"Section III: Felicitous Phrases" (pp95-116) from Fifteen Thousand Useful Phrases (New York and London: Funk & Wagnalls, 1917) by Grenville Kleiser (1868-1953).
A - ability, humor, and perspicacity
- abrupt, rough, and immoderate
- abstruse, metaphysical, and idealistic
- abundant, varied, and vigorous
- accessible, knowable, and demonstrable
- accomplished, inventive, and deft-fingered
- accuracy, ease, and grace
- acquire, classify, and arrange
- action, incident, and interest
- active, learned, and liberal
- acts, activities, and aims
- actual, stern, and pathetic
- acuteness, honesty, and, fearlessness
- addition, correction, and amplification
- adventurous, eager, and afraid
- affected, pedantic, and vain
- affluent, genial, and frank
- aggressive, envious, and arrogant
- agreeable, engaging, and delightful
- air, woodland, and water
- alarmed, anxious, and uneasy
- alert, hopeful, and practical
- amazement, resentment, and indignation
- ambiguous, strange, and sinister
- amiable, genial, and charitable
- amusing, sympathetic, and interesting
- ancient, subtle, and treacherous
- annoyances, shifts, and inconveniences
- anxious, fearful, and anticipative
- appearance, conversation, and bearing
- approbation, wealth, and power
- apt, explicit, and communicative
- ardent, undisciplined, and undirected
- arrogance, conceit, and disdain
- artificial, rhetorical, and mundane
- artistic, progressive, and popular
- aspirations, dreams, and devotions
- assured, stern, and judicial
- astonishment, apprehension, and horror
- attainments, possessions, and character
- attention, forbearance, and patience
- attract, interest, and persuade
- augmenting, furthering, and reenforcing
- austere, calm, and somber
- authority, leadership, and command
- avarice, pride, and revenge
- awakened, girded, and active
- awe, reverence, and adoration
- awkwardness, narrowness, and self-consciousness
B - barbarous, shapeless, and irregular
- beautiful, graceful, and accomplished
- beggar, thief, and impostor
- belittling, personal, and selfish
- birth, rank, and fortune
- bitter, baleful, and venomous
- bland, patient, and methodical
- blessing, bestowing, and welcoming
- blind, partial, and prejudiced
- blithe, innocent, and free
- bluster, swagger, and might
- body, soul, and mind
- boisterous, undignified, and vulgar
- bold, original, and ingenious
- bombastic, incongruous, and unsymmetrical
- bountiful, exuberant, and luxurious
- brain, energy, and enterprise
- brave, authoritative, and confident
- breadth, richness, and freshness
- breathless, confused, and exhilarated
- brief, isolated, and fragmentary
- brilliancy, energy, and zeal
- broad, spare, and athletic
- broken, apologetic, and confused
- brotherhood, humanity, and chivalry
- brusqueness, rudeness, and self-assertion
- brutish, repulsive, and terrible
- busy, active, and toiling
C - calculated, logical, and dispassionate
- calm, earnest, and genial
- candor, integrity, and straightforwardness
- capricious, perverse, and prejudiced
- careful, reasoned, and courteous
- cautious, prudent, and decisive
- caviling, petulance, and discontent
- censured, slighted, and despised
- certain, swift, and final
- chance, doubt, and mutability
- character, life, and aims
- charitable, just, and true
- charm, grace, and glory
- cheerful, modest, and delicate
- childish, discordant, and superfluous
- chill, harden, and repel
- circumstances, properties, and characteristics
- civilized, mild, and humane
- clear, cloudless, and serene
- cleverness, independence, and originality
- coarseness, violence, and cunning
- coherent, interdependent, and logical
- cold, cynical, and relentless
- color, intensity, and vivacity
- comfort, virtue, and happiness
- comments, criticisms, and judgments
- common, dull, and threadbare
- compact, determinate, and engaging
- conceited, commonplace, and uninspiring
- conception, direction, and organization
