It's magnificent, and every waking moment of a commander-in-chief should be to make sure that people like that's efforts are and their family's sacrifices are not made in vain.

CNN: Thompson's September 7, 2007, speech in Des Moines, Iowa

The Teamsters want to make sure that additional "sacrifices are not made in vain again due to mismanagement, " said Dennis Raymond, leader of Hostess's Teamsters workers, in a statement.

WSJ: Twinkie Maker Hostess Brands, Unions Face Off Over New Batch of Cuts

They are not fighting in vain.

BBC: NEWS | UK | UK Politics | In full: Tony Blair's speech

Lots of men are having manicures, not just guys who are really vain and spend three or four hours in front of the mirror.

BBC: A gin and tonic is no longer up-to-date malaria protection

Still, those at the Fed are nothing if not hubristic, and they'll surely try in vain to be ahead of collapsing markets despite their inability to predict them in the past.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Discouraged workers are those who are not currently looking for a job because they feel their search would be in vain.

FORBES: The Crisis of America's Uncounted Unemployed