When you make as many speeches as Chris Patten, it is not surprising to find a few stock phrases repeated. Speaking at yet another farewell function this week, he made his customary caution against changing Hong Kong's economic formula. 'When you buy a Rolls-Royce you don't tinker with the engine,' he declared.
Er, no, not usually. But it's a touch unfortunate to use the simile just after Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong's own airline has spent the past month frantically doing rather a lot of tinkering with their Rolls-Royce engines, in order to get the fleet back in the air again.
An influx of foreign journalists, desperately trying to drum up different stories about Hong Kong or recycle the old chestnuts, has produced some very novel stuff, but this week's prize goes to the Sydney Morning Herald. Their story about illegal immigrants sneaking into Hong Kong from the mainland tells of desperadoes who use chopsticks jammed in the wire mesh of the border fence to haul themselves over the top.
Chopsticks that can support a man's weight - now that's really something. Unless of course the illegal immigrants are so undernourished that they're as light as a few strands of noodles and a piece of pak choy.
A feast of hitherto unkown snippets from the life and times of Hong Kong's last colonial governor has been emerging during the flurry of farewell receptions, cocktail parties, and other occasions which Chris Patten has attended over the past few weeks.
At a recent dinner, Constitutional Affairs Secretary Nicholas Ng Wing-fui, who was responsible for the swearing in ceremony, recalled that when Mr Patten was first appointed, he made a special request which turned out to be quite a nightmare to fulfil. His wish was to take the oath of office on an antique, palm-sized Douai bible.