IDIOMS, PROVERBS AND SAYINGS

• "A bitter pill" - a situation that is unpleasant but must be accepted
• "A dime a dozen" - easy to get or available any where
• "Ace in the hole" - a hidden or secret strength
• "Add insult to injury" - to further a loss with mockery or indignity
• "All ears" - listening intently
• "All thumbs" - clumsy, awkward
• "At the drop of a hat" - without any hesitation
• "Barking up the wrong tree" - looking in the wrong place
• "Basket case" - one made powerless or ineffective, as by nerves, panic
• "Beat around the bush" - to treat a topic, but omit its main points
• "Bite off more than one can chew" - to take on more responsibility than you can manage
• "Bite the bullet" - to endure a painful or unpleasant situation that is unavoidable.
• "Bite the dust" - euphemism for dying or death
• "Break a leg" - a saying from the theatre that means "good luck." (o/f)
• "Bust one's chops" to say things intended to harass
• "By the seat of one's pants" - to achieve through instinct
• "By the skin of one's teeth" - used in regard to a narrow escape from a disaster
• "Call it a day" - to declare the end of a task
• "Cat nap" - short sleep
• "Chew the fat" - waste time talking.
• "Chink in one's armor" - an area of vulnerability
• "Clam up" - to shut up
• "Cold shoulder" - to display aloofness and disdain.
• "Cut a rug"- to dance
• "Cut the cheese" - to pass gas, fart, break wind
• "Cut the mustard" - to succeed; to come up to expectations.
• "Don't have a cow " - don't overreact
• "Fit as a fiddle" - in good physical health
• "For a song" - almost free
• "From A to Z" - covering a complete range
• "Have a blast" - to have a good time or to enjoy oneself
• "Have eyes in the back of one's head " - someone can perceive things and events that are outside of their field of vision
• "Hit the road " - to leave
• "Hit the sack "/sheets/hay - to go to bed
• "Kick the bucket" - euphemism for dying or death
• "Off the hook" - to escape a situation of responsibility
• "Piece of cake" - a job, task or other activity that is easy
• "Pull somebody's leg" - to tease or to joke by telling a lie.
• "Pushing up daisies" - euphemism for dying or death.
• "Put the cat among the pigeons" - to create a disturbance and cause trouble.
• "Right as rain" - absolutely right
• "Shoot the breeze" - waste time talking.
• "Sleep with the fishes" - euphemism for dying or death
• "Spill the beans" - to reveal someone's secret.
• "Split the whistle" - to arrive just on time.
• "Through thick and thin" - both good and bad times.
• "Thumb one's nose" - to express scorn or to disregard.
• "Under the weather" - feel sick or poorly
• "You can say that again" - that is very true; expression of wholehearted agreement
• Think of the doughnut instead of the hole
• A barking dog never bites.
• A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
• A fool and his money are soon parted.
• A friend in need is a friend indeed.
• A new broom sweeps clean.
• A penny saved is a penny earned.
• A rolling stone gathers no moss.
• A stitch in time saves nine.
• A watched pot never boils.
• Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
• All that glitters is not gold.
• As you sow, so you shall reap.
• Bad news travels quickly.
• Better late than never.
• Birds of a feather flock together.
• Don't cry over spilt milk.
• Don't judge a book by its cover.
• Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
• Don't spit into the wind.
• Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
• Every cloud has a sliver lining.
• fresh as a daisy
• God helps those who help themselves.
• Half a loaf is better than no bread.
• he is his father's son
• He laughs best that laughs last.
• He who hesitates is lost.
• He who laughs last laughs best.
• Hunger is the best sauce.
• If the shoe fits, wear it.
• it takes two to have an argument OR it takes two to fight
• just like riding a bicycle (you never forget)
• Killing two birds with one stone.
• Make hay while the sun shines.
• Make love not war.
• Men don't make passes at girls who wear glasses.
• Necessity is the mother of invention.
• Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
• One man's meat is another man's poison.
• One rotten apple spoils the barrel.
• Opposites attract.
• Out of sight, out of mind.
• People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
• Practice makes perfect.
• quiet as a church mouse
• Rome wasn't built in a day.
• She/he looks like the cat that ate the canary
• Still waters run deep.
• The best way to a man's heart is through his stomach.
• The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice.
• The early bird catches the worm.
• The end justifies the means.
• The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
• The longest journey begins with a single step.
• The pleasure is in the anticipation.
• Too many cooks spoil the broth.
• Two heads are better than one.
• What goes around, comes around.
• Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.
• When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
• where there's smoke, there's fire
• Who holds the purse rules the house.
• You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink.

