DICTIONARY OF 6000 EXPRESSIONS AND GENERAL PHRASES FOR USE IN CONVERSATION, SOCIAL LETTER WRITING, AND PUBLIC SPEAKING
ACTIVE Alive Alert As full of fight as ever Eager for the fray Full of business Teeming with life Alive as never before Working like mad Full of high spirits Up and doing As lively as a thrush Step lively Quick in every part Keenly alive to—— Ready in a trice With a fine swinging step With more than a languid interest On a furious march with sealed orders Nobody wants to be caught napping No whit behind—— A project tinglingly alive
ADMONITION Advice Counsel The only wise course to follow No intelligent man can afford to disregard the—— No pains should be spared to avert this eventuality If this thing occurs the fat will be in the fire There is food for abundant thinking in—— He had warning to set his house in order He talked to him like a Dutch uncle Keep a strong curb chain on To some it will seem like the touch of a profane hand upon the ark of the Lord The thought is one to sober all responsible men Little foxes among the tender vines It seems like going out of one’s way to face a hazard Better alone than in bad company This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man. Hamlet, I., 3 AFFIRMATION Asseveration Avowal Unreservedly, unequivocally, and absolutely right I feel called upon to asseverate that—— I shall prove to a demonstration that—— I shall not die happy unless I—— Of one thing there can be no doubt I assert without fear of successful contradiction that—— I am living in the irresistible conviction that—— I am told by persons considering themselves sagacious in business that—— Nothing is more certified than that—— There is no vain assumption in saying that—— I lack words to express the full extent of my conviction that—— Let me say as strongly as I can that—— It is as certain as anything in human calculation can be made certain that—— The fact is irrefutable that—— The explicit dictum upon—— It has been avouched again and again that—— I would say so in the presence of an Apostle They were making unusual asseverations Few events are better attested than—— From that result there will be no dissent I am confidently persuaded that—— It leads to the inevitable conclusion that—— I am absolutely sure that—— It may be safely asserted that—— Beyond question the—— I asseverate that—— I am bold to aver that—— I need not scruple to repeat my assertion
AGREEMENT Concurrence Assent I am perfectly of that opinion I quite agree with you It fits exactly with my notions I concur entirely with you I am heartily of your opinion It is agreed by the vast majority of students that—— We are all in agreement with the thought that—— My own reading sustains the same view I give my word gladly I thoroughly agree with you I am most heartily in favor of—— The opinion is widely held that—— The tacit admission is made that—— Your plan is quite to my mind AID Help Assistance Ready to go to all lengths I am trying to help him compose his difficulties I am thankful to have been the means of—— With fine helpfulness He would go through fire and water for—— A friend in need is a friend indeed An awkward corner is turned by—— A positive service to—— He takes a solicitous interest in—— Leaving no stone unturned The stars in their courses fought for—— Substantial benefits A mission of mercy A salutary restraint A clear instance of a gracious Providence He would have fared badly had it not been that—— An ardent champion in—— He took his stand squarely with—— He aligns himself with—— By full and hearty coÖperation A high allegiancy In a charmingly cordial way A very signal interposition of—— He did his best to fan the fires of—— The best that is in me is to—— ANXIETY Worry Apprehension I shall be extremely distressed if—— It caused me a thousand apprehensions A miserable victim of anxiety I was quite apprehensive about—— It is like a nightmare for me to think of—— On the anxious seat The paralysing fear of—— Foolishly apprehensive of the future As frightened as a child in the dark A cause for much anxiety Harried by uncertainties He betrays a most suspicious anxiety lest—— With unwarrantable concern Robbed of tranquillity A growing fear of consequences It haunted me like a ghost I am apprehensive that—— A perfect paroxysm of restlessness I note with concern the tendency of—— APOLOGY Excuse Defense I should not have intruded on you at this hour In an unguarded moment, I—— In an evil hour, I—— Owing to a foolish error, I—— In the exasperation of the moment—— It was purely a Pagan impulse There was no intention to discriminate against—— I offer my humblest apologies Your forgiveness for all these offences is very penitently and humbly invoked He did not feel that he was committing an indiscretion when he—— I am hardly presentable for polite society I am far from being as well informed as you suppose me to be—— Forgive me all my delinquencies The horrible consciousness has just dawned upon me that—— I find my tongue is too foolhardy. All’s Well that Ends Well, IX., 1 I did play a lamentable part. The Two Gentlemen of Verona, IV., 4 If hearty sorrow be a sufficient ransom for offence, I tender’t here. The Two Gentlemen of Verona, V., 4 APPRECIATIVE Sympathetic Sensible With a beautiful sense of the fitting A very delicate appreciation of—— It was perfectly charming to see how—— I shall be happy to recall the fact that we—— A nice sense of appreciation The beautiful thing about it is—— With the inevitable grace that is French Than this there is none other He has a mind acutely responsive to—— He has a nice regard for—— You did it in the way that will count It is a capital piece of work That was splendid of you It would do him a world of good I am keenly interested in what you say Thoroughly imbued with respect for—— I admire your foresight I compliment you on your good sense I have contracted a most religious veneration for—— Let us give him a hearty word of appreciation Sensitive to every nicety of—— With a swift apprehension of—— I have a very high regard for your—— APPROBATION Approval Confirmation I wish to give my hearty endorsement to—— It was a proposal which met with unanimous approbation It is highly desirable It is perfectly proper It will promote instead of hinder It is a wholesome and heartening conviction that—— It is a salutary and successful work It was the conduct of splendid magnanimity I felt I could leave it to your generous consideration You have my unqualified approval On that issue he is splendidly right They cannot fail of producing the happiest effects He was generous in his approbation Unmixed approbation This lends confirmation to—— ASTONISHING Surprising Startling It takes away one’s breath A man can but rub his eyes in amazement when he sees that—— I was never so astonished It is incredible that—— The thing fell like a thunder-clap This is passing strange Without having any previous inkling of—— The most amazing thing about it all is—— I was quite overcome I was struck dumb by—— It completely surpasses my comprehension What you tell me is simply astounding Doubly striking I flamed amazement. The Tempest, I., 2 It was like a bombshell in our midst Challenging even the stupid to consideration AUDACIOUS Brazen Presumptuous In unblushing impudence Guilty of high-handed procedure He was never accused of exaggerated modesty In unctuous fashion In a tone of virtuous superiority A piece of ridiculous conceit Nobody takes such precious advantage of it as he An attempt to be smart He had the nerve to—— It was a case of sheer audacity He made peremptory demand that—— He is full of all kinds of sure prophecies BEAUTIFUL Attractive Fascinating Beautiful to look at The land of the beautiful A potent charm A perfect riot of color The cult of the beautiful Through an Eden of beauty As beautiful as any poem Winsome in appearance With a certain fascination Singularly attractive Exquisitely dainty Extremely prepossessing The charm of the beautiful Exquisitely shaped
BLUFF Brag Bluster He who threatens is afraid I cannot abide swaggerers. II. King Henry IV., II., 4 We consider him a huge joke He has parted company with the facts He makes unqualified assertions Farcical pretensions With a great assumption of dignity A sham so thin that it requires but one test to puncture it By smooth words he can gloze over the fact that—— Very far adrift for explanations of—— Where there is no wind every man is a pilot It was rather tall talk upon my part The worst wheel always creaks most He is camouflaging He is certainly not making a reputation for accuracy by some of his statements Too affected to be real It is not an explanation, it is only an excuse Too transparently foolish to fool anybody Adroit excuses The whole proceeding was theatrical He played up the bogey of—— He is not playing the game as a sport
CALM Unperturbed Self-controlled I am very tranquil about it I am not at all solicitous about it He generally takes things with equanimity He kept a calm exterior in emergencies Magnificent reserve You could scarcely observe any of the evidences of inward perturbation With the utmost composure With stoical calm With remarkable equanimity No harm can come from stating calmly the reasons that—— He wears an unruffled front Without the flick of an eyelid An air of quiet, unaffected assurance CAUTIOUS Prudent Careful I am not going to leap in the dark It must be handled with gloves It is a work of eternal vigilance Ordinary prudence would suggest that—— It is well within the bounds of conservative statement to say that—— We must keep a sharp lookout for—— That is the part of the sane caution In spite of the most scrupulous precautions Prudential regulations Pull gently at a weak rope He has infinite capacity for taking care Haste onward with caution Things done well, and with a care, exempt themselves from fear. Henry VIII., I., 2 After adding the necessary salt of incredulity, it is to be concluded that—— It should receive careful consideration It is worthy of attentive study A conclusion not to be accepted without long deliberation It is the part of rational protection for all concerned We must wait for a propitious moment On sober second thought, I—— We have to be as severe as justice He seldom speaks without carefully considering what he is to say and the probable effects He is prudence itself The dictum must be taken with reserve He took time for careful deliberation He took every precaution to—— I have carefully inquired into—— The precaution necessary to insure safety For prudential reasons Without any undue haste
CLEAR Manifest Plain As clear as daylight The issue was clearly drawn It makes forever clear that—— Left with no misapprehensions It is self-evident that—— An axiomatic truth Give me ocular proof. Othello, III., 3 The apparently inevitable conclusion is that—— It is a matter of the simplest demonstration that—— A lucid explanation It is a vivid portrayal of—— The results are everywhere apparent Plain to every eye I have a very clear conviction that—— I am perfectly clear in my mind as to—— There is nothing ambiguous about it As significant as raised letters to the blind With admirable clarity of mind Open, aboveboard, and explicit That clears the air I see it That simplifies everything enormously It needs no great play of imagination to see that—— The plain unvarnished fact is—— It can be demonstrated to a mathematical nicety that—— It requires no extraordinary perception to discern that—— It has become perfectly evident that—— A mere cursory examination will make it clear that—— It casts an informing light upon—— As simple and as matter-of-fact as a fever chart COMMENDATION (Shakespeare) Second to none. The Comedy of Errors, V., 1 There’s nothing ill can dwell in such a temple. The Tempest, I., 2 A lovelier gentleman——the spacious world cannot again afford. King Richard III., I., 2 He’s the rock, the oak not to be wind-shaken. Coriolanus, V., 2 He reads much; he is a great observer, and he looks quite through the deeds of men. Julius CÆsar, I., 2 A dish fit for the gods. Julius CÆsar, II., 1 This comes off well and excellent. Timon of Athens, I., 1 That stirs good thoughts in my breast. King John, II., 1 He should have a volume of farewells. King Richard II., I., 4 My man’s as true as steel. Romeo and Juliet, II., 4 A kinder gentleman treads not the earth. The Merchant of Venice, II., 8 Ay, every inch a King. King Lear, IV., 6 I remember him well, and I remember him worthy of thy praise. The Merchant of Venice, I., 2 He has done nobly. Coriolanus, II., 3 Happy the parents of so fair a child. The Taming of the Shrew, IV., 5 The kindest man, the best-condition’d and unwearied spirit in doing courtesies. The Merchant of Venice, III., 2 Sing again: mine ear is much enamour’d of thy note. A Midsummer-Night’s Dream, III., 1 Her voice was ever soft, gentle, and low, an excellent thing in woman. King Lear, V., 3 Your fair discourse hath been as sugar, making the hard way sweet and delectable. King Richard II., II., 3 You know the very road into his kindness, and cannot lose your way. Coriolanus, V., 1 Neat, trimly dressed, fresh as a bridegroom. I. King Henry IV., I., 3 They say, best men are moulded out of faults. Measure for Measure, V., 1 Not meanly proud of two such boys. The Comedy of Errors, I., 1 Your worth is very dear in my regard. The Merchant of Venice, I., 1 A countryman of yours that has done worthy service. All’s Well that Ends Well, III., 5 I have heard of the lady, and good words went with her name. Measure for Measure, III., 1 We lack’d your counsel and your help. Othello, I., 3 Thy charge exactly is performed. The Tempest, I., 2 Thy counsel’s sound. The Taming of the Shrew, I., 1 He was a scholar, and a ripe and good one; exceeding wise, fair-spoken, and persuading. King Henry VIII., IV., 2 The very thought of this fair company clapp’d wings to me. King Henry VIII., I., 4 This was the noblest Roman of them all. Julius CÆsar, V., 5 I do applaud thy spirit. The Two Gentlemen of Verona, V., 4 Good phrases are surely, and ever were, very commendable. II. King Henry IV., III., 2 Gallants, lads, boys, hearts of gold, all the titles of good fellowship. I. King Henry IV., II., 4 Here is everything advantageous to life. The Tempest, II., 1 It hath done meritorious service. The Merry Wives of Windsor, IV., 2 Upon such sacrifices——the gods themselves throw incense. King Lear, V., 3 A good heart’s worth gold. II. King Henry IV., II., 4 My father’s honours live in me. Titus Andronicus, I., 1 Never man sigh’d truer breath. Coriolanus, IV., 5 O, this boy lends mettle to us all. I. King Henry IV., V., 4 One of the prettiest touches of all. The Winter’s Tale, V., 2 COMMENDATORY Praise Encomiums (Of Persons) He treated me very handsomely When you speak to him you are sure of a civil reply He is not swayed by any such considerations He has a humor that keeps the vision true and the mind sweet The whole record of his life was that of unselfish generosity He is entirely free from all personal bitterness He has a good word for every one He is gifted with the power of expressing his knowledge He has a very pleasing manner I should have to think long if I were asked to name one who had done more valuable service He strikes a splendid average Everybody is proud of him He was kindness itself He has lovable qualities He carries sunshine He is free from ill-speaking It was a pretty instance of—— The place has attractive features High tribute has been generously paid to—— A very attractive girl Decidedly handsome I am wealthy in my friends. Timon of Athens, II., 2 An exceptionally fine man We regard him highly A beautiful character A genuine human being One of the most agreeable men A most attractive talker A most agreeable companion A man of high probity A man of splendid merit A most delightful personality He deserves great praise He played a worthy part He is great fun They all behaved very handsomely I have great regard for him He speaks in the highest terms of—— A feather in any man’s cap It is to the credit of all concerned that—— It is a mark of public esteem when—— No one ever displayed a sweeter spirit A fine example of self-forgetfulness It comes from one whose praise is an honor A strong as well as lovely character One of the most amiable of men He wins golden opinions In the good graces of—— Very agreeable people She is a very tender and indulgent mother He is full of generous sympathies He has a sunny temperament He is quite an adroit flatterer He seems to have an inexhaustible supply of affection His modesty is worthy of wide imitation He is brimming over with new ideas He gives you a jolly shake of the hand He has a wonderful gift of making friends He has a circle of interesting friends There is something very likable about him He is truly regardful of the interests of others He cultivates the amenities and civilities He understands the art of making allowances He would shun to break the bounds of courtesy His polite best He is above the meanness of tale-bearing He spoke in language clear and expressive in the highest degree He spoke with his accustomed felicity of language It was a very neat and appropriate expression He labored in a simple and straightforward manner to—— He possesses nerves that seem to be of iron He is a perpetual surprise even to those who know him best She is a charming person to set people at their ease He is a noble character She talked beautifully He has a fine face full of vigor He is very patient and very brave We have beautiful neighbors I never have seen you looking in better health They form a delightful group With him there is little seeking after effect It is an evidence of good breeding He possesses the rare faculty of—— She is without a shadow of affectation He is incapable of hurting any one’s feelings He possesses a masterly understanding of the subject He is irresistibly funny He is uncommonly quick A man whose merit equals his reputation He acquitted himself admirably He possesses a good deal of homely dignity He has the talent of dispensing pleasure You have great reason to congratulate yourself on—— His name was never mentioned by us without the most tender regard He has a character of sterling excellence He is of consequence in the world She is a model of propriety There is an indefinable charm about her He has an air of businesslike decisiveness He is a facile talker He is a plain frugal man He is untinged by prejudice He has a taste for polite conversation He discharged his difficult task admirably He was actuated by the most laudable motives He never fumbles He is always in such perfect good humor He behaved very handsomely He has calm good sense He did it with good grace He fitted his environment perfectly You could not apply to any one better able than he He made a most delightful impression He is chock-full of fine sentiment My heart warms towards him He is a person whom I always recall with pleasure His letters are full of heartiness He has such a kindly and sympathetic spirit No one ever displayed a sweeter spirit than he He is every whit a man’s man He has fine manners He acted as one to the manor born May his tribe increase He impressed me prodigiously He has the highest ideals of fine, clean, strong manhood She is possessed with the most delicate intuitions He possesses a certain suavity of manner She is of exceptional personal beauty He is above the average in point of conversation He took the hugest pains to accommodate us There is no more noble and beautiful character than she There was something captivating in his manner He was eloquent without being declamatory You will go a long way before you find a better man COMMENDATORY Praise Encomiums (Of Things) It is rather a fascinating theme A message worthy of the widest attention There is a certain quaint charm about the—— Free from fulsome adulation A work replete with charm It was a palpable hit A favorable impression Whole-hearted praise Giving due meed of praise to—— Good to look upon Beyond praise Worthy of all praise Isn’t it fine I have nothing but praise for it It was magnificent Of great charm Of superlative excellence Exceptionally good It is highly desirable Truly admirable Remarkably fine A very handsome appearance A masterly effort Deserving high approval In a very commendable manner It is superb I think it is charming Without parallel A neat stroke It was a grand sight A very rare trait Most charming manners Well worthy of a place in our remembrance A most desirable outcome Fitting words of felicitation The loveliest and most endearing memories of life Not the least interesting part of the—— Exquisitely dainty In a truly elegant manner The occasion went off beautifully In a very handsome manner With singular appropriateness We shall take new pride in it One of the most beautiful things that ever happened to us A counsel of perfection The never ending charm of—— A matter of surpassing interest It has been well said that—— It is a high tribute to the—— A tribute of praise Little short of perfect A full meed of praise In the most handsome terms Handsome is that handsome does Singularly attractive It has the notable merit of—— It is uncommonly good It is quite in keeping with the best traditions It is the fashion to talk with pride of—— I think there is nothing more fascinating than—— We feel a special pride in—— It would be all the more delightful if—— It has novelty and is refreshing It is perfectly justifiable It is a magnificent achievement I know no pleasanter fact than—— A rare combination of—— Beyond cavil and criticism A fine example of—— A very signal example of—— On a fine scale Beyond all imagination Of exquisite taste A most entertaining presentation of—— Surpassingly fine It could not have been improved The occasion was very propitious for—— An exquisite picture It is worthy of a world of praise It is worthy of high praise It bears the stamp of excellence A very promising beginning A delight to all right-minded people A work of unique value The finest thought the human mind can cherish A master-stroke of policy A task of immense interest Big with promise A most excellent speculation It is the ideal method of solving the problem An asset of incomparable value With new and increased capacities A very pretty problem in—— An experiment of absorbing interest In the most fetching style It has much to commend it to the sober judgment of thinking men COMMENT Opinion Note A not unfair inference is—— The clear upshot of it all is—— It remains to be seen whether—— I feel confident that—— In any event There is a phase of the discussion going on which says—— I candidly think that—— I notice a very widespread tendency to—— I am never carried to any great lengths of reflection by—— It is a matter of common knowledge that—— My idea of it is quite the reverse One thing struck my unskilled eye At first sight it seems—— It is altogether probable that—— Have you considered that possibly the—— And it is worth remembering that—— All competent evidence points to the fact that—— It is highly probable that—— I am more than convinced every day that—— This is the short and the long of it. The Merry Wives of Windsor, II., 2 And thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges. Twelfth Night, V., 1 It seems reasonably certain that—— A reasonable inference is that—— I feel myself scarcely competent to judge COMPLIMENT Adulate Flatter It was so charming of you to—— As handsome as a picture I am perfectly fascinated by that idea of yours It is so kind of you to—— Well done, accept congratulations That is certainly ideal A very creditable performance I think you have summed it up perfectly It is surpassingly fine Whom to have known was a great pleasure I fancy you are of a good temperament for Here is diplomacy of the highest order Your views are most satisfactory Cheerful company shortens the miles Cold hand, a warm heart How nicely you put that Those friends of yours are delightful people Permit me to compliment you He is able to extract comfort out of hard experiences You are looking as lovely as usual I always thought the hour struck sooner in your home than anywhere else You have a very helpful suggestion I greatly like what you say about—— I offer my congratulations on your taste I am not given to making compliments, but I would like to say that—— CONCEITED Egotistic Opinionated The one and only man who knows what to do and how to do it Hypnotized by his own visions A self-satisfied, confident attitude He has an overweening opinion of himself He had the hardihood to assert that—— Conscious of his own worth A complacent indifference to evidence He who tickles himself laughs when he likes Complacently egotistical With pedantic exactitude It irked him to be in second place A touch of the will to survive on the ruin of others He is inflexible in any resolution formed in his own interest He takes zealous care of a fancied dignity They also plumed themselves on the—— He has a well-developed case of self-importance The incarnation of self-importance Opinionated self-esteem Overweening self-love Of narrow-minded complacency A certain haughty inaccessibility With overbearing arrogance With pride of singularity He has a very high opinion of himself Naturally self-contained His vanity was delicately tickled He is captivated by a sense of his own importance She came in with insufferable condescension With a sort of bravado In a very supercilious manner With a surly grunt of recognition A few curt remarks All the grist must be ground through his mill He proceeded with the greatest gusto to—— With sulky acquiescence Reticent and self-contained An affected civility
