From Murder at Midyears, by Marion Mainwaring.

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[Department of Non-Words]

Miss Gaw let out an explosive sound which was suppressed before it took shape as a word.

***

[Department of Decontextualized Mittens]

A red angora mitten lay on the seat.

[The story also includes a gratuitous reference to English muffins.]

***

[from a bit where someone is reading out a proof for correction]

"Capital he is somewhat like a salamander comma and lives in the flame of love...."

***

a square short man with a florid face, sleek as a platitude

***

the knobbed and begargoyled chair he had offered

***

"They must return it to me at once," replied Younghusband, glaring at Sampson, who seemed to have become for him a convenient symbol of They.

[Btw, Younghusband's first name is Noah, and he's upwards of ninety years old.]

***

"She was like nothing so much as a thick, comfortable Christmas candle."

[My math could be wrong, but I have a feeling that--apart from candles in the wind--it's rare to see someone compared to a candle.]

***

"The sociologists call it... 'cementing college-community relations.'"

"Why do they always 'cement' relations?" sighed Miss Dixon fastidiously.

Mitchell explained [Rhetorical Questions Answered dept.], "Why, it's a figure of speech, Miss Dixon. 'Relations' is an abstract noun, whereas--"

Jill interrupted quickly. "I've always wanted to see a Sociological Relation. I picture it as a sort of giant jellyfish."

"Don't tell the police that," said Mary Gaw, "or they'll start hunting for it."

 

[and a little later in the same scene]

"The police bureau must be the repository of many secrets.... Can anyone tell me why secrets are invariably kept in repositories?"

"One of my favorite words, 'repositories,'" Cohn said sentimentally.