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Putnam’s Phrase Book

An Aid to Social Letter Writing and to Ready and Effective Conversation, with Over 100 Model Social Letters and 6000 of the World’s Best English Phrases

Compiled and Arranged by

Edwin Hamlin Carr

G. P. Putnam’s Sons

New York and London

The Knickerbocker Press

1921

Copyright, 1919

BY

EDWIN HAMLIN CARR

The Knickerbocker Press Logo

Printed in the United States of America

FOREWORD

Since we talk in phrases as well as in words every home needs a phrase book as well as a dictionary.

This book has been prepared to meet that need, and contains a dictionary of six thousand choice phrases arranged synonymously for general use; many polite expressions, phrases of charm and courtesy, for use in letter writing; one hundred sample social letters, including instruction concerning the method of their preparation by the use of the dictionary of phrases; a guide to choice phrases for social letter writing; and finally, a handy index, very helpful, even though the phrases have been arranged in dictionary form.

I have made an effort to emphasize phrases of commendation, optimism, and courtesy. Also many for use in letter writing——especially phrases suitable for letters of condolence. There is perhaps no more difficult letter to write than one of condolence, hence a considerable number under this designation in order to assist in this necessary and yet most blessed task.

The primary purpose of this book is that it may serve as a synonymous phrase dictionary, yet I have so planned it that it can also be used as a social letter writer. The dictionary of phrases is to be used in letter writing in connection with the sample letters. In case the sample letters are not desirable, the instructions and guide, upon pp. 275-81 will show how to use the book when one desires to write his own social letters.

Some of the social letters were written by using the phrases in the dictionary section of the book; others were suggested by the perusal of the same.

The very fact that one keeps his eyes open for new expressions tends to make him more careful of his own phraseology, and to encourage the constant improvement of his own style either by the addition of old phrases, new to him, or by the coining of new ones.

Whenever and wherever I have found in any volume, magazine, newspaper, or in conversation, a usable phrase I have made note of it. This method has given me the material for the book. As far as possible I have endeavored to collect phrases which are the common speech of all, phrases which are not quotations, and are the property of all.

I am very greatly indebted to all I have heard and read, especially to the standard authors.

I have included and located a goodly number of phrases from Shakespeare and the Bible.

E. H. C.

CONTENTS

| PAGE
I.—A Dictionary of Six Thousand Expressions and General Phrases for Use in Conversation, Social Letter Writing, and Public Speaking | 1
II.—A Sample Letter Showing how this Book may be Used in Preparation of Social Letters | 275
III.—A Guide to Phrases for Use in Preparing One’s Own Letters if the Sample Letters are not Satisfactory | 279
IV.—One Hundred Social Letters | 283
Of Condolence | 285
Of Congratulation | 298
Of Friendly Appreciation | 300
With Gifts | 301
Of Introduction | 301
Of Invitation | 302
Of Recommendation | 304
Of Resignation | 305
Of Thanks | 306
Replies | 308
V.—Index | 313

I

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

Tenderness Solicitude

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

Aversion Repugnance

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

Premature Rash

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 cœlum 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

Crux Gist

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

Supreme Highest

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

II

A SAMPLE LETTER SHOWING HOW THIS BOOK MAY BE USED IN PREPARATION OF SOCIAL LETTERS

HOW TO PREPARE A SOCIAL LETTER

For example, if one desires to write a letter of Condolence, let him turn to the GUIDE TO PHRASES, p. 279, and to the subheading “FOR LETTERS OF CONDOLENCE.” Then, guided by the references, select in the DICTIONARY OF PHRASES, such expressions as are most desirable, weaving them into a letter as in the following sample:

My dear ————,

[a]I know your heart must be sorely grieved at the loss of your dear father. [b]His name was never mentioned by us without the most tender regard. [c]No one ever displayed a sweeter spirit than he. [d]Be assured of our cordial esteem and fervent prayers.

Very sincerely yours,

[a] This sentence is found under Condolence, p. 147.

[b] This sentence is found under Commendatory (Of Persons), p. 23.

[c] This sentence is found under Commendatory (Of Persons), p. 21.

[d] This sentence is found under Concluding Assurances of Letters of Condolence, p. 162.

III

GUIDE TO PHRASES

FOR USE IN PREPARING ONE’S OWN LETTERS IF THE SAMPLE LETTERS ARE NOT SATISFACTORY

GUIDE TO PHRASES

For Letters of Apology

See Samples, p. 312

See Apology, pp. 6, 7, 40, 140, 141, 157

See Condone, pp. 34, 35

See Concluding Assurances, pp. 164-168

For Letters of Congratulation

See Samples, pp. 298-300

See Conventional, pp. 155, 156

See Compliment, pp. 29, 30

See Approbation, p. 8

See Deserving, pp. 62, 63

See Commendatory (Of Persons), pp. 19-24

See Concluding Assurances, pp. 164-168

For Letters of Condolence

See Samples, pp. 285-298

See Commendatory (Of Persons), pp. 19-24

See Condolence, pp. 141-155

See Concluding Assurances, pp. 161-168

See Courtesy, p. 41

For Letters of Commendation

See Samples, pp. 298-300

See Approbation, p. 8

See Commendatory (Of Persons), pp. 19-24

See Compliment, pp. 29, 30

See Courtesy, pp. 40-51

See Deserving, pp. 62, 63

See Letters, pp. 155, 156

See Concluding Assurances, pp. 161-168

For Letters of Introduction

See Samples, pp. 301, 302

See Commendatory (Of Persons), pp. 19-24

See Concluding Assurances, pp. 161-168

For Letters of Invitation

See Samples, pp. 302, 303

See Conventional, p. 157

See Concluding Assurances, pp. 161-168

For Letters of Recommendation

See Samples, pp. 304, 305

See Appreciation, pp. 7, 8

See Commendatory (Of Persons), pp. 19-24

See Enthusiasm, p. 80

For Letters of Thanks

See Samples, pp. 306-312

See Complimentary, pp. 29, 30

See Concluding Assurances, pp. 161-168

See Conventional, pp. 46, 50, 51

See Letters, pp. 158, 159

See Thanks, p. 250

IV

SOCIAL LETTERS

Life is not so short but there is always time enough for courtesy.——Emerson.

LETTERS OF CONDOLENCE

My dear ————,

I received to-day the sad word that ———— had passed away. I know that your heart is sorely grieved, and I hasten to send to you this little word of assurance of our love and sympathy. Trusting that you will write as soon as you have the heart, for I am anxious to hear from you, I am,

With warmest regards,

My dear ————,

We were exceedingly sorry to learn of your bereavement. There are many whom we have “loved and lost awhile.” But God will take us into their goodly company some glad day. We unite in sending our sincere sympathy.