CONCERN Taking a living loving interest in men A self-restraint which refuses to make capital of the faults of others No selfish purpose to serve There is something beautifully touching in the—— He has the deepest veneration for the—— A mind teeming with tender concern for human happiness It is impossible to look with insensibility of feeling upon the—— He entertains a very adequate respect for—— He has a fellow feeling for—— Frequent expressions of solicitude for—— It is not until one has entered sympathetically into—— I am not unmindful of—— With a motherly tenderness CONDEMN Denounce Censure No message but the message of anathema and excommunication One aspect of it should be assigned to oblivion Atrociously bad The worst of irresponsibles Ripe for merited destruction In utter defiance of the rights of others and common decency A gross miscarriage of justice A wretched state of affairs Such methods are incapable of defense You can make your own mental deductions Destroyed in the fires of its own presumption Those who report such things are equally culpable It digs its own grave He stultifies his own soul who—— It is but a conspiracy to thwart justice It is hard to say just what maledictions should be pronounced upon one who—— One finds it difficult to measure his epithet when—— Stirred to unmeasured wrath They are all tarred with the same stick He should come in for some rather rough handling The mere thought of it fills me with disgust It is empty talk to speak of—— It is a shortsighted policy The indictment might be lengthened An attitude morally impossible Certainly not inviting Reduced to plain language, the—— Such conduct seems unjustifiable A rather bold innovation Certainly injudicious and ill-timed It is crude stuff Foolish and pernicious talk Most reprehensible Utterly futile as well as mischievous Gross injustice CONDONE Excuse Overlook We all have our little vanities There are always two sides to a story All this is water which long since flowed over the mill It is time to bury the hatchet That was not necessarily to his discredit It is human nature to ignore the—— Not quite so radical as the description would seem to indicate Undoubtedly there are times when—— Guilty of occasional indiscretions We must endeavor to establish amicable relations That is a thing of the past There is another plausible side to it Of course there are mitigating circumstances Extenuating nothing of the enormity of the offence charged it may be asked what—— We are all willing to condone but not to forget I can only plead in extenuation that—— There will be extenuating circumstances No doubt he was in a playful mood when he spoke it He did it all in good faith The trouble with us poor mortals is—— It must in fairness be added that—— Very likely the explanation lies in the fact that—— That is far from being the whole truth We must be willing to make the best of a bad affair After all he possesses some fine qualities No hard and fast line can be drawn between—— There is a view which palliates our case a little And it is fair to remember that—— There is a certain truth in the criticism that—— The best of us make mistakes Softening the asperities of life Apparently he has done all he can to placate the ire of—— It is a great mercy that—— We attempted to smother down some very harsh asperities I will give you absolution from—— Progressive thinkers would fain ameliorate the harsher aspects of—— Please say something nice to him A tendency to conciliate those who oppose Their efforts smoothed away many asperities One of the chronic frailties of human nature Things past redress are now with me past care. King Richard II., II., 3
CONSECRATION Devotion Dedication All there is of us for God Willing to take a lowly place anywhere to serve God There is a constancy of spirit that beats like the pulse of God A heart full of longing to live in a larger way The hardships and joys of a life of toil My heart is set to do all the will of God A fervent and vigilant life in the service of God Men and women who are living beautiful lives of sanctified service A work in which every man may bear a share The depth and fervor of our belief To lay our tribute at the feet of one who is nobler than the noblest Perfect abandon unto the will of God Not much engaged in cumbering affairs Into spheres of sublime service In harmony with His character The free-will offering of our lips and purses Men who tried to stem the flood-tide of sin In fearless pioneering In plucky unyielding struggle with evil In unapplauded toil among the poor A path of whole-hearted consecration to God
CONSIDERATE Regardful Thoughtful Given to the niceties of deportment He has the courtesy of the old school In manner he was deferential The flower of courtesy. Romeo and Juliet, II., 5 Always time for the considerate word Positive claims to consideration Kindly and considerately Every consideration should be shown to—— I very much doubt whether others will be equally considerate CONTENTED Satisfied Gratified I am in a very happy state of mind I have not had one melancholy hour I think it is a settled temper of my soul that I—— I lived melodious days with—— He loves the sunny side of the road An air of moderation and sweet reasonableness Not one minute’s uneasiness I want the satisfactions and complacencies of—— To every bird its nest seems fair He may well be content It pleased me greatly to find that—— It is a very great satisfaction to know that—— I am rejoiced to find that—— That was one of the pleasantest experiences of my life It was hailed with unmixed joy Every cat loves its own garret I am perfectly comfortable about it It is with the liveliest satisfaction that—— One of the few true delights of—— A very pleasing sort of experience It is a source of inexpressible comfort to find that—— It is the panacea for all ills It was heavenly It was concluded in the most gratifying way It is a matter of great gratification to me to find that—— There is no use blowing a fire that burns well Quite in keeping with the best traditions It will pass muster An arrangement to our mutual advantage We had no reason to complain of—— It must be a very confirmed pessimist who would refuse a smile of satisfaction at—— Snug as a bug in a rug It was a great find A perfectly proper proceeding Elegant ease Snugly ensconced
COURAGE Resolution Mettle Always unafraid Unshakable resolution in the face of adversity Through the ordeal unflinchingly As bold as a hawk A recklessness that snatches victory out of the jaws of danger There is no such word as compromise in his vocabulary He has the courage of his convictions Fighting for imperishable moral treasures Fortune aids the bold With the splendid heroism of a man sure of life Certain fearless minds He had the fortitude to resist the—— Faint heart never won a fair lady Look danger in the face Upholding the finest traditions of—— A fighting heart Our staying power is sure to be well tested It takes a very daring man to—— As a test of the mettle of—— Unmoved by fear The stuff of a hero in him With red blood in his veins Facing the problem squarely With a bold disregard for danger The daring mood Not afraid to tackle big things COURTESY Civility Politeness (Conventional——Apology) I am afraid I am trespassing on your time I beg your pardon for intruding I hope my coming will not put you to any inconvenience I offer my most sincere apology I beg you will excuse me I regret it more than I can express Excuse me for having detained you so long I warmly regret being unable to oblige you I must apologize for my stupidity This is quite unforgivable, I fear I am very awkward, pray forgive me I regret that I cannot assist you It is with no small regret that—— I am exceedingly sorry that your request comes to me at a time when I am so pressed by my own affairs, that I cannot, with any convenience, comply with it Pardon my indiscretion (Conventional——Assistance) I shall be very happy to assist you I have had great pleasure in being useful to you Permit me to serve you in any way I can May I give you some assistance If you can assist me I shall take it as an extraordinary kindness (Conventional——At Weddings) I wish you much joy Let me wish you every happiness I wish to offer you my heartiest congratulations I congratulate you heartily on the good fortune that is yours to-day Kindly accept my sincerest good wishes It is impossible to wish you any greater good fortune than you have had to-day Please accept my congratulations Hearty congratulations (Conventional——Condolence) Kindly accept my sincere esteem and sympathy I beg to offer my profound sympathy We all share in your loss, and you have my deepest sympathy I sympathize with you in your great affliction I wish to assure you of my heartfelt sympathy I could not refrain from assuring you in person of my sincerest sympathy We can all splendidly trust God in life, no matter what its vicissitudes, if we but feel that we are drawn nearer to Him Please accept my sincere condolences (Conventional——Congratulatory) I cannot refrain from expressing my admiring appreciation of—— You are to be congratulated upon the—— I wish to congratulate you, and express my appreciation of—— Will you permit me to make an acknowledgment of appreciation to you for—— Permit me to make appreciative acknowledgments of—— Please accept my congratulations upon your—— Since the news of the joy that has happened to you reached me, I have been anxious to write you a word of congratulation I congratulate you on the very fortunate opportunity which presents itself I had the great pleasure of hearing that—— I take this opportunity of assuring you that—— It is with great pleasure I hear of your safe arrival (Conventional——Greeting) It is a great pleasure to me to welcome you I am delighted to see you here I am delighted to make your acquaintance though indeed I seem to know a great deal about you through—— I am mightily glad to see you I am so pleased to see you How happy we are to see you Welcome once more This is a most unexpected pleasure (Conventional——On Leaving) This has been a delightful occasion This has been a most enjoyable evening I want to make my parting compliments Many thanks for your kind hospitality I will not forget this agreeable day I am under the greatest obligation to you for a charming evening I have enjoyed this little glimpse of you very much This has been a most agreeable experience It has been delightful to have you with us I hope you may be persuaded to come again I wish you were not going quite so soon Come to see us again before you leave town I trust you will repeat this experience at some future date (Conventional——On Being Introduced) I am very happy to meet you It is a great pleasure to meet you I am delighted to know you I am sure the pleasure is mine also You are most kind It is a great pleasure I was not clever enough to catch your name (Conventional——Parting, On Chance Meeting) It is a very great pleasure to have met you I hope we may meet again I hope to see you again soon I must wish you good morning I want to cultivate your acquaintance I beg to present my compliments to all your family I hope you will favor us with a call I wish you a pleasant journey Kindly convey my warmest regards to—— Be so good as to present my most respectful compliments to—— It has given me great pleasure to have this chat with you Present my remembrances to—— Remember me very kindly to—— I hope we shall meet under happier circumstances (Conventional——Request) Could I interrupt you for a minute I shall be glad if you will join me I wish you would take it into serious consideration Would you be good enough to give him a message for me Please do not give yourself that trouble Please accept this as a slight token of my gratitude Will you not do me the favor to tell me—— I beg you to excuse me If you don’t mind, I—— Let us have the pleasure of hearing you—— (Conventional——Request to Accompany Another and Response) May I have the pleasure of your company May I accompany you I like good company, may I go with you May I go along with you With very great pleasure Most assuredly With pleasure I shall feel highly honored I shall be very happy of your company (Conventional——Response to Compliment) I am delighted to hear you say so I am delighted to have your approbation That is very gracious Thank you, I appreciate your kindly thought of me It is good of you to say so
(Conventional——Thanks) I trust I shall have an opportunity of returning your kindness You anticipate my wishes Many thanks for doing me the honor to inquire This is extremely kind of you My best thanks are due to you for—— I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it I thank you very cordially You are very obliging I am deeply indebted to you for your kindness I beg your acceptance of my very hearty thanks for—— Permit me to thank you (Conventional——Shakespeare) Apology Excuse my manners, that so neglected you. Othello, V., 1 Pardon, my haste made me unmannerly. King Henry VIII., IV., 2 I am heartily sorry that—— All’s Well that Ends Well, IV., 3 Congratulatory Many years of sunshine days. King Richard II., IV., 1 Take from my mouth the wish of happy years. King Richard II., I., 3 Prosperous life, long and ever happy. King Henry VIII., V., 5 I wish thee happiness. Pericles, I., 1 Many, many, merry days. The Merry Wives of Windsor, V., 5 Greeting You are very welcome. Cymbeline, I., 6 I am very glad to see you. As You Like It, III., 3 A hundred thousand welcomes. Coriolanus, II., 1 Our old and faithful friend, we are glad to see you. Measure for Measure, V., 1 Your presence makes us rich. King Richard II., II., 3 Although the last, not least. King Lear, I., 1 Happily met. The Taming of the Shrew, IV., 5 Good morrow to this fair assembly. Much Ado about Nothing, V., 4 Heartily well met, and most glad of your company. Coriolanus, IV., 3
Inquiry Whither bound? Cymbeline, III., 6 Why did you stir so early? Pericles, III., 2 Are you the lady of the house? Twelfth Night, I., 5 How goes the world? Timon of Athens, I., 1 Parting I thank you for your company. As You Like It, III., 2 I am heartily glad I came. As You Like It, I., 1 We leave you now with better company. The Merchant of Venice, I., 1 I take leave with many thousand thanks. III. King Henry VI., III., 2 Fair thoughts and happy hours attend on you. The Merchant of Venice, III., 4 Bear my greetings to—— Julius CÆsar, II., 2 Let us take ceremonious leave——of our several friends. King Richard II., I., 3 The heavens give safety to your purposes,
Lead forth and bring you back in happiness. Measure for Measure, I., 1 I desire more acquaintance of you. The Merry Wives of Windsor, II., 2 Request Bear me company. The Two Gentlemen of Verona, IV., 3 Will you dine with me? Julius CÆsar, I., 2 Let me have audience for a word or two. As You Like It, V., 4 Commend me to him. Timon of Athens, I., 1 Trouble yourself no further. Othello, IV., 3 Which is the readiest way to the house of—— The Taming of the Shrew, I., 2 If along with us, we shall be joyful of thy company. The Taming of the Shrew, IV., 5 Come home with me to supper; and I’ll lay a plot shall show us all a merry day. King Richard II., IV., 1 Go on before——I’ll presently attend you. The Two Gentlemen of Verona, II., 4 Will not your honours bear me company? I. King Henry VI., II., 2 I’ll keep you company. Coriolanus, II., 3
Response What your pleasure is, shall satisfy me. III. King Henry VI., III., 2 I count myself in nothing else so happy as in a soul remembering my good friends. King Richard II., II., 3 I’ll eat nothing; I thank you as much as though I did. The Merry Wives of Windsor, I., 1 Of much less value is my company than your good words. King Richard II., II., 3 I enjoyed the golden dew of sleep. King Richard III., IV., 1 Tell him this from me, I count it one of my greatest afflictions that I cannot pleasure such an honourable gentleman. Timon of Athens, III., 2 Thanks For your many courtesies I thank you. Much Ado about Nothing, V., 1 I can no other answer make but thanks and thanks. Twelfth Night, III., 3 It is an honour that I dream not of. Romeo and Juliet, I., 3 I thank you for your wish, and am well pleased to wish it back on you. The Merchant of Venice, III., 4 I thank thee for thy care and honest pains. Much Ado about Nothing, V., 1 With more than common thanks I will receive it. Timon of Athens, I., 2 I humbly thank him, and thank you all. Titus Andronicus, V., 1 A thousand thanks. The Taming of the Shrew, II., 1 Many and hearty thankings to you. Measure for Measure, V., 1 Hearty thanks. King Lear, IV., 6 I thank you, you are always my good friend. King Henry VIII., V., 3 CRITICISM Stricture Animadversion We are not all of that ilk He is not able to get the right perspective We are quite reluctant to follow his lead He has no ground of complaint He is in no small degree responsible for—— He shall be condemned in no uncertain terms He cuts a sorry figure He has no sense of the fitness of things His conclusions are hopelessly detached from his premises The theory has gone into bankruptcy He is over-quick in reproof He richly deserves his fate I will not use terms of endearment He takes himself too seriously He has the unhappy knack of saying things that are not so He should be the last man in the world to—— He is desperately in earnest but terribly mistaken A purely professional cheeriness of manner A most inexcusable breach of confidence That sort of thing not only wearies but disgusts sensible men It is a case of mean yielding in places of responsibility Such a course is eternally alien to us No one with any polite breeding can possibly sympathize with—— Too clever by half I cannot resist taking him down a peg or two Which is more than a figure of speech A clumsy attempt Not beyond just criticism Little to charm the eye An unfortunate notion It is a situation to be lamented Not altogether a wise thing to do Not the most reassuring thing in the world It presents an ugly aspect Pure cussedness The revival of an old humbug A suggestion to be taken with reserve It is but the legitimate offspring of his policy A theory which has sins enough of its own to answer for A little top-heavy DANGEROUS Perilous Risky Steering a wobbling course Skating over thin ice The risk is too plain to be blinked Things which snuff the light out of life The mischief is easier to do than to undo A warning which we dare not ignore It is to light a fuse Most sedulously to be avoided A shining mark for the attacks of—— A menace to true faith Subversive of all social order Nothing is more inimical to society than—— A standing menace to—— Risks it would be madness to take It may easily become a bogey It contains the muffled accents of compromise The consequences of which it is exceedingly difficult to foresee A concession which the future will deplore It is a condition which destroys the morale It is a fear which cuts the nerve It has obvious risks The perilous undertow of—— The blighting effects of pride It seems a mere flying in the face of notorious facts to maintain that—— Taking all sorts of daring little liberties The fatal folly of—— Can any one view that prospect with complacency when—— It is bad form to—— It is of doubtful propriety at best It is a delicate and dangerous thing to do It will sink beyond hope of salvage A very precarious situation for obvious reasons It is a perilous thing to do He is a real man who should affirm that—— A bold stroke A tendency to attribute undue importance to—— It never seems to give him pause that—— He laid himself open to attack when—— A delicate sort of performance An awkward doctrine to preach now A source of alarm An evidence of sinister plot A deadly menace to—— It will add fuel to the flame A bit of fine-spun fallacious reasoning A supremely critical hour A danger of mistaking the eddy for the full current A crisis in the affairs of—— DECEIT Duplicity Guile Calculated to deceive the very elect Hoodwinked by chicanery It lacked every mark of authenticity To play fast and loose with Fair words have stolen away your heart Birds of prey do not sing Words which mislead and deceive the unthinking A whole web of intrigue An illusion born of vanity It is a gigantic hoax A man given to sharp practice It was a mean decoy He made a feint of going—— A cowardly subterfuge As slippery as an eel
DEFEAT Frustrate Thwart His last state is worse than his first He is waiting for an excuse to climb down gracefully Out of the frying-pan into the fire It made serious inroads upon the—— His plans suffered an eclipse From bad to worse The plot thickens It cost the pangs of keenest misery They have been adversely affected by it A sort of dehumanizing effect An adept in getting into hot water An omen of evil significance We nipped it in the bud DEFEND Shield Protect In my humble judgment he did right I should defend that with real verve He should not be consigned to execration simply because—— There is not one jot nor tittle nor scintilla of evidence to show that—— The matter should not be permitted to go by default We must place safeguards against further occurrences of the same kind He does not do so perversely I am going to defend him from the animadversions of—— He is above any such intractable position He is a jealous defender of—— Truly it is not meet and just that—— One in order to maintain his self-respect must—— In spite of all that has been said to the contrary, I—— It is all very well for—— DENY Disavow Disclaim I wish to disclaim any responsibility for—— Nothing could be farther from the facts than—— He is wholly mistaken I emphatically deny it without fear of contradiction There was never a greater mistake Quite the contrary I am far from saying that—— It is a contradiction of terms It is absurd to suppose that—— Far from it It is a pure invention of mischief-making spite We wish to disclaim any purpose of that nature If any such idea found lodgment it should be dismissed forthwith as contrary to—— It is without a vestige of truth in it It will be met by a flat refusal It is too much of an extravagance to assert that—— We are not justified in making unqualified assertions It is deliberately false An absurd proposition hardly worth contradiction No more false charge was ever brought The thing was absurd and incredible on the face of it Relegated to the limbo of—— DEPENDABLE Trustworthy Reliable Something more than mere vaporings of the imagination Unalterable principles of rectitude It always has a strict business basis Stable as the hills As steady as a clock No mere makeshift policy Not swerving from the path of duty Painstaking and faithful in the performance of duty Of most rare fidelity With unswerving fidelity to each and every trust He does not play fast and loose
DESCRIPTIVE (Of Persons) A matchless eye A winning smile With feminine ease and grace A very pretty manner A finely molded chin A great lubberly boy A maid of winning charm A most winsome expression A dainty little miss A mere slip of a girl Nimbly moving hands In robust health A husky youngster A tar of the jolly old sort A son frightfully dissipated An officer immensely officious The habit of gentle speech The habit of accurate observation The pink of perfection A vast amount of good sense A superior man An obliging person A magnanimous soul A pleasing countenance A voice delightfully musical Of graceful deportment His person was commanding Elegant propriety of attire A jaunty demeanor A good-natured fellow A most agreeable creature A natural sweetness of disposition A charmingly simple person A quiet unassuming person A man of sound sense A man of immovable convictions A lawyer of marked ability A discriminating eye A countenance which beautifully expressed a deep interest in all things good A well-governed mind With the intuitive perceptions of a lover Many charming qualities A heart alive to all the beauties of nature With the most fastidious punctilio Fond of dwelling on the scenes of other days So frankly and innocently happy Skilled in the graces of conversation An unsympathetic reader A man of dignity, force, and ease of manner A decent pride A clear brain A flash of intelligence A quick sympathy A wise tolerance An acute observer A splendid fellow A very mercenary person A trustworthy friend A fond mother A good listener An excellent musician An exceptional man A character worth knowing A mind of penetrating keenness A scholar of considerable eminence (Of Things) A lovely landscape A quiet nook A crimson rosebud A fertile region A drowsy drone A snug farm A dainty flower The blissful skies Serene weather The most perfect night possible In very picturesque surroundings A charming aspect A rugged background A high-crested crag A pool of transparent clearness The kindly fruits of the earth The most appetizing confection The pleasing odor of good food A delicious condiment A deadly contagion A munificent gift Snowy table-linen The boundless beauty of springtime A rattling good story A savory odor A quaint old house Of a make quite metropolitan A suit of faultless cut Delicate traceries A facile pen The larger mood A gala night A marvel of detail DESERVING Worthy Meritorious Nor can we be too warm in our grateful appreciation of the—— Posterity will give its proper meed of praise to—— He has done a real service He proved himself worthy of the confidence reposed in him It is the highest tribute to his sincerity He commands the entire respect of the community He is by all odds the best He has earned the right to be regarded as—— It was a severe test and he came off victorious They deserve the cordial thanks of—— DESIRE Wish Crave I have often cast a thought but now I begin to cast an eye towards—— A thirst after more from the same spring A praiseworthy desire With a feverish desire to—— To this end it is hoped that—— A secret fondness for—— He has a genuine hankering for—— From my very heart I desire—— ’Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished. Hamlet, III., 1 I covet for myself—— What we want is—— I have a burning desire to—— I am profoundly anxious to—— It is our earnest hope and most fervent prayer that—— It would be the culmination of my fondest hopes to—— I am ardently wishing for it An insatiable thirst for—— Legitimate desires An irrepressible desire for—— I am not very strong for—— DETERMINATION Grit Resolution Perseverance and pluck triumphed He held stoutly to the creed that—— Quenchless zeal A fixed and unalterable determination to—— Where there is a will there is a way No, not if I work my fingers to the bone With the determination of a born fighter The vow is registered in heaven that—— Facing life with resolute purpose With indomitable zeal No one need ever say he cannot make good A relentless determination to continue Invincible in determination Resolute in will Well defined in purpose Dauntless purpose An inspiration amounting to a fixed resolve Nothing can faze him He delights to smite his enemies hip and thigh Dyed-in-the-wool conservatives Dauntless perseverance We had already steeled our hearts for it With an air of stolid desperation With unflinching determination Not to be tempted into foolhardiness He held on with grim determination With determined perseverance Gently but firmly A vigorous determination With stoical fortitude With all the energy of one’s soul With redoubled energy Consumed by the intensity of a passion for—— A quiet determination to do their part nobly A grim endurance Struggling with circumstances With indomitable patience He has a phenomenal capacity for pegging away Not swerved from his position by a hair’s breadth In proportion to the strength and persistency of an intelligent effort Pretty persistently He is disputing the crown of his profession with his neighbor He gave us a clear and vigorous presentation of his own position With indomitable spirit With unremitting assiduity Unsubdued in spirit and undepressed in mind A grim hold upon An obtuse human A persistent tendency to The resolute kind There is no earthly likelihood of his complying I was resolute I would not give in It admits of no extenuation With splendid purpose in his eyes DIFFICULT Arduous Hard It is a hard school With drawbacks of its own A fight against great odds A hard nut to crack I had a pretty stiff time He had to face an arduous task Hard work ahead and plenty of it Ay, there’s the rub. Hamlet, III., 1 Not easy of accomplishment Hard facts against which we chafe and fret Not an easy task It is easy to preach to the converted It was rather a trying ordeal The goal is far more remote than we had supposed it to be It is difficult enough under the most favorable circumstances It is difficult to possess one’s soul in patience when—— The situation was very badly complicated by—— He is up against a tough proposition The way is not wholly smooth It may seem a hard doctrine to preach at such a moment We live in no soft and easy days I find the medicine worse than the malady As tangled as a hank of yarn that runs into knots continually Processes which defy analysis A great inertia which must be overcome DISCERNMENT Insight Penetration He has eyes that see to the very heart of things His mind is all daylight It lets us into the soul of things A remarkably acute dissection of—— Distinguished by candor and insight Discriminating insight It testifies to his farsightedness that—— He knows the ins and the outs of it He put his finger on the nerve A very delicate discernment A shrewd, acute man of the world A fine discernment of the issue A penetrating declaration that—— With keen discriminating insight He fully appreciated the potentialities of—— He awoke to a vivid realization of—— With the discerning eye of faith A complete revelation of the inner life Face to face with the purposes for which we were created A fire which consumes the dross Foregleams of the mercy that would save the blackest sinner A deep knowledge of the things of God The delicate hand of a discerning nurse Submitted to the arbitrament of merciless justice DISCRIMINATING Accurate Particular As accurate as a time-table With the most painstaking care Meticulously careful With discriminating nicety A monument of minutia A distinction without a difference A vital lack of discrimination A new orientation of—— Drawing a line of demarcation between—— Nice distinctions Fine discriminations It is a nice point whether—— With close scrutiny With a constantly vigilant eye Under strict and precise supervision Every statement carefully weighed and checked By careful discrimination He took cognizance of—— A work of discriminating selection DISGUST The game is not worth the candle Most vexatious blunders Profoundly distasteful This is wretched business It makes one shiver to think of—— It is not very pleasant to contemplate How often have I been in a passion with him Disgustingly enough I have a deep-seated repugnance to—— Disgusted with fatuous pretensions I had the disagreeable task of—— For which he has the most ardent disdain I consider the action most reprehensible Particularly approbrious Nearsighted expediency They were anathema to him DOMINATE Control Rule There is a certain high-handedness about the way of going at the—— Savored too much of the arbitrary In the saddle They will brook no trifling Conquer everything The will to power Prepared to lay on the mailed fist The policy of a harsh aggressive paternalism It must adapt itself to conditions not of its own making Stop-watch methods A yoke upon the necks of others An effort to dragoon the—— Bound in the straitest bonds Under the sense of stern compulsion It has become the guiding principle of his life Arbitrary procedure Under the lash of—— The lure of despotic power
