Recently I've noticed a funny trait that Columbo displays in almost every episode(many of you very astute fans probably observed this years ago). He seems to wander off tangent while questioning witnesses or suspects. I noticed this during "Etude in Black", he is talking to Benedict about how beautiful his home is, then he starts talking about his father's yearly income and his own salary as a police officer. It's funny to watch how this tests the patience of the person he is talking with.

Donna - you're quite right about the lieuten-ahhh will you look at that honey over there. They just don't make cars like this anymore. Look at the lines on this thing.

This entertainment is certainly not restricted to "Etude in Black."

In "The Greenhouse Jungle," Columbo further annoys
Jarvis Goodland by interrupting the line of conversation to praise his own shot on Goodland's pool table.

Martin Hollister of "Dead Weight" and Milo Janus of "An Exercise in Fatality" sound almost identical as they remind Columbo to get back on track:
"You did not come all the way out here to talk about life on the high seas."
"You did not come here to talk about your wife's eating habits."

Getting back to Season 2, we must not forget the negative first impression he made on Barry Mayfield by forcing the murderous doctor to repeat his question of "What do you want?"

Frank- You crack-me-up!!

Glad to provide a bit of humor, Donna.

Only thing is, I find myself doing that for real sometimes, especially after I've spent a solid week watching Columbos.

My wife, on the other hand, is not amused. She says if I keep it up she'll have my truck's paint oxidized, the door hinges dried out do they'll squeak and she'll replace our cat with a long-faced dog.

Nothing like a spouse with a sense of humor