The Word Factory: Tailor-Make the Perfect Sentence

By Oscar Whinge

Unquestionably, The Word Factory is the perfect guide to better English Grammar and effortless writing.

According to one newspaper report, universities in England had begun to penalise students who employed incorrect grammar in their essays.

In South Africa, the analysis of seventy-four thousand short stories found that written work of children was littered with SMS language, American slang, exclamation marks, and references to celebrities.

All through my formative years, I had to contend with five different languagesEnglish, Afrikaans, and two other dialects, which for the most part, accounted for my inability to translate thought into words effortlessly and inhibited my willingness to participate in lively social discussions especially in the course of my high school years. However, possessed of determination, I had vowed to overcome that infirmity.

My need to succeed at all costs precipitated the memorisation of the entire Pocket Oxford Dictionary, an accomplishment that spanned ten long years, following which a further ten years were spent in acquainting myself with most English phrases, idiomatic expressions, and collecting the data and fully researching it. I decided to name the compilation The Word Factory.

The fruits of my efforts, but more specifically the extensive employment of The Word Factory, not only marked my rise onto the podiums as master of ceremonies and public speaker, but had also enabled me to write approximately twenty-five articles to the Cape Argus, Cape Towns pre-eminent newspaper, within the space of two years, with 100 per cent publication rate.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing Africa
• Release date: May 18, 2016
• ISBN: 9781482860313

Oscar Whinge

Oscar Whinge was born in South Africa and educated in Cape Town. After a long spell as executive in the retail world, he pursued his dream of becoming a writer- a small hobby that had evolved into a wildfire passion. He eventually worked as a proofreader/editor for university students and freelance writer. Writing under a different name, he had contributed about twenty-five articles to the Cape Argus, Cape Town’s pre-eminent newspaper, within the space of eighteen months.

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Copyright © 2016 by Oscar Whinge.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-4828-6032-0

                eBook         978-1-4828-6031-3

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Contents

1. {Abstinence. / Forgo. / Frugal. / Economical. /}

2. {Achievement. / Accomplishment. / Success. / Victory. / win. / obtain. / acquire. /}

3. {Women. / Beauty. / Handsome. / Adornment. / Family. /}

4. {Ultimate. / Supreme. / Maximum. /}

5. {Falsehood. / lies. / Bogus. / Inaccuracy. /}

6. {Dishonest. /}

7. {Computers. / Technology. / Science. /motoring. /}

8. {Affliction. / stricken. / Insensible. / wrought. / Grief. /}

9. {Oppressive. / harass. /}

10. {Gratitude. / gratify. / letter of thanks. /}

11. {Stupid. / Idiot. /insult. /}

12. {Dislike. / Hatred. / Contempt. / disdain. / envy. /scorn. /}

13. {Jealousy. / envy. /}

14. {Anger. / rage. / Fury. / annoy. / irritate. /}

15. {Devil. /diabolical. /}

16. {Rudeness. / Obnoxious. / Offensive. / unrefined. / Impropriety. / Unsuitable. /}

17. {Distasteful. / Unpleasant. / low-class. /}

18. {Captivate. / spell. / fascinate. / enthral. / distract. / Charismatic. /}

19. {Contentment. / Happiness. / enchanted. / thrilled. / Proud. / Enjoyment. / celebrate. / party.}

20. {Excitement. / wonder. / Animation. / Passion. / abandon. / Devotion. /}

21. {Admiration. / Applause. / impress. /}

22. {Pleasant. / Nice. / Delightful. / Amiable. / Charitable. / Sympathy. /}

23. {Kind. / Chivalrous. / Friendly. / Assistance. / Virtue. / Responsible. /}

24. {Money matters. /spending. / benefits. / abuse. / Prosperity. / Wasteful. /}

25. {Business. /}

26. {Economics. /}

27. {Economics and politics. /}

28. {Finance. /}

29. {Politics. / Governments. /}

30. {The record. / Legal. /}

31. {Criminal Investigation. / Trial Procedures. /}

32. {Crime. / Criminal. / Perpetrator. /}

33. {Steal. / rob. / crook. /}

34. {Prison. / jail. /}

35. {Religion. /}

36. {Power. / Greatness. / Iconic. /}

37. {Boss. / Leader. /}

38. {Dominance. / Authority. /prevail. /}

39. {Tyranny. / Terror. / Villainy. /Cruel. / Evil. / Badness. /}

40. {Attack. / Fight. / conflict. / Violence. / Aggression. / challenge. /}

41. {Punishment. / Retribution. / torture. /}

42. {Informed. / education. / Intelligence. / Knowledge. / reason. / experience. /}

43. {Freedom. / Liberty. / rights. / Life. /}

44. {Love. / Infatuation. / romance. / Flirt. / tantalize. /}

45. {Stir into action. / activate. / influence. / beginning. / transport. / Use. /}

46. {Purpose. / Intention. / Objective. / Ambition. /}

47. {Truth. /Truthful. / Genuine. / Loyal. / promise. /}

48. {Honour. / Virtue. / Straight path. / Goodness. / Honesty. / sacrifice. /}

49. {Respect. /}

50. {Disparagement. / affront. / disrespect. /}

51. {Dilemma. / Difficulty. / Problems. / Unable. / Incapable. /}

52. {Suggest. / import. / imply. / indicate. /Inferences. / Allusions. / explain. /}

53. {Proclaim. / assert. /}

54. {Surpass. / Exceedingly. /Pushing the limits. / Beyond the pale. /}

55. {Progress. / advance. / evolve. / change. / expand. /}

56. {Determination. / resolve. / endure. / Optimism. /}

57. {Destruction. / destroy. / dismantle. /break up. /}

58. {Marriage related. /}

59. {Pressure. / pressurise. / persuade. / force. / obligation. /}

60. {Enhance. /overdo. / exaggerates. / Excessive. /}

61. {Secret. /}

62. {Gossip. /rumour. /expose. / disclose. /}

63. {Eloquence. / articulate. /}

64. {Separate the men from the boys. / differentiate. / put to the test. /}

65. {Consequence. / ramify. / Outcome. /}

66. {Demand. /Demanding. / instruct. / Imperious. / Peremptory. / Robust. / Forceful. /}

67. {Class and class-distinction. / Manners. / breeding. / Snobbish. /}

68. {Disaster. / Failure. / defeat. /despair. / bow out. / disappoint. /}

69. {Recommend. / propose. / promulgate. / introduce. /}

70. {Delicious. / food. /}

71. {Nonsense. / Gibberish. /}

72. {Reluctance. / disinclined. / indisposed. / Unwilling. /recede. /}

73. {Servants. / Worker. /employment. /}

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

A great writer once said, The true artist or writer will let his wife starve; his children go barefoot, his mother drudge for his living at seventy, sooner than work at anything but his art; and thus my narrative is precisely defined.