DOUBT Misgiving Question It will provoke a challenge in many minds There seems to be a cloud of doubt about the matter I very much question whether—— We doubt the expediency of going farther The statement is so sweeping in scope as to require very close scrutiny It will not bear the test of exact criticism Its excellence has caused suspicion of its reality All that can be said with assurance is that—— Full of misgivings The best experience we have makes us skeptical of—— I am far from feeling sure that the—— It cannot be regarded as conclusive that—— It is now exceedingly doubtful whether—— Of very doubtful wisdom The whole scheme is in the air The matter has been wrapped in doubt Harried by uncertainties It was accepted with reluctance and misgivings We have been secretly cherishing the suspicion that—— With the shadows of uncertainty hanging over us Of that we are even unprepared to guess It is an open question whether—— Little hope is cherished that—— A frail hope Not sure, though hoping. King Lear, V., 3 Our doubts are traitors. Measure for Measure, I., 4 Right down in my heart of hearts I cannot say that—— We can hardly take his ipse dixit for a decision DULL Uninteresting Tiresome As dry as desert dust Ineffably dull Devoid of interest An intolerable tedium Without conscious appreciation of the meaning of—— With all the virility taken out A gray day The gray drab of life No one could accuse him of any inspiration It is almost impossible to strike any fire in him The embodiment of stupidity It needs the infusion of new blood As tedious as a twice-told tale As tedious as a tired horse Unutterably wearisome In the usual humdrum way A dull and tedious statement EFFECTUAL Efficacious Operative It turns wheels and grinds corn In the way that will count To achieve the maximum result with the minimum expenditure of effort In a far more powerful and effective way There can be no denying the effectiveness of—— The work brought out certain fine qualities in—— One of his most telling strokes Well begun is half done Weighed in the balances and not found wanting It represents the very acme of—— Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well It fulfills the expectation of—— It dispels the fear of—— The lance which unhorses everyone is—— The only sure deterrent of—— With inspiring cogency Highly beneficial EFFICIENCY Ability Aptitude Efficient in the highest degree A man of large resourcefulness He will have no loose ends The matter is in capable hands Well qualified for the tasks assigned He is versed in all the intricacies of—— He has a singular aptitude for—— He knows how to get things done He is past master in the art of—— The masters of circumstance He is able to cope with the—— He is making good The brains of progress One cannot do these things off-hand He is quite capable of—— He has great aptitude We have the invincible weapons with which to put to rout the—— There are some who go instinctively to the bottom of any matter With consummate skill A typical example of efficiency Quite able to meet all emergencies In a broadly capable way I have not head enough to—— Masterly execution EFFORT Zeal Work A zeal which one cannot but admire With all the arduous duties he has to perform The result of downright hard work Many hands make quick work Engaged in gainful occupations He has done much to redeem the—— It is better to wear out than to rust out Arduous study There were strenuous attempts to—— He made a prodigious effort No tree falls at the first stroke Beating at the bars of circumstance Hotly competing with one another A great inertia which must be overcome Puissant efforts A brave endeavor to deal with the—— A desperate effort to keep afloat In the sweat of the fray Laboring with honest zeal EMERGENCY Exigency Urgency He took the bull by the horns He took matters into his own hands He decided upon his own initiative Any port in a storm It will not do to refer it to some remote futurity The urge underlying our efforts He took the bit in his teeth and ran away with——
EMPHASIZE Stress Insistence The expression is not too strong I wish to stress the fact that—— It only served to accentuate the—— A praiseworthy insistence upon—— This is specially and emphatically so if—— This fact throws into a high light the—— Much stress has rightly been laid on the—— I want to say with all possible emphasis that—— It is inconceivable that—— There is a persistent rumor that—— We must ever insist upon the point that—— He attached the utmost importance to—— Express and repeated mention of—— ENGLISH Language Rhetoric That expresses it beautifully Gifted with the power of words Clear and lofty speech A clean-cut expression The gift of lucid expression Replete with literary charm He wields a facile pen Master of the use of virile and nervous English He has the gift of clothing his opinions in piquant dress A clean phrase and no frills Happy expressions Swift phrase With adroit felicity of speech A wealth of picturesque language Gifted with rare powers of speech In such neat and elegant language Transparency of expression A graceful letter-writer A pleasing knack of expression The princes of literature The phrase brims over with melody and loveliness He has talent for rhetorical expression Neat phrases Phrases of delightful aptness A crystalline lucidity of style Of felicitous fluency The art of graceful expression In popular parlance Unique literary charm In exquisite literary form Ever ready in repartee With all the energy of diction A desire to excel in speech and expression Unable to express himself with any degree of force or fluency in conversation A good converser A condensed verbal statement The art of conversation The luxury of talk An eloquent, fascinating talker A man whose genius shone in conversation He charmed everybody he met by his talk He fused the thoughts of others into his own A suggestive talker The charm of conversation Brilliant conversation A felicitous talker New beauties of verbal effect Striking forms of expression Phrases which cling ENJOYMENT Complacency Satisfaction Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. I Tim. VI., 17 He will ever be mindful of his covenant. Ps. CXI., 5 He filleth thee with the finest of the wheat. Ps. CXLVII., 14 He satisfieth the longing soul. Ps. CVII., 9 He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. Zech. II., 8 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd. Isa. XL., 11 As the heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. Ps. CIII., 11 He filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Ps. CVII., 9 He healeth the broken in heart. Ps. CXLVII., 3 He is kind to the unthankful. Luke VI., 35 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. II Cor. IX., 15 As the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. Isa. XXXII., 2 The desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. Isa. XXXV., 1 The God of truth. Isa. LXV., 16 The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow with it. Prov. X., 22 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. Ps. XXXVII., 23 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. Deut. XXVIII., 5 In every thing give thanks. I Thess. V., 18 I have a goodly heritage. Ps. XVI., 6 A feast of fat things. Isa. XXV., 6 The promise of eternal inheritance. Heb. IX., 15 His soul shall dwell at ease. Ps. XXV., 13 Thy sleep shall be sweet. Prov. III., 24 More precious than rubies. Prov. III., 15 The peace of God which passeth all understanding. Phil. IV., 7 With joy unspeakable and full of glory. I Pet. I., 8 Underneath are the everlasting arms. Deut. XXXIII., 27 Let us put on the armour of light. Rom. XIII., 12 More than heart could wish. Ps. LXXIII., 7 ENTHUSIASM Fervor Energy They made the welkin ring The military fires of youth It stirred us like a blast from a bugle A vigorous element of young blood Strong in the advocacy of—— Working whole-heartedly Always abreast of the times In fine fettle Shot through with—— Zest for the fray Promptly upon the heels of—— Very much alive Seizing every available occasion When he tackles a job he tackles it vigorously Unaging vitality Fired with enthusiasm for—— With fervent aspiration after—— A dash of recklessness With tremendous earnestness A mighty dynamic A fountain of boundless energy Hot for the fray A brimming tide of energy Ginger and go Never relaxing Fine enthusiasm It is very tonic to me In high feather He gave himself without stint A strenuous life An eye of fire Throbbing with life Full tilt
ENTREAT Appeal Urge Let me plead without ceasing The cause must be kept at flood tide I call upon you to—— Why not keep the same steadfast eye on realities I am addressing your understanding I am setting forth the rationale of things I am pleading with you to—— I am trying to exhort you to an unwavering belief It is not enough for us to say that—— I want to press the thought with all the earnestness I have Pledge me your word that you will—— I beseech you that—— With loving urgency Passionate earnestness Would that I could persuade some who are halting between two opinions ERROR Mistake Blunder Very far afield Utterly wide of the mark He will have to guess again An absurdly distorted view I was shown how erroneous was my preconception We shall make a great mistake if we allow an easy optimism to encourage the belief that—— Sincere but mistaken Woefully mistaken A ridiculous contradiction in terms An erroneous notion A self-evident falsity Misleading in appearance Not conforming exactly to the truth Not in accordance with the facts He is laboring under the false notion that—— He put the saddle on the wrong horse He is out in his reckoning The report was unfounded The most culpable blundering He would kill the goose that lays the golden egg On the wrong scent Manifestly incorrect ESTEEM Admiration Regard He is a man of rare personal qualities A delightful man to do business with An altogether delightful companion I always entertained the very highest regard for—— I was full of admiration for the way in which—— He is winning golden opinions from all sides A high-class man A nine days’ wonder Absolutely matchless Held in high esteem If I were a Pagan I would raise altars to him Everybody was proud of him We give our admiration without reserve EVASIVE Double-minded Shifting He evades the point at issue Warped out of the true meaning Veering to the other extreme The futility of such double-dealing was seen in—— Ye cannot serve God and Mammon He cannot worship at two shrines at once He skirted the edges of—— He is infected with the disease of indirection A dozen different exigencies A responsibility he is in no way prepared to assume The trick of turning a blind eye on the shortcomings of—— I feel myself forced to feign a particular interest in—— I am thankful to be furnished with so good a pretense Excuse enough for any extravagances He has apparently lost his grip by wobbling One can kiss it away by—— That is neither here nor there I haven’t sufficient information to pass judgment upon it That is not one of my accomplishments It is very difficult to say It is hardly the language of strict propriety EVIDENCE Proof Attestation It has the hall-marks of—— I have such lamentable proofs every day before my eyes of the—— Prima facie evidence of—— Indisputable and overwhelming evidence The proofs are plentiful that—— It was abundantly proved that—— Substantial evidence Signs are multiplying that—— The facts bear sufficient witness The incontrovertible evidences are—— It is pretty good evidence that—— It has been proved that—— A substantial evidence of—— I am always telling that to—— I have no less authority for the statement than—— It seems to prove conclusively that—— Tangible evidence Conclusive evidence EVIL Wicked Corrupt The seat of vice The throne of iniquity The brood of the serpent The pit of perdition Another sinister symptom of—— Blacker than Egypt’s night As black as the pit He has dealings with the prince of darkness An inspiration coming otherwheres than from heaven Incurably asinine From the harshest brutality to the lowest shade of petty meanness In wanton defiance of every law of God and man Manifold iniquities The sum of all villainies The deeps of degradation The tents of wickedness An unsanctified dream EXACT Accurate Correct Mapped out with rigid precision It will bear the test of exact criticism He is capable of accurate estimate As accurate as a time-table No loose ends No slipshod work No unfortified assertions Master of every detail Severe exactitude Faultily faultless To be precise—— EXAGGERATE Overstate Overdo He who proves too much proves nothing Violence of statement Stronger language than the facts justify It is altogether too extravagant a fancy Made out of whole cloth He makes a mountain out of a mole-hill He quite overshot the mark A gross exaggeration Extravagant promises He made as much of his facts as they would carry He went to the limit He has shot his bolt He sees a glow-worm and thinks it a conflagration A difficulty we are apt to overrate
EXCEPTIONAL Excellent Choice Second to none in importance A star of the first magnitude Of capital importance The finest asset A step of prime moment The high-water mark of—— It calls for talents of rather an unusual order A notable exception On an unprecedented scale How very unusual to find that—— Of a rather unusual sort Its finest flower and fulfillment The height of elegance Of rare talent It will not be easy to match 100% capacity men Scarcely to be paralleled EXPECTANT Hopeful Anticipatory I am living in the fond hope that—— It bodes well for the future A most reassuring phase He hopes to ride safely into the harbor of—— The net effort seems to warrant the hope that—— There is a bare possibility that—— What a gleam of hope in—— We set out under happier stars A promise of the future I think we may indulge the hope that—— As hopeful as the dawn We are enabled to look beyond the mists which fill the valley Full of splendid promise In the happy and beautiful millennial time when—— Rich in promise Big with possibilities A star in blackest night I nurse a lingering hope that—— In all probability I—— It is the expression of a glorious fact that—— EXPERIENCE Knowledge Proof The burnt child dreads the fire A momentous experience I have tasted all the consequences of—— There is no hunting but with old hounds Experience is the best teacher It is the consensus of experience that—— I can tell where my own shoe pinches A word that has no meaning to him Tried experience I soon had occasion to know better Of value to those who have eyes to see its significance He is utterly heedless of the teachings of experience This has been convincingly demonstrated in the past Proof has been furnished with painful frequency A testimony which is conclusive to all fair-minded men An exemplification of—— The crucible of experience Tested in the fires of experience FAILURE Ill-success Shortcoming He is headed straight for the auctioneer’s block They have lost not only the meat from the bone but the bone itself He beat the bushes and another caught the birds He has fallen outside the breastworks The wick in the lamp is already beginning to flicker He has not made out a case for it It is a fatuity He was broken at the wheel in the attempt An end of all that pleasing vision My hand has lost its cunning The tragedy of unfulfillment In the vain hope that—— Many signs of hereditary degeneration It has gone stale Was there ever a maxim that proved so false We have seen all the hopes snapped Not functioning with satisfactory efficiency After vain endeavors upon my part The big fish ate the little ones With few results and most of them not worth tabulating In a bad way It will collapse like a house of cards At a low ebb It is a prophecy that will sleep in a pigeon-hole The keystone has fallen out of the arch The idol is off his pedestal Feeding on the swine-husks of—— Gone by the board Dropped away like autumn leaves FANCIFUL Visionary Capricious It was a gallant dream Based on ephemeral conditions A mirage of iridescent tints A dreamer of vain and impossible dreams An illusion born of vanity Nothing is more visionary than trying—— A rose-buddy sort of—— Purely fantastic Idle dreams Capricious ways Various foibles Ghostly recitals of—— The enticing illusions of—— Building castles in the air FICKLE Wavering Changeable Tossed about by every wind of doctrine He is a creature of moods and moments He is as whimsical as a butterfly He is without anchor and without port The mood of the moment Conquered by every passing whim The very sport of adverse winds The caprice of the moment No one can blow and swallow at the same time Like a butterfly driven aimlessly before the breeze An inspiration not amounting to a fixed resolve An impractical sort of dreamer The refinement of speculation He flits from scheme to scheme As changeable as the moon Drifting like an idle straw at the mercy of the wind Like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed Fickle and irresolute I am a feather for each wind that blows. The Winter’s Tale, II., 3 FINAL End Last Resort Dead without hope of resurrection With an atmosphere of finality I agree that you have spoken the decisive word Reduced to barest terms The irreducible minimum In the final analysis The court of final appeal Ere the curtain is rung down on the drama In his heart of hearts he—— The ultimate solution of the problem It’s all over We want no inconclusive settlement Wellnigh snuffed out The last sad estate The ultimate goal FIRM Resolute Steadfast Proof against all propaganda As impregnable as Gibraltar We stuck to our guns Courteously but firmly expressed The time for laying on a vigorous hand I was utterly inexorable He stands four-square to all the winds that blow The same unyielding quality With moral fixity of purpose He resolutely declared his intention of—— In the unalterable decision that—— With implacable purpose An impregnable bulwark against the—— In no uncertain terms Master of the situation The resolute kind We have to be as unbending as truth Hearts of oak With unswerving fidelity By strict adherence to—— As unalterable as the Laws of the Medes and Persians A resolute decision FIRST Foremost Vital It is of first consequence that—— It is a red-letter day in—— It is enormously important It is highly significant that—— The vital thing now is—— Besides this everything pales First things first Their wishes are paramount The ruling considerations were—— There is a cardinal place in the scheme of things for—— The outstanding features of the—— Matters of primary importance It was the first and foremost consideration For the present the significant thing is—— It is a notable circumstance that—— It is worthy of chronicle that—— The prime reason for—— FIT Appropriate Suitable Exquisite fitness The eternal fitness of things Fruits ripening to their full value A sense of the fitness of things Most appropriate As the hand fits the glove FLIMSY Weak Superficial There is very little wheat in that chaff Your defenses will crumble at the assault A faint kind of policy Lack of recuperative power What wretched dilettante business it all is To what degree is this a fair-weather enterprise Like the flimsy fortification of a cobweb Little better than sound and foam Without rhyme or reason As frail and as fleeting as a bubble It will make ludicrous the flimsy assertion that—— With rudimentary notions of—— The weak spot in the—— He may swim boldly who is held up by the chin In a cheap and bizarre fashion FORCIBLE Weighty Trenchant In words of trenchancy The driving wheel of the—— Presented in a striking and strong light A very growing influence The argument is irresistible A formidable man with an idea A crescendo of power Of wonderful fortitude Every ounce of strength and vitality A power to be reckoned with A telling argument There is great potency in—— Clear-cut and convincing In no measured terms A compelling reason FORTUNATE Lucky Favored I could not help felicitating myself that—— I feel very grand at this issue of things I thank my good star that—— I am thankful that Providence managed otherwise It was uncommon luck that—— I was certainly fortunate in that—— By a turn of good fortune, I—— FRATERNAL Brotherly Social The foundations of a stable order of brotherly helpfulness Efficient social citizenship A perfect social order A well developed social consciousness A burning zeal for service In the way of noble endeavor The stewardship of wealth A heart-warming fellowship
FRENCH À la mode, according to the style À outrance, without mercy Au fait, up to the mark Au reste, besides Au revoir, adieu until we meet again Beau monde, the fashionable world BÊte noire, a pet aversion Bonhomie, good nature Bon jour, good morning Bonne bouche, a delicate morsel Bon soir, good evening Chapeaux bas, hats off Chef de cuisine, head cook Contretemps, an awkward situation Coup d’État, a stroke of policy Croix de guerre, cross of war De trop, superfluous Edition de luxe, a splendid edition En dÉshabillÉ, in undress Enfin, finally En masse, in a body En rapport, in harmony En route, on the way Entre nous, between ourselves Esprit de corps, the animating spirit of a collective body Faux pas, a mistake Hors de combat, down and out Laissez faire, let things take their natural course LÈse-majestÉ, high treason Ma chÈre, my dear Ma foi, on my honor Mal À propos, ill-timed Mal de mer, seasickness Mon ami, my friend Noblesse oblige, rank imposes obligations On dit, they say Par excellence, preËminently Peu a peu, by degrees Raison À État, a reason of state Raison d’Étre, reason for existence Robe de chambre, a morning gown Sans souci, free from care Tout ensemble, the general effect FUNDAMENTAL Basal Permanent It is well to have a few well established limitations and restrictions The solid fact behind it all is—— The one indispensable qualification for—— A settled principle as old as the hills Of permanent significance One of the root reasons My own irrefragable argument for—— The old simplicities of faith A faith centered in the everlasting Subject to the eternal things or perish A guiding principle which admits of no exceptions Thinking things through to their final and logical outcome The elemental realities The eternal verities As old as the evening star A basis of enduring justice and right The established states of human society Like deep calling unto deep At the root of things It makes for the permanent stability of—— The ultimate fact is—— As well founded as the law of gravitation Long-cherished opinions A solid underpinning A very vital equation in the problem is—— Strong and deep-rooted beliefs The underlying reasons Solid reasons One of its fundamental tenets They have gone down beneath superfluities to bedrock The fundamental principle is irrefutable The abiding significance of—— So solid in principle that it has resisted every shock At the bottom of all
