It doesn't always have the biggest stars, but there are always a few singers familiar to opera buffs sprinkled among the respectable, largely Italian B-list casts: this summer these include Fiorenza Cedolins and Marcelo Alvarez as Tosca and Cavaradossi, Daniela Dessí and Fabio Armiliato as Cio-Cio San and Pinkerton in "Madama Butterfly" and José Cura as Canio and Leo Nucci as Tonio in "Pagliacci".
Thus a term like snafu, its shocking power softened with the explanation "situation normal, all fouled up," worked its way gradually from the military in World War II by word of mouth (because the media largely shunned it) into respectable circles.
During the course of my career, like most of the world's 25,000 professional mathematicians listed in the International Directory of Mathematicians, I solved a number of minor problems and proved several respectable, but largely unremarkable theorems.
For centuries, public spaces in many cultures were largely male domain where "respectable" women were rarely alone, but today, women of all backgrounds, in all regions of the world travel alone to attend school, college, and work; to go shopping, visit friends and family, and exercise.
Until recently, it had been largely considered a semi-respectable fringe party, occasionally delivering a shock, as in 2002.
In previous generations, it seems as though people over the half-century mark were largely expected to be dignified and respectable on the upside, irascible or clueless on the downside, and not much else.
Although he stated that his ambition was to become "the best Ethiopian [i.e., Negro minstrel] song writer," he vacillated between composing minstrel songs (for which he is largely remembered) and songs in the sentimental "respectable" style then popular.
It may well be true that, unlike the Birmingham bombers of fifty years ago, who sat within a shadowy network of support from the respectable white establishment, Dylann Roof acted largely and crazily alone in Charleston, without that network.
Where resellers once were viewed as shady scalpers, now, thanks largely to the Internet, they are becoming more respectable.
Although it went largely unnoticed by the American public, it received respectable business in foreign markets.
