It surprised and worried me to find out that so many of my ilk were such frail reeds when we got the chance to carry out our intentions.

I put this more succinctly to Baloyne: Let us go by Pascal's aphorism about the frail reed.

Because the way things are going these days," he added, "a documentary career can be a frail reed indeed, and you never know whether documentary directors will give up.

A second thing he was sure of was that Wriothesley was a frail reed to lean on for information or influence.

As trusty native guides go, Kirk decided, Morrie was a frail reed.

Only the thin, frail reed of me could prevent it.

"That is a frail reed," Aetlen points out.

I had to turn my frail reed into something stauncher, just in case.

Hope was a frail reed against sheer power.

They were frail reeds, fl etched with eagle feathers.