FUTILE Useless Unavailing The protest was of no avail The proposition is equally aliunde and futile I might as hopefully have entreated the wind He would dig a well with a needle He catches the wind with a net Scanty prospects It is a hopeless proposition It is futile to—— I am afraid he is indulging in a futile hope The matter will never be consummated Their hope is without foundation He is on a fruitless errand It will result in the inevitable breakdown of—— But in spite of all our optimism the evidence is overwhelming that—— That has been tried before but with no distinct success The game is not worth the candle It has cooled my resolutions It may be something of a damper to be told that—— GENEROUS Liberal Magnanimous A man of generous disposition Built on a generous scale Not the least mite stingy Kindly disposed A revelation of tenderness which is very reassuring With noticeable consideration His kindness knew no bounds A generous view of life No man of breadth cares one whit whether—— Large minded men with liberal views A breadth of outlook Broad tolerance A magnanimous man In the most generous fashion A people known for their warm hearts Kinder than the kindest GIFTED Talented Extraordinary He is a capable fellow He is my beau ideal in every respect He has a genuine aptitude for business He has considerable colloquial talents He is finely qualified by exceptional advantages Of rare powers Of no ordinary faculties He is a man of many fascinations He is one who can think for a commonwealth You can leave it to him for being clever He is a man of real ability and fitness One of the most fascinating persons I—— He rendered brilliant service in—— Few men have rendered more conspicuous service He possesses in an unusual degree the power of—— He shakes the pillars of the temple He presided with rare dignity He is the organizer of victory He could not fail to delight a cultivated public He plays with wonderful expression He passes things through the alembic of his own mind With the suavity of conscious power A man of consequence He creates confidence He carries conviction He has the qualities of triumphant leadership GOOD-HUMORED Good-natured Cheerful He is anointed above his fellows with the oil of good-feeling In his happiest mood The era of good feeling A bit of good-humored chaff The friendly relations so happily subsisting between—— He did not think it in any way demeaning to his dignity—— Put the best construction upon every action Like a boy before a holiday Grumpiness is no feature of his nature An irrepressible youthfulness of heart Beaming with good humor His nature is all sunshine As full of happiness as a hive is full of bees As merry as a child Happy as an angel A real delight to me A source of Æsthetic pleasure Those were halcyon days His good humor was so infectious A breezy good-humor The era of good feeling The happiest moods which can fill the soul GROUCHY Petulant Irritable As sullen as an ill-tempered boy The impression of pure pique Skulking in his tent As impatient as the wind In a huff Symptoms of an attack of nerves He could brook no delay Sullen silence Tears of vexation One in whom the milk of human kindness had turned sour One of those people who make themselves wretched and pass on their misery to those near them A man with a hair-trigger constitution He does not suffer fools gladly So provoking I shall be right glad when—— Solemn as the day of judgment He took umbrage at what I said Not in a particularly genial frame of mind As acid as vinegar As gloomy as an old man by a fireless hearth I’m afraid he started the day in a contradictory mood A censorious attitude toward one’s fellowmen GULLIBLE Ignorant Stupid Given out for gospel to the ignorant An easy mark The optimism of ignorance The prey of profiteers I am afraid he will be taught by many a sore and scalding lesson The easy prey of—— He fell into the trap He nibbled at the bait The unsuspecting victim of—— HABITUAL Customary Usual He had become habituated to—— Of frequent iteration An inveterate habit Of immemorial usage Over a well-beaten path Addicted to the habit of—— He moves in a rut Custom calls me to ’t. Coriolanus, II., 3 Until it shall become an indispensable and delightful habit HASTE Rapidity Hurry A high-pressure haste With all practical speed As quick as a wink A concession to the requirements of brevity HASTY A little premature Crossing the bridge before we come to it We need not say good morrow to the devil until we meet him Unseemly haste The more haste the worst speed He shocked the proprieties It would be premature to forecast the—— He ran before he was sent It is too early at this time to state the—— Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow. Romeo and Juliet, II., 6 The letting down of restraint The loosening of bonds HESITANT Reluctant Indecisive I should hate like sixty to—— His heart was not exactly set upon the matter In a mixed mood This shilly-shallying with the question is absurd With perceptible hesitation A certain disinclination to—— He was unwilling to go the full length For a moment I was at fault—— One almost feels reluctant to—— It may make us hesitate in making our dictum too positive I had little inclination to do so The paralyzing hesitation of self-consciousness After a sufficient show of reluctance I confess it is not without trepidation that—— I am duly sensible of my own limitations It is not without reluctance that—— HINDERED Hampered Straits Hard pressed by the cohorts of—— At a distinct disadvantage Attended with many inconveniences A series of singular perplexities Certain unforeseen emergencies Entangled in technicalities As helpless as a sick child As helpless as animals driven to slaughter Helplessly caught in the meshes of—— They will doubtless do their worst to bring about a—— Many plans disrupted It slackens resolution Impaired its usefulness Eking out an all too small living A man who wants bread is ready for anything Necessity is the mother of invention The greatest drawback to my comfort is—— For every new method a counter-method
HONORED Noted Acclaimed Recipient of most unusual attentions The thought of him doth breed in us perpetual benediction A man of splendid merit His star is in the ascendant Treated with great consideration One of nature’s noblemen No man is a hero in the eyes of his valet There is none so poor to do him reverence A name which stands very high on the scroll of fame A tribute of reverence and love He reaps golden sheaves who—— A high compliment to—— Whom to have known was a great pleasure He is easily the foremost man in—— A man whose life is rich in unselfish service His attitude wins universal admiration HOPE Promise Encouragement Prisoners of hope. Zech. IX., 12 Heir of all things. Heb. I., 2 We are saved by hope. Rom. VIII., 24 The eye of the Lord is upon them that hope in his mercy. Ps. XXXIII., 18 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul both sure and steadfast. Heb. VI., 19 We are perplexed, but not in despair. II Cor. IV., 8 Thou shalt be secure because there is hope. Job XI., 18 The children of promise. Gal. IV., 28 He hath given everlasting consolation and good hope through grace. II Thess. II., 16 Hope to the end. I Pet. I., 13 From strength to strength. Ps. LXXXIV., 7 He staggered not at the promise of God. Rom. IV., 20 When the human heart sings with rejoicing hope When smiles begin to chase the tears A real breath of heaven With radiant face A draught of heavenly pleasure A triumphant hour A lively sense of exultation The dove of peace sings in our hearts I begin to discover somewhat of His beauty Transported with joy A current of pure and hallowed joys flowing through the channels of the heart An intense inner happiness A most happy glimpse into the things of God Secret essences which turn life into a garden of unspeakable delights HUMOROUS Ludicrous Funny A candidate for the psychotherapeutic clinic This is one of the consequences of getting into good society Isn’t that a sad state of affairs It was excruciatingly funny I threatened him with unspeakable things if—— Less mobile than I could wish You are appointed the official—— Can you imagine anything more ludicrous than—— My roseate expectations have recently suffered a very severe setback A strong spice of Irish wit Bonds for your good behavior will be required Irresistibly droll A fusillade of laughter An awful illustration of—— I was in stitches I’m in a pickle Now will you be good He has a whimsical way of expressing himself IMPARTIAL Just Unbiased Every man has a deep seated instinct for fair play The thing must be done decently and in order Strictly impartial If we are to make both sides balance we must—— Let us not revert to old animosities IMPECUNIOSITY Penniless Involved In a state of habitual impecuniosity A hand-to-mouth existence No woman marries an old man for God’s sake He has seen better days In desperate circumstances The futility of riches In more affluent days In reduced circumstances Deeply involved In embarrassed circumstances
IMPORTANT Significant Momentous It was a high day in the—— It is noteworthy that—— A work of paramount importance Each man has a vital part to perform This is no small problem Of transcendent moment It is imperative that—— One of the great outstanding features of—— One of the most significant items was—— It is a fact of tremendous significance that—— The notable feature of it all is—— Great days The crucial question is—— Profoundly significant Of no little moment There is the fact and it is one of cardinal importance The one outstanding reason for—— Back of it lies one fact yet more primal This is the one thing needful The dominant note of—— It must weigh sensibly with every one It is high time that—— It has momentous importance It is worth making note of that—— I dare not abate my vigilance
IMPOSSIBLE Hopeless Impracticable As easily as one could mend a spider’s web As impossible as to count the stars It is virtually impossible to—— There is no getting blood from a turnip A practical impossibility No more than one can sail past the north star It is simply out of the question It is not in the least degree likely that—— INDEPENDENT Flippant Uncontrolled With an air of injured innocency He cares not a fig It matters not a straw It matters not a whit whether the—— He cares little for conventionalities It is not worth shucks It is not a matter of the slightest consequence He brushed the matter aside as a vagary With smug complacency He held himself perfectly aloof from—— Without blush or tremor INDICATIVE Evidential Disclosing It is a straw pointing with evidential import Where there is so much smoke there is some fire Straws show which way the current is set What an apocalypse that will be when—— There are not wanting signs that—— A most infallible indication of—— INDICTMENT Arraignment Accusation None the worse for a spark of decent indignation The hollow shams and conventionalities of our day No adequate sense of His holiness Baser than a beast No keen and poignant perception of sin The lessening sense of sin His own heart as cold as frost Sad and sinful days Our hearts hot with wrath and indignation against sin Evil to its core The devil’s signet Of decidedly earthly passions All dried up in one’s soul Lust was kindled in his heart Base, mean, prudential, paying no tribute to the Divine excellence The parching blight of sin Beware of artful, designing persons Sins come in groups, in battalions Like the frosts of sin which blight the sweet blossoms of youth And taste the tang of the bitter cup The hundred and one enemies of our peace, comfort, and efficiency The burning poison in his veins There is nothing more likely to betray a man into absurdity than It vexes, grieves, thwarts, repels, drives off the Spirit of God Beware of the beginnings of sin Over head and ears in debt and drink The peril of riches A coronet of shame The secret beginnings of sin An eternal arraignment of all who—— By so doing, he is sowing the seed of a fatal infection Trifling with great spiritual realities Lest it might lead to things undesirable The horror of a bottomless pit Habits which quietly sap the foundations of life Words which will shock some dainty soul A sickening devotion to the pursuit of wealth The evils of unrighteousness in civic life It seems to contradict the designs of Providence A narrowing effect on the conscience of those who have embraced it Care lest one be inveigled into perdition Words which ought to make us twinge Words of worldly wisdom A brewing storm of hostility The world’s hardest battlefields of sin and sorrow In their hearts the feuds of ages A wretched, dejected, sin-blasted soul Carnality in the heart The great enemy of mankind The black enormity of sin A miserable grudge in your heart The spawn of the evil one A heritage of hate A dauntless worldling From whose very touch one’s delicacies shrink The fires of a sensitive religious experience no longer glow The grip of evil forces All alarming, all hateful, all detestable A gnawing sense of condemnation in the heart Those who abuse God’s great gift of speech Some of these enormities put to blush heathenism itself No deeply seated opinions of right and wrong A state of lazy indifference Apparently destitute of ambition Worthy neither of respect nor honor Soft and easy days Mean, petty, social prejudices The temptation to fritter away life in interests that are small and mean Everlasting confusion The enemy shall come in like a flood The man that speaketh froward things The resurrection of damnation A rebellious house God resisteth the proud The works of darkness Unstable as water Spreading himself like a green bay-tree The words of his mouth were smoother than butter but war was in his heart Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? There is more hope of a fool than of him An unprofitable servant His mouth is full of deceit and fraud The wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire A sad vocation A heart of adamant A hardened cynic The vain things The enormity of sin A scoffing world A defeated one Tenements of dust The jealous eye The everlasting burning The hell of hate A despicable heart A sullen silence A disdainful glance A brittle promise A sorry specimen INDIFFERENCE Disregard Apathy It is not worth a moment’s regard Let “by-gones” be “by-gones” It is a matter of no importance Cast it to the winds What is past shall go for nothing Of it I really make no account Let it pass Quite apathetic The exceptions are so few as to be negligible Extremely trivial In one ear and out at the other The edge of my inclination is much taken off A half-hearted interest at best INFLUENCE Control Sway In the hollow of his hand What he says has great force It gripped like steel bands His words touched me most profoundly He dominates the situation by the sheer force of his personality A bright beacon shedding light The creative influences of—— He succeeded in making his presence felt One cannot get within gunshot of—— It roused the last smouldering spark of—— It may have far greater consequences than—— In the seats of the mighty Far reaching in its consequences It does not have a feather’s weight with practical men Leaven that is gradually purifying the world Salt that keeps civilization from decay INGENIOUS Shrewd Adroit A situation that requires artful handling He understands the fine art of the omission of unessentials He is temperamentally gaited to do things It was cleverly done He carries the torch of his genius into—— Taxing the acutest ingenuity of—— With the intuitive sense of affairs Shrewdness of perception A masterly exhibition of adroitness and skill A first-rate master of affairs He has conceived the happy idea of—— By hook or by crook A surprising way of—— They will have to do a lot of political tight-rope walking to—— It must put him to his trumps A fertility of resource that—— INTERESTING Fascinating Impressive On tiptoe with expectation As eager-hearted as a boy My eyes have been wide open for—— I am mightily concerned to think out how—— It is a matter in which I have a most heartfelt concern It is highly interesting to note that—— I was fascinated by—— It has all the fascination of an adventure Life would be very dull without it An element of excitement in it Everything to fascinate the imagination A fine touch of romance in it He was very keen to gain possession of—— With unflagging interest Every man rides his own hobby What is new is always fine The signs are multiplying that—— The circumstance which gave it such a thrilling interest is the fact that—— It was decidedly impressive We are not indifferent to—— Fascinating as a Romance I read with quickened attention the—— This was his meat and drink There is a growing disposition among—— You have quite excited my curiosity As fascinating as a romance It holds the interest with a good grasp A fascination for many minds Of enthralling interest I know the nicest little secret I have news for you INTRODUCTION (Of Speakers) I have the esteemed privilege of presenting—— I feel highly honored to have the opportunity to present—— I have the great honor of asking you to welcome—— I esteem myself fortunate to have the privilege of presenting—— I count myself happy in being permitted to—— We have with us to-night ————. It is my very great pleasure to present him It is my good fortune to be called upon to introduce ———— the speaker of the evening. Let us give him an attentive hearing while he speaks to us upon the topic—— I have very great pleasure in presenting to you the speaker of the evening ————. He will address us upon the topic—— It has fallen to my lot to introduce one who is known to many here. I have great pleasure in presenting ———— INTRODUCTORY Prefatory Preliminary (For General Conversation) It goes without saying that—— I am obliged to confess that—— It was a happy thought which led me to—— I venture to propose that—— We had great fun when—— I indulge the modest hope that—— It must be very gratifying to you to—— I am deeply persuaded that—— Reverting to another matter—— I ought not omit remarking that—— And so it befell that—— After expatiating on the—— It is a very curious circumstance to see how—— I frankly confess that—— It is really disconcerting to find that—— I am revealing no secret in saying that—— I must not leave you under misapprehensions so—— I am rather inclined to the opinion that—— I do not find anything in the tenets of my religion which requires me to—— I have a peculiar tenderness for—— As I am continually saying—— In a very humble way, I—— My impression is that—— The upshot of it all was—— Far be it from me to—— It is hardly necessary to add that—— You will be very much pleased to hear that—— I will venture to express a hope that—— I have but one rule to guide my conduct and that is—— I have been strongly tempted to—— Besides this there is to be said—— There is but a thousand-to-one chance that—— It is an open secret that—— I have an impression that—— I informed you wrongly when I said that—— If I mistake not, I believe that—— If I may use the expression I think that—— Quite regardless of my remark, you—— I had the inexpressible comfort of knowing that—— He made a touching proof of his regard by—— I flatter myself that—— Is it not a great mercy to have such a helper Again and again, I—— Inadvertently, I—— I felt like uttering a mild disclaimer when—— I have little predilection for—— I had the rare satisfaction of—— I was strangely moved when I heard that—— There is a certain distinctive advantage in—— I was amazed to find that—— In my poor judgment, I—— I hold in all seriousness that—— Has the tide of victory set in your favor By what magic have you found out the secrets of—— We have plumed ourselves upon our ability to—— As luck would have it, I—— To be candid, I—— It seems a positive calamity that—— Do you seriously imagine that—— No one could be so rash as to assert that—— I am satisfied that—— I strongly suspect that—— I fancy that—— Further than this—— Paradoxical as it may seem—— I dare say that—— It is with great pleasure that—— It would ill become me to remark that—— For instance,—— The redeeming feature of it all is—— Quite by chance, I—— I have been wondering whether—— In all probability we—— It is not likely that—— Luckily I—— It is a singular coincidence that—— I took particular pains to notice whether—— It is with problems such as these that—— How very fortunate it is that—— It is a particular piece of good fortune that he—— As a matter of fact, I—— None the less, I—— It can be admitted too that—— Certain it is that—— In some quarters it is believed that—— If that be the case, I—— I confess I look with some alarm at—— I have the great good fortune to have heard that—— I realize afresh that—— The art of arts is—— I flatter myself that—— It is from the heart that I can request that—— I am perfectly convinced that—— The full gravity of the situation is seen in the fact that—— Regardless of anything I said—— I am painfully conscious that—— I wasn’t by any means sure I—— It dawned upon him gradually that—— It is seldom that—— We may be quite sure that—— I have repeatedly said that—— It cannot but carry with it instant conviction that—— By some mischance, I—— Prior to this, we—— I was greatly elated to find that—— I am heartily glad that—— I had a happy thought to-day which I—— I cannot but realize that—— It is scarcely conceivable that—— Frankly, I—— It is intellectually unthinkable that—— On the other hand—— I appreciate most deeply the—— I am devoutly thankful for—— At all events—— I rather apprehend that—— I have sometimes thought that—— It must be owned too, that—— I scarcely feel as if I—— I rather imagine that—— To this day I hardly know whether I—— A very striking proof of the fact is—— I will hazard the observation that—— On the other hand—— May I give you an instance It is quite indifferent to me whether I—— He used frequently to observe that—— Now that I am a little seasoned, I—— I have heard him often lament that—— You may guess what luck—— I regret extremely that—— It would have been quite out of the question for us to—— Recently I came across this—— I was about to inquire what you thought of—— I have the deepest veneration for—— I suppose the inference we are expected to draw is—— I am confident of one thing that—— My principal motive for acting thus was—— I am fully aware that—— I perceive, moreover, that—— It is surely true that—— I marvel that—— I sometimes fancy that—— I humbly conceive that—— I apprehend that—— Of course, I am perfectly aware that—— I presume that—— There are pretty certain indications that It often amazes me that—— It seems hardly probable that—— I affirm that—— I have the consolation to hope that—— It is still permitted us to hope that—— It would be futile to deny that—— It is reasonable to assume that—— There is no prospect that—— In these circumstances it—— I suppose that—— I warrant that—— I confess I am not indifferent to—— I shrink instinctively from—— I confess a less and less relish for—— I am impatient and querulous under—— It is a sort of presumption to expect that—— I cannot imagine to myself—— I have a kindly yearning toward—— I heartily approve of—— I do not advert to—— I have long believed that—— It has long been the fashion to—— I have been falsely assuring everybody that—— One cannot help noticing that—— There are plenty of evidences that—— The difference, I take it, is this—— The fact of the matter is—— If I rightly remember—— It is a just cause for praise that—— It was a happy circumstance for me that—— I wish with all my heart that—— I am grateful to find that—— I devoutly wish it may prove to be that he—— It is not to be supposed that—— My attention has been directed to the—— I have a mental reservation with regard to—— A very affecting circumstance happened yesterday I have a story worth telling I had the rare distinction of—— I had a very civil note from—— If I may hazard a conjecture, I should rather think that—— It was unusual for me to—— He seems to be obsessed with the idea that—— JOY Gladness Bliss The nameless responsive thrill of something deep within us A treasure better than gold Pleasures pure and lasting Heaven’s eternal spring The song lifting its pÆan out of the night In the sweetest fellowship Strains that sweetly soothe The exquisite little joys of life An atmosphere of tranquillity A new-found joy Tears of joy and gratitude Joy which flows like a river In joyful anticipation With joyful enthusiasm Possibilities of which we hardly dreamed The sweet melodies of heaven The great glad tidings The glory of his grace The sweetest name on earth The blissful refuge A balm for the weary The very friend you need The priceless gems of God’s book A joy divine Songs of sweetest praise A triumphant hope Thrones of love A heaven of love The kingdom of light The fullness of his blessing The life-giving stream The best of our delights A world of happy memories The reckless joy of the Lord Our gladness of the world The ultimate source of real happiness An eternal weight of glory
