But many also say the conceit of the episode--that a film crew is documenting life in an emergency room--was a cheap ploy to cover up gaffes.

They seem to spend an awful lot on shallow but expensive advertising campaigns with banal slogans and cheap emotional ploys that surely fail to convince anyone but a few idiots.

At first Brown tried to dismiss it as a cheap psychological ploy.

The only reason you say you're undecided is that it's a cheap ploy to get attention.

The people who know me know this was just a cheap ploy.

I see your cheap ploy to get a picture of your cat on your website.

64 The Times knows a cheap political ploy when it sees one.

"It was just a cheap political ploy so they could run this campaign this year," Mr. Mejias said.

I thought it was a rather cheap ploy, allowing him to cash in on our applause as if it were intended for him, but I let it go.

Dressing up the old treaty in new clothes, or separating it into smaller chunks is a rather cheap ploy.