A combination of, so to speak, ground-up enterprise — citizens' groups demanding cleaner streets — intelligent legislation, and a surprising surge of civic good will made into a durable social convention a law that most thought would be unenforceable or neglected.
They are, so to speak, grounded – another subliminal stratum of plausibility, which helps us give our assent to the adventures depicted.
It's commonplace, even today, to speak of Ground Zero as "hallowed ground".
Distressed passengers tried to speak to ground staff but got nowhere.
Still, Mr. Graves, 49, a 28-year veteran ironworker from Brooklyn, prefers to speak of ground zero as just another workplace.
A rental building with 600 to 700 units had been planned but stalled, although according to someone with knowledge of the plans who was not authorized to speak publicly, ground-breaking is anticipated for the middle of 2011.
The Department of Homeland Security has warned foreign counterparts of the potential threat, the official said, speaking on ground rules of anonymity.
The collapse of an effective government could produce "chaos and anarchy," said one foreign minister, speaking on ground rules of anonymity.
"We would only consider a prisoner transfer once all a prisoner's appeal options have been exhausted," said the spokesman, speaking on ground rules of anonymity.
The officials, speaking on ground rules of anonymity to discuss intelligence reports, said the first stage of the missile performed successfully, but the second stage failed.
"In both cases, the caller said the device had been strapped to a scooter outside the courthouse and gave the scooter's registration number," said an officer at the Athens police headquarters who spoke on ground rules of anonymity.
