“Aregg?” Sunny asked incredulously. “Incredulously” is a word which here means “not being able to believe it,” and “Aregg” is a word which here means “What? I can’t believe it.”
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Austere Academy – Lemony Snicket
Just because something is traditional is no reason to do it, of course. Piracy, for example, is a tradition that has been carried on for hundreds of years, but that doesn’t mean we should all attack ships and steal their gold.
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Austere Academy – Lemony Snicket
Klaus had known for all twelve of his years that his older sister found a hand on her shoulder comforting–as long as the hand was attached to an arm, of course.
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Austere Academy – Lemony Snicket
Shyness is a curious thing, because, like quicksand, it can strike people at any time, and also, like quicksand, it usually makes its victims look down.
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Austere Academy – Lemony Snicket
There is a loud clink! noise that a sword makes when it hits another sword–or, in this case, a tooth–and whenever I hear it I am reminded of a swordfight I was forced to have with a television repairman not long ago.
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Miserable Mill – Lemony Snicket
If you are allergic to a thing, it is best not to put that thing in your mouth, particularly if the thing is cats.
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Wide Window – Lemony Snicket
Oftentimes, when children are in trouble, you will hear people say that it is all because of low self-esteem. “Low self-esteem” is a phrase which here describes children who do not think much of themselves. They might think that they are ugly, or boring, or unable to do anything correctly, or some combination of these things, and whether or not they are right, you can see why those sorts of feelings might lead one into trouble. In the vast majority of cases, however, getting into trouble has nothing to do with one’s self-esteem. It usually has much more to do with whatever is causing the trouble–a monster, a bus driver, a banana peel, killer bees, the school principal–than what you think of yourself.
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Miserable Mill – Lemony Snicket
“Ha!” Sunny shrieked, which meant “Ha!”
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Miserable Mill – Lemony Snicket
If you ever had a miserable experience, then you have probably had it said to you that you would feel better in the morning. This, of course, is utter nonsense, because a miserable experience remains a miserable experience even on the loveliest of mornings. For instance, if it were your birthday, and a wart-removal cream was the only present you received, someone might tell you to get a good night’s sleep and wait until morning, but in the morning the tube of wart-removal cream would still be sitting there next to your unbeaten birthday cake, and you would feel as miserable as ever. My chauffeur once told me that I would feel better in the morning, but when I woke up the two of us were still on a tiny island surrounded by man-eating crocodiles, and, as I’m sure you can understand, I didn’t feel any better about it.
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Miserable Mill – Lemony Snicket
The expression “quiet as mice” is a puzzling one, because mice can often be very noisy, so people who are being quiet as mice may in fact be squeaking and scrambling around. The expression “quiet as mimes” is more appropriate, because mimes are people who perform theatrical routines without making a sound. Mimes are annoying and embarrassing, but they are much quieter than mice, so “quiet as mimes” is a more proper way to describe hoe Violet and Sunny got up from their bunk, tiptoed across the dormitory, and walked out into the night.
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Miserable Mill – Lemony Snicket
The Love Pirate 