The atmosphere in the room was so thick with dramatic clichés you could have cut it with a knife. - Jasper Fforde

“I am surprised to see you because…you died six years ago!”
“I did?” inquired Mycroft with genuine concern. “Why does no one tell me these things?”
I shrugged, as there was really no good answer to this.

"Oh, hullo, Worthing," he said in a cheery manner. "How are things?"
"Outlook stormy with a chance of scattered death moving in randomly from all points of the compass."

"Last season we had the Reduced Shakespeare Company doing 'Highlights of the Mostly Complete History of Condensing Stuff (abridged)'."