Wonderfully ordinary, one wants to say, for given the grim circumstances from which these pieces have emerged, ordinariness is an accomplishment, even a triumph.

Under the grim circumstances of their situation Rodgers put the matter behind him and days later they returned safely to port.

Given the grim circumstances, Chiang's staff and even Chiang himself had resigned themselves to this reality.

An inherent good humor, in fact, tends to prevail far longer than the grim circumstances would dictate.

But many of the visitors seemed too absorbed in the grim circumstances to complain.

It was a lame attempt at a joke under the grim circumstances.

Each woman has lost a son under grim circumstances.

"Dr. Leving, it is good to be working with you again, albeit under such grim and unpleasant circumstances."

He managed to sound slightly amused, even under these increasingly grim circumstances.

The grim circumstances of black life under apartheid have generated music that sounds anything but despondent; government censorship has probably been a factor.