- confident, inflexible, and uncontrollable
- conflict, confusion, and disintegration
- confused, broken, and fragmentary
- conscience, heart, and life
- conscientious, clear-headed, and accurate
- consistent, thoughtful, and steadfast
- consoling, pacifying, and benign
- constant, wise, and sympathetic
- constitution, temperament, and habits
- convince, convert, and reconstruct
- copious, redundant, and involved
- corroding, venomous, and malignant
- corrupt, self-seeking, and dishonest
- countenance, voice, and manner
- country, lake, and mountain
- courage, patience, and honesty
- courteous, patient, and indefatigable
- covetousness, selfishness, and ignorance
- credulous, weak, and superstitious
- crimes, follies, and misfortunes
- crisp, emphatic, and powerful
- crude, warped, and barren
- cruelty, violence, and injustice
- culture, growth, and progress
- cunning, cruelty, and treachery
- curious, fantastic, and charming
D - danger, difficulty, and hardship
- darkness, doubt, and difficulty
- dazzle, amaze, and overpower
- deadly, silent, and inaccessible
- deceitful, lazy, and dishonest
- decent, respectable, and sensible
- decisions, affirmations, and denials
- deep, flexible, and melodious
- defeated, discredited, and despised
- deferential, conciliatory, and courteous
- definite, tangible, and practicable
- deftness, delicacy, and veracity
- degraded, defeated, and emasculated
- dejected, discouraged, and disappointed
- deliberately, coolly, and methodically
- delicate, mobile, and complex
- delightful, witty, and sensible
- denounced, persecuted, and reviled
- dependent, subsidiary, and allied
- depth, tenderness, and sublimity
- desolated, impoverished, and embittered
- despair, finality, and hopelessness
- detailed, described, and explained
- devastating, horrible, and irremediable
- devout, gentle, and kindly
- difficult, painful, and slow
- digestion, circulation, and assimilation
- dignity, solemnity, and responsibility
- diligent, cautious, and painstaking
- dingy, cumbersome, and depressing
- directness, spontaneity, and simplicity
- disciplined, drilled, and trained
- discontent, revolt, and despair
- discordant, coarse, and unpleasing
- discourses, lectures, and harangues
- disheveled, wild, and distracted
- disinterested, patient, and exact
- dislikes, jealousies, and ambitions
- dismal, cold, and dead
- dismay, remorse, and anguish
- disordered, wild, and incoherent
- dispassionate, wise, and intelligent
- disposition, taste, and temperament
- dissension, discord, and rebellion
- distracted, hopeless, and bankrupt
- disturbed, shaken, and distressed
- diversified, animated, and rapid
- division, prejudice, and antagonism
- doctrine, life, and destiny
- dogmatic, scientific, and philosophic
- doubt, cynicism, and indifference
- draggled, dirty, and slouching
- dramatic, picturesque, and vigorous
- dream, speculate, and philosophize
- drunkenness, licentiousness, and profanity
- dry, inane, and droll
- dull, hideous, and arid
- dullards, hypocrites, and cowards
- dust, turmoil, and smoke
- duties, labors, and anxieties
- dwarfed, scant, and wretched
E - eagerness, heartiness, and vehemence
- earnestness, zeal, and intelligence
- ease, power, and self-confidence
- easy, natural, and unembarrassed
- effluent, radiating, and fructifying
- egotistic, disdainful, and proud
- elegant, convincing, and irresistible
- emotion, affection, and desire
- empty, noisy, and blundering
- end, aim, and purpose
- energies, capacities, and opportunities
- enlighten, uplift, and strengthen
- enmity, suspicion, and hatred
- enrich, discipline, and embellish
- enthusiasm, vehemence, and spirit
- envy, jealousy, and malice
- equable, animated, and alert
- erect, elastic, and graceful
- error, ignorance, and strife
- essence, existence, and identity
- esteem, confidence, and affection
- evil, disease, and death
- exact, logical, and convincing