LIST OF VIRTUES

• ability - a quality that permits or facilitates achievement or accomplishment
• acceptance - a disposition to tolerate or accept people or situations
• acuity - keenness of hearing, sight, or intellect
• affability - good-natured, friendly, and easy to talk to
• altruism - the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others
• appreciation - understanding of the nature or meaning or quality or magnitude of something
• assiduousness - showing persistent and hard-working effort in doing something
• assertiveness - aggressive self-assurance; given to making bold assertions
• attentiveness - the trait of being observant and paying attention
• autonomy - immunity from arbitrary exercise of authority; political independence
• awareness - the ability to perceive, to feel, or to be conscious of events, objects or patterns
• balance - the ability to remain poised; to give equal attention to all things; to be fair
• beauty - the qualities that give pleasure to the senses
• benevolence - an inclination to do kind or charitable acts
• candor - the ability to make judgments free from discrimination or dishonesty
• caring - feeling and exhibiting concern and empathy for others
• caution - judiciousness in avoiding harm or danger
• charity - a kindly and lenient attitude toward people
• chastity - abstaining from sexual relations
• cleanliness - the habit of keeping free of superficial imperfections
• commitment - the trait of sincere and steadfast fixity of purpose
• compassion - the humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it
• confidence - freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities
• conscientiousness - the trait of being painstaking and careful
• consideration - the process of giving careful thought to something
• contentment - happiness with one’s situation in life
• cooperativeness - amenability: the trait of working well with others
• courage - a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear
• courteousness - exhibiting politeness and gracious good manners
• creativity - a mental and social process involving the generation of new ideas or concepts
• curiosity - a state in which you want to learn more about something
• daring - courage combined with a willingness to take risks or attempt difficult or unconventional things
• dependability - worthy of reliance or trust; consistent in performance or behavior
• detachment - cool-headed withdrawal; avoiding emotional involvement
• determination - the quality of being driven to do or achieve something; firmness of purpose
• diligence - conscientiousness in paying proper attention to a task; giving the degree of care required in a given situation
• discernment - understanding; the mental ability to discriminate between like things
• discretion - knowing how to avoid embarrassment or distress
• dutifulness - piety by virtue of devotion; the willingness to be obedient out of a sense of moral obligation and/or respect
• empathy - understanding and entering into another’s feelings
• encouragement - the expression of approval and support
• endurance - the power to withstand hardship or stress
• enthusiasm - exuberance; overflowing with eager enjoyment or approval
• equanimity - composure; steadiness of mind under stress
• equity - conformity to rules or standards
• excellence - possessing good qualities in high degree
• fairness - ability to make judgments based on predetermined standards with honesty
• faithfulness - the quality of being steadfast in affection or allegiance
• fastidiousness - the trait of being painstakingly careful about matters of taste or style
• fidelity - faithfulness to one’s duties; loyalty
• fitness - to be in good physical condition
• flexibility - the quality of being adaptable or variable
• focus - the concentration of attention or energy on something
• foresight - providence by virtue of planning prudently for the future
• forgiveness - compassionate feelings that support a willingness to excuse a mistake or offense
• fortitude - strength of mind that enables one to endure adversity with courage
• friendliness - a feeling of liking for another person; enjoyment in their company; agreeableness
• generosity - the trait of being willing to give your money or time
• gentleness - acting in a manner that is mild and even-tempered
• goodness - moral excellence or admirableness
• graciousness - full of tact, kindness, and politeness
• happiness - state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy
• health - the state of well-being free from disease
• helpfulness - friendliness evidence by a kindly and helpful disposition
• heroism - remarkable physical or moral courage
• honesty - not disposed to cheat or defraud; dependable; to be frank
• honor - an objectification of praiseworthiness, respect
• hopefulness - aspirant; to wish for or desire something, regardless of the likelihood of its occurrence
• hospitality - cordial reception; kindness in welcoming guests or strangers
• humility - a disposition to be humble; a lack of false pride
• humor - the use of ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity to evoke laughter
• idealism - the quality of believing that things should be pursued to their most perfect form
• imagination - the ability to deal resourcefully with unusual problems; the ability to form a mental image of something that is not perceived as real and is not present to the senses
• impartiality - an inclination to weigh both views or opinions equally
• independence - freedom from control or influence of another or others
• industriousness - persevering determination to perform a task
• ingenuity - the process of applying ideas to solve problems or meet challenges
• innocence - the state of being unsullied by sin or moral wrong; lacking a knowledge of evil
• insightfulness - shrewdness shown by keen, deep perception
• integrity - moral soundness
• intuition - instinctive knowing (without the use of rational processes)
