1.   Geller was renowned for his gruff manner and his crotchets, which included a hearty and often-expressed dislike for the town of Gloucester and its citizens.

2.   He smiled, a disarmingly open smile that breaks into a hard face and gruff manner with unexpected warmth.

3.   My grandfather tried, in his gruff German manner, to calm me.

4.   Those who knew Saltzstein said they suspected he was happy, although his gruff manner and well-advertised sore feet might have argued against it.