- examine, compare, and decide
- excessive, inaccurate, and unliterary
- excitements, interests, and responsibilities
- experience, knowledge, and conduct
- exposure, ruin, and flight
- exterior, formal, and imposing
F - faded, dusty, and unread
- failures, experiences, and ambitions
- fair, proud, and handsome
- fairies, sprites, and angels
- faith, hope, and love
- false, wicked, and disloyal
- fantastic, absurd, and impossible
- fear, dread, and apprehension
- features, form, and height
- feeble, illogical, and vicious
- feelings, motives, and desires
- fertility, ingenuity, and resource
- fervently, patiently, and persistently
- fibs, myths, and fables
- fierce, dogmatic, and bigoted
- figure, face, and attitude
- fire, force, and passion
- flit, change, and vary
- flushed, trembling, and unstrung
- foibles, tricks, and fads
- foliage, color, and symmetry
- follies, fashions, and infatuations
- foolish, ignorant, and unscrupulous
- force, grace, and symmetry
- forcible, extraordinary, and sublime
- foremost, preeminent, and incomparable
- foresight, prudence, and economy
- form, color, and distance
- formless, silent, and awful
- forward, onward, and upward
- frank, kindly, and unfaltering
- free, equal, and just
- freedom, honor, and dignity
- fresh, vigorous, and telling
- fretfulness, irritability, and petulance
- friendly, amiable, and sincere
- frigid, austere, and splendid
- fruitful, luminous, and progressive
- full, animated, and varied
- fullness, force, and precision
- furious, sanguinary, and disorganizing
- fustian, padding, and irrelevancy
G - gaunt, desolate, and despoiled
- gay, easy, and cordial
- generous, large-hearted, and magnanimous
- genial, frank, and confiding
- genius, learning, and virtue
- gentle, firm, and loving
- genuineness, disinterestedness, and strength
- germinate, develop, and radiate
- gesture, accent, and attitude
- ghastly, hateful, and ugly
- gibes, sneers, and anger
- gifts, graces, and accomplishments
- gladness, exaltation, and triumph
- glean, gather, and digest
- gloomy, silent, and tranquil
- glow, grace, and pleasantness
- good, gentle, and affectionate
- gorgeous, still, and warm
- grace, simplicity, and sweetness
- gracious, mild, and good
- gradual, cautious, and well-reasoned
- gratitude, happiness, and affection
- grave, disastrous, and wanton
- gravity, sweetness, and patience
- gray, monotonous, and uninteresting
- great, grand, and mighty
- greed, lust, and cruelty
- grim, lean, and hungry
- gross, ignorant, and impudent
- growth, progress, and extension
- guide, philosopher, and friend
H - habits, tastes, and opinions
- hard, stern, and inexorable
- harmony, peace, and happiness
- harsh, intolerant, and austere
- health, character, and efficiency
- helpful, suggestive, and inspiring
- helpless, hopeless, and downtrodden
- high, lofty, and noble
- high-spirited, confident, and genial
- history, philosophy, and eloquence
- homage, ability, and culture
- honesty, probity, and justice
- honors, riches, and power
- hopes, aspirations, and longings
- hot, swift, and impatient
- humanity, freedom, and justice
- humble, submissive, and serviceable
- humor, fancy, and susceptibility
I - idle, profuse, and profligate
- ignorance, fear, and selfishness
- illuminating, chastening, and transforming
- images, events, and incidents
- imagination, judgment, and reason
- immediate, sure, and easy
- immethodical, irregular, and inconsecutive
- impatient, inconsiderate, and self-willed
- impetuous, fierce, and irresistible
- impracticable, chimerical, and contemptible
- impulse, energy, and activity
- inclinations, habits, and interests
- incoherent, loud, and confusing
- incomparable, matchless, and immortal
- inconsiderate, irritable, and insolent
- indignation, surprise, and reproach
- indirect, obscure, and ambiguous
- indolent, dreamy, and frolicsome
- inert, torpid, and lethargic
- ingenuity, force, and originality
