As accurate as a time-table
With the most painstaking care
Meticulously careful
With discriminating nicety
A monument of minutia
A distinction without a difference
A vital lack of discrimination
A new orientation of——
Drawing a line of demarcation between——
Nice distinctions
Fine discriminations
It is a nice point whether——
With close scrutiny
With a constantly vigilant eye
Under strict and precise supervision
Every statement carefully weighed and checked
By careful discrimination
He took cognizance of——
A work of discriminating selection
DISGUST
The game is not worth the candle
Most vexatious blunders
Profoundly distasteful
This is wretched business
It makes one shiver to think of——
It is not very pleasant to contemplate
How often have I been in a passion with him
Disgustingly enough
I have a deep-seated repugnance to——
Disgusted with fatuous pretensions
I had the disagreeable task of——
For which he has the most ardent disdain
I consider the action most reprehensible
Particularly approbrious
Nearsighted expediency
They were anathema to him
DOMINATE
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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