A mere horse race had somehow become, as Mr. Eisenberg writes, "a national referendum on what was right and just".
The reprieve went on for another century, turning a mere cycling race into an icon of French culture and a piece of national heritage that only world wars have managed to halt.
After all the high-profile successes of his footballing career, it hardly seemed likely that the outcome of a mere horse race, and a handicap at that, could mean a great deal to Michael Owen but he was wiping tears away as Brown Panther, which he bred and owns, returned to the winner's enclosure here on Thursday.
Given the demands for Akin's resignation from a mere Senate race when his musings on "legitimate rape" were publicized, what do you imagine the reaction would be if people were as familiar with VP wannabe Ryan's stunning statement?
Though he had risen from, as he liked to say, a mere asterisk in the race a year ago, Dr. Dean, the former governor of Vermont, had sat comfortably in the front-runner's seat through the fall.
Come London, Alistair will be just 24 and Jonny a mere 22 ."To do it race after race and season after season, that's the true mark of a champion," says Lessing, 40.
The great peace legislation of 1235, moreover, showed that the emperor had not become a mere competitor in the race for territorial gain.
The New York Racing Association's jockeys are guaranteed a mere hundred dollars per race for taking part in what is one of the most dangerous of professional sports.
Our acting governor, Donald DiFrancesco, last week abruptly quit the gubernatorial race a mere three days after formally announcing his candidacy, buckling under the weight of news reports critical of his past business dealings.
The Tour is a no mere bike race.
