Norm Crosby, comic mangler of language, dies at 93

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LOS ANGELES (AP) - Norm Crosby, the deadpan mangler of the English language who 栄えるd in the 1960s, ´70s and ´80s as a television, nightclub and casino comedian, has died. He was 93.

Crosby´s daughter-in-法律, Maggie Crosby, told The New York Times that the comic died Saturday of heart 失敗 in Los Angeles.

早期に in his career, Crosby had realized he needed a gimmick to differentiate himself from the burgeoning 世代 of comedians who were 達成するing fame on the many 網状組織 TV variety shows.

"I was looking around for fresh ideas, and I kept 審理，公聴会 people misuse words," he told an interviewer in 1989. "So I started to use it in my 行為／法令／行動する."

He called the famed baby doctor Benjamin Spock "Dr. Spook." With straight-直面するd 誠実, he said people "should have an apathy for one another; they should have rappaport for each other." Today´s kids, he said, "gotta 削減（する） that umbrella cord and 分裂（する）."

Crosby's first 安定した work as a comic （機の）カム at Blinstrub´s in his native Boston, which led to an 約束／交戦 in the 早期に 1960s at the prestigious Latin ４半期/4分の1 in New York.

In his 広範囲にわたって read newspaper column, Walter Winchell gave the comedian a rave, and 申し込む／申し出s from Johnny Carson and other TV shows and club dates 注ぐd in. Crosby became a favorite at the major Las Vegas and 大西洋 City casinos and played theaters, 含むing many times at London´s Palladium, and concert halls. He also was a 正規の／正選手 guest on Dean ツバメ´s celebrity roasts.

Starting in 1978, he starred in a 企業連合（する）d TV show, "Norm Crosby´s Comedy Shop." For many years he served as co-host with Jerry 吊りくさび on the Labor Day 週末 telethon for muscular dystrophy.

As a public performer, Crosby 栄えるd にもかかわらず having poor 審理，公聴会. During World War II, he served 船内に a Coast Guard 潜水艦 chaser, and concussion from the depth 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金s 損失d his ears. He wore a 審理，公聴会 援助（する） onstage.

"I was never shy about my 審理，公聴会 loss, probably because I got it from 軍の service," he explained in a 1993 interview. "I got thousands of letters from people who had said they would never get a 審理，公聴会 援助（する） but had changed their minds after they saw me 存在 open about it."

Crosby was a longtime 広報担当者 for the Better 審理，公聴会 学校／設ける and hosted an 年次の ゴルフ 利益 for the 原因（となる）. In 2009, he was の中で those 栄誉（を受ける）d by the Starkey 審理，公聴会 創立／基礎, which raised 基金s to 分配する 審理，公聴会 援助（する）s to children in need.

Norman Lawrence Crosby was born in Boston in 1927. "Like most comedians, I was the funny kid in the family and in the 近隣," he explained in 1993. "I was always told I should entertain."

The war 介入するd, but after his 発射する／解雇する, he saw the practical value of a 安定した 職業 over show 商売／仕事 and 入会させるd at the Boston School of Art. He worked as a 商業の artist and for a while ran a small advertising 機関. But he still 充てるd evenings and 週末s to honing his 成し遂げるing 技術s.

In October 2001, Crosby appeared at a Friars Club 利益 栄誉（を受ける）ing TV 生産者 Aaron （一定の）期間ing, who had been 病んでいる with 癌. Instead of his usual word play, the comedian 成し遂げるd a parody of the Gettysburg 演説（する）／住所 in which he 賞賛するd （一定の）期間ing.

Crosby married Joan Crane Foley in 1966. They had two children.