It would be delightful if Dotty brought something unbidden, of course, but if you want her to provide the melon balls, then tell her beforehand, so she doesn't let you down.

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And I don't want to let you down.

WHITEHOUSE: Town Hall in Arnold, Missouri

There will be times, he says, when you will stumble, but don't let those hiccups get you down.

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Mr Mates, who is now 78, quit his junior minister job in the Northern Ireland Office in 1993 after it emerged he had bought Nadir a watch inscribed: "Don't let the buggers get you down".

BBC: Asil Nadir convicted of ?29m Polly Peck thefts

Do the right thing for America-let dollars sprint from old assets to new ones at the speed of light. n Bill Gates, chairman and CEO of Microsoft: Don't let the bozos get you down. n Jim Barksdale, CEO of Netscape: Be kind to yourself in your Mississippi retirement years.

FORBES: Digital rules

It makes you feel like you can't let him down.

WSJ: Iowa: The Harvard of Coaching

You can't let your guard down against them.

WSJ: Down 3-1 after collapse, Nets not looking back

To maximize your chances for success, make sure you assemble the best team possible, listen to the needs of the market and, perhaps most important, don't let the detractors--and there will be many--get you down.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Do they come up with excuses in the middle of a conversation to pull out their smart phone -- something like "let me jot something you said down so I don't forget it, " and then sneak a look at all their messages?

WSJ: Addicts of the Information Age