JUSTICE Judgment Indignation He must be brought sharply to book Brought to the bar of justice Impartial justice A noble contempt for deliberate wrong-doers Fired by righteous indignation The eternal principles of justice The foe of tyranny The well-established right of every citizen Very intolerant of sin, but not vindictive A life strictly legal KEEN Foxy Cunning With a special axe to grind He caught you napping A piece of sharp practice A shrewd surmise A bit of keen reasoning Too ingenious by half Neutrals think to tread on eggs and break none As cunning as a weasel A mind like a steel-trap Bait the hook well; the fish will bite. Much Ado about Nothing, II., 3 Reared in the school of diplomacy A discipleship with mental reservations He turns a blow with a jest KINDNESS Sympathy Gentleness Sympathies as wide as the world A sensibility as tender as it is refreshing Wider sympathy Of cosmopolitan sympathies Poverty-stricken in his sympathies World-wide sympathies A great soul The very heart of kindness Diffusing the gospel of kindliness The employments of active benevolence Full of kindly deeds The milk of human kindness A stray word of kindness Kinder than the kindest With utmost gentleness Of gentlest sympathy Of a kind and forgiving disposition They exchanged mutual assurances of continued good-will The secret of contented and fruitful living The staple interests and occupations of the common life Heaven and earth brought into strange accord An unembittered disposition The sign of God-like charity Slow to speak ill of any one Beautiful in the eyes of fond affection A heaven of love in your heart A wonderfully kind heart Members of a forgiving family Sweet in disposition Glorifying God in the common round The gracious inclination of the will The outcome of a rich experience The spirit of brotherly kindness and concord An attitude of brotherly helpfulness A genuine concern for—— Many calls upon one’s generous impulses A kindly soul I could not find it in my heart to—— It pulls upon our heartstrings Cherishing a cordial good-will to all men I cannot find it in my heart to—— LATIN Ab extra, from without Ab initio, from the beginning Ad captandum vulgus, for the sake of pleasing the crowd Ad infinitum, endlessly Ad interim, in the meanwhile Ad libitum, at pleasure Ad nauseam, to the point of disgust Ad rem, to the matter in hand Ad valorem, according to the value A fortiori, all the more surely Alma mater, fostering mother Alter idem, another precisely similar Anno Domini, in the year of our Lord A posteriori, from facts back to principles A priori, from principles to facts Argumentum ad hominem, an appeal to interests rather than to reason Bona fide, in good faith Cui bono, who benefits by it De facto, on the basis of facts De novo, anew Deo gratias, thanks to God Deo volente, with God’s consent De profundis, out of the depths Dramatis personÆ, the actors in a play Ecce homo, behold the man E pluribus unum, one composed of many Ergo, therefore Esto perpetua, let it endure forever Et cetera, and so on Ex cathedra, with high authority Ex officio, by virtue of his office Ex parte, partisan Ex post facto, after the deed is done Ex tempore, on the impulse of the moment Gloria in excelsis, Glory in the highest Ibid, in the same place Id est, that is Idem, the same Item, also In articulo mortis, at the point of death In extenso, at full length In extremis, in the last extremity In loco, in the proper place In medias res, in the midst of things In memoriam, to the memory of In perpetuum, forever In re, in the matter of In statu quo, in the former state In toto, completely In transitu, in passing Ipsissima verba, the very words Ipso facto, by virtue of that very fact Jubilate Deo, rejoice in the Lord Jus gentium, the law of nations Labor omnia vincit, labor overcomes every difficulty Lapsus linguÆ, a slip of the tongue Lis pendens, the pending suit Magnum opus, a great work Mala fide, in an underhanded way Meum et tuum, mine and thine Mirabile dictu, wonderful to be told Modus operandi, manner of operation Multum in parvo, much in little Ne plus ultra, nothing better Nil desperandum, no need to despair Nolens volens, whether he will or not Non sequitur, it does not follow Nota bene, mark well Omnes, all Paterfamilias, the head of a household Pater noster, Our Father Particeps criminis, a sharer in the crime Peccavi, I have erred Per annum, by the year Per capita, by the head Per centum, by the hundred Per contra, contrariwise Per diem, by the day Per se, intrinsically Pro bono publico, for the public good Pro et con, for and against Pro rata, an equal division Pro tanto, to a certain extent Pro tempore, for the time being Quantum libet, as much as you please Quid pro quo, an equivalent Quod vide, which see Requiescat in pace, peace to his spirit Scripsit, he wrote it Semper felix, always fortunate Semper fidelis, always faithful Semper eadem, always the same Seriatim, in sequence Serus in coelum redeas, after living for a long time may you enter heaven Sine cura, without care Sine die, without a day appointed Sine qua non, an indispensable prerequisite Status quo, the current situation the existing condition Sub rosa, secretly, confidentially Sui generis, unique Summum bonum, the highest good Tempus fugit, time flies Terra firma, the solid earth Tuum est, it is your own Una voce, unanimously Ut infra, as stated below Ut supra, as stated above Verbatim, word for word Versus, against Via, by the way of Vice versa, the terms being exchanged Vi et armis, by main force Viva voce, by the living voice Vox populi est vox Dei, the voice of the people is the voice of God
LAZY Lackadaisical Dawdling Altogether disinclined to the effort of exercise Dawdling over duties A profitless frame of mind A strong disposition to inactivity With folded arms The tragedy of ease The picture of placid content Sleeping in a fool’s paradise Luxury that unfits the soul Never stirred by noble ambitions As motionless as a tombstone A little flaccid A lazy ox is little better for the goad As sleepy as a ground-hog in winter Nothing is had for nothing In a half-hearted manner While away the time Free from all care He suffers from acute laziness He wants to be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease He treads the path of least resistance His mind cankers Predisposed to loiter
LETTERS (GENERAL PHRASES) For Letters of Acceptance I thank you for your very kind invitation which I am happy to accept It will give me great pleasure to—— I accept with much pleasure your kind invitation to—— I accept with pleasure and will—— It is most kind of you to include me in—— Many thanks for your thoughtfulness in inviting me I shall be pleased to comply with your request It was most kind of you to remember me Thank you so much for your kindness in remembering me How very thoughtful of you to—— For Letters of Apology I trust you will pardon me for—— I write to apologize for my failure to—— I hope you will forgive me when I tell you that—— I am sorry I could not do as I had promised to do I am very much mortified to find that—— Trusting you will forgive my great carelessness I hope you have not suffered any inconvenience from—— Hoping you will pardon the—— I am afraid you will accuse me of rudeness, but I—— I hasten to repair my apparent neglect of—— You must have felt almost slighted to notice that I—— I am sure you will acquit me of any rudeness when—— For Letters of Condolence Be assured of my deep sympathy with you in this time of great sorrow I know too well that words cannot comfort you Trusting that you will see the bright side of the dark cloud——I am with deep sympathy your friend How can I attempt to comfort you in the bitter affliction which has befallen you Would there were more like—— I regret to hear of your continued indisposition and hope that before long you may return to your wonted good health A sweet and uncomplaining spirit I should rejoice if I could be with you I can only send my sympathy and best wishes for your speedy and complete recovery Courage——hope remains Time will heal many heartaches May the Father of Mercies give you the rich consolation of His grace and preserve and strengthen you for your family May you be sustained in this most bitter trial The grateful sense of your kindness will never be erased from my mind If my services can in any way assist you do not hesitate to ask for them I am sincerely sorry to hear of your loss He carried the riches of God within himself He was a royal-hearted man We are greatly afflicted by the melancholy intelligence which reached us that—— I knew the sterling integrity of his character May God breathe into your heart peace and cheerful resignation My mind is filled with very grateful memories He was greatly beloved I fall back upon a very delightful verse of Scripture: “He is able to subdue all things unto himself” My heart is filled with the deepest gratitude as I think of ———— We send our earnest wishes for your speedy recovery My most affectionate regards to ———— You seem to have your full share of human vicissitudes He had such a fund of courage and good cheer Dear, sweet, loving mother A letter replete with tenderness and affection All things work together for good to them that love God A bruised reed shall he not break Many daughters have done virtuously but thou excellest them all It is better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting He giveth his beloved sleep A very present help in trouble We took sweet counsel together God will take us into their goodly company some glad day Glimpses of the reality which we instinctively feel will sometime be ours The unmeasured things of hope which God has prepared for men Our lives we must humbly commit to the guiding hand whose blessing we adore Filled with strong consolation There are many avenues by which God would come in and richly bless us He had the secret of keeping the sacred fires aglow He knew the deep principles of experimental religion Ordinary consolations do not avail us He knew the secret of beautiful living He was a silent witness of right living Many admiring friends One who ministered so carefully and tenderly All the more tragic because—— And this thought will be our comfort that—— Of gentle presence All the gentle virtues came into full blossom Looking forward with a Christian’s bright anticipation of a glad reunion Persisted in keeping mind and spirit on the sunny side of life however hard the trials and difficulties Mother’s fortitude and hopefulness is a lesson to us all We send our united and sincere condolences The news of your painful loss has been a great surprise to me I have read of your bereavement with the deepest sorrow You, who have so often comforted others, are now to be comforted May you live in the confidence that ———— is in the enjoyment of everlasting happiness It is a great comfort to us that Words are inadequate to express my feelings There are times when one cannot express himself in written words The pen refuses to express adequately my sympathy to you I sympathize keenly with you in the loss of your excellent ———— They are not lost to us God will surely give you a kindly guidance in this hour of trial The intimations of a future life shall some day be realized and we shall see and know again those whom we have “loved, and lost awhile” Many beautiful traits made up his character I join with you and his other friends in mourning his death most sincerely It shocked me very much I have heard with the greatest distress of—— I had learned to have a very warm feeling for ———— I had been intimately enough associated with him to feel that I knew him very well Cast thy burden upon the Lord Thou hast known my soul in adversities I know their sorrows A refuge from the storm A shadow from the heat In the furnace of affliction I will hedge up thy way with thorns Tribulation worketh patience Our light affliction In all their affliction he was afflicted He healeth the broken in heart For a small moment have I forgotten thee but with great mercies will I gather thee God that comforteth those that are cast down comfort you We shall have to bear our crosses with meekness and patience So good a friend is capable of making any calamity light The great loss you have sustained has caused me much uneasiness I know not how to express my sorrow at the news which I have just received That God may give you great consolation under this heavy burden is my fervent prayer I should be glad if I could suggest anything to lighten your trouble and make your path a little more smooth and easy Such a sad circumstance has come to you Your sorrow’s night When one’s heart is unspeakably tender We extend our heartfelt sympathy In your hour of trial She was such a beautiful character, loved by every one In these lonely hours you must not be cast down for there is help from God His Word says that they that wait upon Him shall renew their strength She was God’s good angel in your home Grief that saps the heart I account you mine His name will long linger in our household We must be brave in the face of trying circumstances Of gracious memory She bears up with the utmost fortitude I received the melancholy intelligence last evening that—— He was the kindest, and most generous of men The sweet remembrance of the just A workman that needeth not to be ashamed If God be for us who can be against us Of whom the world was not worthy Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth Let not your heart be troubled I know that your heart must be sorely grieved God shall overcome this King of terrors It is written, “As thy days so shall thy strength be” We expect to see our loved ones in happier, brighter worlds above God is able to soothe and sustain the distressed soul May God’s love shine more and more in our hearts until the day breaks and the shadows flee away He careth for you A stronghold in the day of trouble A covert from the storm We unite in sending our love and sympathy With warm regards We beg you to accept our commiseration Our hearts sorrow with you He is such a very great comfort to us We are uplifted by the assurance that—— A light which sorrow cannot quench We must all wait the call of God with a calm trust Let me have the comfort of hearing from you The hand of God has been heavy His sterling qualities of character will leave an indelible impress on those with whom he associated His good life will live on Dying in the triumphs of faith Securely anchored in the never failing promises of God A life of good-will, kindliness of spirit, and firm character The benediction of his brotherly heart will bless many who knew him We must live in the blessed anticipation of the glory that is to come Do not fear, for God knows what is in your heart Your path seems full of thorns Your weather is bleak, but the storms will cease Your sky is dark, but the sun shines May the everlasting arms sustain you in the flood of sorrow May God comfort you Out of the thorn springeth the rose I know you are in grief and heaviness We commend you to the mercy and grace of God The bitterness of affliction The present floods of sorrow You will have to cast your anchor in the dark May your heart be constant The Lord will surely give you rest from the days of adversity I would that you should always have the sweet experience of the consolations of God We all have the good-will of Him who dwelt in the bush My heart is heavy for you We must wait till the fair morning of the resurrection I write my blessing, earnest prayers, the love of God, and the sweet presence of Christ to you and yours You have suffered a grief which no human friend can assuage I feel deeply your misfortune I am grieved to hear that—— We are greatly concerned about—— We are sometimes called to sow in tears, but the harvest will be a series of everlasting joys. This blessed hope softens the trials of life My times are in the Lord’s hands I hope it may please God to endue us with a proper temper, and quiet perseverance, and that these trials may help us to purify our motives One of the severest and most trying dispensations of Providence Yours is indeed deep sorrow You have the blessed reflection of having done all that could possibly be done You have my earnest prayers that the Almighty may graciously support you That the Almighty may bless, support, and comfort you, is the hearty prayer of—— Be assured of our cordial esteem and fervent prayers May every consolation and blessing be granted to you As long as I shall remember anything, I shall remember her virtues and her kindness I hope I need not tell you how anxious I have been since I first heard of your great loss May I share with you the deep sorrow you are called upon to bear at the loss of your—— Please accept for yourself my assurance of deep sympathy Allow me to express my very sincere sympathy for you in the death of your—— Permit me to express on behalf of ———— and myself our deepest sympathy May I express to you my sincere condolence in your hour of sorrow Mrs. ———— and I offer you our most sincere sympathy in your great sorrow Please accept my heartfelt sympathy in your bereavement I hope you will find some consolation in the tribute of affection and esteem which—— I sympathize deeply with you I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. II Tim. I., 12 The resurrection of life. John V., 29 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. I Cor. II., 9 In my father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John XIV., 2 There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. II Tim. IV., 8 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. Heb. IV., 9 We, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. II Pet. III., 13 Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Rev. II., 10 They shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy. Rev. III., 4 There shall be no night there. Rev. XXII., 5 The Lord shall be thy everlasting light and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Isa. LX., 20 He is able to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. Jude, 24 The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Rom. VIII., 18 Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. II Cor. IV., 17 The riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. Eph. I., 18 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away. I Pet. I., 4 So shall we ever be with the Lord. I Thess. IV., 17 They shall see his face and his name shall be in their foreheads. Rev. XXII., 4 The righteous shall go away into life eternal. Matt. XXV., 46 Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart. Ps. XXVII., 14 The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate. Ps. XXXIV., 22 The Lord knoweth them that trust in him. Nah. I., 7 Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you. I Pet. V., 7 As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from hence forth even for ever. Ps. CXXV., 2 The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. Ps. CXII., 6 Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Ps. XXX., 5 Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. Ps. XXXIV., 19 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. Ps. CXXVI., 5-6 Their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more. Jer. XXXI., 12 I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow. Jer. XXXI., 13 A refuge in times of trouble. Ps. IX., 9 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John XVI., 33 A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. Ps. LXVIII., 5 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. Ps. CXVI., 15 My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. II Cor. XII., 9 I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward. Gen. XV., 1 The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. Deut. XXXIII., 27 The promise of life which is in Christ Jesus. II Tim. I., 1 A bruised reed shall he not break. Isa. XLII., 3 For Letters of Congratulation I take great pleasure in sending hearty congratulations and best wishes It is with heartfelt pleasure I—— I cannot refrain from sending a few words of congratulation that—— We offer you our cordial congratulations and best wishes My most sincere congratulations are yours I hope in a few days to be able to offer my congratulations in person Accept hearty congratulations With most sincere congratulations I write to offer my heartfelt congratulations You will receive many hearty congratulations but none more sincere than mine It must have been a great joy to you. I heartily congratulate you I applaud you For Letters of Introduction It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you ———— I take this opportunity of presenting to you ———— I take great pleasure in making known to you ———— This letter is presented by my friend ———— I shall regard it as a kindness to myself if—— Any courtesy you can extend to ———— I shall appreciate any assistance you may give to ———— I shall regard any attention you can pay ———— as a personal favor I shall warmly appreciate any attention you may pay to ————
For Letters of Invitation Will you give us the pleasure of your company to—— I am asking a few friends to—— It would be a pleasure to have you—— Will you join us in—— The pleasure of your company is requested to—— Hoping that your engagements will permit In anticipation of seeing you next—— ———— requests the presence of ———— ———— requests the pleasure of your presence at—— For Letters of Regret I write at once to thank you, regretting most sincerely that—— I very much regret that I cannot accept your kind invitation to—— I regret that a previous engagement will prevent my acceptance of your very kind invitation to—— I very much regret that I cannot avail myself of the opportunity to—— I am grateful to you for your kind invitation, but—— I regret that I am unable to comply with your request because—— I regret extremely that——
For Letters of Thanks Please accept my grateful acknowledgments for—— I will ever cherish your beautiful gift My compliments and thanks to ———— Thank you most heartily for the—— Many thanks for the—— With hearty thanks for your kind thought of me Best of thanks for your kind thought of me I cannot express my thanks for the kindness which prompted you to—— Many thanks for the kind remembrance With grateful appreciation for—— Thank you most heartily for—— How can I ever hope to repay you for—— I am extremely grateful to you for—— I am sending this letter as the silent messenger of my thanks and good wishes to you I must find some way to make due acknowledgment of your goodness to me I trust I may be able to do you some service, that I may be worthy of your kind approbation I will not write more but wait until a better opportunity enables me to more fully express myself Please allow me to send my most thankful acknowledgments for the favor you have conferred upon me I know not how to express my grateful thanks for your—— The grateful sense I have of your kindness will never be erased from my mind I take this first opportunity to send you my thanks for—— You have exceedingly obliged me by—— I beg to acknowledge, with thanks, the receipt of—— I am grateful to you for your kind expression of sympathy Though your kind letter has waited so long for a reply, you may be assured that I was not unmindful of its messages of sympathy Please accept my warmest thanks for your kindness I am deeply indebted to you for—— I received your very agreeable letter, and hasten to give you my most hearty thanks for your—— I thank you for your hospitality We had a most delightful time while with you For Letters with Gifts Please accept this little memento of our regard Please accept this ———— as a token of high esteem and regard Please accept as an evidence of unchanging friendship this ———— Please accept this token with my best wishes for many happy returns of your birthday Will you be so kind as to accept the enclosed ———— I am sending to you a little token of my high regard (CONCLUDING ASSURANCES) For Christmas Letters I send you tender tidings of regard this Christmas Day I hope you will lack nothing to make a Merry Christmas On this day I think of you, and wish you happiness without limit May all joys combine to give you a happy Christmas Day With best wishes and heartiest greetings for Christmas I wish you a joyful Christmas from the bottom of my heart With kind remembrances and all good wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Bright New Year With best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a New Year of health and happiness The best of good wishes for a happy Christmas May Christmas bring you plenteous store of happiness and joy Heaps of Christmas wishes With the kindest thoughts and the best of good wishes for a happy Christmas I heartily send all good Christmas wishes to you and yours For Letters of Condolence My prayer is that you may be wonderfully sustained by Him who hath said, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Most sincerely yours, I commend you to Him who hath said, “There shall be no more death, neither sorrow.” Affectionately yours, May you have great comfort in the presence of Him who hath said, “I will not leave you destitute.” Your friend, Ever remember the good word which tells us that “He shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” Faithfully yours, Though we pass through the valley and the darkness of death let us fear no evil since He is with us. Ever your friend, God gives us a fine assurance concerning the future in the word which says, “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” Most sincerely yours, With a prayer for every blessing on your self, Affectionately, your friend, Be assured of our cordial esteem and fervent prayers. Very sincerely yours, May God that comforteth those that are cast down comfort you in this trial is the prayer of Your friend, We can meet the trials of life in the comforting conviction that this mortal must put on immortality. With warmest regards, No doubt you are inclined to say that all is vanity and vexation of spirit, but do not do so for He knoweth the way that we take. Faithfully yours, Now that the time has come that you are “Like Niobe, all tears” also the rather remember the word which says that “God shall wipe away all tears.” Most sincerely yours, We send our love and commend you to Him who hath said He will “Swallow up death in victory.” Most sincerely yours, While your heart is heavy, and one feel quite deserted, yet we can be much comforted in remembering that “He knoweth our frame.” and is ever mindful of us. With sincere sympathy, Your friend, For New Year Letters May this New Year turn out to be the happiest and the best With best New Year wishes May all your plans and wishes come true in this New Year May the New Year be a happy year for you A joyous New Year With all best wishes for a splendid New Year With all the kindest wishes for good health and good fortune throughout the year With my most hearty greetings and sincere good wishes for you for all the coming year With best wishes for a year of great blessing May the New Year be full of the kindliest benedictions With kind wishes for a year of the brightest prospects
For General Letters I am ever, with sincerest regard, Your friend, Remember me very kindly to ———— Sincerely, I beg to be most kindly remembered to ———— With cordial regard, Accept the sincerest esteem of Your friend, My compliments to your ———— Very sincerely, With sincere regard, With kindest respects to your whole family, Yours affectionately, I beg you will give my affectionate respects to all. Most cordially yours, ———— best and kindest wishes accompany mine. Most sincerely, With truest regard, With my best wishes for your recovery, and kindest regard to ———— I remain, affectionately yours, ———— joins me in kindest regards and best wishes. Sincerely yours, Kind remembrance to all, and doubly to ————. As ever, If you are at ————, remember me kindly to—— Yours ever, Give my kind respects to ———— Very sincerely yours, We join in affectionate regards to ———— Sincerely, ———— present their respects, with those of Yours truly, ———— desire me to add their kind regards to mine, Your affectionate friend, With truest good wishes. As ever, When you see ———— assure ———— of my kind remembrance. Sincerely yours, With my best regards to ———— I remain your friend, With our joint regards to ————, I am ever, Yours sincerely, My most affectionate respects to ———— Yours sincerely, With kindest regards of my family and myself, I am sincerely yours, Yours ever, my dear and honored friend, with true regard, ———— desires particularly to be remembered. Yours ever, With every sentiment of regard. Your greatly obliged friend, With truest sentiments of affectionate esteem. Your friend, ———— sends her best love. Yours ever most affectionately, ———— joins in every kind wish and remembrance. Yours ever, With cordial wishes for your health, I am, Yours very sincerely, My best respects to ———— Very faithfully yours, ———— is away or I should have been charged with ———— kindest regards to you. Very sincerely, My best respects and kindest remembrances to the whole family circle at ———— Very sincerely yours, We unite in kindest remembrance to your family. Sincerely yours, ———— begs her most affectionate remembrance to you. Affectionately yours,
