Into this melodrama stepped the American defence secretary, Leon Panetta. He stopped in both countries, urged both sides to get along better and affirmed America’s pledge of mutual defence with Japan—though an unnamed senior American military official stage-whispered to the Washington Post that America wouldn’t go to war “over a rock”.

If I come home late again, my dad is gonna yell at me.

For quotations using this term, see Citations:Uniate.

“Got anybody else staying at the old snake pit?” “Five inmates in all.” “Five?” I resumed my tongue-clicking. “Golly! Uncle Tom must be frothing at the mouth a bit,” I said, for I knew the old buster's distaste for guests in the home. Even a single weekender is sometimes enough to make him drain the bitter cup. … “Bertie! Your manner is strange.” “Your manner would be strange if you'd been sitting on the floor of Wilbert Cream's sleeping apartment with a chair round your neck, and Ma Cream had come in.” “Golly! Did she?” “In person.” … “And after I had seethed for a bit I rose from my chair, took pen in hand and wrote Bobbie a stinker.” “Oh, gosh!” “I put my whole soul into it.” “Oh, golly!”