Few men looked less like a Rough Rider than Mr Christopher as he clasped his prize, his handkerchief neatly in his top pocket.

ECONOMIST: Warren Christopher

One reason is better mining practice: less slurry containing rough stones is released into rivers, a practice that had kept unofficial miners in business.

ECONOMIST: Colombia

As a consequence, it has less trouble traversing rough terrain.

ECONOMIST: Robotics: Having a ball | The

Search and rescue mission co-ordinator Keith Allen said sea conditions were becoming less severe but remained rough.

BBC: UK man awaits Pacific yacht rescue

Privacy Settings remain pretty rough, albeit less so than one or two years ago.

FORBES: Facebook After the IPO

Members will need to be less prissy and fastidious, less prone to faint every time things get rough or go wrong.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Center For Security Policy

The 3-inch LCD (which is capable of 16 million colors) is also covered with Gorilla Glass, so you're less likely to crack it if you're rough on the thing (though, again, at these prices, we assume you'll be nicer to it than your own offspring).

ENGADGET: Leica S-System hands-on (video)

Less normal is how many Americans have come to think that the country is not just passing through a rough patch but is in long-term decline.

ECONOMIST: Lexington

But the Syrian exchanges came to a rough halt and, with Israel's soldiers safely out of Lebanon, the need is now less pressing.

ECONOMIST: After Assad