What is the author's style in Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams?

Words are important in Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. When the Electric Monk first comes to Earth and learns English, a porter at Cambridge University tells him to "shoot off." The casual slang, interpreted literally, leads the Monk to shoot Gordon Way, ending his life. This illustrates the importance of language and the dangers of how language can be interpreted and misinterpreted.