With warm regards,

My dear ————,

We were so grieved to read in the paper of your great loss. Would that we were not so far away from you, or else we would surely try to comfort you with our presence.

Mrs. ———— and I send our best love and sympathy.

Faithfully yours,

My dear ————,

We were very sorry to read of your bereavement in the loss of your ————. Our prayer is that you may find great consolation in the thought that some day, in God’s own good time, you shall see ———— again.

Sincerely yours,

My dear ————,

I was saddened to hear of your recent loss. I need not tell you how often I think of you. With a prayer for every blessing upon you and your family,

Sincerely your friend,

My dear ————,

I regret exceedingly to hear of your sorrow. Do not try to explain to yourself so trying an hour, but bring into requisition all the faith and courage you can muster, and with confidence face the seeming dismal days.

Lean hard upon your good friends,

One of whom is

My dear ————,

We have heard with deep feelings of regret of the death, of your ————, and we offer you our most sincere sympathy in your great loss.

Sincerely yours,

My dear ————,

Please accept condolences and sincere sympathy for the loss of my friend ————.

Your Friend,

My dear ————,

Mrs. ———— shares with me the great sorrow which so many feel on account of the death of your ————.

Sincerely yours,

My dear ————,

I am deeply grieved by the news of your bereavement, and beg you to accept the expression of my profound and heartfelt sympathy.

Sincerely yours,

My dear ————,

I am greatly grieved to hear of the death of ———— for whom I had the utmost regard. Please accept my deepest sympathy.

Sincerely yours,

My dear ————,

My heartfelt sympathy goes out to you in your bereavement.

Sincerely yours,

My dear ————,

We send our love and our tenderest sympathy.

Sincerely,

My dear ————,

We are greatly afflicted by the melancholy intelligence which has reached us that ———— is no more with us. He carried the riches of God within himself, and was a royal-hearted man. He was greatly beloved by all of us. With a prayer for every blessing on yourself,

Affectionately your friend,

My dear ————,

Permit me to express on behalf of ———— and myself our deepest sympathy. May you find very great comfort in the thought that there is a time coming when there shall be no more death, neither sorrow.

Faithfully yours,

My dear ————,

I know not how to express my sorrow at the word which I have just received. Your ———— was such a sweet uncomplaining spirit. We shall miss ———— when next we come to ————.

I should be glad if I could suggest anything to lighten the burden, and make your path a little more smooth and easy.

Sincerely your friend,

My dear ————,

I know that your heart must be sorely grieved at the loss of your splendid ————. ———— knew the secret of beautiful living. We can console ourselves with the assurance that we shall some day see our loved ones in the brighter happier world above.

Sincerely your friend,

My dear Friend,

It is with great regret that we learn of the sad occurrence at your home. Please accept our united and sincere condolences.

With deepest sympathy,

My dear ————,

Words are inadequate to express my feelings at this hour. Exceeding great sympathy,

My dear ————,

We were exceedingly sorry to read of the death of your good ————. I wish I could suggest something to make your paths a little more smooth and easy. Perhaps the words “He knoweth” will be of comfort.

We unite in sending our affectionate regards to all.

Most sincerely yours,

My dear ————,

Let me send a little word of encouragement and sympathy in this dark hour of your life. And perhaps the best word is that 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.” Mrs. ———— and I offer you our most sincere sympathy. Let us have the comfort of hearing from you soon.

Faithfully yours,

My dear ————,

No words can quite express my sympathy in this time of deep sorrow. As long as I shall remember anything I shall remember ———— virtues and ———— kindnesses.

Your Friend,

My dear ————,

I can imagine your heart must be sorely grieved in your recent loss. We beg you to accept our love and sympathy.

Sincerely your friend,

My dear ————,

May every consolation and blessing be granted to you in your deep sorrow. Kindly accept my heartfelt sympathy.

Sincerely yours,

My dear ————,

May I share with you the deep sorrow you are called upon to bear at the loss of your ————. So many beautiful traits made up ———— character. Be greatly comforted by the assurance which He gives to us that we shall see our Lord again, for He says: “Because I live, ye shall live also.”

Most sincerely yours,

My dear ————,

I hope I need not tell you how anxious I have been since I first heard of your great loss. You have my earnest prayers that the Almighty may support you.

Your Friend,

My dear ————,

I was grieved to hear of your recent sorrow. Please accept for yourself my assurance of deep sympathy.

Faithfully yours,

My dear ————,

How I regretted to hear of your late bereavement. Trusting that the dark cloud of sorrow will also have for you a bright side of hope, I am,

Your Friend,

My dear ————,

I took a nice little fancy to you in our dealings at ————, and hence, when I read this morning of the death of your ————, I was truly sorry. On the day that I talked last with him, I was much impressed with his vigor both of body and of mind. I would be glad to have had such a ————.

May you be greatly comforted by the affection and esteem in which ———— was held by ———— many friends.

With sincere regards,

My dear ————,

It was with the deepest regret that we learned of your loss. What a comfort it must be to you that you were able to be with him during his illness. Please accept my most sincere sympathy.

Sincerely yours,

My dear ————,

I have just received the sad news of your ———— death. Please accept my heartfelt sympathy in your bereavement.

Most sincerely,

My dear ————,

I sympathize keenly with you in the loss of your ————. May the Father of mercies give you the rich consolation of his grace. Do not fear for he knows what is in your heart.

Your Friend,

My dear ————,

Such a sad circumstance has come to you. I would that I might express my sympathy to you in person. In your hour of trial may God comfort you greatly.

Yours sincerely,

My dear ————,

We extend our heartfelt sympathy in your hour of trial.

Sincerely yours,

My dear ————,

Yours is indeed a deep sorrow. We were so shocked to learn of it to-day. We are sometimes called to sow in tears, but the promise is that we shall reap in joy. May every consolation and blessing be granted you is our prayer. Please accept our assurance of deep sympathy.

Sincerely yours,

My dear ————,

There are times when one cannot express himself in words. Kindly accept my sincerest sympathy.

Your Friend,

My dear ————,

How can I express my sympathy for you in the loss of your dear mother. When one loses her mother she feels she has lost her best friend, and can only wait for time to heal the heartache. With assurance of love,

Very sincerely yours,

My dear ————,

Our hearts sorrow with you. Your ———— was such an excellent ————. ———— had so many admiring friends. All the gentle virtues came into full bloom in ————.

