Characters from the wonderful Barbara Pym’s An Unsuitable Attachment, discussing academics and their writing production:

“ … my wife says that we anthropologists are like a housewife faced with the remains of yesterday’s stew and wondering whether it can possibly be eked out to make another meal.”

“You can do that all right with a stew,” said Penelope. “Add a few more vegetables, some carrots or a tin of peas, and a bouillon cube – or even just water – and serve rather a lot of potatoes with it.”

“But how does it work with an anthropologist’s material?’ asked Ianthe. “Surely that’s more difficult?”

“Surprisingly, it isn’t,” said Everard. “Many have made only one short field trip and yet they go on using that material in articles and even books for the rest of their lives. Just a few more vegetables or a bouillon cube,” he turned to Penelope, smiling, “and sometimes a great deal too many potatoes.”