正如斯莱特先生偶尔宣布的那样，莫尔斯·塞塔（Mors Certa），维塔·乌格塔（Vita Incerta）。伊西多尔（Isidore），尽管他多次听到这种表达，但仅保留了关于其含义的淡淡概念。毕竟，如果一个鸡头可以理解拉丁语，他就会不再成为鸡头。
(Mors certa, vita incerta, as Mr. Sloat occasionally declared. Isidore, although he had heard the expression a number of times, retained only a dim notion as to its meaning. After all, if a chickenhead could fathom Latin he would cease to be a chickenhead.)