Original artwork, not a still
The Phantom Tollbooth • 1961
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."
Behind the line
What it means
Our 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
