World War II drained the community of physicians and health personnel, created housing shortages and job mobility, and served to push more people into a crazyquilt variety of nursing homes which seemed to assure housing and medical care.

Sorry, I took you for someone else.

Joyce knew things were going badly, but she couldn’t find her tongue to smooth it out. A million dangerous double entendres were sitting at the back of her throat, and, if she opened her mouth even a slit (!), she feared one of them was going to come out.

[S]ince by our commission we are not warranted to treat but with the noblemen named by his majesty with the advice of the peers, and are particularly warranted to make exception against the earl of Traquair, for his malversation in the matter of the assembly and parliament, …