I am deeply grateful to my wife for her endurance as well as my offspring who said to me, at a time when my business teetered on the point of diminishing returns, inflicting severe mental anguish, Dad, give up the business, stay at home and finish your book; WE WILL SUPPORT YOU!

A SHORT HISTORY

My name is Oscar Whinge, author of THE WORD FACTORY. I was born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1956 and matriculated at the Oaklands High School in Lansdowne in 1975. All credit to the exquisite teaching methods of two of the grand-masters of the English language: Messrs’ Riedewaan Dolly and Norman Abrahams that had spawned the passion that I now possess for the English language.

To this purpose, I enrolled at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in pursuit of a BA degree: with English and History as majors in 1976 B.C. (before computers). However, Fate had decreed that I would alter my course after two years in favour of a love-interest consigning my passion for the language to an avocation.

Once wedded bliss had been duly established, I eventually returned to my preoccupation of reading: sadly, however, it remained an avid avocation preceded, as needs must, by a successful career in retailing. Yet reading and constantly making reference to a dictionary soon took on the shape of a maddening vexation that sparked off another extreme decision- to suspend all further reading until I had securely committed the entire dictionary to memory; following which, back in 1991, at the age of 35, I embarked on a protracted and gruelling journey of memorizing the pocket Oxford Dictionary; a task that would span 10 long interrupted years. Finally, in the year 2001, at the age of 45, the colossal task was successfully completed and my reading resumed- this time without the use of a dictionary. By then I had also established my own business.

I was always fascinated by the colourful nature of the works of the grandmasters of literature: Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes; Charles Dickens’s Tale of two cities; Alexander Dumas’s Count of Monte Cristo; and more recently, the books of PG Wodehouse, whom I have furiously featured in The Word Factory.

I soon submitted myself to noting down reams and reams of cleverly contrived sentences for whimsical reasons; perhaps for future reference I imagined; but the conquering of one ridge only revealed another ridge beyond: I had then discovered a whole new fluorescent world of phrases, proverbs, quotations and axioms: and virtually drowned in it. My office (or reading sanctuary, as I preferred to call it) was littered with books and more books; they make the most charming furniture, I fancied. I desperately required an additional life-term.

By 2011, I had amassed a wealth of literary material in the form of manuscripts consisting of roughly 30 000 sentences; almost a million words; a few thousand phrases, proverbs, axioms; and clueless of what to do with them. Then in August of that year, my business went belly-up and I subsequently entered the contractual employ of Statistics S.A., a government organization. Computer-literacy (which was a closed-book to me at the time) was an implicit requirement for the position that I held: Accordingly, I jumped to the stirrup to get myself acquainted. What better avenue to get started than by transposing the contents of the manuscripts onto computer?

THE COMPUTER: the answer to all my problems. That I had to discover this modern piece of equipment that the march of civilization demands at this radical stage of its development was unforgivable. What planet was I on?

Various specialists whom I was related to, more significantly my son, an I.T. specialist, patiently and unflinchingly conducted me through the intricate convolution of processes: and each expert impressed with my collection. Thus the extraordinary convergence of circumstances that all ensued this new development proceeded to yield the (as yet) indeterminate fruits of my labour. The confluence of so many ideas and suggestions that I am so grateful for had eventually morphed into this mammoth I have chosen to name: THE WORD FACTORY-(of which this publication (Volume 1 [of 3]) contains more than 13000 sentences and over 2300 pages.

I sincerely hope it will be as enjoyable for you to use this factory as it has been for me to compile it: and also in employing it to formulate this short history

PREFACE

The first of three volumes of 232 semantic concepts, this compilation consists of 73 semantics concepts and a wealth of over 13000 sentences employed by authors of esteem, such as PG Wodehouse, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and modern material of merit and sound literary value that deals with most subjects exhaustively. Each subject matter is a composite of interpretations, synonyms, phrases, idiomatic expressions and comparable expressions that attempts to cover its wide spectra of usage in a manner that assures the user maximum benefit. In other words, a subject group or semantic concept (a term borrowed from the Oxford Thesaurus) such as purpose, intention, objective is exemplified in over 50 different respects so as to effectively ensure the student locates material relative to his project- perfect for matriculation and university level.

The WORD FACTORY offers a fabulous dimension that assists the user in the construction of a complete sentence, which essentially, I have selected as the Factory’s goal. Equally, it may provide the user with an improved sentence, or offer a more precise expression to his thoughts, as well as the opportunity to embroider his sentences.

TESTIMONY OF SUCCESS

In 2013, The Word Factory underwent a case study at the Economics Faculty (foundation phase) of the University of the Western Cape involving about 50 students and scored a whopping success rate of 98 percent.

DISCLAIMER

The facts and opinions expressed in this publication do not in any way reflect the views of the author. They belong to everybody and they are there for what they’re worth; you may thus make what use of this you please.