- innocence, intelligence, and youth
- inordinate, excessive, and extravagant
- insight, knowledge, and capacity
- insincere, partial, and arbitrary
- insipid, commonplace, and chattering
- insolence, injustice, and imposture
- intelligence, taste, and manners
- intense, weighty, and philosophical
- inventions, sciences, and discoveries
- irksome, painful, and depressing
- irresolute, procrastinating, and unenterprising
- irritable, sulky, and furious
- issues, hopes, and interests
J - jealousy, exclusiveness, and taciturnity
- jovial, ready-witted, and broad-gaged
- joyous, delightful, and gay
- justice, mercy, and peace
K - keen, clear, and accurate
- knowing, feeling, and willing
- knowledge, skill, and foresight
L - labors, anxieties, and trials
- large, rhythmical, and pleasing
- laughter, ridicule, and sneers
- lead, attack, and conquer
- learning, profundity, and imagination
- legislation, education, and religion
- levity, indolence, and procrastination
- libelers, reviewers, and rivals
- liberating, vitalizing, and cheering
- liberty, justice, and humanity
- light, easy, and playful
- literature, history, and legend
- lively, careless, and joyous
- lofty, serene, and impregnable
- logical, clear, and consistent
- loitering, heart-sick, and reluctant
- lonely, sad, and enslaved
- long, wailing, and passionate
- lost, ruined, and deserted
- loud, deep, and distinct
- love, veneration, and gratitude
- lucid, lively, and effective
- luxurious, whimsical, and selfish
M - magnificent, sumptuous, and stately
- magnitude, duration, and scope
- majesty, beauty, and truth
- malevolence, vanity, and falsehood
- manly, refined, and unaffected
- mean, pitiful, and sordid
- meek, humane, and temperate
- melancholy, grave, and serious
- mercy, truth, and righteousness
- methodical, sensible, and conscientious
- might, majesty, and power
- mild, sweet, and peaceable
- mischief, cruelty, and futility
- moans, shrieks, and curses
- mobile, quick, and sensitive
- modest, sympathetic, and kind
- molding, controlling, and conforming
- monstrous, incredible, and inhuman
- moral, material, and social
- motionless, staring, and appalled
- motives, purposes, and intentions
- mountains, seas, and vineyards
- moved, swayed, and ruled
- murder, destruction, and agony
- mystery, vagueness, and jargon
N - narrow, precise, and formal
- natural, innocent, and laudable
- neatness, order, and comfort
- necessary, just, and logical
- neglect, rashness, and incompetence
- new, strange, and unusual
- niggardly, sordid, and parsimonious
- noble, laudable, and good
- noise, clatter, and clamor
- null, void, and useless
O - obscure, difficult, and subtle
- observation, discrimination, and comparison
- obsolete, artificial, and inadequate
- obstinacy, stupidity, and wilfulness
- officious, fidgety, and talkative
- old, absurd, and meaningless
- one, individual, and integral
- openly, frankly, and legitimately
- opposition, bitterness, and defiance
- oppressive, grasping, and slanderous
- opulent, powerful, and prosperous
- organization, monopoly, and pressure
- origin, character, and aim
- original, terse, and vigorous
- overriding, arrogant, and quarrelsome
P - pain, toil, and privation
- pale, ugly, and sinister
- parable, precept, and practise
- partial, false, and disastrous
- passion, tenderness, and reverence
- patient, gentle, and kind
- peace, order, and civilization
- pellucid, animated, and varied
- permanent, true, and real
- perplexed, tedious, and obscure
- personal, sharp, and pointed
- perspicuity, vivacity, and grace
- pert, smirking, and conceited
- pervading, searching, and saturating
- petty, unsuccessful, and unamiable
- philosophy, morals, and discoveries
- picturesque, daring, and potent
- piety, charity, and humility
- pillage, arson, and bloodshed
- pious, patient, and trustful
- pity, sympathy, and compassion
- placable, reasonable, and willing