• inventiveness - the power of creative imagination; the mental faculty to create something new
• judiciousness - showing wisdom, good sense, or discretion, often with the underlying objective of avoiding trouble or waste
• justice - using right or fair judgment, especially involved in the determination of rights and the assignment of rewards and punishments
• kindness - the quality of being warmhearted and considerate and humane and sympathetic
• knowledgeable - thoroughly acquainted through study or experience
• lovingness - the ability to feel or show affection
• loyalty - to bind oneself completely; allegiance
• meekness - the feeling of patient, submissive humbleness
• mercy - leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice
• meticulousness - taking extreme care with details
• moderation - the quality of avoiding extremes and excesses
• modesty - freedom from vanity or conceit; formality and propriety of manner
• morality - concern for the distinction between good and evil or right and wrong
• neatness - having an orderly and clean condition; the state of being neat and trim
• nonviolence - rejecting the use of physical violence; passive acceptance of oppression amid the struggle against it
• nurturing - the quality of desiring another to grow as a person; motherly
• obedience - dutiful or submissive behavior with respect to another person
• openness - an attitude of ready accessibility (especially about one’s actions or purposes); to be without concealment; not secretive
• optimism - a general disposition to expect the best in all things
• patience - good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence
• peacefulness - to be in a state that is calm and tranquil
• perceptiveness - possessing or showing keen insight and understanding
• preciseness - very careful about small details, especially of correct behavior
• perseverance - to be persistent; continuing or repeating behavior
• persistence - the quality of continuing steadily despite problems or difficulties
• perspicacity - intelligence manifested by being astute (as in business dealings); the capacity to assess situations or circumstances shrewdly and to draw sound conclusions
• philanthropy - voluntary promotion of human welfare
• philomathy - pocessing a strong love of learning
• piety - religious devotion or to spirituality; righteousness
• potential - to possess the inherent capacity for coming into being
• prudence - discretion in practical affairs
• punctiliousness - very careful about the conventions of correct behavior and etiquette
• purity - to lack sin or dilution
• purposefulness - the quality of having meaning through having an aim
• prayerfulness - to be devout; to cultivate a relationship with god
• refinement - to achieve a highly-developed state of perfection; the quality of excellence in thought and manners and taste
• reliable - able to be trusted to do what is expected or has been promised
• remembrance - the ability to recall past occurrences
• respectfulness - courteous regard for people’s feelings; one who feels or manifests veneration
• reverence - to have a profound respect for someone or something, almost to the point of fearfulness
• resilience - the positive ability to adapt, to rebound, to cope with catastrophic failure or obstacles
• responsibility (moral & social) - a form of trustworthiness; the trait of being answerable to someone for something for one’s conduct
• restraint - discipline in personal and social activities
• righteousness - always behaving according to a religious or moral code
• self-awareness - awareness of your own individuality
• self-confidence - belief of one’s own power, judgment, ability, etc.
• self-discipline - control of oneself; willpower
• self-reliance - the capacity to rely on one’s own capabilities, and to manage one’s own affairs
• self-respect - the knowledge of one’s own worth, valuing one’s self
• selflessness - the quality of not putting yourself first but being willing to give your time or money or effort etc.
• sensitivity - to be aware of an empathetic to the emotions of others
• service - an act of help or assistance
• sharing - using or enjoying something jointly with others
• sincerity - the quality of being open and truthful; not deceitful or hypocritical; earnestness
• skillfulness - the learned capacity to carry out pre-determined results often with the minimum outlay of time, energy, or both
• spirituality - concern with things of the soul, or of god; reverence
• sternness - uncompromising resolution
• strength - the property of being physically or mentally strong
• sympathy - an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion
• tactfulness - the ability to have consideration in dealing with others and avoiding giving offense
• temperance - the trait of avoiding excesses
• tenacity - to be good at remembering; to be stubbornly unyielding
• thankfulness - to be grateful as a positive emotion or attitude toward others in acknowledgment of a benefit on has received or will receive from another
• thoroughness - conscientiousness in performing all aspects of a task; attention to detail
• thoughtfulness - to possess the ability for calm, lengthy, intent consideration
• trustworthiness - someone in whom one can place one’s trust and rest assured that the trust will not be betrayed
• truthfulness - honesty, good faith, and sincerity in general; agreement with fact or reality in particular
• understanding - the ability to think about and use concepts to deal adequately with an object
• unity - an undivided or unbroken completeness or totality with nothing wanting
• valor - exceptional or heroic courage when facing danger
• vivaciousness - exhibiting or characterized by liveliness and high-spiritedness
• welcoming - providing a warm and friendly environment for guests or strangers
• wholesomeness - the quality of being beneficial and generally good
• wisdom - accumulated knowledge or erudition or enlightenment
• work - the ability to exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