We send our united and sincere condolences,

Most faithfully yours,

My dear ————,

I am sincerely sorry to hear of your loss. You, who have so often comforted others, are now to be comforted. And what better word can I send to you than that which Paul writes in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians: “Blessed be God, even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulations that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.”

We offer our sincere sympathy in your great sorrow.

Most faithfully yours,

(For Member of an Organization)

Resolved, That ———— records its profound respect for ———— and its sense of great loss through his death.

He set an example of service and self-sacrifice which is inspiring.

The ———— extend to ———— and to the members of his family their deepest sympathy and join with them in mourning the loss not only as a splendid member of our ———— but as a most excellent citizen.

Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be sent to his family.

(On Death of Soldier)

My dear ————,

May I express to you my sincere condolence in your hour of sorrow. I have just learned that your son gave his life, though not in battle, still in his and our Country’s cause. We are all proud of him, and I sincerely hope that you will find much comfort in the knowledge of the affection in which he is held.

With sincerest sympathy,

(When Interment is at Home)

My dear ————,

We have just been informed that your son’s body has been lovingly laid to rest at home. If ever we were proud of our soldier boys it is now. Every day their sacrifices are more precious to us as we dwell upon their likeness to the greatest of all sacrifices which God made for us through his Son.

May the God of all comfort, comfort you and yours is our prayer.

Sincerely yours,

(Interment of Soldier)

My dear ————,

I am thinking of you to-day in all your sorrow, yet knowing that you are comforted. Comforted by the assurance that your son died as a true soldier, giving his all at its best for you and for his country; comforted by the fact that you have him near you again, where you can go occasionally in sweet reverence and recall precious memories. Above all you must be comforted by the Redeemer’s resurrection promise that you shall see your dear son again.

Please accept my heartfelt sympathy.

Your Friend,

REPLY TO CONDOLATORY LETTER

My dear ————,

I am very grateful for your kind expression of sympathy. My heart is filled with gratitude when I think of my good friends.

Sincerely yours,

My dear ————,

Permit me to thank you in behalf of ———— for your courteous message of sympathy.

Sincerely yours,

My dear ————,

I thank you kindly for your consoling letter. Though I have waited some time to reply, its messages were none the less deeply appreciated.

Your Friend,

My dear ————,

Your kind letter was a great solace to me in my recent loss. One does not realize how much comfort is derived from such beautiful expressions of sympathy.

Sincerely,

My dear ————,

I am grateful to you for your kind expression of sympathy. Surely it has been an hour of great trial to me, but I have been sustained in it all by the grace of God, and loving-hearted friends.

Sincerely,

My dear ————,

Just this short note to tell you how much your sympathy was appreciated in our late bereavement.

Sincerely,

My dear ————,

I want to thank you very much for your sympathetic letter received in our great bereavement.

Sincerely,

My dear ————,

Your sympathy was so much appreciated in our late bereavement.

Very truly yours,

My dear ————,

I want to thank you for your expression of sympathy in our bereavement.

Sincerely,

LETTERS OF CONGRATULATION

(On Graduation)

My dear ————,

How happy I am to hear that you have so successfully terminated your High School course. You surely deserve the best the world can offer for you have earned it by hard conscientious study. Please accept my congratulations.

Sincerely yours,

My dear ————,

It was with the greatest pleasure I learned that you were to graduate this year. How much it must mean to you to finally hold in your hand the diploma for which you have labored so faithfully for four years. May I extend my hearty congratulations.

Yours sincerely,

My dear ————,

It is a great pleasure to me to know that you have finished your High School course. I have admired the way you have held to it to the finish. I hope I shall have opportunity also to write to you at the time of your graduation from college.

Sincerely yours,

(On Birthday)

My dear ————,

Congratulations on this the anniversary of your birth. I can wish you no better fortune than that your future years may be as happy and as useful as your past.

Wishing you continued health and prosperity,

I am, Sincerely yours,

(On Wedding Day Anniversary)

My dear ————,

May all your future be as bright as this your wedding day, with joys and blessings deep and many, with sorrows light and few.

Ever yours,

(On Birth of Child)

My dear ————,

Congratulations upon the birth of your son. With such intelligent and religious guidance as his parents will give him, I feel sure that he will grow up to noble manhood, and be a joy and a great blessing to all.

Very sincerely yours,

LETTERS OF FRIENDLY APPRECIATION

My dear ————,

I have just heard of your success in ————.

I have always had a great admiration for you and your work, and I am sending this little note to assure you of my regard, and to wish you still further successes.

Your Friend,

My dear ————,

It is with much pleasure that I learned to-day of your complete recovery from your recent illness.

I trust you will soon be able to take active part in the various societies in which you are interested. We would be glad to greet you soon again at ————

Sincerely yours,

LETTERS WITH GIFTS

My dear ————,

Please accept the enclosed tickets to ————. The program seems attractive and I trust you will enjoy it.

Yours sincerely,

My dear ————,

As a token of my high regard I am enclosing a ————. With best wishes for many happy returns of the day, I am,

Sincerely your friend,

LETTERS OF INTRODUCTION

My dear ————,

The bearer, ————, is a personal friend of mine. He is to spend a few days in ———— and I am anxious that he shall have some reliable information. Hence I am sending him to you. Any favors that you may show to him I will consider as to myself.

Sincerely your friend,

My dear ————,

This will introduce ————, a friend of mine who has just moved to your city. He has a position with the ————. Perhaps you can assist him with some information. I will consider it a favor, and I am sure he will be doubly grateful.

Yours respectfully,

My dear ————,

This letter will introduce ————, who is to spend his vacation in your neighborhood. If you can give him information concerning some of the places of interest I shall esteem it a great favor.

Sincerely yours,

My dear ————,

The bearer, ————, is a young acquaintance of mine who has determined to live in your city. He has good habits. If you will guide him concerning a place to board, and possibilities of work I will esteem it a great favor.

Sincerely yours,

LETTERS OF INVITATION

(To Party)

My dear ————,

I have the pleasure of entertaining ————, of ————, on ———— at 8 o’clock. Trusting to see you and ———— at that time.

Sincerely yours,

My dear ————,

On Tuesday next I am having a little party, too small almost to come under that head, and wish particularly to have you come. I will arrange an escort “to and fro” so if you have any preference let me know.

Cordially yours,

My dear ————,

I am giving a party on ———— evening and this is just a little note to say that you are invited “in particular.”