HOW TO USE THE E-BOOK

So how does THE WORD FACTORY work as an e-book? Well, it works in three different ways, each offering plenty of advantages:

1. Stimulate your thought processes:

Supposing that the subject of your essay is about an objective; then refer to the index and by employing the software’s ctrl+find operation, enter the word objective or the first 3 letters of the word obj. A match will be provided instantaneously: the following group of words, which we term a semantic concept (a term borrowed from the Oxford Thesaurus), will at once appear: {Purpose. / Intention. / Objective. / Ambition. /}

However, if no match is found, the user will resort to browsing through the index of 73 different semantic concepts in order to locate a group of words that may best represent his subject.

He will then approach the Word Factory and in order to arrive directly at the subject matter, enter one of the words of the semantic concept in the following format: objective. / i.e. objective-dot-space-slash. In so doing, he will avoid navigating legions of sentences containing the word ‘objective’ within its context and otherwise.

The user will proceed by browsing cursorily through the exhaustive material provided under that heading and will discover that this is where the magic begins. Virtually all that can be said or had been said upon the subject will be on offer and he will suddenly find this stimulating for the brain.

The thought processes kick into gear immediately. Words, sentences, phrases and expressions that are related to the user’s subject will jump at him and these will form the core material for his essay. Once he has concluded his reading or noting down these words, phrases or expressions, his essay will have practically written itself. By all accounts, writing the essay around the acquired material will become ‘child’s play’ to put it bluntly.

2. Research specific words

The user may also research a particular word by merely entering that word by using ctrl+find. He will then be presented with:

-synonyms and related words

-a dictionary meaning

-the word used in a sentence within and outside of its context

-related sentences

-embroidered sentences

-related phrases and idiomatic expressions

-sentences in which the word is presented in periphrasis (a roundabout way of saying something)

-qualifying adjectives and adverbs

NB: In order to search for synonyms simply enter the word and forward slash eg, weak/

*In fact this method is probably the most straightforward technique in order to locate the targeted examples: simply enter a synonym or concept-word followed by slash.

3. Some sentences may relate to more than one semantic concept: as an examplel, consider the following cluster.

-The violence did not influence the outcome of the wage talk. {Sunday Times} (Ineffectual/ not producing the intended effect / had no effect/was a waste of time/ indecisive/ weak/ unsuccessful/ useless/ hopeless/ inadequate/ inefficient/ fruitless/ unproductive/ futile/ ineffective/ useless/ unrewarding/ wasted/ failed/ a losing battle to sway the talks/ trying to accomplish the impossible/ wave a dead chicken/ Useless attempt with no hope of success/ a futile effort,)

~ Still, such actions are highly ineffective. (Will not influence)

~ The manoeuvre failed to produce the desired results. (It missed the cut)

~ Violence was a losing battle to influence talks.

~ By using violence, they tried to accomplish the impossible.

This cluster of sentences will find a home in the following two semantic concepts:

{Money matters. /},

{Attack. / assault. / assail. / Violence. / Aggression. / annoy. / irritate. /}

In which case, this particular cluster will be repeated twice making the search and location of any concept so much easier; such is the nature of this compilation.

The technique employed in locating a word and its dynamics is basically by entering the base form of the word.

e.g. supposing the user wishes to explore the word determination. Then by using ctrl+find, enter the base form of the word determin. By clicking the arrows to continue your search, the software will now navigate you through the entire range available by adding all the inflections. See below:

Determin-e

Determin-ation

Determin-er

Determin-ate

Determin-ed

In-determin-ate

Pre-determin-e

And so on and so forth; however, this merely serves to inform of the dynamics of the application and the user is welcome to employ any method that seizes his fancy.

In this fashion, I succeeded in getting 24 articles published by the Western Cape’s premier newspaper, The Cape Argus, given that I was initially unable to pick up a pen and randomly write anything with the required grammatical proficiency; I had to create a resource, which is this Word Factory that ultimately enabled me to write something worthy of being published.

Thank you

Oscar Whinge

THE WORD FACTORY

Tailor-make the perfect sentence

{Abstinence. / Forgo. / Frugal. / Economical. /}

-The chateau was being run on lines of the strictest teetotalism (complete abstinence from alcohol/ free from alcohol/ alcohol-free/ abstemiousness/ abstinence and self-denial/ abstention/ sobriety/ asceticism/ prohibition/ temperance/ non-indulgence/ be on the wagon/ascetic devotion)

~ Take, for example, the editor of the Newspacket. I suppose there wasn’t a greater temperance advocate in town. {Stephen Leacock, Sunshine Sketches} (One who publicly supports and recommends the prohibited use or total abstention from alcoholic liquors)

-They gave her a sobriety test. (The state or quality of being sober {Dictionary.com} abstemiousness/ abstinence/ temperance/ moderation/ soberness/ clear-headedness/ calm/ sedateness/ staidness)

~ Don’t break your sobriety.

~ He preached sobriety to everyone he met.

-I’ll just have a club soda with a twist of lime please. I’m on the wagon you know. (Teetotal {Oxford Dictionary}/ abstemious/ abstinent /dry/ non-drinking/ sober/ clear-headed/ temperate/ moderate/ restrained)

~ After 10 dry years, he’s fallen off the wagon again. (Resumed his drinking habit)

~ He did eliminate it (the liquor habit), save for mild relapses on festive occasions {American Winston Churchill, a Far Country} (falling off the wagon)

~ He had a low tolerance level to alcohol; he got drunk easily.

~ He had a legendary hollow leg.