(FINAL ASSURANCES) Conventional Very sincerely yours, Yours most sincerely, Very respectfully, Sincerely yours, Respectfully yours, To Friends Yours faithfully, Yours affectionately, Heartily yours, Yours in all fellowship, Warmly your friend, Your affectionate friend, Yours ever truly, Ever warmly yours, With warmest regards, Yours in heart, For Lovers All yours, As ever, Your own, Yours forever and ever, Ever with the whole heart yours, Most devotedly yours, Yours constantly, Yours ever, Ever yours, Yours, with love, To Relatives Your loving ————, Affectionately your ————, Your devoted ————, With much love, Your ever loving ————, Devotedly your ————, With much affection, your ————, LIKENESS Similarity Resemblance As like as two peas A striking parallel As like as two drops of water Nearly identical in appearance The same in essential characteristics Cast in the same mold A striking similitude between—— Having a very close resemblance A speaking likeness It is somewhat analogous to—— It typifies most perfectly the—— With a very exact resemblance There is no material difference between—— Terms which will be tantamount to—— Have you been struck with the similarity between—— It bears an evident analogy to—— Cut out of the same cloth You can make it tally with—— LOSS Damage Waste This particular milk has been spilt Incalculable waste and loss will be avoided if—— Doomed to ethical decline Irreparable loss Rapidly sapping the strength of—— In the blackness of darkness forever Where does it end LOVE Attachment Affection He’s the great heart-maker Winsomely and lovingly The sacrifices of love Matchless kindness Unwavering love A redeeming love-energy A glad service of love A legacy of love A flame of sacred love The sweet kingdom of God’s love The wondrous story of God’s love The wonderful words of life The genial flame of affection The marvel of His love The love that conquers Love divine, all loves excelling The glorious sense of the Divine right of love Made beautiful by Divine love The warm yearning intimacy of God’s love The sweet and unpolluted flower of love The richest joys out of heaven If our bosom burns with the fires of love Love that translated us from alienation to family favor Love, pure, warm, and changeless Songs of redeeming love An eye of love A heaven of love Abounding love With undiminished love Love is the universal language What the world needs is love
MANLY Strong Upright The sanctifying love of a strong victorious man A patient, loving, uncomplaining soul A clear-eyed seer of the things of God An uncompromising foe of evil Sagacious in spiritual things A mind full of vigorous hopeful uplifting thoughts He has a wonderful experience of grace He passed through the fires of affliction He is a graduate of the University of Difficulty We are resolved to lay no stumbling-blocks in the way of the progress of the redemption of the world We have the abiding consciousness that we are fundamentally right with God He is in the apostleship of spiritual beauty A great lover of mankind He takes a living, loving interest in men Moral worth Resolved not to depart from the channel of truth Holy in character A warmth of temperament Generous impulses The imposing grace of a noble self-restraint A chaste refinement of spirit Splendid reserve power Well content to go down to the grave unpraised Taking steps toward the threshold of heaven Walking in the blessed path of peace, power, and purity A nobility of life Worthy of more attention than it has yet received A worthy friend Hands full of character and delicacy With unfaltering lip and heart Men who love their fellow-men and prove their love by service He did not once deviate from his principles He has a profound contempt for show and humbug Men broad-brained and broad-shouldered for the task Men of breadth of outlook Men who foresee great things Large-hearted and clear-eyed men Real leaders Men who keep in the straight path of duty Every man shall bear his own burden Men whose fidelity merits the highest praise Men who would dare hell-heat or Arctic cold Men whose intentions were never open to honest doubt A man whose happiness was in serving others Strong men Untinged by prejudice Clouded by no unfriendliness Without acrimony With no preconceived theories In whole-hearted simplicity Above suspicion With entire frankness No feeling of estrangement A gleam of friendly light The right mental attitude The right hand of fellowship In the sunshine of a genial nature In the genial glow of the firelight Of gentle mien The contagion of noble lives A rare maturity of judgment He has an unswerving loyalty to principle He has an unconquerable purpose to be true He is unfalteringly devoted to duty He is inflexible in purpose He is not paralysed by fear of consequences He is beautifully loyal to—— He is proof against all blandishments He sits tight in the saddle MEMORIES Impressions Sentiments Among the most haunting memories of—— I treasure the memory of it as one of my most precious recollections A time full of happy memories I brought away with me a store of happy memories Rich in historical memories It moves me to happy memories It entitles him to grateful remembrance There are no disturbing reminders They can console themselves with the reflection that—— It was reminiscent of—— I have many choice recollections of—— Etched forever by the—— MILITARISTIC Martial Soldierly The zone of hostilities The harmless victims of war Tactical retreat Martial enthusiasm A crack regiment Universal disarmament Strict neutrality The inevitable horrors of war A military advantage The ruthlessness of war The neutrality of nations The international equivalent of the policeman’s club The lust of empire The cruel indignities of war The long-nurtured passions of a nation When the thunders of war are heard around the world The arbitrament of arms A test of materialism An age crammed with war The federation of the world The policy of military preparedness The patriotism of the common people A military tattoo in the streets The dominant military power in the world The nightmare menace of war The crime of Cain multiplied a million fold The maintenance of peace A sin against civilization The stunning sense of some great calamity The futility of militarism The theater of hostilities The allied armies The pitiful misery of the people An appalling cost of human life The diplomatic corps A compact front Wanton destruction The military camarilla at ———— Military necessity Deliberate and wanton vandalism With ruthless hand The guilty madness of war The inveterate belligerence of ———— A crushing indictment of Twentieth-Century civilization The city tense with the excitement due to militarism Imbued with the spirit of war Prepared for vigorous operations Under cover of the artillery The oft-trodden battle-ground of the Low Countries A warless world An armed peace The mailed fist A religion of valor The terrorism of military might MYSTERIOUS Dark Inscrutable Into those invisible regions where we cannot follow Clothed in a cloak of mystery The fascination of the inscrutable In some incomprehensible way It seems a Sphinx whose riddle no man can read Shrouded in mystery A great deal of hokus-pokus Hidden under the impenetrable veil of metaphor Absolutely inexplicable It was Greek to me. Julius CÆsar, I., 2 Some enigma, some riddle. Love’s Labour’s Lost, III., 1 A bottomless sea of speculation NECESSARILY Needfully Essentially The pressure of absolute necessity I am under the imperative necessity of—— It is absolutely essential that—— It must needs be that—— Infinitely more so now The imperative necessity of—— The need is urgent that—— Of all the essential cogs in the world’s great machine the—— Of extreme importance Of vital necessity Conditions will make it imperative that—— It is of prime importance to—— The first and most important requisite of—— Put to it The supreme need of the hour is—— It is time for him to come to the scratch and—— All important factors in the case As much as plants need sunshine Indispensably necessary The imperative needs of—— In the vigorous school of necessity OPPORTUNE Timely Seasonable Every door is open Virgin soil A work in which every man may bear a share Seize with avidity this opportunity to—— The time seems ripe to—— The keynote to—— EntrÉe to all the best Open sesame A plain opportunity for—— We must take opportunity by the forelock Had I been so disposed, I—— The hour of opportunity Now is the time of all times to—— OPPOSITION Protestation Objection Nothing could go more against the grain with me than—— He set his face like flint against—— There is a decided opposition to—— It is one of the counts in the indictment against him that—— He was debarred from—— With strongly divergent opinion He should be unhorsed A man who must be discriminated against It is sheer nonsense to—— The thinness of that kind of argument is seen in—— Hotly contested His one weapon of defense is—— He made of this fact a telling answer to those who—— It is common to hear deprecations of—— He would have made a more happy effect if—— All this is in direct contradiction to—— Through flinty opposition Persistently hostile It has only one defect——it is not true I differ from him very widely It is a cry that is raised in the old senseless spiteful way It is scarcely worth raising our heads to look at I assure you such is not the case I think it would be quite inadvisable to do so It is a convincing demonstration of the fatuity of the notion that—— The latest and most absurd theory is—— Issues which are poles apart in their true significance I regret to be compelled to join issue with you The answer will be a firm and decided negative I have inly resented the—— I must with all respect demur It is a wooden-headed scheme It represents everything repugnant to my convictions I cannot refrain from expressing my regret that—— It is a manifest absurdity In which case I should remonstrate I protested in vain It is very annoying to me I fervently hope not A good stout protest It is out of the question A decided negative It is time to protest and to protest vigorously I won’t hear it without a protest—— It has not even the saving grace of—— He met with stout opposition He came out squarely against—— He rubbed the cat the wrong way They will brook no trifling A point-blank refusal There is just ground for objection in the fact that—— It is not exactly fitting that—— There could be no greater fallacy It was the only rift in a perfect lute Unless they made a fidget about it The whole plan is repellent The suggestion arouses in us only moral disgust Give it the lie Such an opinion runs counter to the facts He delivered a frontal attack upon—— It is playing at cross-purposes Promptly and vigorously disposed of It is going to get a short shrift A railing accusation A storm of protest Stubborn resistance In the face of mighty passions and desires In the teeth of clenched antagonisms It is time to protest and to protest vigorously Not under any circumstances Too heavily handicapped A disposition in some to resent A combination of hindrances Without flinching An insuperable barrier I have the greatest aversion to—— He met with a hot welcome A defiant note OPTIMISM Cheer Gladness I am very sanguine about it In a highly gratifying way It is refreshing to know that—— The uplift of great ideas All clouds do not rain No day is so long but has its evening No news is good news All is not lost that is delayed One of the most heartening signs of the days is—— We are with you to the last man and the last dollar I have a crumb of consolation in the thought that—— We can say with much assurance that—— The plan has attractive features With unalloyed satisfaction This is no time to intone funeral ululations Let us strengthen each other’s hands in God We need a ringing message to steel the purpose We are with you from center to outer edge The news is decidedly reassuring I was splendidly heartened by—— A word of magnificent promise A happy confidence Let’s make the best of it. Coriolanus, V., 6 A day of great things One of the bright sides of a dark picture is—— Our lucky star was in the ascendant In spite of dismal forebodings In the heyday of confidence He meets every situation with an inspiration On the victory side In the mountains of God A harbinger of success Life’s brightest meaning A bad beginning may make a good ending No such inept and doleful talk has been coming from—— Cheering in a high degree In his happiest mood The outlook is in the highest degree encouraging We have reason to thank God and take courage Everything is propitious The night is long that never finds a day A pack of blessings A buoyant optimism Prospects are very bright for the success of—— The finest game in the world I have nothing dismal to remember A happy earnest life Without grudge or grumbling A hopeful attitude An attitude of assurance An inborn belief in the superiority of—— Always hailed with joy Quickening and cheerful influences Assuredly we shall win Of splendid augury The habit of expectancy A hopeful prospect A promising beginning on intelligent lines It is bound to accomplish a world of good A brisk cheerful sense of things present and things to come Some cheerful hope-laden ideas No gloomy forebodings We will have the fun of beginning again An abiding optimism With high expectations Not a lurking doubt or suspicion lingers The most hopeful sign of the times is I know nothing more pleasant than to This is indeed good fortune How pleasant it is to I have had a great piece of luck Let us turn to more pleasant reflections But, after all, in this as in everything else one must be hopeful Unquestioned confidence Without the least misgiving It is an assured success Conscious of being able to cope with the situation Genuine confidence It is in no wise inimical to your interests To believe him guilty of deliberate mendacity would be painful With undiminished confidence With radiant hopes We are able for it A place of peace and unfailing cheeriness A cheery greeting In high glee With many a cheering smile He manifests a cheerful willingness Deeply and unfeignedly happy It is a cheerful sign of progress when He is capable of taking the highest view which the circumstances of the case may admit He has the habit of holding an expectant attitude To attain that will be a supreme delight He is all the time pressing forward with keen expectancy There are many hopeful aspects of the situation The situation is greatly improved May we have a part in bringing in a new and better day A happy augury for the future A happy prospect Like a sunbeam on a winter’s day With superb optimism Let us do it with a shout A jubilant mood I am fully prepared for all eventualities He is quite sure of himself He has a new and sure grip on the facts In the full assurance of success It may be averred with confidence that—— I have every assurance that—— In the result alone will be confidence I have the certitude of all this He staked his faith on—— With the easy assurance of—— PARTIAL Incomplete Meager A beggarly account of—— The whole truth is not known That is not the sole question We have not heard the whole of the facts He does but scant justice to—— PASSION Fervency Zeal Like a fire in the bones With soul aflame for truth and justice His one absorbing passion His whole concern centered in—— The thought was like a raging fever With a great strain of the eternal in his message A spiritual passion which would break through all formal proprieties He seemed obsessed with the desire to——
PATIENCE Endurance Forbearance What can’t be cured must be endured A small stock of patience Time brings everything to those who wait We must placidly bear the strain of—— You have an infinite deal of patience With the most angelic patience Least said, soonest mended PATRIOTIC Democratic Loyal Putting other ambitions aside in order to serve his country A noble temper of patriotism The great humane movements of events towards liberty The accents of democracy Against the notion that whatever is profitable is right A passion for ideals The unspeakable boon of freedom The foundations of a mighty nation Aflame with the spirit of opposition against tyrannies A thorough-going patriot A magnificent spirit of self-abnegation In the ardor of self-sacrifice Hearts afire with love for liberty Unshakable loyalty Emblem of everything we hold most dear and desirable A royal pride of country Soundly and unimpeachably a loyal citizen The new patriotism The golden age of the federation of the world A world-wide democracy A United States of the world A world patriotism A universal alliance A league of peace A glorious future for the nations of the world International patriotism A democracy as broad as humanity International federation The new prosperity One of our chief claims to glory is—— Universal democracy A supreme court of arbitrament A peace federation The end of autocracies The end of secret diplomacy It is subversive of every principle of our democracy Pan-Americanism The menace of military might—— The most far-reaching extensions of freedom and democracy the world has ever known The unconquerable mind of freemen As fine soldiers as ever despised death Shakespeare This land of such dear souls, this dear-dear land. King Richard II., II., 1 Let all the ends thou aim’st at be thy country’s, Thy God’s, and truth’s. King Henry VIII., III., 2 God, for some strong purpose, steel’d the hearts of men. King Richard II., V., 2 Let men say we be men of good government. I. King Henry IV., I., 2 Now join your hands, and with your hands your hearts, that no dissension hinder government. III. King Henry VI., IV., 6 I do love my country’s good with a respect more tender, more holy and profound. Coriolanus, III., 3 I have watch’d the night, ay, night by night, in studying good for England. II. King Henry VI., III., 1 England never did, nor never shall, lie at the proud foot of a conqueror. King John, V., 7 In our country’s cause fell bravely. Cymbeline, V., 4 Good fortune bids us pause, and smooth the frowns of war with peaceful looks. III. King Henry VI., II., 6 PENALTY Punishment Forfeit Sent to cool his heels in—— He got what was due to him He is face to face with the remorseless judgment of his times He would have been put to it to have gotten into a worse quagmire than—— This will make interesting reading for—— Reaping a dragon-tooth harvest The direct result of his own unsocial acts The direful consequences of—— PERPLEXED Nonplused Mystified Utterly at sea I am really at the end of my tether I am mightily at a loss to know what—— This further complicates the problem And in like quandary I find myself touching the—— It is very vague I had it inchoately in my mind We cannot make much of it His thoughts do not run in the natural order of sequence An inextricable dilemma My wits faint. Romeo and Juliet, II., 4 Involved in inextricable confusion Left in a mood of perplexity Utterly inscrutable The problem is surely perplexing Full of confusion worse confounded It would serve only to becloud the issue A question of sufficient complexity to tax the power of the wisest PESSIMISTIC Cynical Gloomy A peddler of pessimism He has always had a plentiful stock of gloomy ideas A heart of lead in my breast It hangs like a dark pall over—— The unpleasant intelligence of—— The most ominous feature of it all was—— Any attempt was foredoomed to failure No rosy delusions should be permitted to warp our judgment There is a little of the melancholy element in—— Augured evil Doleful recollections Smothered under the wet blanket of—— He indulges in the gloomiest forebodings A most discouraging frame of mind Fallen into the Slough of Despond I found myself under my juniper tree It is the very mystery of perversity He is in a woeful state of mind A sense of desolation There came upon my heart an intolerable burden of despondency A dreary conclusion The unexpected and adverse strokes of fortune A damper of my hopes A gloomy consolation A discouraging moment Friendless, homeless, hopeless, undone Impossible of accomplishment Grave symptoms A forlorn hope A nameless foreboding One has to be optimistic to find anything hopeful in the present outlook A somber and mournful aspect A sign of ill omen He has the habit of dating existence by the memory of its burdens A sea of trouble Under the pressure of calamity A welter of sordid interests A very flood of wretchedness A sorry plight Moments when one grows sick of mankind Inexpressibly miserable A very gloomy report He is etching the black pictures deeper and deeper into his consciousness By some strange fatality Hearts bursting with despair A terrible legacy With a groan of sickening remorse With a sense of desolation Many vicissitudes All true in a finished civilization He has seen many a bitter day of sorely tried hopes The many accessories of evil Crushed by burdens The misspent strivings of mankind Errant human nature To move in paralyzing dread Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward A particularity which converts every trifle into a thorn A dark and stormy sea
PICTURESQUE Poetic Graphic The singing river The place of wraithing tempests The mood of poetry The slow wind crooning among the pines The dank odor of autumn leaves The scent of damask roses A skein of cloud A star of orange light A dim blue haze A gently sloping hill A shimmer of golden sunlight A blossom passing fair Delicious days A cloud of fire Lingering lover-wise A billowy prairie Nodding grasses Rugged seas The merriest voices of the spring Deathless music The jargon of the tempest Lovely, ivy-mantled Checkered with sunlight and shadow The distant gloom of foreboding mountains Bewilderments of beauty The ermine of the snows Marble dawns The first kindling stars of dusk Pine-grown mountains En rapport with the earth A bewildering field of fragrance and delight A robe of verdure The inviting air Lovely clusters Gracefully pendent Delicately adorned The balmy breath of spring Fair as virgin snows Grand with imperial purple The silence of eternity PLEASED Glad Delighted Sweeter than honey and the honey-comb I am quite in raptures with—— To my great satisfaction, I—— I do not know a pleasure more appealing than—— You cannot imagine what pleasure it gives me to—— I went on my way with a merry heart There is a certain undiluted bliss in—— Cheering in a high degree Could anything be more agreeable than—— As bright as a sunbeam I am very glad and genuinely pleased that—— I think it admirable and meets the case fully The most gratifying features of the—— Frank delight Out of sheer enjoyment of doing it I dote upon it It was most gratifying I enjoyed it prodigiously Not an inconsequential part This is indeed a pleasure I greatly rejoice in the—— We always look back with pleasure to—— It is gratifying to know that—— I was never so proud of it as I am to-day This is the panacea for all my disabilities This is the elixir of life I had the good fortune to—— This is certainly ideal Enamored of—— Perfectly in raptures over—— To my agreeable disappointment I found that—— Genuinely glad I am quite delighted We were delighted beyond measure To my inexpressible delight Much to our profit and delight In the most delightful fashion A day I still recall with pleasure It exceeded my greatest expectation A wonderful time This is the sort of thing I enjoy I like the idea very much That’s simply splendid There is an unfailing charm in it A delightful idea truly I like it prodigiously Isn’t that jolly Of first-rate merit I was highly pleased with it It was in the best taste It is a beautiful piece of industrial accomplishment I call it a delightful spectacle A capital idea Altogether a fine thing A sentiment worthy of emulation A source of constant pleasure A very real asset With none of the slight faults of immaturity It is an uplifting habit The sight filled me with admiration Of no ordinary cleverness It was perfectly splendid It is a fine instance of It called forth unqualified admiration It was strikingly impressive The result exceeded my most sanguine expectations The finest flower that ever blossomed It is an amiable habit by no means to be discouraged Genuine gratification Much to our profit and delight POINT Very much to the point That is the very core of it There is the milk in the cocoanut You hit the nail on the head The crux of the whole matter is—— The paramount issue is—— More truth than fiction That is where the shoe pinches It went straight and close to the very heart of—— That is the sum and substance of the whole matter To the point Here in a nutshell is the—— The case could not be put more succinctly An epitome of—— The very quintessence of—— To comprehend it all in a word POLITICAL Diplomatic Legislative An unworthy piece of legislation An odious piece of class legislation A grave indictment of independent citizenship Names of genuine weight on the roster of delegates Signs of a genuine awakening in the nation Deliberate malfeasance in office A flagrant offense against public opinion Indulging simply in pure buncombe Logrolling schemes A public disgrace A blaze of popular resentment Political fakery Blind partisanship An unfortunate deadlock Public apathy Under the old rÉgime In the initial days of the campaign A shifty self-seeking politician Astute diplomats A corrupt public sentiment From long association with politics The real state of affairs in the nation The last word of political wisdom The pressing questions of the hour Facts officially winked at Recreant to a solemn trust A sincere desire to safeguard the public Refreshing to the people Close to the heart of affairs Hesitating at no extravagance These recriminations go on endlessly An era of good feeling For political advantage Scrupulously avoiding any offense against his party One of the most prominent and potential among the leaders of his party One cannot blame him for being resentful when the organ of his party flouts and ridicules him He is quick to anticipate the veerings of public taste It is regarded as a mere eczema on the body politic The engrossing questions of the day We must set ourselves to hunt out helpful policies A stroke of diplomacy Guilty of gross political impropriety In the throes of an acute political crisis A diplomatic victory A new world order Special interests Political vicissitudes Desirable reforms Certain inalienable rights Astute leadership Political prestige Leaving the individual decision to each man’s enlightened judgment Upon the firm foundation of liberty, justice, and equality Conspicuous in public affairs POSSIBLE Contingent Probable In the event that—— If conditions are favorable If the Fates smile It is possible and not by any means improbable that—— The argument is thoroughly convincing if—— The antecedent probability is—— Entirely within the realm of probability It is highly probable that—— It is by no means unthinkable that—— There is a bare possibility that—— In any event—— If this is an acceptable explanation then—— Were it not for “If” and “But” we should all be rich forever That is humanly conceivable Perfectly possible It might be a very happy means of—— PREJUDICED Biased Narrow A prejudice sevenfold in thickness Wresting it to suit a preconceived theory Blind prejudices It is another case of not being able to see the woods for the trees The wish the father to the thought He is crotchety and full of conceits He is wedded to his opinions He has no adequate idea of the task It is a piece of embittered old fogeyism It is based purely on personal considerations Arrogantly ignorant He approaches every problem from a preconceived point of view He gives his energies to fanning the flame of—— For an unprejudiced mind it is not difficult to admit the reasonableness of the claim of—— Subject to spasmodic deafness If he doesn’t understand a thing he damns it PRIVILEGE Latitude Freedom The grant of a blank check A free hand It leaves a charming latitude of guessing Carte blanche Free from all allegiance to—— He exercises a freeman’s right Tenfold the justification for——