- place, fame, and fortune
- placid, clear, and mellow
- plague, pestilence, and famine
- plan, purpose, and work
- pleasant, friendly, and amiable
- pleased, interested, and delighted
- pleasure, enjoyment, and satisfaction
- plenty, content, and tranquillity
- plodding, sedentary, and laborious
- poise, dignity, and reserve
- polished, elegant, and sumptuous
- politics, business, and religion
- pompous, affected, and unreal
- poor, miserable, and helpless
- pose, gesture, and expression
- powerful, dazzling, and daring
- practical, visible, and tangible
- precious, massive, and splendid
- precise, formal, and cynical
- prejudice, dulness, and spite
- prepossessions, opinions, and prejudices
- presiding, directing, and controlling
- pride, passion, and conceit
- princely, picturesque, and pathetic
- principles, conduct, and habits
- progress, order, and happiness
- prolonged, obstinate, and continued
- prompt, fiery, and resolute
- propriety, perspicacity, and accuracy
- prosaic, dull, and unattractive
- protective, propitiatory, and accommodating
- protests, criticisms, and rebukes
- proud, reserved, and disagreeable
- prudence, mildness, and firmness
- puckered, winking, and doddering
- pure, honorable, and just
- purge, brace, and strengthen
- purpose, intention, and meaning
- puzzles, tangles, and questionings
Q - quarrels, misunderstandings, and enmities
- questions, disputes, and controversies
- quicken, sharpen, and intensify
- quiet, unaffected, and unostentatious
R - raise, refine, and elevate
- rapid, robust, and effective
- rapt, emotional, and mystic
- raptures, transports, and fancies
- rash, violent, and indefinite
- readiness, skill, and accuracy
- reading, reflection, and observation
- reaffirmed, amplified, and maintained
- real, earnest, and energetic
- regard, esteem, and affection
- relaxation, recreation, and pleasure
- religion, politics, and literature
- reminiscences, associations, and impressions
- remote, careless, and indifferent
- reparations, restitutions, and guarantees
- repress, curb, and correct
- reproach, shame, and remorse
- reproof, correction, and instruction
- resentment, hatred, and despair
- resolute, patient, and fervent
- resourceful, steadfast, and skilful
- respect, admiration, and homage
- rest, respite, and peace
- restless, discontented, and rebellious
- restraint, self-denial, and austerity
- reticent, restrained, and reserved
- reverie, contemplation, and loneliness
- rich, thoughtful, and glowing
- ridicule, sarcasm, and invective
- rights, powers, and privileges
- rise, flourish, and decay
- robustness, elasticity, and firmness
- romance, adventure, and passion
- rough, barren, and unsightly
- rude, sulky, and overbearing
- rush, roar, and shriek
S - sacredness, dignity, and loveliness
- sad, gloomy, and suspicious
- safe, sensible, and sane
- sanguine, impulsive, and irrepressible
- sarcasm, satire, and ridicule
- satiety, surfeit, and tedium
- savage, fierce, and intractable
- scheming, contriving, and dishonesty
- self-absorbed, conceited, and contemptuous
- self-conscious, artificial, and affected
- self-exacting, laborious, and inexhaustible
- selfishness, coarseness, and mendacity
- sense, grace, and good-will
- sensibility, harmony, and energy
- sensitive, ardent, and conscientious
- serene, ineffable, and flawless
- serious, calm, and searching
- settled, adjusted, and balanced
- shallow, false, and petty
- shapes, forms, and artifices
- sharpness, bitterness, and sarcasm
- shivering, moaning, and weeping
- shrewd, artful, and designing
- shy, wild, and provocative
- sick, ashamed, and disillusioned
- silent, cold, and motionless
- simple, full, and impressive
- sin, selfishness, and luxury
- sincere, placable, and generous
- skill, sagacity, and firmness
- sleekness, stealth, and savagery
- slovenly, base, and untrue
- slow, reluctant, and unwelcome
- smirking, garrulous, and pretentious