-None of the lubricated members of the town’s drinking circuit ever committed murder. (Hard drinkers/ social drinkers/ alcoholics/ boozy /vinous/ spirituous/ boozer/ toper/ spongers/ guzzlers/ drunkards/ sots/ tippler/ wino/ dipsomaniacs/ inebriate/ bibber/ alko/ Alco)

~ We drank enough between us to fill a bath. (Gallons)

-In my state of clairvoyance, I perceived that he was a better man, than I, and that his lapses proceeded from a love of liquor and the transcendent sense of good-fellowship that liquor brings. {American Winston Churchill, a Far Country} (Lying beyond the ordinary range of perception {Farlex} unlimited/ otherworldly/ mystical/ awe-inspiring/ great/ supreme/ unequalled/ unmatched/ divine/ perfect/ moving/ grand, extraordinary and sublime/ superior/ excellent/ consoling and inspiring/ a relish for the sublime)

~ If merely ‘feeling good’ could decide, drunkenness would be the supremely valid human experience. {William James}

-Lunch was frugal in content and short in duration. (Below the standard in extent, quantity, duration, etc.: short measure/having a scanty or insufficient amount of (often followed by in or on){Dictionary.com}) (Figure of speech-apposition: The placement side-by-side of two coordinate elements (noun phrases), viz. [Lunch was ‘frugal’ and ‘short in duration’], the second of which serves to identify or rename the first/ thrifty/ prudent/ economical/ sparing/ penny-wise/ parsimonious/ meagre/ not enough/ too little/ insufficient/ inadequate/ paltry/ bitty/ grudging, wretched and frugal/ excessively frugal)

~ Lunch was frugal today. {David Williams, ‘Unholy Writ’.} (Economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful: {Dictionary.com)

~ Some (money) had been saved enough for him and Nancy to live on in the old house, with careful economy. {American Winston Churchill, a Far Country}

~ -He was frugal about the gifts but they were cute. (Cheap; not costly/ cheapjack= seller of inferior goods, typically one at a fair or market/ of inferior quality {Oxford Dictionary}/ on the cheap= at a low cost {Oxford Dictionary})

-Abstinence is a good thing, but it should always be practiced in moderation. {Anonymous} (A voluntary restraint from any indulgence of appetite, and from the use of alcoholic beverages/Self-denial/ self-restraint/ self-discipline/ moderation/ asceticism/ severity/ austerity/ abstemious/ starkness) Figure of speech- apposition: The placement side-by-side of two coordinate elements (noun phrases).

~ Abstinence had quickened his faculties. {Alexandre Dumas, the Count of Monte Cristo}

~ He slept so badly, after this effort of self-denial, for want of the composing effect of the tobacco to which he was used, and came down morning after morning looking so haggard and worn, that Miss Rachel herself begged him to take to his cigars again. {Wilkie Collins, the Moonstone}

~ He would fight it out resolutely.

-At your age, you are still going strong. (Continuing to be healthy, vigorous or successful/ still carry the world before you/ healthy, hale, sound, and wholesome/ fit/ well/ strong/ vigorous/ in good physical shape/ hale and hearty/ in the pink/ in fine fettle/ healthful/ successful/ fruitful/ positive/ effective/ efficacious/ popular/ prosperous/ up-and-coming/ well-off/ many a tune can still be played on this fiddle/ Bring something off= achieve something successfully {Oxford Dictionary}/ Carry all before one= overcome all opposition {Oxford Dictionary})

~ There were many Hutchinses in Elkington… But there is always one supreme Hutchins, and Ezra was he: tall, self-contained, elderly, but well preserved through frugal living. {American Winston Churchill, a Far Country}

-We’ve decided to abstain from involvement.(To refrain from something by one’s own choice {Farlex} keep off/ do without/ go without/ avoid/ lay off/ not touch/ shun/ have nothing to do with/ turn your back on/ steer clear of/ disdain/ give up/ desist)

~ My wife abstained from waking me at the usual hour this morning. (Did not/ resisted/ refrained/ withdrew/ withheld/ curbed/ kerbed/ avoided/ back down/ back off/ stay away from/ stay clear of)

-I will not relinquish command just yet. (To withdraw or retreat from: leave behind/ give up/ to renounce or surrender (a possession, right, etc.) {Merriam Webster}/surrender/ abandon/ renounce/ resign/ give up/ stand down/ hand over/ bow out/ turn down/ let go by/ let pass)

~ All hope was relinquished.

~ In March Warren East, the company’s chief executive, said he would stand down in July after 12 years in the top job. (To leave a witness stand/ to withdraw, as from active duty/ to end a state of readiness or alert/ to go off duty/ resign/ step down/ quit/ bow out/ give up/ call it a day)

-He was looking at the matter altruistically. (Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness {Farlex}/ an unselfish soul/ selflessly/ nobly/ self-sacrificingly/ philanthropically/ charitably/ generously/ kindly/ sympathetically/ graciously/ benevolently/ tolerantly/ considerately/ Cast one’s bread upon the waters= do good without expecting gratitude or reward {Oxford Dictionary}/ Boon to society/ humane, gentle, kind, and generous)

~ My wife is a selfless altruist who, with no motive of personal gain, simply raced about the place doing good to all and sundry. (The milk of human kindness/ loving-kindness)

~ These necessary transactions did not interfere in any way with his personal relationships, and his days were filled with kindnesses. {American Winston Churchill, a Far Country}

~ They have a perceptible and prevailing colour of good nature… {GK Chesterton, Autobiography}

-Hers is a life of martyrdom for the sake of the family. (A conscious willingness to put others’ needs and wants first. Ideally, this is an act of compassion out of choice rather than just a performance / the condition, sufferings, or death of a martyr/ extreme suffering; torment/ suffering/ misery/ pain/ sacrifice/ endurance/ expense/ cost / scapegoat/ forego/ forfeit /surrender/ lose/ give up/ ascetic/ austere/ abstinent/ frugal/ abstemious/ Spartan/ severe/ gallant, ardent, fearless, and self-sacrificing)

~ He sacrificed the vulgar prizes of life. {Fifteen thousand phrases}

-Repulsive little squirt would be a more apposite description, but then you’re a charitable chap, Timothy. {David Williams, ‘Unholy Writ’.} (Mild or tolerant in judging others; lenient/full of love and generosity/ Generous in giving money or other help to the needy {Farlex} tolerant and kindly/ considerate/ understanding/ accepting/ sympathetic/ tolerant/ gracious/ lenient/ indulgent/ give somebody the benefit of the doubt/ Nice/ exceedingly generous/ benevolent/ giving/ altruistic/ helpful/ liberal/ bountiful/ open-handed/ Cast one’s bread upon the waters= do good without expecting gratitude or reward {Oxford Dictionary}/ The romantic ardour of a generous mind/ Generous to a pathetic and touching degree/ large-hearted and magnanimous)

