Allow me to introduce myself—first, negatively. ¶ No landlord is my friend and brother, no chambermaid loves me, no waiter worships me, no boots admires and envies me.

Otherwise they were marvellous wonderbeasts – half man, half fish – that had more acrobatic pep than a seal and a big knife to boot.

The politicians refused to play ball with the journalists.

Ownah? Man, dey ain't no ownah! Dem chickins is wild. Dem's prairah chickins, man, prairah chickins.