday. It’s such a nice time of the year, but this year it just seems like it’s been going on and on for months already.

This wouldn’t happen if you people paid attention to the Valley 101 Christmas Rule, which says Christmas doesn’t start until my older daughter’s birthday and that’s still a couple weeks away.

Ah well, I suppose there is no hope for that. We might as well find something else to talk about.

While recently re-watching “”Downton Abbey” I heard one of the characters said Mary's baby George was “rich as creases.’’ What an odd phrase. Any ideas about it?

Rich as creases? Close but no cigar. The expression is “rich as Croesus.” I think its pronounced “kree-sas” with the emphasis on the “kree.” In ancient Greece Croesus was king of Lydia. He ruled from 560 B.C. until about 546 B.C. when he was defeated by the Persian king Cyrus.

Croesus was famous for his wealth, which I think he amassed mostly by putting the arm on his weaker neighbors. And he is credited with issuing the first gold coins, although they were really electrum, a natural alloy of gold and silver.

There is a story involving Croesus asking the wise Greek Solon if he was the happiest man in the world because he was so rich. Long story short: no.