PROGRESS Advance Development The growing magnitude of—— It passed from a dream to a reality It is fated to grow into greatness It is a step forward in the right direction It will mean that we have taken a big step toward—— It forged a new link in the chain of progress A thorough-going reform In no small degree the progress is due to—— Now we have passed away beyond that Unhampered development A genuine step toward—— The desire is growing by geometrical progression A constructive program An aggressive movement The chariot of progress In the experimental stage PROPHESY Conjecture Guess The suggestion is not wholly fanciful that—— Judging the future by the past there will be—— My forecast was correct Whether or not he accurately divined all the—— It is altogether likely that—— We may probably conjecture some of the steps A sure precursor of—— Only a bold prophet would predict when the—— Extravagant conjecture I lay no claim to the predictive function of a prophet ’Tis likely by all conjectures. King Henry VIII., II., 1 One may hazard the conjecture that—— A purely supposititious case The hypothesis is based upon the supposed fact that—— Purely guesswork PURPOSE Aim Ambition It has been a settled policy of my life to—— It is singleness of aim that gives him driving power A man careless of all save the pursuit of his ideal A great solidarity of purpose To fulfil our purpose it is necessary to see clear and think straight The problem has now to be envisaged from a wider angle He is under the domination of great ideals The purpose is unimpeachable He is working toward the accomplishment of some high purpose With rare purity of motive We trust the scheme has been planned upon adequate lines Not swerving from the path of duty Simply and solely for the purpose of—— The avowed aim of—— A high degree of unity of purpose Serious purpose Filled with lofty aspirations That’s the golden mark I seek to hit. II. King Henry VI., I., 1 Spirits are not finely touch’d but to fine issues. Measure for Measure, I., 1 Dominant aims QUESTIONING Interrogation Inquiry In what essential respect does it differ from—— Of what avail is it if—— Let us raise the inquiry how—— I would like to venture a question Have you come upon any traces of—— You probably mean by that—— Is not that sufficient explanation Can I depend on you May I ask why—— On what grounds do you base your decision that—— May I inquire what your version is of—— How does this method of procedure strike you What would you do under existing circumstances Have you remarked the—— What boots it that—— How shall I understand you? Timon of Athens, I., 1 Adroit questioning What are your predilections How do you relish—— I must beg leave to put a query REAL Actual Genuine After stripping off a lot of thin veneer we find that—— It touched the vital springs of reality It is not make-believe The creed was transmuted into an experience It brought him face to face with reality Incontestable evidence of the truth and reality of—— The outward and visible sign of far-reaching realities It savors of unreality In a very real sense In order to be real we must—— With a passion for reality
REDEMPTION Compassion Forgiveness Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Isa. I., 18 The forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. Eph. I., 7 As far as the east is from the west so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Ps. CIII., 12 A bruised reed shall he not break. Isa. XLII., 3 Like as a father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. Ps. CIII., 13 I will refine them as silver is refined. Zech. XIII., 9 In whom we have redemption. Eph. I., 7 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling. Jude 24 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us. Titus III., 5 Moved with compassion. Matt. IX., 36 Partakers of the divine nature. II Pet. I., 4 Mighty to save. Isa. LXIII., 1 Look unto the rock whence ye are hewn. Isa. LI., 1 The wrath of men shall praise thee. Ps. LXXVI., 10 Wise unto salvation. II Tim. III., 15 A man after mine own heart. Acts XIII., 22 The redemption of our body. Rom. VIII., 23 Love covereth all sins. Prov. X., 12 The truth shall make you free. John VIII., 32 Love suffereth long and is kind. I Cor. XIII., 4 Unto the pure all things are pure. Titus I., 15 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened. Eph. I., 18 I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection. I Cor. IX., 27 Justified from all things. Acts XIII., 39 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Eph. IV., 6 He hath made us accepted in the beloved. Eph I., 6 Washed white from crimson sins The process of becoming perfect The right temper of the soul The Divine hostility to sin Brought into saving relationship The ultimate purpose of redemption A redeemed fellowship The dynamics of the redeemed life In God’s eternal economy The Divine method of doing things The splendors of redeeming grace The unspeakable humility of Calvary An eternal redemption The mysteries of redemption A wealth of unveiled glories Rich in sanctity, wisdom, and redemptive power REFERENCE Relation Respect We cannot blink the fact that—— Apropos of the—— It must be borne in mind that—— With regard to—— He sapiently remarked that—— A case in point is the—— I am almost ashamed to advert to it Unless my memory fail me, I recall that—— As the matter now stands—— In order to resolve the difficulty in question we—— No harm can come from restating calmly the—— Heretofore I am always telling that to—— Thanks to the generosity of—— This is only a mild side-light on the—— You were just speaking on a very interesting topic We can never remind ourselves too frequently that—— We must keep it in the forefront I cannot divest myself of the impression that—— Incidentally, it would be well to remember that—— REGRET Remorse Compunction It is too late to lock the stable-door when the steeds are stolen It was a sorry business It needs a lot of explaining Decidedly unfortunate It is a matter of regret to me that—— A distinct disappointment That is a great pity A thousand pities I am quite provoked at my own stupidity Not a pleasant experience Most vexatious blunders I am awfully sorry to miss the fun It is pathetic Is it not truly deplorable that—— Unfortunate in effect It was the most humiliating experience possible More deeply still should I deplore it if—— The remembrance of them is grievous unto us I was profoundly mortified at—— No one regrets more than I do the—— It was a matter of no small regret that—— It has not been very good fortune to—— Had I but served my God with half the zeal I served my king, he would not in mine age Have left me naked to mine enemies. King Henry VIII., III., 2 Poignant regret Frankly regretted I feel like calling myself a simpleton for—— Unmistakable signs of a change of heart He has made a clean breast of it
RELIGION Morality Reverence The eternal God from whom all goodness flows The vision of redeemed and purified humanity It saps the defenses of justice and morality It requires the purging fires of divine judgment The moral and spiritual height of God’s heaven No religious consciousness A glow of religious satisfaction In quest of the divine treasure The white flower of a blameless life Man proposes and God disposes It shows that the flame of reverence is burning low There are no memories like the mercies of God The murmuring woe of the world became as a bugle call to him A lover of God Purely kingdom business Be sure God is satisfied with you We are wholly certain of the righteousness of our cause A sentiment in the highest degree spiritual Friends of my soul A man who carries the riches of God within himself Redeemed and royal-hearted men and women Caught up into the third heaven The unmistakable signs of divine guidance Acquiring the art of spiritual expressiveness The beautiful realm of the spirit A day of rich spiritual experience Let never day nor night unhallow’d pass
But still remember what the Lord hath done. II. King Henry VI., II., 1 A nice point for a tender conscience Of none too severe morals A spark of heavenly fire within Reverential of all that is great and noble The mountains of God A kindly soldier of the cross No supposititious consequences will make it right if the thing is not right in itself Violations of moral rectitude The triumphant inhabitants of heaven A gate to immortal glory The doleful effects of sin In everlasting honor A magnificence of spirit The bounty of heaven The adorable excellence of God Banished from the blissful things of God So big that it must be of God A devotion to veracity Heart-hunger for the divine A life of serenity Uplift by the power of Christ The ineradicable instinct of the religious life
REPLY Response Answer (Affirmative) I have the pleasure to concur with you I am perfectly of that opinion That is precisely my view of the case It is an admirable way of putting it It is extremely interesting, I can assure you It fits exactly with my notion It will be generally acquiesced in I shall be most happy to grant it I will with great pleasure It sounds plausible I am quite content to leave the judgment of it to you I am pretty fully in accord with—— I can see the desirability of such an arrangement I am sure the happiest results would ensue (Negative) The answer is a plain negative I am quite unable to say I should think it very unlikely I haven’t the remotest idea It is a sufficient answer to the foolish view to say—— I have neither grace nor gifts for such a responsibility I am ignorance itself in this. I. King Henry IV., III., 1 (To Compliment) It is very kind of you to say so I am grateful for your good opinion Thank you for your good words You are very kind I am extremely glad you approve Allow me to reciprocate by saying that—— I am pleased to hear you say so I thank you for the compliment (To Request) I shall proceed at once to forget it I shall respect your confidence I shall be most happy to grant it I prefer to reserve my judgment I shall be most happy to come Willingly, if you wish it With pleasure (Tactful) I should as soon tell you as any one I know I regret that I have never given the subject due consideration It is a problem which no stretch of ingenuity can solve Now, as they say, you are asking me a question Ask me something easy I am neutral The deponent sayeth not What part of Ireland are you from I defer to—— Now I am quite out of my depth I should feel peculiarly embarrassed to answer And what is your judgment on that point I am not at liberty to say anything more What leads you to that conclusion, if I may ask What an extraordinary observer you are It is too remote for reminiscence That is a fascinating field for difference of opinion It seems that it is a case difficult either of proof or disproof There seems to be a very great diversity in our sentiments (Of Thanks) It is good of you to say so How lovely of you I reciprocate your good wishes Thank you for your cheerful words You give me more credit than I deserve It is really a pleasure to assist you I feel amply repaid for my effort I appreciate keenly the favor you have shown me It was delightful I assure you I feel indebted to you for your kindness It was very thoughtful of you One cannot be thankful enough for good friends It was altogether delightful REPREHENSIBLE Blameworthy Culpable Out of the purvue of respectability In bad odor Worthy of all blame Viewed with disfavor Weighed in the balances and found wanting No argument in its favor has been advanced which is not a reproach to repeat A perfectly proper protest against It must be dismissed as moonshine It is worthy of no credence Is there anything so utterly odious as—— A piece of ridiculous conceit Just as ill-considered would it be to argue that—— Not yet purged of sinister aims RESPONSIBILITY Accountability Liability It is a condition and not a theory which confronts us There is no blinking the fact that—— Facing the facts Facts are stubborn things A responsibility made new and doubly solemn by the march of events The assumption carries great liability Moral intrepidity The obligations of victory It cannot be shrugged away RESULT Issue Outcome I would most gladly know the issue of it. The Winter’s Tale, V., 2 In the after-glow of—— It is the natural corollary of—— It will have to await events The effect will be most unhappy It is largely a consequence of—— Direful consequences One of our inheritances from—— A happy consummation RIDICULE Scorn Sarcasm He has the art of saying nothing with immense seriousness He needs to be wooed back to consciousness by soft music Now comes the cruel pricking of the bubble Laughed out of court He was not taken very seriously He is admirable in small doses A little thin-blooded The last expression of boredom A thin veneer of truth Rather the projection of his own imagination than a historical reality In the throes of another dream Note how thin the argument is Splendidly ineffective A position suited to his powers He has the vice of stupidity My tears refuse to flow Damned with faint praise He sneered at proprieties His pump needs priming Of course there are certain to be wiseacres to say that—— It has only one defect——it is not true He takes himself too seriously He lifted up his raucous voice against—— It would be entertaining to hear what—— His sagacity is no more to be admired than his modesty I have tried to read him without skipping Wonderful to relate Growing beautifully less Not worth the powder to shoot him A trifle dull He devotes himself to leisure with much assiduity He is never troubled with a serious thought The slightest modicum of common sense would teach that—— One half humbug and the other half hypocrisy Very material tastes and ambitions Pretty playthings Fanciful pipe-dreaming There is no activity within his cerebral cavity A toy avalanche He watched the proceeding from the seat of the scornful One or two notches short of perfection Confess you have dreamed this After the wont of his kind He is romancing Possible but still improbable Too sanguine Too eager Small talk Sharp ridicule SACRIFICIAL Unselfish High-minded We must give ourselves to the great new tasks We have a sacrificial atmosphere now to breathe We live in the presence of a sacrificial spirit We must sacrifice to international relationships Willing to go into the darkness of death that liberty might live In the grip of a sacrificial spirit From unselfish motives Without any ulterior motives A few rare souls who think no evil Unconscious of a mean motive With a nobility all its own Very willing to accede to a suggestion I will take it into serious consideration SALVATION Grace Holiness Hearts sensitive to His presence Sweet with the perfume of God’s breath A spotless splendor that holds us in fascination To them that nestle down into his will, God is like a mother All the loving links that bind us to heaven The psalm of adoring lip The ceaseless exercise of reverence Tokens of His favor In those lofty moments when the soul is near God The riches of His great grace The river of rare and exquisite delights In the highest realms of aspiration A treasury of golden thoughts Elements which have the luster and preciousness of pearls Kept from the entanglements of sin A heart made pure and right The unforgetable memories of a pure home The purest of the pure A way of fortifying one’s soul Moment by moment I’m kept in his love Steadfast in the strength of God, and true The free and kindly intimacies of the fireside The fair realities of the sanctified life The peaceful atmosphere of good will Make a covenant with your eyes lest sin get into your heart We must get corruption out of the heart for one never knows how it will betray An infinitely loving and all-wise heart Worthy to receive endless praise Far up the everlasting hills in God’s own light The hallowed beauty of the eternal God The glorious outlines of His holiness The pure pellucid waters of His grace Illumined by the indwelling of eternal light The presence of the most high God The all-wise and gracious counsels of God The unshadowed depths of eternal holiness The adoration of the eternal A celestial melody In resplendent glory In the mountains of God The great and blessed God who inhabits eternity The unblemished holiness of heaven Enabled to act continually with integrity Free from narrow and selfish motives The grand truths of redemption The news of mercy The mighty Sacrifice The sons of peace The paths of peace The heavenly steeps The life-giving stream The glory of holiness The well-spread table The river of regenerating energy A joy-giving truth The sacred longing of the soul The enduring brotherhood A new ideal of plenty A beautiful faith The eternal spirit SATISFACTORY Wholesome Advantageous Highly desirable Thoroughly wholesome Splendidly worth while Singularly appropriate There are great compensations in—— What an increasing sense of satisfaction it must be to—— I note with satisfaction that—— It comes as a refreshing surprise to learn that—— It satisfies every reasonable requirement It seems to leave little to be desired A profound and refreshing satisfaction It will be brought to a happy issue And I ... am satisfied and therein do count myself well paid. The Merchant of Venice, IV., 1 It will be very much to his advantage to—— It is beyond all contradiction a very happy situation The matter was brought to a very satisfactory termination Eminently satisfactory All this was highly gratifying to—— Our most sanguine hopes have been exceeded It has given me no small amount of satisfaction It is fully up to our best traditions All will take an honest pride in—— Very well worth while A taking piece of work Perfectly all right A most advantageous turn of affairs Inexpressibly pleasing In a very satisfying sense What a soothing reflection it is that—— I have the happy assurance that—— I find real comfort in saying to myself that—— Of a kind to gladden the heart A son of consolation I have a comfortable feeling that—— It is a most poignant satisfaction to—— A suggestion of better things to come When every moment is a joy It is so satisfying I had the secret satisfaction of I was wonderfully pleased with it With great satisfaction Complete satisfaction An unmixed satisfaction Quite content in almost any one’s company It is ample reward for the hardships endured To a nicety That fine delight I always experience when I It will answer your largest expectations It will challenge your highest esteem SECRET Hidden Concealed No word of the affair ever saw the light I shall keep perfectly mum about it Do not herald it abroad Tell it not in Gath I should appreciate your confidence Stall this in your bosom. All’s Well that Ends Well, I., 3 He has been keeping his own counsel SENSITIVE Susceptible Impressible As sensitive as a barometer Fearful of having committed an indiscretion A delicate plant and can be destroyed The raw edges of life chafe him Sensitive to a fault Highly susceptible Quick to respond to any overtures of interest Impregnated with the sense of—— As impressible as wax to the seal I have been decidedly impressed by—— There are things which stamp themselves indelibly upon the memory SIMILE (General) As light as a snowflake As fragile as glass As grave as a judge As rough as a bear As still as a statue As swift as a thought As fierce as a tiger As blithe as a bird As old as the moon As evanescent as a bubble As deep as the sea As graceful as Apollo As beautiful as apple-blossoms As hard as steel As dark as pitch As fierce as flame As fleet as an arrow As black as ebony As white as snow As thin as a shadow As flat as a flounder As sharp as a needle As smooth as glass As pale as a pearl As welcome as a friend As blind as a mole As busy as a bee As dry as dust As fresh as a rose As happy as an angel As elastic as a steel spring As dumb as an oyster As illusive as a dream As weak as water As sweet as angel-dreams As swift as a shadow As short as a dream As distant as a star As cheerless as the Arctic As black as ravens’ wings As gray as ashes As sharp as a sword As white as chalk As bold as a hawk As clear as a whistle As dull as lead As broad as the sea As hushed as the grave As hopeful as the dawn As soft as the south-wind As swift as lightning As sudden as thought As clear as cloudless noon As vague as a dream As dry as a reed As blue as violets As hard as a stone As invigorating as a sea-breeze As happy as a child As lithe as a panther As impatient as the wind Like wax to receive impressions Like steel to retain impressions Like one in a dream Like the sea at rest It clings like a burr (Shakespeare) Valiant as a lion. Troilus and Cressida, I., 2 Churlish as the bear. Troilus and Cressida, I., 2 Slow as the elephant. Troilus and Cressida, I., 2 His nose was as sharp as a pen. King Henry V., II., 3 As dead as a door-nail. King Henry VI., IV., 10 The inaudible and noiseless foot of time. All’s Well that Ends Well, V., 3 As loathsome as a toad. Titus Andronicus, IV., 2 Black as ebony. Love’s Labor’s Lost, IV., 3 As like as eggs. The Winter’s Tale, I., 2 As broad and general as the casing air. Macbeth, III., 4 Constant as the northern star. Julius CÆsar, III., 1 Swift as a shadow. A Midsummer-Night’s Dream, I., 1 As pure as the unsullied lily. Love’s Labor’s Lost, V., 2 Mine as sure as bark on tree. Love’s Labor’s Lost, V., 2 The lazy foot of time. As You Like It, III., 2 Life is a shuttle. The Merry Wives of Windsor, V., 1 The murmuring lips of discontent. King John, IV., 2 Her sunny locks hang on her temples like a golden fleece. The Merchant of Venice, I., 1 The tooth of time. Measure for Measure, V., 1 As fat as butter. I. King Henry IV., II., 4 As like you as cherry is to cherry. King Henry VIII., V., 1 As like as rain to water. King John, II., 1 Short as any dream. A Midsummer-Night’s Dream, I., 1 Like an envious sneaping frost that bites the first-born infants of the spring. Love’s Labor’s Lost, I., 1 SORROW Bitterness Grief Burdens pressing down upon head and heart A feeble lonely soul Heart longings A picture of despair A life of struggle, grief, and pain With inexpressible longings A struggling heart The appalling darkness of Gethsemane The lonely way of isolation On a beach of wrecks He walked with bleeding feet the flinty path A figure of woe fit to melt the most obdurate heart The struggling myriads of the poor The noble army of martyrs Like a sad and poignant refrain The roots of bitterness Ill tidings A heavy heart The hour of misfortune Passing through the school of affliction It is a tale for tears At the mercy of the merciless Sorely in need of consolation SQUELCHED Silenced Discomfited Paid back in his own coin Suffering the inevitable consequences of his own disagreeableness Received a sharp quietus He was compelled to take a back seat Stick to your own knitting STRAIGHTFORWARD Candid Frank It was open and aboveboard A candor which disarms criticism There was no pretense about it Perfectly frank and straightforward An unequivocal rejoinder Straight out from the shoulder The message was explicit and unequivocal With absolute frankness With no inclination to blink facts He does not seek to belittle the fact that—— Straightforward integrity A frank, whole-hearted recognition of——
