Trying either to forget who they are or to remember where they live

It was eight in the morning, a time when drinkers are trying either to forget who they are or to remember where they live.

T. Pratchett, Soul Music (1994), 252

The uncertain merits of things like scythes and pitchforks when used in a battle against crossbows and broadswords.

Susan did not know much about history. It always seemed a particularly dull subject. The same stupid things were done over and over again by tedious people. What was the point? One king was pretty much like another. The class was learning about some revolt in which some peasants had wanted to stop being peasants and, since the nobles had won, had stopped being peasants really quickly. Had they bothered to learn to read and acquire some history books they’d have learned about the uncertain merits of things like scythes and pitchforks when used in a battle against crossbows and broadswords.

T. Pratchett, Soul Music (1994), 39

It means “lack of success”

‘It’s still miles to go,’ she said. ‘I mean to do it,’ said Granny. ‘There’s plenty of night left.’ ‘Not enough, I’m thinking.’ ‘A witch doesn’t know the meaning of the word “failure”, Gytha.’ They shot up into the clear air again. The horizon was a line of golden light as the slow dawn of the Disc sped across the land, bulldozing the suburbs of the night. ‘Esme?’ said Nanny Ogg, after a while. ‘What?’ ‘It means “lack of success”.’ They flew in chilly silence for several seconds.

T. Pratchett, Wyrd sisters (1988), loc. 2,813

I often think this is the role I would play on quests. It would not be a helpful one.

They just should not, in Susan’s very definite and precise opinion, be allowed to take up more than a page to say so

She listened with half an ear to what the rest of the class was doing. It was a poem about daffodils. Apparently the poet had liked them very much. Susan was quite stoical about this. It was a free country. People could like daffodils if they wanted to. They just should not, in Susan’s very definite and precise opinion, be allowed to take up more than a page to say so.

Terry Pratchett, Soul Music (1994), 15