More from Quick Curtain, by Alan Melville:

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It is suprising how much amusement can be got out of the simple things of life. A statuette broken and placed together the wrong way is a fairly good example....

"It's a very good thing our backsides are at the backside, isn't it?" said Mr. Wilson, junr.

***

"I'll bet a thousand pounds to the bottom button of my waistcoat that it was Gwen Astle who did the writing."

"The bottom button of your waistcoat," said Derek, "is missing. You've lost the bet."

***

"A gentleman to see the master," said Martha.

"What's his name?" asked Mr. Wilson.

"Gent called Jenkinson, sir."

"Jenkinson?"

"That's what he said, sir," said Martha, standing her ground firmly.

***

Miss Prune [one of those prim character types whose speech is rendered complete with its "flet vowels"] sent telegram (i) on its first hop towards Mr. Wilson in London with an uneasy feeling that she was conniving at something that wasn't altogether naice.

[Btw, this is in the course of an amusing series of hectoring telegrams back and forth; and I note that this book was published the same year as Right Ho, Jeeves!--which may well have been Wodehouse's first use of the telegram business. So possibly a case of Great Minds Thinking Alike, rather than a minor author taking a cue from Plum.]

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[A fictitious play with a genericized place name!]

"We signed on with a touring company of a musical comedy--I forget the name... The Girl from Somewhere-or-other."

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[And speaking of unintended compliments...]

"Mr...."

"Hopkinson," said Derek.

"Oh, Hopkinson? It looked like Hepplewaite in the register."

"Thank you," said Derek.

***

[Oath Aunts dept. (A great-aunt, no less!)]

"Mrs. Wright my Great-aunt Maggie," said Derek.

***

[While spelling "Nebuchadnezzar" (for a telegram, of course).]

"Two z's," said Derek patiently. "One for zebra. And then another one, just like the first, for Zam-buk."

[I had to look that up! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zam-Buk]

***

P. C. Root and P. C. Lightfoot had nodded their heads vigorously at each of Mr. Wilson's "understands," with the result that their helmets were now seriously impeding their vision.

***

"Wilson speaking from Craile....Craile.... C-r-a--oh, it doesn't matter--Wilson speaking from Llandudno...."

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Mr. Amethyst... often thought it would be a good thing if Mr. Douglas would hold the [aftershow] party in public and keep the actual production in camera.