- [John Ebony's first day teaching. The students are taking turns reading from a history book]
- Wittering: [faintly] hypotenuse... hypotenuse... hypotenuse
- John Ebony: Who's that muttering?
- Wittering: Me, sir.
- Lipstrob: He can't help it, sir.
- Cuthbun: He says 'hypotenuse' all the time, sir.
- Ankerton: He likes the word.
- Aggeridge: Mr. Pelham said he was 'hypotenus-ed' by it, sir!
- [general laughter]
- John Ebony: Stop it! Very well, you've had ample warning. This form will kept in on Saturday afternoon from 2:30.
- Cloistermouth: It's not a good idea, sir.
- John Ebony: Why is that, Cloistermouth?
- Cloistermouth: Mr. Pelham tried it once, sir.
- Terhew: The week before last.
- Cloistermouth: And that's why we killed him, sir.
- [long silence]