“Ageing brain corals, brittle firecorals and delicate seafans are easily dislodged from their anchorages by the fierce breakers.”

“There's the Uniform Man, who is emotionally insecure, with a rigid and brittle temperament.”

“… a brittle apology that was anything but heartfelt.”

“She smokes and drinks and engages in brittle chatter, laughing through it all as if men, love, life were sports in which she was the Olympic medallist.”