~ There are charitable organizations that help the needy. (Generous in giving money or other help to the needy)

-I cannot refrain, even at the risk of needless iteration, from quoting a further example. {Stephan Leacock} (To abstain from an impulse to say or do something {Dictionary.com} desist/ abstain/ cease/ renounce/ hold back/ avoid doing/ leave off/ stop/ discontinue/ halt/ control myself/ A sudden uncontrollable outburst of feeling/ uncontrollable delight)

~ Please desist from making that noise. (To stop doing something {Farlex})

-Both brother and sister remained celibate all their lives. (A person who abstains from sexual relations/ remain unmarried, especially for religious reasons/ Unmarried/ single/ unwed/ bachelor/ spinster/ abstinent/ abstemious/ continent/ virgin (al)/ pure/ chaste/ unsullied/ undefiled/ virtuous/ immaculate/ stay away from sex)

-Her chastity is still intact. (The condition or quality of being pure or chaste/ Virginity /abstention from all sexual intercourse/she is still a virgin/ Chastity/ virginity/ continence/ abstemious/ ascetic/ pure/ chaste/ unsullied/ Undefiled/ virtuous/ immaculate/Purity/ continence/ maidenhood/ celibacy/ abstinence/ abstention/ abstemiousness/ self-restraint/ forbearance/ chaste and refined/ as chaste as the icicle/ pure as the azure above them/ pure as the naked heavens/ virgin grace)

~ She was a nun and had taken a vow of chastity. {Oxford Thesaurus}

-27 years of incarceration, failed to chink the Spartan armour of Nelson Mandela. (Rigorously self-disciplined or self-restrained / firm in purpose or belief/ characterized by firmness and determination/ Simple/austere/ severe/ frugal/ ascetic/ plain/ disciplined/ extreme/ strict/ stern/ bleak/ rigorous/ stringent/ abstemious/ self-denying)

~ He submitted himself to a Spartan diet. (Sparing in consumption of especially food and drink/ Simple, frugal, or austere {Farlex}

-He was an abstemious guest. {Alexandre Dumas, the Count of Monte Cristo} (Sparing or moderate in eating and drinking/ temperate in diet/ ate very little/ self-denying/ self-disciplined/ moderate/ ascetic/ sober/ temperate/ teetotal/ austere/ abstinent/ frugal/ Spartan/ severe/ abstainer) antonym: unrestrained

-He lived year in and year out, covered with moss, in a remote village down in Lincolnshire, never coming up even for the Eton and Harrow match. {PG Wodehouse}) (Someone who lives in voluntary seclusion or isolation from the public and society / hermit/ reclusive/ isolated/ retired/ withdrawn from public life/ cloistered/ ascetic/ lazy/ leisure/ antisocial/ loner/ solitary/mouldering/ eremite= a hermit or recluse, especially one under a religious vow/ off the beaten track= in or into an isolated place {Oxford Dictionary})

~ He lived as modestly as a hermit.

-I made myself reclusive at the function. (A recluse is a person who lives in voluntary seclusion from the public and society {Wikipedia}/ describes a desire for seclusion or privacy/ isolated/ cloistered/ solitary/ withdrawn/ secluded/ lone/ antisocial/ ascetic/ unsociable/ unfriendly/ reserved/ keep to oneself/ kept to myself) antonym: sociable

~ He was an awkwardly social individual. (Solitary and sorely smitten soul)

-You emerge from your hermitage to provide your legion of admirers with one crisply produced state-of-the art rock n roll masterpiece. {Gary Trudeau} (The habitation of a hermit/ any secluded place of residence or habitation/ retreat/ hideaway/ haven/ sanctuary/ refuge/ hidey-hole/ asylum/ hide-out/ den/ shelter/ protection /isolation) {Dictionary.com}

~ Finally, after struggling for a time to keep up a connection in social circles, he gave it up and became a sort of hermit. {PG Wodehouse, the Rough Stuff} (One who lives in seclusion from society)

-I am exceedingly moderate in my potations. (Keeping within reasonable or suitable limits / reasonable/ moderate/ sensible/ restrained/ temperate/ adequate/ abstemious/ ascetic/ teetotal/ sober/ self-denying/ self-disciplined/ moderate and cautious)

~ Economy in pleasure is not to my taste. {Casanova]

-In spite of all that milk of human kindness, he had been consistently aloof and austere. {PG Wodehouse} (Reserved, unresponsive or reticent; indifferent/stern and cold in appearance or manner/ sombre/ grave/ morally strict/ ascetic/ serious / solemn/ grim/ earnest/ unsmiling/ austere and icy/ calm and sombre/ as austere as a Roman matron)

-No gleam of success came to brighten his austere face. {Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ‘Sherlock Holmes’} (Stern and cold in appearance or manner/sombre, grave {Merriam Webster}/ serious/ strict/ stern/ grave/ rigorous/ stark/ harsh/ Spartan/ grim/ severe/ unsmiling/ harsh/ ascetic/ rigid/ sombre/ severity / asceticism/ seriousness/ self-denial/ restrictive/ harsh and austere/ Moulded by the austere hand of adversity)

~ His manner was unquestioningly austere.

