1.   And he assured all around him he was dead serious.

2.   And he was dead serious.

3.   And he was laughing, but he was also dead serious.

4.   And Robbins, while offbeat, is a dead serious writer, disciplined and meticulous in his work and work habits.

5.   And there were moments when the lighthearted world on the inside and the dead serious world on the outside clashed rather poignantly.

6.   And they are dead serious about their craft.

7.   And they are dead serious in their determination to exploit the opportunity he gave them.

8.   Arena declined to comment on the status of the negotiations, but he left little doubt that his company was dead serious.

9.   Both sides are dead serious, but it is an amicable feud.

10.   But Eisner was dead serious when discussing Internet pirates.