A little lad answering the front door to the rent collector...... "My mum told me to tell you that she wasn't in."
I don't want to sidetrack this thread but this reminded me of an incident in my early life. For some reason I had not gone to work on a particular day and when the phone rang the woman on the other end asked if my mother was home. I quite truthfully answered that my mom had died. Well you cold almost taste the emotion that was on the line.