Sincerely yours,

My dear ————,

I am giving an informal party on ———— evening at ———— o’clock, to introduce my ————. Hoping you will be able to come, I am,

Most cordially yours,

My dear ————,

On ———— next I am giving a small party for my ————, ————, of ————, and should like very much to have you meet her. Hoping to see you then, I am,

Very sincerely yours,

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

Gentlemen,

The bearer, ————, is a young man of my acquaintance whose family I have known for some time. They are splendid people. This young man is ambitious and thoroughly trustworthy. I hope you can find a place for him.

Sincerely yours,

To Whom it may Concern, ————

This is to certify that the bearer, ————, is an acquaintance of mine, a man whom I esteem to be thoroughly reliable.

Dear Sir:

This is to certify that ———— has been in my employ for ————. He is a most willing and able worker, honest, steady and faithful. It was with regret that we were obliged to let him go from our employ. I feel very safe in highly recommending him to you.

Sincerely yours,

Dear Sir:

This is to recommend to you ————. I have been acquainted with ———— for ———— and have found ———— a true friend, and always worthy of a trust. ———— is a ———— of good family connections, a splendid conversationalist and will prove, I am sure, just the person to fill the position you have open.

Very respectfully,

Dear Sir:

The bearer, ————, is a young man of excellent habits, of fine family, and is highly respected in our community. I would recommend him.

Very respectfully,

To Whom it may Concern:

The bearer, ————, is an acquaintance of mine for ———— years. He is a young man of splendid habits. I would recommend him for any position suitable to his ability.

To Whom it may Concern:

I have known the bearer, ————, for ————. He is of fine family and has been one of our most respected young men.

I would heartily recommend him.

LETTERS OF RESIGNATION

————, Secretary.

My dear ————,

I regret that I shall be compelled to resign my position as ———— on account of ————. With sincere thanks to all for many kindnesses, and with best wishes to the ————, I am,

Yours respectfully,

————, Secretary.

My dear ————,

Please present herewith, my resignation to become effective ————.

Yours respectfully,

LETTERS OF THANKS

(For a favor)

My dear ————,

Please allow me to send my most thankful acknowledgments for the favor you have conferred upon me. I trust I may be able some time to do a service for you.

Sincerely yours,

(For a favor shown to another)

My dear ————,

You have exceedingly obliged me by so kindly entertaining and looking after my friend, ————, during her stay in your ————. I trust I may be able to find some way to fully repay you.

Truly yours,

My dear ————,

It was so splendid of you to assist my friend, ————. I would like to reciprocate, and trust that if you have occasion to need my services at any time, in behalf of any of your friends, you will not hesitate to call upon me.

Very sincerely,

(For gifts)

My dear ————,

No words can quite express my gratitude to you for the beautiful gift. I feel deeply indebted to you, and take this first opportunity to thank you.

Cordially,

My dear ————,

I am deeply indebted to you for your favor received to-day. It is a great pleasure to be remembered thus by one’s friends. I thank you gratefully for it.

Sincerely,

My dear ————,

How very good and kind you are to send me such a nice present. I will not write more but will wait until a better opportunity enables me to express my thanks.

Sincerely,

My dear ————,

Accept my hearty thanks for your dainty gift. It is greatly appreciated, and will ever be a reminder of your kindness and generosity.

Sincerely yours,

REPLIES

(For Another, for a Gift of Flowers)

My dear ————,

I am deeply indebted to you for your remembrance to my ————. She wants me to write and thank you for the beautiful flowers which you so kindly sent to her. She is much improved to-day. Please accept our warmest thanks.

Sincerely,

(For Birthday Gift)

My dear ————,

How fine it was of you to remember me on my birthday. Your gift will be to me a constant reminder of your kindness.

As ever,

My dear ————,

Please accept my warmest thanks for your kind thought of me on my birthday. Your gift has proven a source of great pleasure.

Cordially yours,

(For Christmas Gift)

My dear ————,

I will not attempt to express the satisfaction I felt when I received your splendid gift at Christmas time.

Sincerely,

My dear ————,

Few things could have pleased me more than your very lovely Christmas gift. I am most grateful to you for it.

Sincerely,

My dear ————,

I want to thank you very much for the fine Christmas gift. It is splendid to be remembered by one’s friends, for it is an expression of kindly regard, which, I assure you, is mutual.

Sincerely yours,

My dear ————,

Your gift received to-day meets with my deep appreciation, and I hasten to thank you, and to wish you the season’s joys.

Yours sincerely,

My dear ————,

Your Christmas gift received this morning. Its fitness and beauty speak your personality, and for that reason, as well as its usefulness, I shall treasure it most highly.

Gratefully yours,

(Thanks for Hospitality)

My dear ————,

Since returning home I have had in mind so often my splendid visit at your home. What a pleasure it was to meet your fine family. I trust you will be able to make us a visit in the near future.

Cordially yours,

My dear ————,

I know not how to express my grateful thanks for your generous hospitality. My visit was most delightful in every respect, and I feel deeply indebted to you.

Sincerely,

My dear ————,

I must express again my thanks for your hospitality. You so kindly entertained me and my hope is that I may reciprocate soon.

Sincerely,

My dear ————,

I am sending this short note as a silent messenger of my thanks to you. I had a most delightful visit at your home.

Cordially yours,

My dear ————,

May I ask you to accept for yourself and the members of your family my heartfelt gratitude for the many courtesies shown to us while we were your guests.

We brought home very pleasant memories of your hospitality and thoughtful attentions and await with pleasure a return visit from yourself and family. With kindest regards,

Very sincerely yours,

My dear ————,

Having arrived safely home, I hasten to send these lines to thank you very greatly for the many courtesies extended to me during my stay as your guest.

In every way I feel that you and your family left nothing undone to make my stay agreeable, comfortable, and interesting.

I am particularly pleased that I had the privilege of visiting ————, a treat that I had long wished for, and which you made possible.

Gratefully yours,

(Thanks for Recommendation)

My dear ————,

Because of your influence and kindly interest, I have secured the position with ———— and hasten to thank you for the excellent recommendation which you gave me and to assure you that I shall give diligence to my new work.

Respectfully yours,

(Regrets)

My dear ————,

I regret exceedingly that I failed to meet you as we had appointed. When I see you I will explain why I could not come. In the meantime consider me as ever,

Your Friend,

My dear ————,

Please pardon my not appearing at our proposed meeting, for I was unavoidably detained. I trust I shall not be put in such a plight again. I cannot quite explain, but send my sincere apologies.

Faithfully yours,

My dear ————,

I was exceedingly sorry to learn when I returned that you had called. Surely you will come again for I did not like to miss you.

