But I gazed long and raptly at the wonderful textures of spongy grass, dully reflective flagstones, and dreaming concrete.

NEWYORKER: Flashes of Light

Its dark panels shone dully under the hall light.

NEWYORKER: Miracle Polish

He nodded towards the pain inflicted by storm Sandy and then moved on to the stump speech that anyone who has attended more than one rally knows so well - the five-point plan, the anecdote about the US flag rescued from the space shuttle Challenger disaster, the dully-delivered homilies about the need for change.

BBC: Barack Obama's 'firewall' burning - Republicans