Mere abuse is no criticism.

As a child of eight Mr. Trout had once kissed a girl of six under the mistletoe at a Christmas party, but there his sex life had come to abrupt halt.

The trouble with cats is that they've got no tact.

She's a sort of human vampire-bat

There are three things in the world that he held in the smallest esteem - slugs, poets and caddies with hiccups.

And she's got brains enough for two, which is the exact quantity the girl who marries you will need.

Mike nodded. A sombre nod. The nod Napoleon might have given if somebody had met him in 1812 and said, "So, you're back from Moscow, eh?