--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When she said ‘Come in!’ the commonplace…" description: "\"“When she said ‘Come in!’ the commonplace formula seemed to take on a startling significance. For good or evil, she had called in something explosive f..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84e/dorothy-l-sayers-738_outside-world_when-she-said-come-in-the-commonplace-fo_303124.jpg" --- # When she said ‘Come in!’ the commonplace formula seemed to… ![“When she said ‘Come in!’ the commonplace formula seemed to take on a startling significance. For good or evil, she had called in something explosive from the outside world to break up the ordered tranquillity of the place;” quote by Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84e/dorothy-l-sayers-738_outside-world_when-she-said-come-in-the-commonplace-fo_303124.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84e/dorothy-l-sayers-738_outside-world_when-she-said-come-in-the-commonplace-fo_303124.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84e/dorothy-l-sayers-738_outside-world_when-she-said-come-in-the-commonplace-fo_303124.jpg) > ““When she said ‘Come in!’ the commonplace formula seemed to take on a startling significance. For good or evil, she had called in something explosive from the outside world to break up the ordered tranquillity of the place;”” [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. An ordinary invitation becomes a catalyst for chaos, disrupting calm order. **In simple terms:** A simple act can unleash unexpected chaos. Key Takeaway Beware of hidden consequences of seemingly harmless actions. Themes order chaos disruption trust Mood suspenseful thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - business decisions - personal boundaries - creative writing - social movements Key Concepts narrative tension psychology mystery Questions to Reflect On - What seemingly small act changed your life? - When should you resist inviting the unknown? A Different Perspective Not every disruption is intentional or beneficial. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Called Explosive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-explosive-2892211/) [Come Commonplace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come-commonplace-2892210/) [Formula Startling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/formula-startling-2892208/) [Outside world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outside-world/) [Said Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-come-308121/) [Startling Significance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/startling-significance-2892209/) ## Related quotes > [I'd say, 'Come again?' and I'd laugh as I said, 'Come.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-griffin/i-d-say-come-again-and-i-d-laugh-as-i-said-come/) [Peter Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-griffin/) > [“He said to them, “Come and see . . .” – John 1:39”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-morgan/he-said-to-them-come-and-see-john-1-39/) [Robert J. Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-morgan/) > [Let's boogie,' he (Leo) said. 'Before I come to my senses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/let-s-boogie-he-leo-said-before-i-come-to-my-senses/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [“Will, Kayla, Austin,” I said, “come with me.” “And Nico,” said Nico. “I have a doctor’s note.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/will-kayla-austin-i-said-come-with-me-and-nico-said-nico-i-have-a/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [Two months later she said come and get your son cause I dnt want your baby to come tie me down/](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barrington-levy/two-months-later-she-said-come-and-get-your-son-cause-i-dnt-want-your/) [Barrington Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barrington-levy/) > [Osama said that he would come out of hiding if we met his 15-year-old neice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-jonas/osama-said-that-he-would-come-out-of-hiding-if-we-met-his-15-year-old/) [Joe Jonas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-jonas/) > [“My salad days, When I was green in judgment: cold in blood, To say as I said then! But, come, away; Get me ink…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/my-salad-days-when-i-was-green-in-judgment-cold-in-blood-to-say-as-i/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [THINGS JESUS NEVER SAID: "You should come with me to church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/things-jesus-never-said-you-should-come-with-me-to-church/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“and today, your bones gathered your skin and said 'Come on, let's do it again”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upile-chisala/and-today-your-bones-gathered-your-skin-and-said-come-on-let-s-do-it/) [Upile Chisala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upile-chisala/) > [“We were working on what became Finnegan's Wake, and there was a knock at the door. I didn't hear it, so when Joyce said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-were-working-on-what-became-finnegan-s-wake-and-there-was-a-knock/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“As Hagrid had said, what would come would come and he would have to meet it when it did.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/as-hagrid-had-said-what-would-come-would-come-and-he-would-have-to/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [The sea, the sea, the sea. It rolled and rolled and called to me. Come in, it said, come in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-creech/the-sea-the-sea-the-sea-it-rolled-and-rolled-and-called-to-me-come-in/) [Sharon Creech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-creech/) > [“Come,' he said, 'come, we must see and act. Devils or no devils, or all the devils at once, it matters not; we fight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bram-stoker/come-he-said-come-we-must-see-and-act-devils-or-no-devils-or-all-the/) [Bram Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bram-stoker/) > [“I started to say something, but Richard said, “Come on, Anita. We have to go now.” He was right. I could kill a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/i-started-to-say-something-but-richard-said-come-on-anita-we-have-to/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [“And God said come to the edge." "I can't. I’m afraid." "Come to the edge." "I can't. I’ll fall" "Come to the edge." I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apollinaire/and-god-said-come-to-the-edge-i-can-t-i-m-afraid-come-to-the-edge-i/) [Apollinaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apollinaire/) ## More by Dorothy L. Sayers > [“The really essential factors of success in any undertaking are money and opportunity, and as a rule, the man who can make the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/the-really-essential-factors-of-success-in-any-undertaking-are-money/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [The trouble is. . .that everybody sneers at restrictions and demands freedom, till something annoying happens; then they demand angrily what has become of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/the-trouble-is-that-everybody-sneers-at-restrictions-and-demands/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“ Peter! Were you looking for a horse-shoe?" "No; I was expecting the horse, but the shoe is a piece of pure, gorgeous luck."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/peter-were-you-looking-for-a-horse-shoe-no-i-was-expecting-the-horse/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [ “See that the mind is honest, first; the rest may follow or not as God wills. \[That\] the fundamental treason to the mind ...… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/see-that-the-mind-is-honest-first-the-rest-may-follow-or-not-as-god/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [But it is the mark of all movements, however well-intentioned, that their pioneers tend, by much lashing of themselves into excitement, to lose sight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/but-it-is-the-mark-of-all-movements-however-well-intentioned-that/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [We may argue eloquently that 'Honesty is the best Policy' - unfortunately, the moment honesty is adopted for the sake of policy it mysteriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/we-may-argue-eloquently-that-honesty-is-the-best-policy-unfortunately/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [One must not only die daily, but every day we must be born again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/one-must-not-only-die-daily-but-every-day-we-must-be-born-again/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“By teaching them all to read, we have left them at the mercy of the printed word. By the invention of the film and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/by-teaching-them-all-to-read-we-have-left-them-at-the-mercy-of-the/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [ Perhaps \[the critics are right and\] the drama is played out now and Jesus is safely dead and buried. Perhaps. It is ironical and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/perhaps-the-critics-are-right-and-the-drama-is-played-out-now-and/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [... at no point have I yet found artistic truth and theological truth at variance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/at-no-point-have-i-yet-found-artistic-truth-and-theological-truth-at/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [I have never yet heard any middle-aged man or woman who worked with his or her brains express any regret for the passing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/i-have-never-yet-heard-any-middle-aged-man-or-woman-who-worked-with/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“That was the second time within five minutes that he had warned her off his private ground. His mood had changed since the early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/that-was-the-second-time-within-five-minutes-that-he-had-warned-her/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“To obey orders in this family has been my privilege for the last twenty years--a privilege which has been an unqualified pleasure, except perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/to-obey-orders-in-this-family-has-been-my-privilege-for-the-last/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [Those who make some other person their job... are dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/those-who-make-some-other-person-their-job-are-dangerous/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“Yes, and look at the corpses. Place always reminds me of that old thing in Punch, you know—‘Waiter, take away Lord Whatsisname, he’s been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/yes-and-look-at-the-corpses-place-always-reminds-me-of-that-old-thing/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) [Explore all 386 Dorothy L. Sayers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) ## More Outside world quotes > [You just can't let the outside world affect your game.You can't hold anything back. You can't play a different game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carson-palmer/you-just-can-t-let-the-outside-world-affect-your-game-you-can-t-hold/) [Carson Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carson-palmer/) > [So long as we fear the outside world, we must cease to think of Swaraj.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/so-long-as-we-fear-the-outside-world-we-must-cease-to-think-of-swaraj/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [I do feel pressure from the outside world a little bit just because everybody wants new music, which is really nice. It just proves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alessia-cara/i-do-feel-pressure-from-the-outside-world-a-little-bit-just-because/) [Alessia Cara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alessia-cara/) > [I'd just like to see athletes awake. And aware. There's so much going on and so much to know... We stay in our little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-teter/i-d-just-like-to-see-athletes-awake-and-aware-there-s-so-much-going/) [Hannah Teter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-teter/) > [“This is one of the harshest after effects of the pandemic that I am witnessing some and experiencing some, a diminished ability to deal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shellen-lubin/this-is-one-of-the-harshest-after-effects-of-the-pandemic-that-i-am/) [Shellen Lubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shellen-lubin/) > [“No knowledge comes from the outside world or an imaginary supernatural paradise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/no-knowledge-comes-from-the-outside-world-or-an-imaginary/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“With the outside world damp and grey, she had the perfect excuse to hide herself away at the cottage again—except this time, instead of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-grace/with-the-outside-world-damp-and-grey-she-had-the-perfect-excuse-to/) [Melody Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-grace/) > [“The female guard in R&D explained that they had no women's street clothes, so she gave me the smallest pair of men's jeans they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piper-kerman/the-female-guard-in-r-d-explained-that-they-had-no-women-s-street/) [Piper Kerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piper-kerman/) > [“Often what prevents us from seeing beauty in the outside world is the fact that we fail to see beauty in ourselves and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-j-ciorra/often-what-prevents-us-from-seeing-beauty-in-the-outside-world-is-the/) [Anthony J Ciorra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-j-ciorra/) > [I didn't go to school, because I never stayed anywhere long enough, so I was completely closed off from the outside world. I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neon-hitch/i-didn-t-go-to-school-because-i-never-stayed-anywhere-long-enough-so/) [Neon Hitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neon-hitch/) > [“It is not uncommon in the modern world for people to retreat into the world of books to escape from the realities of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-rifkin/it-is-not-uncommon-in-the-modern-world-for-people-to-retreat-into-the/) [Jeremy Rifkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-rifkin/) > [“If you want to live your life in a creative way, as an artist, you have to not look back too much. 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And maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-decker/i-know-he-says-it-s-a-mind-upload-problem-said-aideen-but-we-won-t/) [Steven Decker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-decker/) [Browse all 714 Outside world quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outside-world/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When she said ‘Come in!’ the commonplace formula seemed to take on a startling significance. For good or evil, she had called in something explosive from the outside world to break up the ordered tranquillity of the place;”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dorothy L. 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