11.   And he became rich by thumbing his nose at Wall Street, which said stock in his company could not be sold at a fifteenth of that price.

12.   And there is something about people who thumb their noses at authority or the establishment that touches an American chord.

13.   And thereby we thumb our noses at death.

14.   And thumbing his nose at the governmental system that he so fiercely opposed.

15.   As usual, the best way to shut them up is to run the table, take their cash and thumb your nose as you head for the door.

16.   At which point the Oneidas thumbed their noses at the local D.A. and opened their bingo hall again, with Halbritter as bingo caller.

17.   Backers point to young thugs who now thumb their noses at a lenient system.

18.   Bike Ming, who allegedly led a group of local Vietnamese gangsters, thumbed his nose at Kwong.

19.   Bin Laden could also be thumbing his nose, defying America to catch him, Seidman said.

20.   Bond investors, of course, are worriers by nature, while stock players thumb their noses at risk.