Sincerely yours,

V

INDEX

INDEX

Ability, 73, 74

Able, 265, 276

Acclaimed, 109

Accountability, 217, 218

Accurate, 68, 69, 86, 87

Accusation, 115-119

Acknowledgment, 250

Active, 1

See Enthusiasm, 80, 81

See Haste, 106

Actual, 206

Admiration, 83, 84

See Gifted, 102, 103

Admonition, 2

See Cautious, 12, 13

See Dangerous, 53-55

See Warning, 261-264

Adroit, 120, 121

Adulate, 29, 30

Advance, 203

Advantageous, 223-225

Adversity, 250, 251

Advice, 2

Affection, 169, 170

Affirmation, 2, 3

See Deny, 57, 58

Affirmative Reply, 214

Agreement, 4

Aid, 4, 5

See Suggestion, 235

Aim, 204, 205

Alarming, 261-264

Alert, 1

Alive, 1

Ambiguous, 254

Ambition, 204, 205

Ample, 234, 235

Animadversion, 51-53

Answer, 214-217

Anticipatory, 88, 89

Anxiety, 5, 6

Apathy, 119

Apology, 6, 7

See Conventional, 40

See Courtesy, 46

See Letters of Apology, 140, 141, 312

Appeal, 82

Appreciative, 7, 8

See Commendatory, 19-28

Apprehension, 5, 6

Approbation, 8, 9

See Commendatory (Of Persons), 19-24

Appropriate, 95

Approval, 8, 9

Aptitude, 73, 74

Ardent, 270, 271

Arduous, 66, 67

Arraignment, 115-119

Assent, 4

Asseveration, 2, 3

Assistance, 4, 5

See Conventional, 40, 41

Assurance, 257, 258

Astonishing, 9

Attachment, 169, 170

Attestation, 85, 86

Attractive, 10

Audacious, 9, 10

See Conceited, 30, 31

Authentication, 257, 258

Aversion, 69, 70

Avowal, 2, 3

Awakening, 261-264

Basal, 99, 100

Beautiful, 10

See Commendatory (Of Things), 24-28

See Picturesque, 194, 195

Biased, 201, 202

Bible Phrases:

Condolence, 151-155

Enjoyment, 78-80

Hope, 109, 110

Redemption, 207-209

Suggestive, 235-243

Warning, 261-264

Zealous, 270

Birthday Congratulation, 299

Bitterness, 231, 232

Blameworthy, 217

Bliss, 130, 131

Bluff, 11

Blunder, 82, 83

Bluster, 11

Brag, 11

Brazen, 9, 10

Brotherly, 97

Calm, 12

Candid, 232

Capricious, 91, 92

Careful, 12, 13

Cautious, 12, 13

See Admonition, 2

See Dangerous, 53-55

See Warning, 261-264

Censure, 32-34

Certain, 244, 245

Changeable, 92, 93

Cheer, 181, 186

Cheerful, 103, 104

Choice, 88

Christmas Letters, 309

See Concluding Assurances, 169

Civility, 40-51

Clean-cut, 260, 261

Clear, 14, 15

Clergymen:

Arraignment, 115-119

Condolence, 41, 42, 141-155

Consecration, 36

Enjoyment, 78-80

Hope, 109-111

Joy, 130, 131

Kindness, 133, 134

Love, 169, 170

Manly, 170-173

Optimism, 181-186

Redemption, 207-209

Salvation, 221-223

Sorrow, 231

Suggestive, 235-243

Warning, 261-264

Worshipful, 266-270

Zealous, 270

Commendation (Shakespeare), 15-19

Commendatory (Of Persons), 19-24

See Appreciative, 7, 8

See Approbation, 8, 9

See Compliment, 29

See Deserving, 62, 63

See Gifted, 102, 103

Commendatory (Of Things), 24-28

Comment, 28, 29

See Affirmation, 2, 3

Compassion, 207-209

Complacency, 78-80

Completely, 264-265

Compliment, 29, 30

See Commendatory (Of Persons), 19-24

See Courtesy, 40, 51

Complimentary Response, 215

Compunction, 210, 211

Concealed, 225, 226

Conceited, 30, 31

See Audacious, 9, 10

See Independent, 114

Concern, 32

Concluding Assurances:

For Christmas Letters, 160, 161

For Condolatory Letters, 161-163

For New Year Letters, 163

For Social Letters (General), 164-168

Concord, 252, 253

Concurrence, 4

Condemn, 32-34

See Criticism, 51-53

See Dangerous, 53-55

See Deny, 57, 58

See Reprehensible, 217

Condolence:

See Letters of, 285-298

See Concluding Assurances, 161-163

See Conventional, 41, 42

See Phrases for Letters, 141-155

Condone, 34, 35

See Impartial, 112

See Kindness, 133, 134

Confirmation, 8, 9

Congratulation:

See Letters of, 298-300

See Phrases for Letters of, 155, 156

Congratulatory, 42

See Shakespeare, 46, 47

Conjecture, 203, 204

Consecration, 36

See Worshipful, 266-270

Considerate, 37

See Kindness, 133, 134

Contented, 37, 38

See Pleased, 195-198

Contingent, 201

Control, 70, 119, 120

Conventional:

Apology, 40

Assistance, 40

At Weddings, 41

Condolence, 41, 42

Congratulatory, 42

Greeting, 42, 43

On Leaving, 43

On Being Introduced, 43, 44

Parting, on Chance Meeting, 44

Request, 44

Request to Accompany Another and Response, 45

Response to Compliment, 45

Thanks, 46

Conventional (Shakespeare):

Apology, 46

Congratulatory, 46

Greeting, 47

Inquiry, 48

Parting, 48

Request, 49

Response, 50

Thanks, 50

Correct, 86, 87

Correspondence:

See Social Letters, 283-312

See Sample Letter, 275

See Guide to Phrases, 277-281

See Letters (General Phrases), 140-160

See Letters (Concluding Assurances), 160-166

See Letters (Final Assurances), 167-169

Corrupt, 86

Counsel, 2

Courage, 39, 40

See Determination, 64-66

See Patience, 187

Courtesy, 40-51

See Compliment, 29, 30

See Conventional, 40-46

See Conventional (Shakespeare), 46-50

See Reply, 214-217

See Social Letters, 283-312

Crave, 63, 64

Criticism, 51-53

Crux, 198

Culpable, 217

Cunning, 132, 133

Customary, 106

Cynical, 191-193

Damage, 169

Dangerous, 53-55

See Admonition, 2

See Cautious, 12, 13

See Warning, 261-264

Dark, 176, 177

Dawdling, 139

Deceit, 55

Dedication, 36

Defeat, 56

See Difficult, 66, 67

See Hindered, 108

See Opposition, 178-181

Defend, 56, 57

Defense, 6, 7

Delighted, 195-198

Democratic, 187-190

Denounce, 32-34

Deny, 57, 58

See Affirmation, 2, 3

Dependable, 58

Descriptive (Of Persons), 59-61

Descriptive (Of Things), 61, 62

Deserving, 62, 63

See Commendatory (Of Persons), 19-24

Desire, 63, 64

See Success, 233, 234

Determination, 64-66

See Firm, 93, 94

Development, 203

Devotion, 36

Devotional, 266-270

Dictionary of Phrases, 1-271

Difficult, 66, 67

See Hindered, 108

See Impossible, 114

See Opposition, 178-181

Diplomatic, 198-201

Disavow, 57, 58

Discernment, 67, 68

See Wise, 265, 266

Disclaim, 57, 58

Disclosing, 114, 115

Discomfited, 232

Discriminating, 68, 69

Disgust, 69, 70

See Reprehensible, 217

Disregard, 119

Dominate, 70

Double-minded, 84, 85

Doubt, 71, 72

Dull, 72, 73

See Stubborn, 233

Duplicity, 55

Eager, 270, 271

Effectual, 73

Efficacious, 73

Efficiency, 73, 74

Effort, 74, 75

See Determination, 64, 65

See Enthusiasm, 80, 81

See Passion, 186

Egotistic, 30, 31

Emblematic, 246

Emergency, 75

Emphasize, 76

Encomiums, 19-28

Encouragement, 109-111

End, 93

Endurance, 187

Energy, 80, 81

English, 76-78

Enjoyment, 78-80

See Pleased, 195-198

See Satisfactory, 223-225

Enthusiasm, 80, 81

See Active, 1

See Passion, 186

Entirely, 264, 265

Entreat, 82

Error, 82, 83

Essentially, 177, 178

Esteem, 83, 84

Evasive, 84, 85

See Reply (Tactful), 215, 216

Evidence, 85, 86

See Sure, 244, 245

Evidential, 114, 115

Evil, 86

Exact, 86, 87

Exaggerate, 87

See Bluff, 11

Exasperation, 258, 259

Excellence, 254-256

Excellent, 88

Exceptional, 88

See First, 94, 95

See Gifted, 102, 103

Excuse, 6, 7, 34, 35

Exigency, 75

Expectant, 88, 89

Experience, 89, 90

Expressive, 260, 261

Extraordinary, 102, 103

Failure, 90, 91

See Pessimistic, 191-193

Fanciful, 91, 92

See Vague, 254

See Fickle, 92, 93

Fascinating, 10, 121, 122

Favored, 97

Fervency, 186

Fervor, 80, 81

Fickle, 92, 93

See Fanciful, 91, 92

See Hesitant, 107, 108

Figures of Speech, Simile, 226-231

Final, 93

See Fundamental, 99, 100

Final Assurances:

Of Conventional Letters, 167

Of Letters to Friends, 167

Of Letters of Lovers, 167, 168

Of Letters to Relatives, 168

Firm, 93, 94

See Determination, 64-66

See Fundamental, 99-100

First, 94, 95

See Exceptional, 88

Fit, 95

Flatter, 29, 30

Flimsy, 95, 96

See Unsatisfactory, 253, 254

Flippant, 114

Foolish, 246, 247

Forbearance, 187

Forcible, 96, 97

See Important, 113

Foreign:

See Latin, 134-138

See French, 98, 99

Foremost, 94, 95

Forfeit, 190

Forgiveness, 207-209

Fortunate, 97

Foxy, 132, 133

Frank, 232

Fraternal, 97

See Kindness, 133, 134

Freedom, 202

French, 98, 99

Frustrate, 56

Fundamental, 99, 100

See Firm, 93, 94

Funny, 111, 112

Futile, 101

See Pessimistic, 191-193

Generous, 101, 102

Gentleness, 133, 134

Genuine, 206

Gifted, 102, 103

See Exceptional, 88

Gist, 198

Glad, 195-198

Gladness, 130, 131, 181-186

Gloomy, 191-193

Good-humored, 103, 104

Good-natured, 103, 104

Grace, 221-223

Graphic, 194, 195

Gratified, 37, 38

Gratitude, 250

Greeting:

See Conventional, 42, 43

See Shakespeare, 47

Grief, 231, 232

Grit, 64-66

Grouchy, 104, 105

See Vexation, 258, 259

Guess, 203, 204

Guide to Phrases for Social Letters, 277-281

Guile, 55

Gullible, 105, 106

See Stubborn, 233

Habitual, 106

Hampered, 108

Hard, 66, 67

Harmony, 252, 253

Haste, 106

See Active, 1

Hasty, 106, 107

Hazy, 254

Help, 4, 5

Helpful, 235-243

Hesitant, 107, 108

See Fickle, 92, 93

Hidden, 225, 226

Highest, 244

High-minded, 220, 221

Hindered, 108

See Defeat, 56

See Difficult, 66, 67

See Impossible, 114

See Opposition, 178-181

Hint, 235

Holiness, 221-223

Honored, 109

Hope, 109-111

Hopeful, 88, 89

Hopeless, 114

How to Prepare a Social Letter, 275

Humorous, 111, 112

Hurry, 106

Ignorant, 105, 106

Ill-success, 90, 91

Impartial, 112

See Condone, 34, 35

Impatience, 258, 259

Impecuniosity, 112

Impervious, 233

Important, 113

See Forcible, 96, 97

Impossible, 114

See Difficult, 66, 67

See Opposition, 178-181

Impracticable, 114

Impressible, 226

Impressions, 173, 174

Impressive, 121, 122

Incomplete, 186

Inconsequential, 256, 257

Indecisive, 107, 108

Independent, 114

See Conceited, 30, 31

Indicative, 114, 115

Indictment, 115-119

See Disgust, 69, 70

Indifference, 119

Indignation, 132

Influence, 119, 120

Ingenious, 120, 121

See Keen, 132, 133

Inquiry, 205, 206

See Shakespeare, 48

Inscrutable, 176, 177

Insight, 67, 68

Insistance, 76

Inspirational, 235-243

Interesting, 121, 122

Interrogation, 205, 206

Introduction, Letters of, 301, 302

Introduction (Of Speakers), 122, 123

Introductory Clauses (for General Conversation), 123-130

Invitation, Letters of, 302, 303

Involved, 112

Irritable, 104, 105

Issue, 218

Jealousy, 245, 246

Joy, 130, 131

See Optimism, 181-186

Judgment, 132

Just, 112

Justice, 132

Keen, 132, 133

See Ingenious, 120, 121

Kindness, 133, 134

See Consecrate, 37

See Fraternal, 97

See Love, 169, 170

Knowledge, 89, 90

Lackadaisical, 139

Language, 76-78

Last Resort, 93

Latin, 134-138

Latitude, 202

Lazy, 139

Legislative, 198-201

Letters (Concluding Assurances):

