And here the tale took a charming turn.

What follows is by turns funny, charming and ridiculous.

On a personal level, Mr. Diller can be at turns charming and abrasive.

She's by turns charming and rude-and both seem to be true to her nature.

Or the chatter, that was by turns charming and revealing.

The words were vintage Novak, by turns charming and hard-edged, humble and arrogant, and, in the end, nothing short of winning.

Still, the works themselves offered enough to pique the interest, whether it was an unusual dramatic twist or merely a charming turn of melody.

Mackey is a troubling character, by turns vicious and charming.

Expansive and insistent, by turns charming and combative, he has talked for four years about the need to open markets.