~ His religion seemed woven all of austerity, contained no shining threads to catch my eye. Dreams, to him, were matters for suspicion and distrust. {American Winston Churchill, a Far Country}

-There’s that sardonic smile which occasionally broke through his ascetic gloom. {Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – Sherlock Holmes} (A person who leads an austerely simple life, especially one who abstains from the normal pleasures of life or denies himself or herself material satisfaction/ austere/ frugal/ abstemious/ Spartan/ severe/ abstainer/ celibate/ puritan/ penitent)

~ But of what use were such riches as his when his religion and morality compelled him to banish from him all the joys in the power of riches to bring? {American Winston Churchill, a Far Country} (Asceticism)

-My portion of food was Lent en four. (Meagre and not containing meat/ modest/ paltry/ insufficient/ parsimonious/ ungenerous/ miserly/ frugal/ little/ meagre/ austere)

-She’ll have to forgo those medicines. (to give up the enjoyment or advantage of : do without {Merriam Webster}/ Relinquish/ refuse/ sacrifice/ waive/ decline/ skip/ miss/ omit/ give up/ pass by/ abstain from/ go without/ do without/ give something a miss/ not bother with/ turn down)

-Lucky swore off most addictive substances. (To decide to stop doing or using something {Farlex}/renounced/ eschew/ avoid/ shun/ abjure/ disdain/ have nothing to do with/ steer clear of/ give a wide berth to/ fight shy of/ turn your back on/ abstain from/ give up)

-Foodstuff containing meat is eschewed by vegetarians (To avoid; shun {Farlex}/ not liked/ shunned/ renounced/ refrained from/ disdained/ abjured/ steered clear of/ keep a wide berth/ condemned/ balked at/ avoided/ shied away from/ swear off/ stay away from)

~ The Blue Bulls eschewed the penalty opportunities presented to them to go for goal. (Decided not to go for goal)

-With the continuous rise in the price of fuel, it is time to trim our sails. (Make changes to suit your new circumstances/ cut your suit according to your cloth/ be frugal/ thrifty/ prudent/ economical/ sparing/ careful/ penny-wise/ parsimonious/ penny-pinching/ tight/ stingy/ meagre/ tighten one’s belt= cut one’s expenditure {Oxford Dictionary}/ Cut your coat to suit your cloth)

-Try to use less water and close the tap while brushing your teeth. Waste not; want not. (If you use a commodity or resource carefully and without extravagance you will never be in need/ save/ go/sparingly/ frugally / economically/ in moderation/ thriftily / carefully / cautiously / parsimoniously / Tighten one’s belt= cut one’s expenditure {Oxford Dictionary})

-My budget was tighter than a tourniquet. (austere= without excess, luxury, or ease; simple; limited; severe/austerity measure= strict measures that are undertaken by a government to help bring expenditures more in line with revenues.{Dave Manuel} / ascetic/ in short supply/ parsimonious/ curtailed/ scrooge/ economic/ frugal/ spare/ pennywise/ thrifty/ careful/ cautious/ Tighten one’s belt= cut one’s expenditure {Oxford Dictionary}/ Close-fisted= unwilling to spend money/ mean {Oxford Dictionary}/ Unduly desirous of keeping that which many meritorious persons wish to obtain {The Cynic’s Wordbook})

~ I’ve had to pinch and save to be able to buy this guitar. (Be miserly)

-That’s it for me; enough is as good as a feast. I fancy I shall be abstemious from here on. (Moderation is more satisfying than excess/ I’ve had enough/ exercise temperance/ not overeat or binge/ exercise moderation/ I’ve had an excellent sufficiency)

-Very well, if it must be so, it must. And gravely glancing at Mr Darcy, "There is a fine old saying, which everybody here is of course familiar with: ‘Keep your breath to cool your porridge; and I shall keep mine to swell my song." {Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice} (Save my energy for the song/ save your breath for something useful/ keep quiet and get on with it/ don’t waste your time arguing/ waste one’s breath= talk or give advice without effect {Oxford Dictionary})

-If you’re looking for a good car without breaking the bank, look no further. (Cost more than you can afford {Oxford Dictionary} that you can afford/ expensive/ cost an arm and a leg/ costly / pricy/ high-priced/ steep/ dear/ tighten one’s belt= cut one’s expenditure {Oxford Dictionary})

~ A high steaks player is about to break the bank. (Alludes to casino gambling, in the rare event when a gambler wins more money than the house has on hand)

~ Let’s eat out tonight. It will hardly break the bank. (Tag: set you back/ make a hole in the pocket)

~ So, cheer up, Captain; and buy a flower from a poor girl. Surely, it won’t break the bank. {George Bernard Shaw adapted}

-He had so much family and could dispense with any more. (To manage without; forgo or do without/ to get rid of; do away with {Farlex}/ go without/ do without/ not bother with/ miss/ omit/ pass by/ keep off/ abstain from /get rid of/ dispose of/ throw away/ throw out/ do away with/ abolish)

~ At a time like this, I would prefer to dispense with his society.

~ Let’s dispense with the formalities.

{Proverbs/ quotes}

Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess. {Oscar Wilde}

Nothing recedes like success. {Walter Winchell}

Worth

What costs little, is less esteemed

That thing which is rare is dear

Virtue is found in the middle

Safety lies in the middle course

Take no more on than you’re able to bear

Don’t stretch your arm further than your sleeves can reach

Take not a musket to kill a butterfly or a sledgehammer to crack a nut

Burn not your house to fright the mouse away

Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater

Too much of a good thing is bad

Too much honey cloys the stomach

If in excess, even nectar is poison (tag: too much of a good thing is bad/ cloying)

Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess {Oscar Wilde}

Mirth without measure is madness

A little wind kindles, much puts out the fire

Every extremity is a fault

Extreme law is extreme wrong

Cannibals are not vegetarians. They are humanitarians

(Implies that to apply a law to the letter, without taking any extenuating circumstances onto account, is a form of injustice)

Too far east if west

From the sublime to the ridiculous is only a step

Extremes are dangerous

A balanced diet is a cookie in both hands

Drinking

When the wine is in, the wit is out

Drunkenness does not produce faults; it discovers them

When wine sinks, words swim

Wine does not intoxicate men: men intoxicate themselves

Bacchus has drowned more men than Neptune

Water is the king of food

Adam’s ale (water) is the best brew

Of all victuals, drink digests the quickest

Dieting is just wishful shrinking

Why buy a cow when milk is so cheap

{Achievement. / Accomplishment. / Success. / Victory. / win. / obtain. / acquire. /}