WORDS FOR FACIAL EXPRESSIONS

• absent - preoccupied
• agonized - as if in pain or tormented
• alluring - attractive, in the sense of arousing desire
• appealing - attractive, in the sense of encouraging goodwill and/or interest
• beatific - see blissful
• bilious - ill-natured
• black - angry or sad, or see hostile
• bleak - see grim and hopeless
• blinking - surprise, or lack of concern
• blissful - showing a state of happiness or divine contentment
• blithe - carefree, lighthearted, or heedlessly indifferent
• brooding - see anxious and gloomy
• bug eyed - frightened or surprised
• chagrined - humiliated or disappointed
• cheeky - cocky, insolent
• cheerless - sad
• choleric - hot-tempered, irate
• coy - flirtily playful, or evasive
• crestfallen - see despondent
• darkly - with depressed or malevolent feelings
• deadpan - expressionless, to conceal emotion or heighten humor
• dejected - see despondent
• derisive - see sardonic
• despondent - depressed or discouraged
• doleful - sad or afflicted
• dour - stern or obstinate; see also despondent
• downcast - see despondent
• dreamy - distracted by daydreaming or fantasizing
• ecstatic - delighted or entranced
• etched - see fixed
• faint - cowardly, weak, or barely perceptible
• fixed - concentrated or immobile
• furtive - stealthy
• gazing - staring intently
• glancing - staring briefly as if curious but evasive
• glaring - see hostile
• glazed - expressionless due to fatigue or confusion
• gloomy - see despondent and sullen
• glowering - annoyed or angry
• glowing - see radiant
• grave - serious, expressing emotion due to loss or sadness
• grim - see despondent; also, fatalistic or pessimistic
• haunted - frightened, worried, or guilty
• hopeless - depressed by a lack of encouragement or optimism
• hostile - aggressively angry, intimidating, or resistant
• hunted - tense as if worried about pursuit
• impassive - see deadpan
• inscrutable - mysterious, unreadable
• jeering - insulting or mocking
• languid - lazy or weak
• leering - see meaningful; also, sexually suggestive
• meaningful - to convey an implicit connotation or shared secret
• mild - easygoing
• mischievous - annoyingly or maliciously playful
• moody - see sullen
• pained - affected with discomfort or pain
• pallid - see wan
• peering - with curiosity or suspicion
• peeved - annoyed
• petulant - see cheeky and peeved
• pitying - sympathetic
• pleading - seeking apology or assistance
• pouting - see sullen
• quizzical - questioning or confused
• radiant - bright, happy
• roguish - see mischievous
• sanguine - bloodthirsty, confident
• sardonic - mocking
• scornful - contemptuous or mocking
• scowling - displeased or threatening
• searching - curious or suspicious
• set - see fixed
• shamefaced - ashamed or bashful
• slack-jawed - dumbfounded or surprised
• sly - cunning; see also furtive and mischievous
• snarling - surly
• sneering - see scornful
• somber - see grave
• sour - unpleasant
• stolid - inexpressive
• straight-faced - see deadpan
• sulky - see sullen
• sullen - resentful
• taunting - see jeering
• taut - high-strung
• tense - see taut
• tight - see pained and taut
• unblinking - see fixed
• vacant - blank or stupid looking
• veiled - see inscrutable
• wan - pale, sickly; see also faint
• wary - cautious or cunning
• wide eyed - frightened or surprised
• wild eyed - excited, frightened, or stressful
• wistful - yearning or sadly thoughtful
• withering - devastating; see also wrathful
• woeful - full of grief or lamentation
• wolfish - see leering and mischievous
• wrathful - indignant or vengeful
• wry - twisted or crooked to express cleverness or a dark or ironic feeling

