Slartibartfast: You must come with me, quickly or, or you'll be late!
Arthur: Late for what?
Slartibartfast: What? Oh, no...What is your name, earthman?
Arthur: Dent. Arthur Dent.
Slartibartfast: Late, as in the late Dentarthurdent. It's a kind of threat, you see.
Slartibartfast: Ever heard of a place... I think it's called Norway? That was one of mine. I got an award for it.
Zaphod Beedlebrox: Hey, excuse me - is this guy boring you? Why don't you talk to me instead? I'm from a different planet...it's true. You want to see my spaceship?
Ford: Time is an illusion - lunchtime, doubly so.
Arthur Dent: You're President, can't you do anything?
Zaphod Beedlebrox: Presidents don't actually have power. Their job is to draw attention away from it.
Chosen answer: Because it was a radio show originally, Douglas Adams would write broadcasts from show to show. He did not know where something would lead, which let the plot become random and funny. So ultimately it was originally created to be funny, then he found a way to link it back in later.