-Would you like to hear of some of my accomplishments? (Something carried out or completed successfully; an achievement/instance of carrying into effect {Farlex}/ successes/ accomplishments/ achievements/ feats/ Attainments/ triumphs/ coups/ exploits/ realizations/ victories/ activities/ actions/ events/ happenings/ goings-on/ deeds/ undertakings/ endeavours/ fulfilments/ executions/ consummations/ conquests/ Bring something off= achieve something successfully {Oxford Dictionary}/ Carry all before one= overcome all opposition {Oxford Dictionary}/ pride in success/ He grew wanton with success/ reaches of achievement)

-Not too shabby for someone who slept on the floor, hey? (Figure of speech: Litotes/not bad/ nice; well-done/ congratulations/ hurrah/ good for you/ way to go/ good job/ hooray/ good on you/ hurray/ Bully for you! = An expression of admiration or approval {Oxford Dictionary})

- The crown of literature is poetry. It is its end and aim. It is the sublimest activity of the human mind. It is the achievement of beauty and delicacy. The writer of prose can only step aside when the poet passes. {Anonymous} (A great or heroic deed/ attainment/ feat/ accomplishment/ success/ triumph/ realization/ realisation/ knightly achievement/ master achievement/ worthy achievement/ inspiring achievement/ veritable triumph)

-The acquisition of the shipping contract was one of my many triumphs. (To be victorious or successful; win {Farlex} / gladness, exaltation, and triumph/ note of triumph/ victories/ achievements/ successes/ accomplishments / coups/ feats/ joys/ rejoicings/ prides/ elations/ delights/ satisfactions/ jubilations/ conquests/ exultations/ glees/ Bring something off= achieve something successfully {Oxford Dictionary}/ Carry all before one= overcome all opposition {Oxford Dictionary}/) antonyms: sorrows/ failures

~ Half-suffocated by his triumph.

-There was a box-office appeal to this matter. (The drawing power of a theatrical entertainment or of a performer; popular appeal {Farlex} A successful or popular venture/ hit/ success /winner/ sensation/ knockout/ smash/ market leader/ show-stopper/ Sell like hot cakes= be sold quickly and in large quantities {Oxford Dictionary}/ be bought/ Go/ Be snapped up/ flying out/ selling rapidly/ soon sold out/ accomplished and popular)

~ Notoriety is usually good box office.

~ It could never conceivably be anything but popular.

-She wants me to use my pull to get him re-elected. (A means of gaining special advantage; influence/ Ability to draw or attract; appeal {Farlex) persuaded by appeal/attraction/ appeal/ power/ influence/ draw/ magnetism/ charm / authority/ sway/ barefaced appeal/ vociferous appeal/ my appealing amiability/ Power to assuage/ a task not beyond my power/ powerfully persuasive personality/ my mysterious and inscrutable charm/ transcendent appeal)

-Till then the Royal had been a mere nothing. As Smith’s Hotel, it broke into a blaze of effulgence. From the first, Mr. Smith, as a proprietor, was a wild, rapturous success. He had all the qualifications. {Stephen Leacock} (Blazing with glory/a remarkable success /phenomenal success/successful/ fruitful/ popular/ prosperous/ up-and-coming/ thriving/ flourishing/ booming/ profitable/ lucrative/ productive/ doing well/ a smash hit)

-Your coterie of fuddy-duddies does not look awfully productive. {Virginia Woolf} (Capable of producing something, especially in abundance; fertile / yielding good or useful results; constructive {Wictionary} useful/ helpful/ constructive/ beneficial/ valuable/ practical/ positive/ fruitful, fertile, prolific, and productive/ vain, useless, unproductive, and unavailing)

-My exploits in the jungle has been well documented. (Spirited or heroic act /a notable, daring act/ adventures/ achievements/ feats/ deeds/ activities/ heroic act/ daring act/ capers/ tremendous exploits and thrilling escapades/a passage of extraordinary daring)

-My apprehensions were not fulfilled. (To bring into actuality/ did not happen/ realized/ carried out/ consummated/ materialize/ transpire/ occur/ accomplished/ come to pass= cause something to happen {Oxford Dictionary}/ completed/ concluded/ achieved/ effectuated/ emerge/ finalized/ finished /delivered)

- Shaun wanted all his wants fulfilled. (To do or provide something that is needed {Longman} /Satisfied/ content/ pleased/ rewarded/ achieved/ accomplished/ justified/ make happen/ bring to fruition/ met/ matched/ filled/ suited/ conform to/ be in conformity with/ accord with/ be in accordance with/ agree with/ be in agreement with/ comply with/ provided/ furnished/ do proud/ make it/ make good/ fulfil your potential/ gain fulfilment/ come true)

~ If he had a want, it should be fulfilled.

-He cannot see this tragedy consummated without some attempt to stop it. (Fulfilled/to bring into actuality/ to bring to completion or fruition / to complete a marriage with the first act of sexual intercourse after the ceremony/ completed/ concluded/ achieved/ accomplished/ effectuated/ carried out)

~ We will have to comply with those demands in order to cement a union.

-I only mention this to blow my own trumpet. It was a source of great pride to be appointed to the position. (Talk openly and boastfully about your achievements/ swank/ boast/ brag/egotistical/ proud/ narcissistic/ arrogant/ big-headed/ too big for one’s boots= conceited {Oxford Dictionary}/ egotist/ blow one`s own horn/ a loudmouth/ shoot one’s mouth off/ talk big/ toot one’s own horn/ as cocky as the king of spades/ a bigmouth/ loudmouth)

-DairyBelle had obtained a court interdict to stop the barricading of main roads that led to disruptions. {Sunday Times} (To get hold of; to gain possession of; to get; to gain, in any way got/ gotten/ found/ gained/ attained/ acquired/ achieved/ took/ taken/ get hold of/ get your hands on/ come by/ achieved/ secured/ won/ made a bid for= make an effort to obtain or achieve {Oxford Dictionary}/ pursued/ come by)

~ They were able to get hold of a court order.

