You don't get more propitious than that".
They seem naturally discomfited by the vast disconnect in our thinking about them, which can readily dismiss such things as the centuries of begrudging but mutually propitious interludes that were required to render a wolf a dog; or that can transform 400-pound tigers into apartment dwellers or apparently cute cuddle toys twirling atop glass balls.
Twenty five years on, is the world poised for another "propitious moment" that could accelerate progress towards a sustainable future?
It's difficult to imagine a less propitious week for that argument.
With the promise of more long-term ECB loans to come, borrowing costs for euro-zone governments have fallen sharply, in part because banks have put some of the money to work by buying high-yielding bonds (see article).It is damning, in such propitious circumstances, that Portugal has not shared in the rush.
That was propitious, he explained, because 216 is 107 plus 109, two consecutive prime numbers.
"In stock market terms, this wouldn't be a propitious time to make that kind of trade".
In trying to cut bureaucratic tape, Greek politicians will need to create an environment that is propitious to investment, which has not been the case for many years.
Johnson also offers a clear-sighted and intelligent exploration of the conditions that are propitious to scientific innovation, such as the availability of coffee and the unfettered circulation of information through social networks.
Developments in Brussels that look propitious for Mr Cameron's agenda including the emergence, under the hitherto reviled Jean-Claude Juncker, of a leaner, more self-critical EU Commission together with polls that show support for Britain's EU membership, have persuaded Mr Cameron's advisers that he could get by with his usual last-ditch aplomb.
