The traffic inched up slightly.

But with 153 world leaders leading their entourages around town and 180 fashion shows showing off the latest looks and streets blocked off and traffic inching along in fractional increments, was it her fault that she was late for work every day last week?

Tired and satisfied, Crutchfield sat outside his office and watched as traffic inched from the parking lot.

Waiting as traffic inched forward through Macedonia's busiest border crossing with Serbia, a truck driver was asked what he was carrying.

The traffic inched, fender to fender, in the hills or by the sea where people may picnic, or toward tavernas where, Dr. Grigoriades said, the devout should consume only vegetables and seafood other than fish - like squid or shrimp.

As the sun set and Milan's rush-hour traffic inched forward, Lele Mora, a pale, pudgy man who resembles an undercooked dinner roll, took phone calls in his car, which is upholstered entirely in white leather.

Every store, shop, business, church, even the school, faced Main Street, and on Saturdays the traffic inched along, bumper to bumper, as the country folks flocked to town for their weekly shopping.

With horns blowing, the traffic slowly inched forward toward the main terminal.