Word: downright
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Spain's electoral campaign has never been a decorous affair, but Monday night's nationally televised electoral debate between Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and Popular Party (PP) candidate Mariano Rajoy was often downright nasty. For long stretches, it sank into a cacophony of insults, interruptions, and petty squabbling over who was the bigger liar. Yet in the end, Zapatero offered more concrete prescriptions for the next legislature, and that, it seems, persuaded the Spanish public to deem him the victor of this second debate, just as it had after the first, held a week...
Compared with the crowded, colorful displays of loot in most Broadway theater lobbies, the merchandise counter for Rent looks downright spare: a modest assortment of sweatshirts, mugs, CDs and T shirts in basic-grunge black-and-white. The show, too--on my first return visit since reviewing it 12 years ago--looks a bit paler than it did back in 1996, when it opened off-Broadway to so much acclaim that it made the jump to Broadway just two months later. The aids-centric story lines in this East Village update of La Bohčme seem a little dated...
...Despite how unusual Paul’s political views may be for a Republican candidate, the intensity, persistence, and downright craziness of his grassroots support overshadowed his official campaign through primary season. Paul’s supporters, including many members of the “9/11 Truth” movement—those who believe that the U.S. government was complicit in 9/11—released a range of unofficial videos and pamphlets idolizing Paul as a kind of Messianic figure. The conspiracy theories and cult-like behavior of Paul’s grassroots supporters has alienated many voters...
...Serrell oscillate between the tender and the wooden. Moments in which the two examine their hang-ups over their sexual orientation, which extend far beyond simple denial, find the two at their best, filled with passion tempered by history, doubt, and the public eye. Other scenes can be downright awkward: when Alex and Ellen first interact at a club, the writing becomes far too blunt for the complex emotional situation. In this way, Beane’s words at times threatens to overwhelm his plot. While Diane, who seems to be made purely of plastic, venom, and dynamite, can rhapsodize...
...Sometimes, the message can be downright subversive. Once in Costa Rica, a friend and I were waiting for a bus when a group of tough-looking teenagers approached and gave us a hard look. But the leader of the pack was wearing a T-shirt that read: "I'm not a bitch, I just suffer from permanent PMS." I didn't know whether to hand him my wallet or a Motrin...