- smooth, sentimental, and harmonious
- smug, fat, and complacent
- sneers, innuendoes, and insinuations
- social, esthetic, and intellectual
- solitary, sedentary, and lifeless
- sound, human, and healthy
- sour, malignant, and envious
- spacious, clean, and comfortable
- speechless, motionless, and amazed
- spirit, vigor, and variety
- spitefulness, dishonesty, and cruelty
- splendid, powerful, and enduring
- startling, alarming, and vehement
- statesmen, philosophers, and divines
- steadiness, self-control, and serenity
- stern, forbidding, and unfeeling
- stiff, decorous, and formal
- strained, worn, and haggard
- strange, dark, and mysterious
- strengthen, invigorate, and discipline
- strenuous, intelligent, and alive
- striking, bold, and magnificent
- stripped, swept, and bare
- strong, cool, and inflexible
- studied, discussed, and debated
- sturdy, energetic, and high-minded
- style, manner, and disposition
- subtle, delicate, and refined
- successful, energetic, and ingenious
- sudden, vehement, and unfamed
- suggestive, stimulating, and inspiring
- sullen, silent, and disconsolate
- suppliant, gentle, and submissive
- surprise, admiration, and wonder
- suspicious, restive, and untractable
- swiftness, mobility, and penetrativeness
- sympathy, service, and compassion
T - talent, scholarship, and refinement
- tameness, monotony, and reserve
- taste, feeling, and sentiment
- tedious, painful, and distressing
- temper, pride, and sensuality
- temperament, character, and circumstance
- temperate, sweet, and venerable
- tenderness, loyalty, and devotion
- terror, remorse, and shame
- terseness, simplicity, and quaintness
- theatrical, sensational, and demonstrative
- thought, utterance, and action
- threats, cries, and prayers
- thrilling, dramatic, and picturesque
- thwart, criticize, and embarrass
- time, thought, and consideration
- touched, strengthened, and transformed
- tradition, prejudice, and stupidity
- tragic, tremendous, and horrible
- transparent, theatric, and insincere
- treachery, envy, and selfishness
- tremulous, soft, and bright
- trial, discipline, and temptation
- tricks, shufflings, and frauds
- trivial, labored, and wearisome
- true, lasting, and beneficial
- tyranny, injustice, and extortion
U - ugly, scowling, and offensive
- unbending, contemptuous, and scornful
- unclean, shameful, and degrading
- undecided, wavering, and cautious
- unearthly, horrible, and obnoxious
- uneasy, overstrained, and melancholy
- unity, emphasis, and coherence
- unmodulated, cold, and expressionless
- unphilosophical, unsystematic, and discursive
- unscrupulous, heartless, and hypocritical
- unwholesome, bewildering, and unprofitable
- unworldly, peaceable, and philosophical
- upright, kind-hearted, and blameless
- urgent, tumultuous, and incomprehensible
V - vague, impalpable, and incongruous
- vanities, stupidities, and falsehoods
- venerable, patriotic, and virtuous
- verities, certainties, and realities
- vigilant, inveterate, and unresting
- vigorous, subtle, and comprehensive
- violent, sinister, and rebellious
- virtue, genius, and charm
- visionary, fraudulent, and empirical
- vital, formidable, and dominant
- vivid, comprehensible, and striking
- vulgarity, ignorance, and misapprehension
W - waddling, perspiring, and breathless
- want, worry, and woe
- wasteful, indolent, and evasive
- watchful, suspicious, and timid
- wealth, position, and influence
- wearied, despondent, and bewildered
- weight, size, and solidity
- well-proportioned, logical, and sane
- whimsical, fantastic, and impracticable
- wholesome, beautiful, and righteous
- wicked, pernicious, and degrading
- wild, confused, and dizzy
- wilful, wanton, and deliberate
- will, energy, and self-control
- wisdom, patriotism, and justice
- wit, fancy, and imagination
- worthless, broken, and defeated
- wretchedness, deformity, and malice
- wrinkled, careworn, and pale