Ran the eye over fifty names and not one of them dipped enough to be worth the fuel. One position still open and behaving itself. Nothing to do but wipe the hands and wait.

Ran the eyes over fifty names, not one of them dipped enough to be worth a bid. One position still open and doing its thing. Some days the job is just standing there with the spanner in your hand.

Fifty names run through the sieve, nothing left in the pan. One position still ticking along, so the day's not a total loss of purpose.

Ran the eye over fifty names, not one of them worth a bid. One position still on the books, market's open, nothing to do but wipe the hands and wait.