1.   Fruitcake is here to stay, certain to outdistance its critics and the cynical times that would threaten its place on the holiday table.

2.   He also knows that we live in cynical times.

3.   In a cynical time, we Americans long for heroes.

4.   In these cynical times, the worst slur imaginable is to be called a politician.

5.   Now, in more cynical times, the stars have managers, press agents and stylists to massage their public images.