| Every ten to fifteen years, the earth wobbles in a desultory fashion somewhere in these islands and a roof slate or two drops off. |
| Clashes and desultory fighting continued in Samarra north of Baghdad between US forces and Sunni Arab guerrillas. |
| A few Maori left in the pa fired a few last desultory shots on the stranded soldiers, until a second battle began. |
| Opening night saw a desultory 20 people rattling around in a big, airy room ready for 70 diners. |
| Ayodhya has been subject to desultory and very limited archaeological investigations since the 19th century. |
| So much for my thought that the Justice Department would mount a desultory investigation and then give up. |
