21.   But later that day, when Mason was going through a particularly rough patch of questions from Stanton, Sharpton scribbled and passed a note to Hardy and Maddox.

22.   But when she began to lose her balance on Sunday, crossing the kind of rough patch that skiers had been negotiating all week, she simply went down.

23.   But they said it would help ease the financial strain on households and corporate balance sheets as the economy goes through a rough patch.

24.   Close friends said that despite rough patches in the marriage, the Clintons are committed to each other personally and professionally.

25.   Despite a long string of earnings gains that has made it a stock market favorite, Gillette Co. has hit a rough patch.

26.   Due to cost factors, the ratification process is expected to have some rough patches.

27.   During a rough patch for stocks in general last week, financial shares in particular took a beating.

28.   Even so, investors willing to ride out the rough patches may reap gains in the long run, as clearer signs of slowing growth and inflation appear.

29.   Fisher gives Lee a company that has hit a rough patch after a period of strong sales growth.

30.   He was in charge of the credit department and spent most of his time trying to collect on bad loans when the Mexican economy hit a rough patch.