The American officials appear to be taken aback by Putin's tough tone, but they shouldn't have been too surprised.

NPR: Rice, Gates Appeal to Moscow for Missile Defense

But he might still be taken aback by the extent to which politics has become a full contact sport in this country.

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Government ministers, union leaders and people running big airports can look after themselves even if they may be taken aback by Mr O'Leary's typically four-letter-word abuse.

ECONOMIST: Aviation

If top members of his administration are found to have leaked Ms Plame's name as retaliation against her husband, or to have condoned the leak, even his staunch supporters could be taken aback by such an ethical breach.

ECONOMIST: Elusive WMD and an embarrassing leak | The

"Folks, including myself, may be taken aback by the inflammatory nature of the rhetoric, but I don't think very many of us would deny that there is a fundamental truth: Racism is a problem in the United States, " Pinn says.

NPR: Chicagoans: Reports Misrepresent Obama's Church

Taken aback, I had mumbled that it could be three million or so.

BBC: India

He was taken aback, having been certain that the human genome would be unlike that of any other species.

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Apple watchers were a bit taken aback by the news yesterday that Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch will be joining the company as a vice president of technology, with some Apple fanboys saying they are surprised by the choice and pointing out that Lynch has been a vocal critic of the company in the past.

FORBES: Apple's New Tech VP Lynch Gets Unwelcome Reception From Some Apple Fanboys