OTHER WORDS FOR SAID

• Acknowledged
• Added
• Admitted
• Advised
• Agreed
• Announced
• Answered
• Approved
• Argued
• Assumed
• Assured
• Asked
• Babbled
• Bargained
• Began
• Boasted
• Bragged
• Called
• Claimed
• Commanded
• Commented
• Complained
• Cried
• Decided
• Demanded
• Denied
• Described
• Dictated
• Emphasized
• Estimated
• Exclaimed
• Explained
• Expressed
• Feared
• Giggled
• Grinned
• Grunted
• Indicated
• Insisted
• Instructed
• Laughed
• Lectured
• Lied
• Mentioned
• Moaned
• Mumbled
• Murmured
• Nagged
• Noted
• Notified
• Objected
• Observed
• Ordered
• Pleaded
• Pointed out
• Prayed
• Predicted
• Questioned
• Reassured
• Related
• Repeated
• Replied
• Responded
• Requested
• Restated
• Revealed
• Roared
• Ruled
• Scolded
• Screamed
• Shouted
• Shrieked
• Snapped
• Sneered
• Sobbed
• Spoke
• Sputtered
• Stammered
• Stated
• Stormed
• Suggested
• Taunted
• Thought
• Told
• Urged
• Uttered
• Vowed
• Wailed
• Warned
• Whispered

