Tour(s) de France(s)

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TOUR(S) DE FRANCE(S)

   Friday night's NIGHTLINE was inspired by Lance Armstrong.  A reporter for USA TODAY said that Armstrong will be the first American to win three straight "Tour de Frances."
   Google ignores the "de" and shows too many hits.  An AlltheWeb search for "Tours de France" and "Tour de Frances" shows some interesting results.

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SAFIRE VACATION?

   I checked the Sunday NYT MAGAZINE, hoping that William Safire's on vacation and someone like Jesse Sheidlower or Fred Shapiro would appear in the "On Language" space.  No such luck.
   Safire's column this week explains that there are such terms as "LOL and "IMHO."