Entering the building today, it is easy to excuse his self-congratulatory tone.

Alas, there is a strident, self-congratulatory tone to the book, and it wears after a while.

"Good enough," he said in a self-congratulatory tone.

And no, the smug, self-congratulatory tone of the article does nothing to help.

The self-congratulatory tone of the film comes in the occasional use of longer sections of playing by the band.

The evening was infused as well with a didactic and self-congratulatory tone that could be forgiven under the circumstances.

There is something of a self-congratulatory - critics call it smug - tone about what Portland has done.

The self-congratulatory tone of the writing is reflected in the artificiality of the performances.

I'd always been told (in smug, self-congratulatory tones) that our society had progressed beyond the days of the freak show.

"Stick with me, kid," the man sitting next to me said to his date in a self-congratulatory tone.