Word: prone
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...bigger problems than a gaffe-prone health minister. The rest of his cabinet is suddenly proving willful to the point of disloyalty, perhaps sensing the Prime Minister's weakness. Last month Abe had to rein in his defense minister twice after Fumio Kyuma first called the American invasion of Iraq a mistake, then later told Japanese reporters that Washington should not be so "bossy" over a planned relocation of a U.S. military base on Japan's Okinawa island. Kyuma's remarks were not welcome in Washington, which has grown accustomed to Tokyo's uncritical alliance, nor were Foreign Minister Taro...
...late? Rice's best qualities are her optimism and self-belief, but, like Bush, she is prone to stubbornness and resists admitting mistakes. Her uneven management of the State Department has left her without a strong team to execute bold new initiatives, even if she's inclined to pursue them. If Rice disagrees with Bush's determination to hold the line in Iraq, there are no signs that she has tried to change his mind. But right now a military victory in Iraq is out of reach; at most, the U.S. is fighting not to lose. And so the fate...
...engine had a problem, a warning light indicated, and Jaguar did not want me testing a glitchy version of a car that retails for $90,575 (including options). This was not a good sign. It wasn't long ago that Jaguar was considered the Lada of luxury models, so prone to breakdowns that mechanics could send their kids to college on the repair bills. Jaguar has, in fact, vastly improved since Ford Motor Co. bought the venerable English brand in 1989. According to the latest J.D. Power survey, Jaguar ranks on a par with BMW for long-term reliability...
...significantly more likely to suffer civil war than richer countries. Put simply, it's easier to recruit people to rebel armies when the alternative to grinding axes is grinding poverty. At the same time, countries that rely heavily on exports of primary products (such as oil and diamonds) are prone to civil war because such commodities are easily appropriated and traded by rebel leaders. As Collier puts it, "Diamonds are a guerrilla's best friend...
...could take three, four, five days to get there. People start thinking, Isn't this person going to acknowledge it?" I lean forward as Pachter talks about what to eat at a business meal in a restaurant. "Order what's easy to eat," she advises. Forget about such splatter-prone fare as spaghetti, lobster or ribs unless you're in a specialty restaurant and your dining partners will be ordering the same. Other rules, according to the experts: Wait until everyone has been served before you start. And whatever you do, don't chew with your mouth open. Deal breaker...