But those species are so abundant in the 490-square-mile lake that their loss from the lampricide is a mere blip, state officials say.

He regarded his failure to produce with the bases loaded this season as a mere blip.

America's late-90's growth was a mere blip, he argues.

Other researchers have noted peaks in birth figures that seemed too large to be mere statistical blips.

But in the great scheme of energy supplies, these are mere blips.

Not all folks reported such rough times as mere blips on the family time line.

Our lives are fleeting, and this period in history is a mere blip on the screen.

On a historical basis, even a year of declining employment is a mere blip.

It is my view that in a longer historical perspective, al-Qaida will be seen as a mere blip or diversion.

Nonetheless, I believe these are mere blips in what is essentially a strong relationship we trust will prove very significant.