"So you've lost the books I lent you? Well, that's wonderful!"

"She gave us a two-hour lecture on how to make a cup of tea. It was really fascinating."

"We can't select you for the play. It doesn't feature simpletons."

"Yes, put the baby next to the fire. That will be the safest place."

"Don't look at me in that way - unless you want a thick ear!"

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a man in possession of a fortune must be in want of a wife.