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Why, my cabinet members can do all sorts of things. The duke here can make mountains out of molehills. The minister splits hairs. The count makes hay while the sun shines. The earl leaves no stone unturned. And the undersecretary, he finished ominously, "hangs by a thread."
— Norton Juster • The Phantom Tollbooth
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
The passage gives officials exaggerated abilities by turning familiar expressions into apparent tasks. The succession culminates in hanging by a thread, making figurative speech sound literal without verifying magical powers.
Context reviewed