The only decorative touch was a tiny violet, a sprig of pea shoots and a pale broad-bean flower.

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Wherever the Royal Irish are serving, they will be presented with a sprig of shamrock on St Patrick's morning.

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He held a sprig of mint to his nose as an aide whispered to him my reasons for coming.

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It is exactly 100 years since Queen Victoria decreed that Irish Regiments wear a sprig of shamrock in the head dress on St Patrick's day on 17 March.

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Two bay leaves and a sprig of rosemary are plenty.

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Then again, I don't know how many dogs can tell the difference between fresh and canned tomato sauce, or register disappointment if their pie shows up without a sprig of fresh basil.

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Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

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At a dinner squeezed in after The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and before Larry King, he orders a hamburger with absolutely nothing on it, a fetish of the unapologetic red-meat eater who doesn't want so much as a sprig of parsley between the bun and the burger.

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Transfer to a large bowl or glass baking dish, and add just the leave of 2 of the sprig of thyme and 2 of the bay leaves, roughly torn.

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Lots of fish, and he had an incredible gui sauce(ph) underneath and a little elegant celery sprig to decorate it.

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