In contrast to the independent stance taken by past generations of students, who valued their freedom, or at least the lack of parental curfews, attitudes have softened about spending weekends with the family.
Jack in the Box trimmed the fat in its second quarter, helping it to overcome higher costs for food and packaging and same-store sales that were sapped by softening consumer spending.
In proposing to raid the council's savings in this way, Ducker is following the advice of communities secretary Eric Pickles who last year implored councils to spend reserves to soften the impact of spending cuts.
At his autumn statement and spending review this week, Osborne said a projected £27bn improvement in the public finances compared with his last budget in July, meant he had been able to soften a planned spending squeeze and lift the threat of tax credit cuts.
In the oil-producing gulf countries, governments that are flush with oil money can soften the blow by spending more.
Less conventionally, there was a little post-election softening on borrowing and spending.
You cannot, as far as I can tell, wear the stuffed pineapple, but you can sit on it to soften a long day spent in a desk chair.
Montpellier dominated the opening exchanges and enjoyed most of the territory and possession in a first half spent softening up the Dragons defence.
Political donations from the corporate sector never added up to more than a tenth of what businessmen spent softening up ministry officials and finding cushy jobs for them after retirement.Glad, for once, to see others accused of being on the take, Japan's politicians have been quick to blame civil servants for many of their own sins.
Unlike Congress, which can approve deficit spending to soften a recession's impact, most state legislatures are required by their constitutions not to spend more than they take in.