For Christmas Letters, 160, 161

For Letters of Condolence, 161-163

For General Letters, 164-166

For New Year Letters, 163

Letters (Final Assurances):

Conventional, 167

To Friends, 167

For Lovers, 167, 168

For Relatives, 168

Letters (General Phrases for):

Letters of Acceptance, 140

Letters of Apology, 140, 141

Letters of Condolence, 141-155

Letters of Congratulation, 155, 156

Letters of Introduction, 156

Letters of Invitation, 157

Letters of Regret, 157

Letters of Thanks, 158, 159

Letters with Gifts, 159, 160

Letters (Social):

Condolatory, 285-298

For the Family of a Member of an Organization, 295

General, 285-294

On the Death of a Soldier, 295, 296

Reply to, 296-298

Congratulatory:

On Birthday, 299

On Birth of Child, 300

On Graduation, 298, 299

Wedding Day Anniversary, 299

Friendly Appreciation, 300

Introduction, 301, 302

Invitation:

To a Party, 302, 303

Of Regret, 312

Recommendation, 304, 305

Resignation, 305, 306

Thanks:

For Favors, 306

For Favor Shown Another, 306, 307

For Gifts, 307, 308

For Another, for a Gift of Flowers, 308

For Birthday Gift, 308

For Christmas Gift, 309

For Hospitality, 310

For Recommendation, 311

With Gifts, 301

Liability, 217, 218

Liberal, 101, 102

Likeness, 168, 169

Loss, 169

Love, 169, 170

See Consecration, 36

See Kindness, 133, 134

Loyal, 187-190

Lucky, 97

Ludicrous, 111, 112

Magnanimous, 101, 102

Manifest, 14, 15

Manly, 171-173

Martial, 174-176

Meager, 186

Memories, 173, 174

Mercenary, 265

Meritorious, 62, 63

Mettle, 39, 40

Militaristic, 174-176

See Patriotic, 187-190

Misgiving, 71, 72

Mistake, 82, 83

Mistrust, 245, 246

Momentous, 113

Morality, 212, 213

Mysterious, 176, 177

See Perplexed, 190, 191

Mystified, 190, 191

Narrow, 201, 202

Necessarily, 177, 178

Needfully, 177, 178

Negative Reply, 214, 215

New Year:

See Concluding Assurances, 163

Nonplused, 190, 191

Note, 28, 29

Noted, 109

Objection, 178-181

Obstinate, 233

On Being Introduced, 43, 44

On Leaving a Host, 43

On Making Request to Accompany Another, 45

Operative, 73

Opinion, 28, 29

Opinionated, 30, 31

Opportune, 178

Opposition, 178-181

See Hindered, 108

Opulent, 264

Optimism, 181-186

See Joy, 130, 131

Outcome, 218

Overdo, 87

Overlook, 34, 35

Overstate, 87

Partial, 186

Particular, 68, 69

Parting:

See Parting, On Chance Meeting, 44

See Shakespeare, 48, 49

Passion, 186

See Effort, 74, 75

See Enthusiasm, 80, 81

Patience, 187

See Courage, 39, 40

Patriotic, 187-190

See Militaristic, 174-176

See Sacrificial, 220, 221

Patriotic (Shakespeare), 189, 190

Penalty, 190

Penetration, 67, 68

Penniless, 112

Perilous, 53-55

Permanent, 99, 100

Perplexed, 190, 191

See Mysterious, 176, 177

Pessimistic, 191-193

See Futile, 101

Petulant, 104, 105

Phrases for Social Letters:

Of Acceptance, 140

Of Apology, 140, 141

Of Condolence, 141-155

Of Congratulation, 155, 156

Of Introduction, 156

Of Invitation, 157

Of Regret, 157

Of Thanks, 158, 159

With Gifts, 159, 160

Picturesque, 194, 195

See Beautiful, 10

Pithy, 247-250

Plain, 14, 15

Pleased, 195-198

See Enjoyment, 78-80

See Satisfactory, 223-225

Plenty, 234, 235

Poetic, 194, 195

Point, 198

Politeness, 40-51

See Reply, 214-217

Political, 198-201

Positive, 244, 245

Possible, 201

Praise, 19-28

Prayerful, 266-270

Prefatory, 123-130

Prejudiced, 201, 202

Preliminary, 123-130

Premature, 106, 107

Presumptuous, 9, 10

Privilege, 202

Probable, 201

Progress, 203

See Encouragement, 109-111

Promise, 109-111

Prophesy, 203, 204

Proof, 85, 86, 89, 90

Protect, 56, 57

Protestation, 178-181

Prudent, 12, 13

Punishment, 190

Purpose, 204, 205

See Desire, 63, 64

Question, 71, 72

Questioning, 205, 206

Rapidity, 106

Rash, 106, 107

Real, 206

Realization, 233, 234

Redemption, 207-209

Reference, 209, 210

Regard, 83, 84

Regardful, 37

Regret, 210, 211

See Sorrow, 231, 232

Relation, 209, 210

Reliable, 58

Religion, 212, 213

Reluctant, 107, 108

Remorse, 210, 211

Reply, 214-217

Affirmative, 214

Negative, 214, 215

Tactful, 215, 216

See Evasive, 84, 85

To Compliment, 215

To Request, 215

Of Thanks, 216

Reprehensible, 217

See Condemn, 32-34

Repugnance, 69, 70

Request, 44, 45

See Shakespeare, 49

Resemblance, 168, 169

Resolute, 93, 94

Resolution, 39, 40, 64-66

Respect, 209, 210

Response, 45, 214-217

See Shakespeare, 50

Responsibility, 217, 218

Result, 218

Reverence, 212, 213

Rhetoric, 76-78

Rich, 264

Ridicule, 218-220

Risky, 53-55

Rule, 70

Sacrificial, 220, 221

See Militaristic, 174-176

See Patriotic, 187-190

Salvation, 221-223

See Suggestive, 235-243

Sample Social Letter, 273-275

Sarcasm, 218-220

Satisfaction, 78-80

Satisfactory, 223-225

See Pleased, 195-198

Satisfied, 37, 38

Scorn, 218-220

Seasonable, 178

Secret, 225, 226

Self-controlled, 12

Selfish, 265

Sensible, 7, 8

Sensitive, 226

Sentiments, 173, 174

Sermon Phrases:

