Fifteen Thousand Useful Phrases
Grenville Kleiser
Play
Length 15 h 51 min
Chapters 164
First published 1917
A Practical Handbook of Pertinent Expressions, Striking Similes, Literary, Commercial, Conversational, and Oratorical Terms, for the Embellishment of Speech and Literature, and The Improvement of the Vocabulary of Those Persons Who Read, Write, and Speak English
Alt-BC: Lucy Burgoyne
Chapters
1
Introduction Read by Betsie Bush 12:20
2
Plan Of Study Read by Maria Morabe 4:52
3
Useful Phrases: abandoned hope - ample culture Read by Betsie Bush 5:13
4
Useful Phrases: amusing artlessness - azure sky Read by roolynninms 4:10
5
Useful Phrases: babbling gossip - bygone period Read by roolynninms 3:57
6
Useful Phrases: cabalistic phrase - collateral duties Read by roolynninms 2:47
7
Useful Phrases: collective wisdom - contingent reasons Read by roolynninms 2:43
8
Useful Phrases: continuous endeavor - cynical disregard Read by pallavy 4:07
9
Useful Phrases: damaging admission - diligently propagated Read by Diana Troldahl 6:27
10
Useful Phrases: dim comprehension - dynastic insolence Read by Diana Troldahl 5:51
11
Useful Phrases: eager animosity - entrancing sadness Read by David Barnes 5:50
12
Useful Phrases: enveloping presence - exultant condition Read by skern922 4:54
13
Useful Phrases: facetious mood - flickering conscience Read by E. Plein 2:53
14
Useful Phrases: flighty obstinacy - futile babble Read by pallavy 3:16
15
Useful Phrases: gabbling reminiscences - gymnastic agility Read by pallavy 4:31
16
Useful Phrases: habitual deference - hysterical agitation Read by pallavy 4:53
17
Useful Phrases: iconoclastic attitude - incipient fancy Read by Chris Chapman 7:05
18
Useful Phrases: incisive critic - inquisitional rack Read by Chris Chapman 5:45
19
Useful Phrases: inquisitive observer - isolated splendor Read by Kira Rutherford-Boese 5:46
20
Useful Phrases: jaded sensibility - lying equivocations Read by Kira Rutherford-Boese 5:30
21
Useful Phrases: maddening monotony - meteoric splendors Read by Linton 4:25
22
Useful Phrases: methodical regularity - mythical kingdom Read by Linton 3:51
23
Useful Phrases: naive manner - overworked drudge Read by Linton 6:19
24
Useful Phrases: pacific disposition - political malcontent Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) 7:26
25
Useful Phrases: polluting taints - pyrotechnic outburst Read by Denny Sayers (d. 2015) 8:56
26
Useful Phrases: quailing culprit - remarkable sagacity Read by Lisa Chau 3:20
27
Useful Phrases: remedial measure - ruthless commercialism Read by Jordan Mueller 2:33
28
Useful Phrases: sacerdotal preeminence - shuddering reluctance Read by Lisa Chau 4:49
29
Useful Phrases: shuffling preliminaries - starched sterility Read by Lisa Chau 5:02
30
Useful Phrases: starlit eminence - systematic interaction Read by Jordan Mueller 3:54
31
Useful Phrases: tacit assumption - tyrannical disposition Read by Lisa Chau 5:07
32
Useful Phrases: ubiquitous activity - undue predilection Read by Lisa Chau 4:04
33
Useful Phrases: undulating hills - unpalatable truth Read by Lisa Chau 4:07
34
Useful Phrases: unparalleled atrocities - utmost scorn Read by Lisa Chau 4:13
35
Useful Phrases: vacant stupidity - vulnerable foe Read by Lisa Chau 3:07
36
Useful Phrases: wabbling enterprise - zoologically considered Read by Heather Lambert 3:11
37
Significant Phrases: abashed and ashamed - awkwardness and crudity Read by Claire Goget 4:15
38
Significant Phrases: babel and confusion - civilized and cultured Read by Lisa Chau 4:52
39
Significant Phrases: clamorous and wild - cynical and contemptuous Read by Lisa Chau 5:06
40
Significant Phrases: dangers and pitfalls - digressive and wanton Read by Lisa Chau 3:39
41
Significant Phrases: dilatory and hesitating - dwindle and disappear Read by Shirley Donahue 4:44
42
Significant Phrases: eagerness and ecstasy - exuberant and infectious Read by Shirley Donahue 6:16
43
Significant Phrases: fabulous and fabricated - futile and untrustworthy Read by Lucy Burgoyne (1950-2014) 4:47
44
Significant Phrases: gaiety and grace - hypocrisy and impudence Read by Lucy Burgoyne (1950-2014) 5:17
45
Significant Phrases: ideas and achievements - indomitable and dogged Read by Lucy Burgoyne (1950-2014) 3:24
46
Significant Phrases: indorsed and applauded - isolated and detached Read by Julian Jamison 3:37
47
Significant Phrases: jabber and chatter - luxury and pomp Read by dhenderson 4:07
48
Significant Phrases: madness and folly - mystic and wonderful Read by dhenderson 2:55
49
Significant Phrases: nagging and squabbling - overworked and fagged Read by dhenderson 4:10
