\documentstyle[12pt]{article} \renewcommand{\thefootnote}{\fnsymbol{footnote}} \begin{document} ``Imperial fiddlestick''\footnote{Similar to a violinstick.} said the King,\footnote{Not Elvis, of course.} rubbing his nose, which had been hurt by the fall\footnote{From a great height, no doubt.}. He had a right to be a {\em little}\footnote{Just a little.} annoyed with the Queen, for he was covered with ashes from head to foot.\footnote{That's ``foot'' as in ``feet'' not footnotes.} \end{document}