The end of the year is upon us and in the mad swirl resulting, thinking or writing of something serious gets lost in the shuffle. We turn instead to some tidbits we've been collecting.

Perhaps you have heard some of these utterances made by people before a disaster fell upon them, perhaps they made you chuckle because you remember saying them. Here goes:

I'm going for the world record.

It's guaranteed fireproof.

This car floats.

He seems to be just hibernating.

What does this button do?

I'm making a citizen's arrest.

It's probably just a rash.

Is the power off?

No, my shoes aren't untied.

The odds of that happening have to be a million to one!

What duck, what scaffold?

Which wire am I supposed to cut?

I've seen this done on TV.

These are the good kind of mushrooms.

I hope they speak English.

It can't possibly rain for 40 days and nights.

This doesn't taste right.

I can make this light before it changes.

Nice doggie.

I can do that with my eyes closed.

Hey, that's not a violin.

You wouldn't hit a guy with glasses on, would you?

OK, this is the last time.

Don't be so superstitious.

We believe this planet has an atmosphere just like on earth.

I took your parking space?

It's pure natural and herbal.

I don't care about higher taxes for a new library.

I want a supermarket close by, no matter what.

The Park District Commission is non-political.

The brown water from the kitchen sink is safe.

I'll take the dog for a walk at 9 p.m.

Happy New Year!