50
Significant Phrases: pains and penalties - puzzled and affected Read by Kathy 6:09
51
Significant Phrases: quackery and incompetence - rust and disuse Read by Kathy 4:58
52
Significant Phrases: sad and melancholy - spacious and lofty Read by Kathy 3:48
53
Significant Phrases: sparkling and spontaneous - sympathetic and consoling Read by jenneferdawn 4:06
54
Significant Phrases: taciturn and laconic - tyrant and oppressor Read by Scot Colford 4:48
55
Significant Phrases: unaccountable and grotesque - vulgar and artificial Read by Marwa Gamil 5:49
56
Significant Phrases: wandering and erratic - zigzag and deviating Read by twofistededitor 2:17
57
Felicitous Phrases: ability, humor, and perspicacity - busy, active, and toiling Read by Mochan42 4:11
58
Felicitous Phrases: curious, fantastic, and charming - calculated, logical, and dispassionate Read by Marwa Gamil 4:11
59
Felicitous Phrases: dwarfed, scant, and wretched - danger, difficulty, and hardship Read by Marwa Gamil 4:32
60
Felicitous Phrases: eagerness, heartiness, and vehemence - fustian, padding, and irrelevancy Read by Sandra Zera 4:35
61
Felicitous Phrases: gaunt, desolate, and despoiled - humor, fancy, and susceptibility Read by Brian Lojeck 3:40
62
Felicitous Phrases: idle, profuse, and profligate - luxurious, whimsical, and selfish Read by Brian Lojeck 4:20
63
Felicitous Phrases: magnificent, sumptuous, and stately - overriding, arrogant, and quarrelsome Read by Justin S Barrett 3:51
64
Felicitous Phrases: pain, toil, and privation - puzzles, tangles, and questionings Read by William Haseltine 3:45
65
Felicitous Phrases: quarrels, misunderstandings, and enmities - rush, roar, and shriek Read by Rohanna 2:38
66
Felicitous Phrases: sacredness, dignity, and loveliness - sympathy, service, and compassion Read by William Haseltine 4:05
67
Felicitous Phrases: talent, scholarship, and refinement - wrinkled, careworn, and pale Read by Marwa Gamil 5:08
68
Impressive Phrases: able, skilful,... - business, profession,... Read by Stephen Lamb 4:41
69
Impressive Phrases: candid, sincere,... - dull, heavy,... Read by Stephen Lamb 6:04
70
Impressive Phrases: earth, air,... - gross, academic,.. Read by Stephen Lamb 6:18
71
Impressive Phrases: habit, custom,... - lucidity, impressiveness,... Read by Stephen Lamb 5:41
72
Impressive Phrases: malice, anger,... - purpose, meaning,... Read by Stephen Lamb 5:40
73
Impressive Phrases: quack, imposture,... - symmetry, proportion,.. Read by Stephen Lamb 4:20
74
Impressive Phrases: tact, courtesy,... - worry, annoyance,... Read by Stephen Lamb 4:10
75
Prepositional Phrases "of": abandon of spontaneity - business of life Read by Joseph Etcheto 4:35
76
Prepositional Phrases "of": cadences of delirium - dust of defeat Read by Alex Foster 3:52
77
Prepositional Phrases "of": earnestness of enthusiasm - futility of pride Read by Joseph Etcheto 4:12
78
Prepositional Phrases "of": gaiety of spirit - irony of life Read by Joseph Etcheto 4:01
79
Prepositional Phrases "of": jangle of sounds - overflow of vitality Read by Joseph Etcheto 4:10
80
Prepositional Phrases "of": page of desolation - ruts of conventionality Read by Joseph Etcheto 4:52
81
Prepositional Phrases "of": sadness of soul - system of aspersion Read by Joseph Etcheto 3:34
82
Prepositional Phrases "of": taint of megalomania - zone of delusion Read by Joseph Etcheto 4:16
83
Prepositional Phrases "by": affected by externals - hushed by denial Read by Scot Colford 3:05
84
Prepositional Phrases "by": impelled by duty - wrenched by emotions Read by Precious 3:33
85
Prepositional Phrases "in": absorbed in meditation - kept in abeyance Read by Precious 3:16
86
Prepositional Phrases "in": landmarks in memory - weak in conception Read by Precious 3:47
87
Prepositional Phrases "into": abashed into silence - goaded into action Read by Joe Brenneman 1:59
88
Prepositional Phrases "into": hushed into silence - withdraw into solitude Read by Joe Brenneman 1:51
89
Prepositional Phrases "to": addicted to flattery - hostile to progress Read by Joe Brenneman 1:50
90
Prepositional Phrases "to": impervious to suggestion - yield to reason Read by Joe Brenneman 2:28
91
Prepositional Phrases "with": abounding with plenty - intoxicated with joy Read by Joe Brenneman 2:23
92
Prepositional Phrases "with": kindle with enthusiasm - work with zeal Read by liquidneutrino 2:29
93
Business Phrases Read by Karen Savage 24:37
94
Literary Expressions: A bitterness crept into her face - A nimble-witted opponent Read by Lee Elliott 6:53
95
Literary Expressions: A painful thought was flooding his mind - A wordless farewell Read by Joe Brenneman 6:27
