But it is only remote because such scruple and consistency were employed to defend the principle in matters great and small.

WSJ: Christopher Hitchens on Forced Merriment, the True Spirit of Christmas

An onlooker spoke for many when he remarked that "a man who could make so vile a pun would not scruple to pick a pocket".

BBC: The pun conundrum

" That scruple and his unwillingness to welsh on a deal leads him to say, with irony, "Actually, I don't think I am a good 'businessman.

FORBES: On The Cover/Top Stories

This is an admirable scruple, but a puzzling one, because it is largely absent from other Grimm tales, many of which feature mutilation, dismemberment, and cannibalism, not to speak of ordinary homicide, often inflicted on children by their parents or guardians.

NEWYORKER: Once Upon a Time