See Clergymen (Index)

Shakespeare

See Apology, 46

See Commendation, 15-19

See Congratulatory, 46, 47

See Courtesy, 46-51

See Greeting, 47

See Inquiry, 48

See Parting, 48, 49

See Patriotic, 189, 190

See Request, 49

See Response, 50

See Simile, 229-231

See Thanks, 50, 51

Shield, 56, 57

Shifting, 84, 85

Shortcoming, 90, 91

Shrewd, 120, 121

Significant, 113

Silenced, 232

Similarity, 168, 169

Simile (Shakespeare), 229-231

Simile (General), 226-229

Social, 47

Social Letters, 283-312

Letters of Condolence, 285-298

General, 285-294

For Member of an Organization, 295

On Death of a Soldier, 295

When Interment is at Home, 295

Interment of Soldier, 296

Reply to Condolatory Letter, 296-298

Letters of Congratulation, 298-300

On Graduation, 298, 299

On Birthday, 299

On Wedding Day Anniversary, 299

On Birth of Child, 300

Letters of Friendly Appreciation, 300

Letters with Gifts, 301

Letters of Introduction, 301, 302

Letters of Invitation to Party, 302, 303

Letters of Recommendation, 304, 305

Letters of Regret, 312

Letters of Reply, 308-312

For Another, for a Gift of Flowers, 308

For Birthday Gift, 308

For Christmas Gift, 309

Letters of Resignation, 305, 306

Letters of Thanks, 306-312

For a Favor, 306

For a Favor Shown to Another, 306, 307

For Gifts, 307, 308

For Hospitality, 310

For Recommendation, 311

See Concluding Assurances, 160-168

See Guide to Phrases for, 277-281

See How Prepared, 273-275

See Phrases for, 140-168

See Sample, 275

Soldierly, 174-176

Solicitude, 32

Sorrow, 231, 232

See Trouble, 250, 251

See Regret, 210, 211

Sound, 265, 266

Squelched, 232

Startling, 9

Steadfast, 93, 94

Straightforward, 232

Straits, 108

Stress, 76

Stricture, 51-53

Strong, 171-173

Stubborn, 233

See Tactless, 246, 247

Stupid, 105, 106

Success, 233, 234

Succinct, 247-250

Sufficient, 234, 235

Suggestion, 235

Suggestive, 235-243

See Salvation, 221-223

See Terse, 247-250

Suitable, 95

Superficial, 95, 96

Superlative, 244

Supremest, 244

Sure, 244, 245

See Final, 93

Surprising, 9

Susceptible, 226

Suspicion, 245, 246

Sway, 119, 120

Symbolic, 246

Sympathetic, 7, 8

Sympathy, 133, 134

Tactful Reply, 215, 216

Tactless, 246, 247

See Stubborn, 233

Talented, 102, 103

Tenderness, 32

Terse, 247-250

See Picturesque, 194, 195

See Virile, 260, 261

Thanks, 250

See Courtesy, 46

See Phrases of, 158, 159

See Reply of, 216, 217

See Shakespeare, 50, 51

Thanks (Letters of), 306-312

Thoughtful, 37

Thoughtlessly, 251, 252

Thwart, 56

Timely, 178

Tip, 235

Tiresome, 72, 73

Trenchant, 96, 97

Trial, 250, 251

Trouble, 250, 251

See Sorrow, 231, 232

See Regret, 210, 211

See Vexation, 258, 259

Trustworthy, 58

Typical, 246

Unavailing, 101

Unaware, 251, 252

See Gullible, 105, 106

Unbiased, 112

Unconsciously, 251, 252

Uncontrolled, 114

Undesirable, 253, 254

Uninteresting, 72, 73

Unity, 252, 253

Unperturbed, 12

Unreliable, 253, 254

Unsatisfactory, 253, 254

See Flimsy, 95, 96

Unselfish, 220, 221

Upright, 171-173

Urge, 82

Urgency, 75

Useless, 101, 256, 257

Usual, 106

Vague, 254

See Fanciful, 91, 92

Value, 254-256

Valueless, 256, 257

Verification, 257, 258

Vexation, 258, 259

See Grouchy, 104, 105

See Trouble, 250, 251

Victory, 233, 234

Virile, 260, 261

See Terse, 247-250

Visionary, 91, 92

Vital, 94, 95

Warning, 261-264

See Admonition, 2

See Cautious, 12, 13

See Dangerous, 53-55

Waste, 169

Wavering, 92, 93

Weak, 95, 96

Wealthy, 264

Weddings:

See Conventional, 41

Weighty, 96, 97

Wholesome, 223-225

Wholly, 264, 265

Wicked, 86

Wilful, 265

Wise, 265, 266

See Discernment, 67, 68

Wish, 63, 64

Witless, 246, 247

Work, 74, 75

Worry, 5, 6

Worshipful, 266-270

See Consecration, 36

Worth, 254-256

Worthy, 62, 63

Zeal, 74, 75, 186

Zealous, 270, 271

Transcriber’s Notes

Some typographical errors have been corrected.

Page | Printed | Correction | Extract
6 | peni tently | penitently | very penitently and humbly
15 |  | . | A dish fit for the gods.
16 | III | III., 1 | A Midsummer-Night’s Dream, III., 1
47 | I | I. | King Richard II., I., 3
47 | V | V. | The Merry Wives of Windsor, V., 5
47 | II | II. | Coriolanus, II., 1
47 | I | I. | King Lear, I., 1
192 | depondency | despondency | burden of despondency
202 | go | to | to see the woods for the trees
213 | Henry II. | Heny VI., II. | II. King Henry VI., II., 1
226 | I | I., | All’s Well that Ends Well, I., 3
237 | LXXII. | LXXII., | Ps. LXXII., 8
238 | Ps., | Ps. | Ps. XXXIX., 3
251 |  | I | I was sweetly oblivious
270 | Fellowhelpers | Fellow helpers | Fellow helpers to the truth.
270 | X | X. | Luke X., 7
285 | regards. | regards, | With warmest regards,
307 | you | you. | opportunity to thank you.
315 | Able. | Able, | Able, 265, 276
315 | 140 | 140, | Letters of Apology, 140, 141, 312
315 | 6, | 6 | Apprehension, 5, 6
316 | Basal. | Basal, | Basal, 99, 100
316 | Arraignment | Arraignment, | Clergymen: Arraignment, 115-119
326 | Weddings | Weddings: | Weddings:

In the original, some groups of short phrases were formatted with an increased left margin in a somewhat irregular manner. These have been regularized to the normal left margin.