96
Literary Expressions: Absolutely vulgarized by too perpetual a parroting - Awaiting his summons to the eternal silence Read by Ken Crooker 8:18
97
Literary Expressions: Bandied about from mouth to mouth - Dull black eyes under their precipice of brows Read by Ken Crooker 6:47
98
Literary Expressions: Earth danced under a heat haze - Guilty of girlish sentimentality Read by Heather Lawrence 4:06
99
Literary Expressions: Half choked by a rising paroxysm of rage - Humiliating paltriness of revenge Read by David Best 9:26
100
Literary Expressions: I capitulated by inadvertence - Kiss-provoking lips Read by David Best 5:06
101
Literary Expressions: Laden with the poignant scent of the garden honeysuckle - Rudely reminded of life's serious issues Read by Pete Darby 10:45
102
Literary Expressions: Sacrificed to a futile sort of treadmill - Swift summer into the autumn flowed Read by Heather Lawrence 7:27
103
Literary Expressions: Taking the larger sweeps in the march of mind - The hungry curiosity of the mind Read by C.L.Coney 8:09
104
Literary Expressions: The idiosyncratic peculiarities of thought - The swing of the pendulum through an arch of centuries Read by C.L.Coney 9:37
105
Literary Expressions: The tempered daylight of an olive garden - Twilight creeps upon the darkening mind Read by C.L.Coney 5:34
106
Literary Expressions: Unapproachable grandeur and simplicity - Your mind enthroned in the seventh circle of content Read by C.L.Coney 3:39
107
Striking Similes: A blind rage like a fire swept over him - And the smile she softly uses fills the silence like a speech Read by SueAnn Dozier 10:55
108
Striking Similes: As a child in play scatters... - Awkward as a cart-horse Read by Joe Brenneman 6:39
109
Striking Similes: Babbling like a child - Dull as champagne Read by Joe Brenneman 6:33
110
Striking Similes: Each like a corpse within its grave - Great scarlet poppies lay in drifts ... Read by Joe Brenneman 4:36
111
Striking Similes: Hair as harsh as tropical grass and gray as ashes - Hushed like a breathless lyre Read by Sandra Zera 9:19
112
Striking Similes: I had grown pure as the dawn and the dew - Kingdoms melt away like snow Read by Sandra Zera 3:36
113
Striking Similes: Laboring like a giant - Like a yellow silken scarf the thick fog hangs Read by Rohanna 7:03
114
Striking Similes: Like an alien ghost I stole away - Like sweet thoughts in a dream Read by Rohanna 6:31
115
Striking Similes: Like the awful shadow of some unseen power - Lovely the land unknown... Read by Rohanna 6:32
116
Striking Similes: March on my soul nor like the laggard stay - Quivering like an eager race-horse to start Read by Sarah Jennings 6:49
117
Striking Similes: Rage, rage ye tears, that never more should creep... - Swifter than the twinkling of an eye Read by Sandra Zera 10:25
118
Striking Similes: Talking and thinking became to him... - The music almost died away... Read by Marwa Gamil 6:35
119
Striking Similes: The name that cuts into my soul like a knife - Then the lover sighing like furnace Read by Betsie Bush 8:27
120
Striking Similes: Theories sprouted in his mind like mushrooms - Turning easily and securely as on a perfect axle Read by Betsie Bush 6:21
121
Striking Similes: Unbends like a loosened bow - Youth like a summer morn Read by Scot Colford 8:18
122
Conversational Phrases: A most extraordinary idea! - Human nature interests me very much indeed Read by C Pannier 6:38
123
Conversational Phrases: I admire your foresight - I could never forgive myself for that Read by Mark Mascolino 7:28
124
Conversational Phrases: I dare say your intuition is quite right - I seem to have heard that sentiment before Read by Precious 9:02
125
Conversational Phrases: I shall at once proceed to forget it - It has never occurred to me Read by Lee Ann Howlett 6:45
126
Conversational Phrases: It is a curious fact - It would take too long to formulate my thought Read by Heather Lawrence 6:17
127
Conversational Phrases: Join us, please, when you have time - Surely you would not countenance that Read by Ken Crooker 7:00
128
Conversational Phrases: Tell me in what way you want me to help you - True, I forgot! Read by Ken Crooker 6:38
129
Conversational Phrases: Undeniably true - Would you mind telling me your opinion? Read by Elizabeth Palmer 3:47
130
Conversational Phrases: Yes and no - Your statement is somewhat startling Read by Elizabeth Palmer 4:49
131
Public Speaking Phrases: A fact of vast moment - And next I would ask Read by Rose 7:29
132
Public Speaking Phrases: And now allow me to call attention - Away then with the notion Read by Scot Colford 8:01
