He wasn't trying to be rude; he was merely fending off an uncomfortable subject.
Every ounce of willpower went into fending off hysteria.
He compared his conduct in that great post to that of a man floating down a river and fending off from his vessel, as well as he could, the various obstacles it encountered.
Seedhouse, meanwhile, was successfully fending off Robertson with Tim Jones struggling along behind, still short on traction.
They have a history of battling not only aggressive neighbors, but also fending off the North Sea.