STUBBORN Impervious Obstinate Impervious to argument He is not the least bit clever He was perversely slow to—— He is too stupid to make a blunder As impassive as a statue He is inflexible to all entreaty He has been inexorable to all invitations The victim of his own prejudices The dupe of his own stupidity Empty of the kernel of good sense He made a plump refusal It is like trying to use a large screw-driver to turn a small screw Altogether obtuse Not a grain of novelty in it The zealous stupidity of amateurs Prodigiously stupid He is as stubborn as hickory He turned a deaf ear to—— SUCCESS Victory Realization My most sanguine hopes have been realized But still we got on He has the rare combination of audacity and calculation which assures success No inconsiderable victory It has proved a distinct success Nothing venture nothing have A very auspicious beginning A project likely to be realized I have a reasonable confidence in the success of the—— The indispensable foundation of successful work We must capture the innermost citadel His star is in the ascendant It is a great day for—— Not because of the tactics used but in spite of them It ought to prove a solar plexus blow It is a great achievement It is a hard won triumph No inconsiderable victory It was a triumph of sheer grit The sinews of victory The opposition disappeared under the fierce fires of—— A victory which shall achieve the high purpose which we have held Attained only by those who intently seek it SUFFICIENT Ample Plenty A land flowing with milk and honey Like a spring whose waters cannot fail Of a not inconsiderable degree With ample room All that heart could wish A superabundance of—— SUGGESTION Tip Hint A word to the wise is sufficient Let me put you on your guard Let me make a suggestion Let me put a bee in your bonnet A suggestion, perhaps, may be ventured that—— SUGGESTIVE Inspirational Helpful An everlasting foundation. Prov. X., 25 More precious than of gold that perisheth. I Pet. I., 7 The power of the grave. Hosea XIII., 14 The people of God. Heb. XI., 25 An ornament of grace. Prov. I., 9 The peaceable fruit of righteousness. Heb. XII., 11 The righteousness of the law. Rom. VIII., 4 The law of sin and death. Rom. VIII., 2 The light of life. John VIII., 12 Good tidings of good. Isa. LII., 7 The tongue of the wise. Prov. XV., 2 The Prince of peace. Isa. IX., 6 The counsellors of peace. Prov. XII., 20 The firstfruits of all thine increase. Prov. III., 9 A goodly heritage. Ps. XVI., 6 The good fight of faith. I Tim. VI., 12 The paths of the Lord. Ps. XXV., 10 The secret of the Lord. Ps. XXV., 14 The courts of our God. Ps. XCII., 13 A diadem of beauty. Isa. XXVIII., 5 Before the foundation of the world. Eph. I., 4 Everlasting habitations. Luke XVI., 9 A faithful creator. I Pet. IV., 19 Lord thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Ps. XC., 1 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea. Ps. LXXII., 8 The eternal God is thy refuge. Deut. XXXIII., 27 God is the strength of my heart. Ps. LXXIII., 26 The joy of the Lord is your strength. Neh. VIII., 10 A crown of glory that fadeth not away. I Pet. V., 4 Unsearchable riches. Eph. III., 8 A crown of righteousness. II Tim. IV., 8 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. II Tim. III., 7 Let thy words be few. Eccl. V., 2 There is no discharge in that war. Eccl. VIII., 8 A living dog is better than a dead lion. Eccl. IX., 4 Wizards that peep, and that mutter. Isa. VIII., 19 He smelleth the battle afar off. Job XXXIX., 25 While I was musing the fire burned. Ps. XXXIX., 3 In the valley of decision. Joel III., 14 For who hath despised the day of small things. Zech. IV., 10 To the law and to the testimony. Isa. VIII., 20 A covenant with death. Isa. XXVIII., 15 Absent in body, but present in spirit. I Cor., V., 3 Fallen from grace. Gal. V., 4 The refuge of lies. Isa. XXVIII., 17 Line upon line. Isa. XXVIII., 13 Carried about with every wind of doctrine. Eph. IV., 14 Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. Rom. XIV., 5 Great plainness of speech. II Cor. III., 12 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. I Thess. V., 21 A book of remembrance. Mal. III., 16 The law of kindness. Prov. XXXI., 26 A mother in Israel. II Sam. XX., 19 The land of the living. Ps. CXVI., 9 I am escaped with the skin of my teeth. Job XIX., 20 A still small voice. I Kings XIX., 12 His eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated. Deut. XXXIV., 7 Let me die the death of the righteous. Num. XXIII., 10 A soft answer turneth away wrath. Prov. XV., 1 Not of the night, nor of darkness. I Thess. V., 5 An understanding heart. I Kings III., 9 Hide me under the shadow of thy wings. Ps. XVII., 8 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in baskets of silver. Prov. XXV., 11 Establish thou the works of our hands. Ps. XC., 17 Whose I am, and whom I serve. Acts XXVII., 23 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation. I Tim. I., 15 Her children arise up, and call her blessed. Prov. XXXI., 28 Their folly shall be manifest to all men. II Tim. III., 9 Lest I should be exalted above measure. II Cor. XII., 7 They have sold a girl for wine. Joel III., 3 In your patience possess ye your souls. Luke XXI., 19 Eyes full of adultery. II Pet. II., 14 Every idle word that men shall speak. Matt. XII., 36 My speech shall distill as the dew. Deut. XXXII., 2 A strong consolation. Heb. VI., 18 Great treasure and trouble therewith. Prov. XV., 16 A lover of hospitality. Titus I., 8 A wholesome tongue. Prov. XV., 4 Not greedy of filthy lucre. I Tim., III., 3 A cheerful giver. II Cor. IX., 7 The children of light. I Thess. V., 5 Speaking the truth in love. Eph. IV., 15 The sword of the spirit. Eph. VI., 17 The tree of life. Prov. III., 18 The wings of the wind. Ps. XVIII., 10 A crown of life. Rev. II., 10 Not weary in well doing. Gal. VI., 9 Invisible things. Rom. I., 20 Slow to wrath. Jas. I., 19 An everlasting sign. Isa. LV., 13 The hidden things of dishonesty. II Cor. IV., 2 A thorn in the flesh. II Cor. XII., 7 A cloud of witnesses. Heb. XII., 1 The day is far spent. Luke XXIV., 29 As one having authority. Matt. VII., 29 Borne the burden and heat of the day. Matt. XX., 12 A word spoken in due season. Prov. XV., 23 Mighty in word and deed. Luke XXIV., 19 Not grudgingly or of necessity. II Cor. IX., 7 Faithful unto death. Rev. II., 10 Incorruptible and undefiled. I Pet. I., 4 The mind of Christ. I Cor. II., 16 I obtained mercy. I Tim. I., 13 The words of truth and soberness. Acts XXVI., 25 This is the finger of God. Ex. VIII., 19 By the law is the knowledge of sin. Rom. III., 20 Things that accompany salvation. Heb. VI., 9 If a man die shall he live again? Job XIV., 14 Watchman, what of the night? Isa. XXI., 11 In the furnace of affliction. Isa. XLVIII., 10 Owe no man anything, but to love one another. Rom. XIII., 8 A wounded spirit who can bear. Prov. XVIII., 14 Riches certainly make themselves wings. Prov. XXIII., 5 A man to have friends must shew himself friendly. Prov. XVIII., 24 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing. Prov. XVIII., 22 It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts XX., 35 Perfect love casteth out fear. I John IV., 18 A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches. Prov. XXII., 1 The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. Mk. XIV., 38 Comfort one another with these words. I Thess. IV., 18 Of whom the world was not worthy. Heb. XI., 38
SUPERLATIVE In an unrivaled degree On a grand scale Of profound significance Beyond expression On a world scale In a rare degree Of rarest beauty In a notable way In a conspicuous degree On a grandiose scale The weightiest factors in the whole matter is-- The supremest moments of life Of the finest sort The acme of-- SURE Certain Positive Demonstrated beyond all possibility of contradiction As sure as God is sifting out the chaff With mathematical certainty That is one incontrovertible fact In an unmistakable way One conclusion is inescapable An absolutely logical sequence of events There is no wink of doubt about that-- By proof positive To make assurance doubly sure With unerring instinct It leads to the inevitable conclusion that-- No doubt is possible that-- It is inevitable that-- Made us sure beyond a peradventure Few events are better attested than-- They know to a dead certainty that-- It is safe to infer that-- Almost invariably Unmistakable evidence Conclusive evidence Well-authenticated testimony The conclusion cannot be escaped that-- A foregone conclusion. Othello, III., 3 I speak from certainties. Coriolanus, I., 2 Indisputably right There is no gainsaying the fact that—— As certain as the multiplication table We can rest absolutely assured that—— Beyond all dispute The sure mark of a—— With entire certainty It has the ring of finality in it SUSPICION Mistrust Jealousy A lurking suspicion all the while that—— A chronic distrust An uncertain sense of something hidden Timid misgivings In such a way as to raise a mild suspicion that—— Inclined to be suspicious Not the most distant suspicion of—— Tortured by suspicion A suspicion born of the fact that—— I cannot help suspecting that—— I smell a device. Twelfth Night, II., 3 The insinuation has a foundation in fact It is the fashion of unthinking persons to—— SYMBOLIC Emblematic Typical Emblematic of the fact that—— The appearance for the thing The form for the substance The law for the essence The sign for the thing signified Of a figurative import TACTLESS Witless Foolish The knack of setting everything and everybody by the ears There is need of a lady’s hand It was not placatory but rather exasperating Wholly indifferent to expediency The intention was good but the method was wrong Foolhardy He is impossible He is going over fool’s hill and is only part way over TERSE Pithy Succinct Knightly generosity Charming surprises Instinctive delights Surpassing merits Joyously happy Laudable purposes Beautifully clean Neatly arranged Social amenities Amiable qualities Grandly simple Peculiarly becoming Remarkably pretty Well disposed Capital sport Gracious thoughts Refined perceptions Filial reverence Grateful acknowledgments Pleasant trivialities Genuine joy Most effective Richly suggestive Nicely married Graphic descriptions Due consideration Well bred Kind designs Mutual burdens Pure delight Rich scholarship Loyal attachment Scrupulous veracity Invincible logic Well connected High principles Plausible reasons Genteel society Amicable relations Noble words Distinctive gifts High intelligence Moral dignity Boon companions Tender sensibilities Substantial benefits Conspicuous examples Highly creditable Unquestioning faith Mutual fidelity Fine qualities Implicit confidence Ample opportunity Deep-rooted convictions Homely simplicity Altered circumstances Atrociously bad Serious complications Sound economics Splendid enterprise Spiritual penetration Ready response Colossal undertakings Delicate negotiations Far-reaching policies Sorry specimens Dismal reminiscences Rigidly orthodox Cold facts Artistic fineness False sentimentality True satisfaction Aptly designated Long confabulations Absolutely inconclusive Signally conspicuous Amiable accomplishments Nice distinctions THANKS Gratitude Acknowledgment In great recognition of—— Overflowing with gratitude The will is taken for the deed I am immensely indebted to you I am under many obligations to you It is very nice of you to—— I am grateful for your good opinion I feel very grateful to you for your kindness It was a memorable ride I am deeply indebted to you A debt of gratitude Not the least of our mercies What a blessing it is to be quit of—— I am not unmindful of—— I hope to return the compliment TROUBLE Trial Adversity A bad time of it I have had some very trying days In the full clutch of circumstance As ill-luck would have it, I—— Tried in the crucible of sacrifice and suffering It is a tragedy rather than an epic In these turbulent days An adverse wind blowing from an unexpected quarter I have had an affecting business on my hands A child of hard circumstances Sorely vexed by—— I am in a very pretty pickle I would gladly see an end to bickering Swept with the besom of destruction A troubled and precarious existence Hard hit A fact of great and sinister import Bad news has wings He must tread the wine-press alone An ill-advised and unfortunate attempt to stir up strife His heart as heavy as lead A fountain of trouble A series of heart-burnings Turbulent times The hour of misfortune Acquainted with the painful problems of life Painful vicissitudes Tasting the bitterness of life UNAWARE Unconsciously Thoughtlessly All the while I was living in blissful ignorance of—— I was sweetly oblivious to the fact that—— In happy ignorance Crass ignorance He has plainly a lot to learn about—— The idea never occurred to them so far as any evidence goes to show A model of blameless mediocrity There is a dearth of knowledge about—— One half the world knows not how the other half lives UNITY Concord Harmony It will not do to further exalt our differences All indissolubly linked together A unity of effort Too many cooks spoil the broth He that hunts two hares will catch neither Everybody’s business is nobody’s business A long pull, a strong pull, and a pull all together One and inseparable Without the slightest friction Pretty well in line with accustomed principles Knit up with it In perfect accordance with—— A happy blending of—— It is perfectly compatible with—— It is not until one has entered sympathetically into the conception of—— The result was a harmonious whole We get on charmingly together Into the scheme of things Harmonious adjustment UNSATISFACTORY Unreliable Undesirable He fixed his faith on an idol with feet of clay A weak reed to lean upon Of a less desirable kind He does not cut a very good figure It does but scant justice to—— I cannot settle my spirits to it Not altogether prepossessing There is an element of danger in it It was sown in weakness Efforts which were mere flashes in the pan Wide of the mark A sign of pusillanimity and cowardice Not content with—— Who shall decide when doctors disagree The inadequacy of certain features of the—— A crude business A certain coarseness of fiber Out of kilter It did not have the desired effect A plea to throw into the discard every sacrifice A case in which back-stairs gossip figures as sober truth It will not pass muster It has many shortcomings The argument is not so convincing to the modern mind Notoriously unreliable Utterly ineffective No more backbone than a jellyfish With very unpleasant consequences Yielding to a passing impulse He is persona non grata with—— VAGUE Hazy Ambiguous Extremely vague Not apparent at first sight In a shadowy form A hazy sea of memories He left us quite uncertain as to his meaning His meaning was at low visibility A very vague and perfectly unconvincing answer Words whose ambiguity have been used to throw doubt upon—— VALUE Worth Excellence The salt of the earth It has become a precious memory An important adjunct Indispensable qualities Lasting acquisitions Of inestimable value Intrinsic worth Ill blows the wind that profits nobody. III. King Henry VI., II., 5 Of exceptional value In every way calculated to insure the—— Decidedly worth while Of high quality Of unique and abiding value A possession of transcendent value Not measured by figures Of the very first magnitude Every man thinks his own copper gold Whatever comes to his mill is grist He is rich beyond all telling who—— It will be no inconsiderable acquisition to—— Of transcendent value Than whom there could be no better A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush He who prizes little things is worthy of great ones Would you know what money is? Go borrow some A thing too much seen is little prized As valuable as a Brazilian diamond It is supremely worth while A mine of wealth in itself Of unusual value Not to be underestimated A tremendous asset With sterling qualities He is a man of solid acquirements The most precious of all blessings It merits serious attention Of exceptional qualifications Of no common sort Appraised highly A superior brand of—— VALUELESS Useless Inconsequential It cumbers the ground Of no particular moment Reduced to a nullity What is of no use is too dear as a gift Ammunition which does not explode It serves no useful purpose It vanished into thin air Cheap and tawdry Arid and unfruitful An inconsequential detail Of only relative and temporary worth My day has been horribly dispersive A mere dilettante Utterly repudiated A matter of secondary moment Of small consequence That proves next to nothing Like a cipher It is a matter of small consequence. King Richard II., V., 2 A trifle, some eight-penny matter. I. King Henry IV., III., 3 A deal of skimble-skamble stuff. I. King Henry IV., III., 1 It is idle to speculate on the outcome of—— It vanished like snow falling in the river Unworthy of consideration A dead issue It matters not It is immaterial A seemingly inconsiderable circumstance It is quite superfluous to—— Of no particular moment It is idle to ask whether—— Of distinctly subordinate worth Shrunk into insignificance A petty matter of detail Quite needless Among the outworn things VERIFICATION Assurance Authentication Verified by all human experience A fact obvious to any student of history We have every assurance that—— We can disabuse our minds of the—— I would make assurance doubly sure It may be safely asserted that—— Surely there can be no reasonable doubt that—— We can all be more patient in the assurance that—— The best possible testimony to the soundness of the method is that—— We are always ready to give an answer for the faith that is in us There will not be the smallest impropriety in it Men want to know beyond a doubt or cavil that—— It must be accompanied by irrevocable guarantees From highly responsible sources assurances are given that—— We gave him every possible assurance Make yourself perfectly easy about—— Pawn to me this your honor. Timon of Athens, I., 1 VEXATION Impatience Exasperation A fit of nervous exasperation Evidences of a reckless temper An unpleasant passage of words Impatient of delay Exasperated beyond expression Much piqued Acting with the petulance of a child Irritably self-conscious Angry at the most minute provocation Driven into nervous prostration Thin-skinned in the presence of annoyances Enough to imperil the habit of studied moderation of statement The most exasperating of all nuisances I was in the worst possible temper with—— Irritability that has some justification I never before have known anything so provoking He used most vigorous terms in referring to—— She hides all her vexation in her bosom An error of the most exasperating sort He is easily irritated With the most astonishing perverseness A weight of nerves without a mind A few hot and bitter words In utter exasperation Petulant resentment Sorely tired A sore trial to his temper It frets my soul to see—— A silly bit of petulance A sulphurous state of mind Exposed to petty tribulations Exceedingly tantalizing A suggestion of nervous tears Very disconcerting How uncomfortable is such an apprehension of——
VIRILE Clean-cut Expressive Ugly weather A great mercy The mildewed hand of famine The loss of prestige The famine of the heart The terrors of uncertainty A glory divine A tinge of irony Squirming over it Atrophy of will-power An ox-like stolidity Back to prodigal ways A lesson in moderation Business capacity Straining at the leash of—— Very acutely said A coign of vantage The horror of sin A flattering tale No waster of words In the very pits of tragic life The germinal ideal The strategic opportunity The dew of youth The passion of hate A law unto itself The sequence of events In a state of siege A narcotic to the mind A realizable aim WARNING Alarming Awakening Wise in their own eyes. Isa. V., 21 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper. Isa. LIV., 17 The way that leadeth to destruction. Matt. VII., 13 Punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord. II Thess. I., 9 The last state of that man is worse than the first. Luke XI., 26 The wages of sin is death. Rom. VI., 23 Outer darkness. Matt. VIII., 12 Be sure your sin will find you out. Num. XXXII., 23 The unfruitful works of darkness. Eph. V., 11 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. II Cor. XIII., 8 Past feeling. Eph. IV., 19 Admonish him as a brother. II Thess. III., 15 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire. Jude 23 Eternal judgment. Heb. VI., 2 That ye may consume it upon your lusts. Jas. IV., 3 A great gulf fixed. Luke XVI., 26 In the bond of iniquity. Acts VIII., 23 Whited sepulchres. Matt. XXIII., 27 When I begin, I will also make an end. I Sam. III., 12 The lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. I John II., 16 The tents of wickedness. Ps. LXXXIV., 10 Abomination to the Lord. Prov. XI., 20 Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Gal. VI., 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Isa. LV., 7 His enemies shall lick the dust. Ps. LXXII., 9 The way of transgressors is hard. Prov. XIII., 15 Fools make a mock at sin. Prov. XIV., 9 By thy wrath are we troubled. Ps. XC., 7 At their wit’s end. Ps. CVII., 27 A perpetual reproach. Ps. LXXVIII., 66 Blind guides which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Matt. XXIII., 24 He that hath ears to hear let him hear. Luke XIV., 35 Yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished. Jer. XLVI., 28 The wicked are like the troubled sea. Isa. LVII., 20 The axe is laid unto the root of the tree. Luke III., 9 Lewd fellows of the baser sort. Acts XVII., 5 They have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. Hosea VIII., 7 Worse than an infidel. I Tim. V., 8 A man of unclean lips. Isa. VI., 5 As he thinketh in his heart so is he. Prov. XXIII., 7 Terrible as an army with banners. Solomon’s Song VI., 4 WEALTHY Opulent Rich Financially quite at ease He has ample means He is well supplied with worldly goods He has no straitened income He has a bottomless purse Able to liquidate all just debts He is rich enough who owes nothing WHOLLY Completely Entirely From the cradle to the grave From first to last From alpha to omega Until the last gun is fired From the beginning to the end of time WILLFUL Selfish Mercenary Intent upon amassing things for himself For the self-aggrandizement of—— Impatient of any advice An entire lack of reverence for authority In spite of remonstrances he—— Intoxicated with pride A heart buried in the task of money-getting WISE Able Sound He passes everything through the alembic of his own mind He is a man of his own mind He is a formidable man with ideas He grasps the subject in all its bearings His calculations are sound He makes singularly few false steps He is far too astute for that A man of thoroughly democratic sympathies It is one of his wise and cardinal rules that—— He is eminently sane He is a man of rare sagacity Justified by common sense With some sense of the fitness of things Full of sterling sense He has an eye for essentials We can show the rationale of—— WORSHIPFUL Devotional Prayerful We bless thee for all uplifting ministries Unite us all by the bonds of tender sympathy Thou hast done great things for us, whereof we are glad In thy great love do thou nourish the hearts that are given over to sore trial With thine own gentle hand dry the tears of sorrow Heal with balm from heaven the wounded spirit Our days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle Thou only hast the keys of all power Send sweet messages of hope and love to all for whom we ought to pray Pity those who have no pity on themselves Out of the fullness of thy grace send us answers that shall make us glad Raise again every buried hope Give life again to all our noblest ambitions Behold what manner of love thou hast bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God Thou art able to do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think Be thou with our dear ones——building up their homes and blessing their firesides Unite us in the indissoluble fellowship of sympathy with the heart of Christ Do thou speak comfortably to anxious hearts Our days are a continuance of thy favor We are living to praise thee Inspire every soul with unusual gladness Comfort those that mourn, may they be richer for their tears Grant unto us the tender solaces of thy gospel, the sweet comfort of thy grace We would make mention of thy loving kindness Until we take our place in the city whose hills are light Enable us to meet with gentleness and forbearance any opposition to our wishes And when we shall have fulfilled thy purposes concerning us on earth may we be received into the everlasting mansions revealed to us through Jesus Christ our Lord Fortify us by thy spirit against the temptations that await us May the sweet influences of the Gospel gladden and redeem many hearts Rule thou in our hearts Fill us with holy thoughts and noble desires May we be warned of sin and its dreadful consequences We thank thee for the rich promises and precious hopes of the Gospel of thy Son We would breathe into thine ear our gratitude for mercies so free May our hearts glow with a renewed sense of thy love (Fulfill in us Thy gracious promises) Help us to cherish the heavenly disposition of Jesus Christ our Lord Scatter the darkness from our minds by the beam of thy heavenly truth Teach us how to attain that holiness which will make us holy like thee Clothe us with all social and domestic graces Help us to discharge our debt to the world Daily we would supplicate thy mercy and protection Make our duties plain before us May we be inflexible in every good purpose Unseal our spiritual vision We pray for those who are languishing on beds of sickness and have wearisome days and nights assigned them We are sorry that we are so fondly attached to the things that perish Encompass our minds this day with thoughts of heaven Wilt thou take us unto thy keeping this day Pity our frailties Inspire us with an abiding gratitude In the defenseless hours of sleep thou hast preserved us With the light of another morning we would lift our hearts to thee in grateful acknowledgment of thy goodness Suffer not our ears to become dull to the cry of misery May no day pass without thy blessing May our hearts be open to the glad tidings Keep us from distrustful thoughts Give us a cheerful and unfailing confidence that Thou art at the heart of affairs May our trials be borne with Christian meekness May our difficulties work out for us some spiritual good Encourage us in every right endeavor May the thought that thou seest us check every wrong motive and evil impulse Give us calmness and self-control under every disappointment and provocation Fill our hearts with thy rich grace Soften our sorrows Grant us thy reviving grace Fill us with thy perfect love Cheer saddened hearts In our spirits sweetly move Sanctify our deep distress ZEALOUS Eager Ardent Zealous of good works. Titus II., 14 Labor of love. I Thess. I., 3 Rich in good works. I Tim. VI., 18 Fellow helpers to the truth. III John, 8 Doing the will of God from the heart. Eph. VI., 6 That with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. I Pet. II., 15 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come. I Tim. VI., 19 The laborer is worthy of his hire. Luke X., 7 A pattern of good works. Titus II., 7 We are laborers together with God. I Cor. III., 9 I will very gladly spend and be spent for you. II Cor. XII., 15 Let all things be done decently and in order. I Cor. XIV., 40 The sleep of a laboring man is sweet. Eccl. V., 12 Their nobles put not their necks to the work. Neh. III., 5
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