COMMON MISTAKES

• One buys antiques in an antiques store from an antiques dealer; an antique store is a very old store.
• He stayed awhile; he stayed for a while.
• Besides is other than; beside is next to.
• The singular of biceps is biceps; the singular of triceps is triceps. There’s no such thing as a bicep; there’s no such thing as a tricep.
• A blond man, a blond woman; he’s a blond, she’s a blonde.
• A capital is a city (or a letter, or part of a column); a capitol is a building.
• Something centres on something else, not around it.
• If you’re talking about a thrilling plot point, the word is climactic; if you’re discussing the weather, the word is climatic.
• A cornet is an instrument; a coronet is a crown.
• One emigrates from a place; one immigrates to a place.
• The word is enmity, not emnity.
• One goes to work every day, or nearly, but eating lunch is an everyday occurrence.
• A flair is a talent; a flare is an emergency signal.
• A flier is someone who flies planes; a flyer is a piece of paper.
• Flower bed, not flowerbed.
• Free rein, not free reign.
• To garner is to accumulate, as a waiter garners tips; to garnish (in the non-parsley meaning) is to take away, as the government garnishes one’s wages; a garnishee is a person served with a garnishment; to garnishee is also to serve with a garnishment (that is, it’s a synonym for “to garnish”).
• A gel is a jelly; it’s also a transparent sheet used in stage lighting. When Jell-O sets, or when one’s master plan takes final form, it either jells or gels (though I think the former is preferable).
• Bears are grizzly; crimes are grisly. Cheap meat, of course, is gristly.
• Coats go on hangers; planes go in hangars.
• One’s sweetheart is “hon,” not “hun,” unless one’s sweetheart is Attila (not, by the way, Atilla) or perhaps Winnie-the-Pooh (note hyphens).
• One insures cars; one ensures success; one assures people.
• Lawn mower, not lawnmower.
• The past tense of lead is led, not lead.
• One loathes someone else but is loath to admit one’s distaste.
• If you’re leeching, you’re either bleeding a patient with a leech or otherwise sucking someone’s or something’s lifeblood. If you’re leaching, you’re removing one substance from another by means of a percolating liquid (I have virtually no idea what that means; I trust that you do).
• You wear a mantle; your fireplace has a mantel.
• Masseurs are men; masseuses are women. Many otherwise extremely well educated people don’t seem to know this; I have no idea why. (These days they’re all called massage therapists anyway.)
• The short version of microphone is still, so far as RH is concerned, mike. Not, ick, “mic.” [2009 update: I seem to be losing this battle. Badly. 2010 update: I’ve lost. Follow the author’s lead.]
• There’s no such word as moreso.
• Mucus is a noun; mucous is an adjective.
• Nerve-racking, not -wracking; racked with guilt, not wracked with guilt.
• One buys a newspaper at a newsstand, not a newstand.
• An ordinance is a law; ordnance is ammo.
• Palette has to do with colour; palate has to do with taste; a pallet is, among other things, something you sleep on. Eugene Pallette was a character actor; he’s particularly good in the 1943 film Heaven Can Wait.
• Noun wise, a premier is a diplomat; a premiere is something one attends. “Premier” is also, of course, an adjective denoting quality.
• That which the English call paraffin (as in “paraffin stove”), we Americans call kerosene. Copy editors should keep an eye open for this in mss. by British authors and query it. The term paraffin should generally be reserved for the waxy, oily stuff we associate with candles.
• Prophecy is a noun; prophesy is a verb.
• Per Web 11, it’s restroom.
• The Sibyl is a seeress; Sybil is Basil Fawlty’s wife.
• Please don’t mix somewhat and something into one murky modifier. A thing is somewhat rare, or it’s something of a rarity.
• A tick bites; a tic is a twitch.
• Tortuous is twisty, circuitous, or tricky; torturous is painful, or painfully slow.
• Transsexual, not transexual.
• Troops are military; troupes are theatrical.
• A vice is depraved; a vise squeezes.
• Vocal cords; strikes a chord.
• A smart aleck is a wise guy; a mobster is a wiseguy.
• X ray is a noun; X-ray is a verb or adjective.

HAPPY

• thrilled
• elated
• enthusiastic
• amused
• cheerful
• confident
• determined
• encouraged
• joyfull
• optimistic
• valued
• content
• peaceful
• pleased

BAD

• depressed
• devastated
• exhausted
• helpless
• hopeless
• hurt
• rejected
• empty
• miserable
• ashamed
• deprived
• wasted
• upset
• neglected
• isolated
• lonely
• disappointed
• distressed
• apathetic
• bad
• lost
• sorry

ANGRY

• abused
• betrayed
• enraged
• furious
• hostile
• humiliated
• outraged
• pissed off
• vindictive
• agitated
• annoyed
• disgusted
• frustrated
• harassed
• irritated
• offended
• resentful
• tolerant
• displeased
• uptight

SCARED

• afraid
• appalled
• fearful
• frantic
• horrified
• intimidated
• overwhelmed
• panicky
• petrified
• alarmed
• stunned
• insecure
• tense
• suspisious
• threatened
• uneasy
• shaken
• defensive
• anxious
• concerned
• doubtful
• impatient
• nervous
• perplexed
• reluctant
• shy
• timid
• unsure

CONFUSED

• baffled
• flustered
• ambivalent
• awkward
• hesitant
• perlexed
• puzzled
• torn
• bothered
• distracted
• surprised
• uncertain
• uncomfortable

INSULTS

• dumbass
• douche
• douchebag
• bastard
• asshole
• skank
• twat
• whore
• cunt
• thundercunt
• retard
• loser
• pussy
• loser
• shithole
• brat
• little fucker
• shitbag
• mouthfucker
• wanker
• bitch
• idiot
• cocksucker