But his success in 1996 in getting Celso Pitta, his nominee, elected mayor in his stead boomeranged: having bequeathed him an empty treasury, Mr Maluf has felt compelled to apologise for Mr Pitta's poor record.

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The arrogant behavior immediately boomeranged.

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He said the pressure he used to feel to make her look good amid her high-school friends has now boomeranged: These days, she would be irritated if he bought her a pointless trinket rather than devoting the money to the budget of a household project like redoing the den.

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