She glanced up sharply, being equally disturbed by his choice of words and the blunt tone he had used to say them.

"I thought you'd soon wake up," spoke Croom in that blunt tone of his.

It occurred to him that he might consider, at future times, relaying the formal words in this blunt tone.

Then, in blunt tone, he retorted: "Last night seemed more of a deadline to me."

'People have said the fans hero worship me but I don't like that term,' he says in his customary blunt tones.

"Do not be," the baron said in blunt tones.

Still, the top officials from both companies offered conciliatory comments, in contrast to the blunt tone of the letter.

The Speaker maintained this same blunt tone in his talks with Chinese leaders.

"It's not the presentation," she said, her tone cold and blunt.

"I am very sorry," the girl declared, in a tone so blunt that it belied the statement.