Such gruel sustains life here, I thought; so, shutting my eyes, and excluding the motes by a skilfully directed undercurrent, I drank to genuine hospitality the heartiest draught I could.

We made many a``bran new''theory of life over a thin dish of gruel, which combined the advantages of conviviality with the clear headedness which philosophy requires.

When they find an inch of mud in the bottom of a glass, they stir it up, and then take the draught as they would gruel.

In a "guns and butter" debate, Ōsumi told Japanese legislators that it was incumbent to expand Japan's navy, and that "the whole Japanese nation must make up its mind to cope with the situation, even if we are reduced to eating rice gruel.".