Now there's another reason for the buttonholing.

A Soft Sell' Though relatively new at the game, Mr. Lerner is a master at gentle buttonholing.

The phone calls and the buttonholing in Senate offices today were the culmination of some of the most intense lobbying in years, on a measure that many lawmakers admit is more important symbolically and politically than substantively.

Mr. Randall spent another minute extolling the gallery's art treasures, then gave the crowd some advice for its day of political buttonholing: "As you speak to the Congressmen today," he said in a stage whisper, "don't tell them about it."

Now there's another reason for the buttonholing.

A Soft Sell' Though relatively new at the game, Mr. Lerner is a master at gentle buttonholing.

The phone calls and the buttonholing in Senate offices today were the culmination of some of the most intense lobbying in years, on a measure that many lawmakers admit is more important symbolically and politically than substantively.

Mr. Randall spent another minute extolling the gallery's art treasures, then gave the crowd some advice for its day of political buttonholing: "As you speak to the Congressmen today," he said in a stage whisper, "don't tell them about it."

"I have to be able to see the button and the buttonhole."

And I'm going to work buttonholes all over this cotton.

I'll just mention one more band before we go to buttonholes.

John put an arm around his middle, hiding the buttonhole.

Then he asked me what the red ribbon in my buttonhole stood for?

Sometimes an extra hole was made in line with the buttonholes for this use.

Would he perhaps wear a flower in his buttonhole or something?

Buttonholes began to appear in the coats of the young men.

The competition is for a buttonhole made from a fresh flower.

"What's the good of working buttonholes on an old rag?"

"We got only enough to buy the lapels and the buttonholes."

The bound buttonhole is less popular except for the very good houses.

At this point, he makes buttonholes to do something.

Often two or three buttonhole places are available on a given fistula.

A few years later, he met his future wife, a button and buttonhole specialist who worked for the same company.

He had a flower in the buttonhole of his cheap suit.

Grandma would use it for her buttonholes when she went to church, along with a flower or two.

If the buttonhole is not good, it wears out from the using and abusing.

I decided the tailor had been right after all about placement of the buttonholes.

I wear a buttonhole in the summer, too, and a diamond ring.

The league gave them permission to set up shop near the meetings and buttonhole officials.

Then she freed the buttonhole from the top button of his shirt.

He was simply to wear a blue ribbon in his buttonhole."

However, one buttonhole remains unfinished because there was "no more twist!"

He also wore plus fours and was known for his buttonholes.

But just before he did, a boy who was about 5 buttonholed him.

That morning at the parking lot a man had buttonholed him.

But the boys were buttonholed whenever his back was turned.

A boy of nine or ten had buttonholed a companion.

It was like being buttonholed by an alcoholic on a street corner.

Josephson buttonholed him outside his office right after the meeting.

He has buttonholed our business leaders and shaken hands with environmentalists.

That Greek woman who buttonholed us is a case in point."

The commissioner said he's buttonholed in places by people asking about the Browns.

"We didn't want to be buttonholed into one specific charity."

He rushed around, buttonholing people at church and auctions to tell them about it.

A half-dozen who were buttonholed in the corridors said they had never heard of the parking tax.

In other words it's about buttonholing a large crowd, together, instead of chasing them individually.

He arrived at my home and in the course of the evening he buttonholed me.

We met by chance and he buttonholed me and, oh, you can imagine.

The wild-eyed Bell buttonholed him, probably asking whether to kill them.

He hurried to the elevator, not wishing to be buttonholed by any of his friends at the club.

I buttonholed a senior television executive and inquired why he did not give more air time to stories about the homeless.

They're already hoarse after buttonholing one another all day and shouting over loud music through the night.

He saw me today in court and buttonholed me afterward."

"Guide us, please," he said, buttonholing merchants along the sidewalks.

Later, in the pub, I buttonholed the village captain.

One night he is buttonholed by a stranger, a well-travelled American, who claims to be in fear for his life.

Afterward, he buttonholed a few members who were still undecided and tried to persuade them to vote for the measure.

Here he buttonholed me, and, looking about him like a conspirator, inquired if I had gin.