Rather than moving distinctly right or left or ratcheting up the fighting-mode response he tried out after his party's stunning loss in the Massachusetts Senate race, his approach last week was to offer something to everyone.
But markets were left distinctly underwhelmed on Monday by Japan's latest GDP figures, which showed growth at 2.6% in the year to the second quarter of 2013, down from 3.8% in the 12 months ending in March.
But on the broader issues of environment, energy and climate change, both as environment secretary and as a member of a government left distinctly less green after the reshuffle, the more he says, the more sceptical he appears.
Wasps have seemingly done enough for home advantage in the first knockout phase, but their rugby director, David Young, was left distinctly unimpressed by Thursday night's 20-19 victoverover Newport Gwent Dragons that took them to 25 points.
As it was, they were left distinctly unhappy at the ruling, even though the referee seemed to have a clear view of the incident.
Notoriously publicity-shy, Scholes did make a recent TV appearance as a pundit for United's 3-0 home defeat by Manchester City in March, when he was left distinctly unimpressed by his former team's performance.
As a proud Westie and a Zimbabwean-born woman, seeing the hills and valleys of the Waitakere Ranges with a beat that sounded distinctly North African left me in chills.
