Quotes from Hammett's _Red Harvest_

"A soiled dove, as the fellow says."

"Dinah told me you were a pretty good guy, except kind of Scotch with the roll."

"That's why he's a pork and beaner when he's as good as the best."

"Plans are all right sometimes . . . And sometimes just stirring things up is all right--if you're tough enough to survive, and keep your eyes open so you'll see what you want when it comes to the top."

"Let's listen to the rest of it, I like details and things."

"There's no sense in a man picking out the worst name he can find for everything."

"You're making a fine pair of clowns of us. Be still while I get up or I'll make an opening in your head for brains to leak in."

"Jerry had another try at me. The girl spoiled it by heaving the corpse at him."

"I'm getting sick of this killing."

"I'm sick of this butchering."

"Let's get the rest of the kicks squared."

"I was in a good spot if I played my hand right, and in a terrible one if I didn't."

"We could tell better maybe who's entitled to beef if you'd give us what you got first."

"This damned burg's getting to me. If I don't get away soon I'll be going blood-simple like the natives."

"With the gin in me I returned to the dining room, switched on the lights, and looked at the dead girl."

"Why should I stoop to conceal the fact that there are those who feel justified in preferring to substitute the definite article for the indefinite?"

"I spent the evening in my room, drinking unpleasant whiskey, thinking unpleasant thoughts, and waiting for reports that didn't come."

"I was making one of my favorite complaints--that newspapers were good for nothing except to hash things up so nobody could unhash them--when I heard a boy chanting my name."

"Here's the proposish:"

"I don't want him to get any ideas that I'm dodging a rumpus with him or any other guy."

"I'd have given him the big umpchay twice for the straight dope."

"crack the hoosegow"

"This is the bunk."

"I haven't laughed so much over anything since the hogs ate my kid brother."

"Find another wet nurse."

"Seems it was a juicy row while it lasted--no duck soup for the coppers at that."

"I got no more belly left than Peter Collins."