133
Public Speaking Phrases: Be assured, then - But it has been suggested to me Read by Sandra Zera 4:55
134
Public Speaking Phrases: But it is a fact - By this time it will be suspected Read by Joe Brenneman 4:20
135
Public Speaking Phrases: Can it be supposed - Granting all this Read by Joe Brenneman 4:12
136
Public Speaking Phrases: Had I time for all that might be said - However, it is to me a very refreshing thing Read by Joe Brenneman 3:16
137
Public Speaking Phrases: I abide by my statement - I am willing to know Read by Jeff Wadden 6:16
138
Public Speaking Phrases: I anticipate with pleasing expectation - I distrust all general theories of Read by Joe Brenneman 7:39
139
Public Speaking Phrases: I do again and again urge upon you - I hasten to concede Read by Ken Crooker 8:10
140
Public Speaking Phrases: I have a dark suspicion - I hope you will not accuse me Read by Ken Crooker 11:49
141
Public Speaking Phrases: I imagine that no one will be disposed - I rejoice to think I remark here Read by Stephen Lamb 9:23
142
Public Speaking Phrases: I remember a reference made - I thank you very sincerely for the honor Read by David Best 9:41
143
Public Speaking Phrases: I think I am correct in saying - I yielded to the earnest solicitations Read by David Best 10:38
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Public Speaking Phrases: If any man be so persuaded - In widening our view Read by Ekpyrotic 10:38
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Public Speaking Phrases: Indeed, can anyone tell me - It is my present purpose Read by Sandra Zera 9:25
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Public Speaking Phrases: It is natural to ask the question - It may still more probably be said Read by Maura Walsh 5:38
147
Public Speaking Phrases: It must be a cause of delight - Just the reverse is true Read by Maura Walsh 5:21
148
Public Speaking Phrases: Language is inadequate to voice my appreciation - My regret is intensified by the thought Read by guava 8:23
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Public Speaking Phrases: Nay, I boldly say - Now, you will understand from this Read by Joe Brenneman 5:43
150
Public Speaking Phrases: Observe again - Surely it is not too much for me to say Read by Joe Brenneman 7:43
151
Public Speaking Phrases: Take another instance - The whole story of civilization Read by Holly 6:48
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Public Speaking Phrases: Then again, in corroboration - Think of the cool disregard Read by Betsie Bush 5:49
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Public Speaking Phrases: This absurdity arises - Very strange is this indeed Read by Don Powers 5:15
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Public Speaking Phrases: We all agree as to - What strikes the mind so forcibly Read by Jason Isbell 9:02
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Public Speaking Phrases: What, then, are we to believe - Your presence seems to say Read by Jason Isbell 6:57
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Miscellaneous Phrases: A bewildering labyrinth of facts - A pleasant flow of appropriate language Read by Joan Walton 7:01
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Miscellaneous Phrases: A pompous failure - Ample scope for the exercise of his astonishing gifts Read by Joan Walton 7:21
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Miscellaneous Phrases: An abandoned and exaggerated grief - Awaited with feverish anxiety Read by Heather Lawrence 6:03
159
Miscellaneous Phrases: Bandied to and fro - Dwindled to alarmingly small dimensions Read by Heather Lawrence 6:58
160
Miscellaneous Phrases: Easy-going to the point of lethargy - Hopelessly belated in its appearance Read by Luigina 9:30
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Miscellaneous Phrases: I adjured him - Its dominating and inspiring influence Read by Luigina 11:13
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Miscellaneous Phrases: Jealous and formidable foes - Quixotically generous about money Read by Luigina 10:34
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Miscellaneous Phrases: Radiantly and transparently happy - Swift and vehement outbursts of feeling Read by Jason Isbell 8:02
164
Miscellaneous Phrases: Take root in the heart - The sycophants of the rich Read by Nick Davies 12:00
From LibriVox, read by volunteers and in the public domain. LibriVox page (opens librivox.org) , the text (opens gutenberg.org) , all files on the Internet Archive (opens archive.org) .
