Word: aback
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Washington was as taken aback as other governments. Finding itself in a no-win situation vis-à-vis two key allies, the U.S. responded with an unusually blunt statement that not only "condemned" the idea of a Turkish Cypriot republic but called on other nations to refuse to recognize it. Only three days before, Congress had passed a $1 billion aid bill for Turkey...
...celestial arrangements of Nelson Riddle, the album is not a sentimental journey, a dizzy camp-out or a show-biz grandstand play. It is a simple, almost reverent, rendering of nine great songs that time has not touched. At first hearing, Ronstadt's fans may be taken aback by the suave but swinging Riddle orchestra, by the playfulness and sophistication of the lyrics, by the tidal pulls of strong melody; this is the sort of music that anyone under 40 is supposed to despise. That is practically an article of rock-'n'-roll faith...
After a while, the emperor wanted a progress report. He sent his ambitious, young director of the Office of Management and Budget, whom he considered both clever and extremely fit for his job. The aide went to the economy room to see how things were going. He was taken aback. He rubbed his eyes and wiped his glasses. Seeing the largest vat of red ink in federal history, he gulped "none of us really understands what's going with these numbers." As he staggered back, he wondered "do you realize the greed coming to the forefront? The hogs are really...
When informed recently that his alma mater had just concluded its most successful athletic year in its history, the Harvard alumnus was a bit taken aback. "My goodness," he said "We must be doing something wrong...
...Taken aback by what one Moscow source described as Mitterrand's "un-French" behavior, the Soviets bitterly protested against the "arbitrary nature" of the expulsions. Though Moscow told a British diplomat and a newsman to leave, it took no immediate retaliatory action against France. Trade reprisals seemed improbable, since France already has a worsening trade deficit with the Soviet Union. Nor was it likely that Moscow would cancel imports of French machinery needed for the Soviet natural-gas pipeline project to Western Europe. The Soviets undoubtedly will find ways to make their displeasure felt, but experts do not expect...