-And I reflected that the world was for the strong, for him who dared reach out his hand and take what it offered. It was not money we coveted, we Americans, but power, the self-expression conferred by power (granted or given by/ [confer a benefit / be the making of/ produce a good effect/ do a good turn/ confer a privilege {Roget’s}]/ awarded / bestowed/ granted/ gave/ given)

~ His work is born of despair. (Existing as a result of a situation or feeling {Oxford Dictionary} /Incurred)

-I had to jump through hoops to get it for you. (Go through elaborate and complicated procedure/ through high and low/ climb the highest mountain/ go to the end of the world/ go to extremes/ overdo/ had to stretch or strain myself/ went to great pains/ moved heaven and earth/ bend over backwards= make every effort, especially to be fair or helpful {Oxford Dictionary}/ as high as Heaven and as deep as hell {Beaumont and Fletcher} resolution and effort/ labour and drudgery/ self-exacting, laborious, and inexhaustible/ Toil like a giant)

-You have moved mountains for me; thank-you for your benevolent society. (Achieved spectacular and apparently impossible results/ you did a lot for me/ you have gone out of your way/ you have sacrificed or martyred yourself for me/ jumped through hoops/ expressed/ altruism/ removed a big wedgie)

-She exerts herself very much for you. (Goes out of the way for/ applies/ exercises herself/ employs/ do the extra bit/ move mountains/ sacrifices herself/ jumps through hoops/ bend over backwards= make every effort, especially to be fair or helpful {Oxford Dictionary}/ she busts her chops for you: exerts herself {Oxford Dictionary}/ moves heaven and earth/ strain and struggle)

~ "We must all rally round and make the thing a success."

"I am sure Mrs Parker will strain every nerve, sir." {PG Wodehouse, the Little Warrior}

~ That winter many other entertainments were given in our honour. But the conviction grew upon me that Maude had no real liking for the social side of life, that she acquiesced in it only on my account. (She did it for my sake.) {American Winston Churchill, a Far Country}

-My ancestors were not as enterprising as yours. (Showing initiative and willingness to undertake new projects {Farlex}/ innovative/ inventive / imaginative / resourceful / adventurous / ingenious / intrepid / original / go-ahead / bold/ take the initiative to [do something]).

~ The enterprising children opened a lemonade stand. {Farlex}

-It’s a conscious decision to execute a manoeuvre that involves taking a fearfully high risk. (A conscious decision or action is made or done deliberately with you giving your full attention to it {Dictionary Reverso}/ give it a singleness of purpose/ strong purpose and feeling/ with the pure fire of a great purpose/ It is my present purpose/ of inflexible decision/ decided and definite/ acutely conscious)

~ All my consciousness centres, necessarily, just now, on a single small problem, that of managing to do an American book {Henry James, Letters, vol. ii}

~ Success demands singleness of purpose. {Vince Lombardi}

-It’s taken years for Bollywood movies to achieve a place in the sun. (In a position of favour or advantage {Oxford Dictionary}/ to catch up/ Recognition/ credit/ acknowledgement/ fame/ respect/ veneration/ accreditation/ acceptance/ appreciation/ honour/ salute/ broadening fame/ place, fame, and fortune/ distinction, dignity, and honour)

-Perhaps if I change my occupation, there may yet be a place in the sun for me.

-I don’t believe these plans can be executed. (To put into effect; carry out {Farlex} put into action/ Performed/ implemented/ effected/ completed/ accomplished/ finished/ achieved/ fulfilled/ carry out/ Put to bed= Complete something or send it on to the next step)

~ The arrest warrant was executed on Jonathan Vick. {ID.}

-Mark Carney, the Canadian picked to run the Bank of England for the next five years, left his home country on a high. {The Economist, August 2013} (Riding high=doing very well / on a high note/ successful/ popular/ prosperous/ up-and-coming/ winning/ victorious/ riding the crest of the wave/ triumphant/ fortunate, happy, prosperous, and successful/ joyous, strong, and triumphant/ with a tide of triumph through his veins/ Swift as the panther in triumph/ dazzling triumph/ gladness, exaltation, and triumph/ on a triumphant note)

-I’m hoping it’s going to be a grand climacteric period for my book this year. (Involving a crucial event or period / a critical period or event/ the period of life when fertility is in decline; (in women) the menopause {Oxford Dictionary} /acute/ crucial/ decisive/ defining/ key/ significant/ important/ major/ climactic/ an instant marking an epoch/ glorious moment/ a fact of vast moment/ momentous/ auspicious moment)

-It will redound either to your credit or to your blame. (To have an effect or consequence {Farlex}/ to have a good or bad effect or result, as to the advantage or disadvantage of a person or thing/ {Dictionary.com}/ rebound/ recoil/ backfire/ miscarry or accrue/ accumulate/ ensue/ grow/ amass/ mount up/ build up/ Someone to fix the blame upon/ be credited with/ Make capital out of= use to one’s advantage {Oxford Dictionary})

-He had the talent for re-inventing himself. (To remake or make over, as in a different form {Dictionary.com}/ to recast something familiar or old into a different form {Farlex} / recreate/ revive/ renovate/ resuscitate/ revamp/ re-form/ reconstruct/ refashion/ restore/ re-erect/ remake/ re-establish/ rebuild/ do from scratch/ do again/ start again/ reaffirm/ reawaken/ refresh / regenerate/ rehabilitate /remodel / renew/ reopen/ replace/ restate/ restore/ resume/ revitalize/ recharge one’s batteries)

~ Instantly she revived like flowers in water.

-He was invited to an audience with the president-he was at the top of his game, a high-powered job.(good and as good as one is likely to get {Farlex}/ riding the crest of the wave/successful/ popular/ prosperous/ up-and-coming/ thriving/ flourishing/ booming/ winning/ victorious/ triumphant/ Brainiac/ prosperous and successful/ radiant with victory/ Bring something off= achieve something successfully {Oxford Dictionary} at the crest of his career/ riding on the crest of a wave= at a very successful point/ Carry all before one= overcome all opposition {Oxford Dictionary} on a high); (high-powered= very successful or having a very important job/ high-powered attorney etc. /prosperous/ thriving/ booming/ doing well/ blossoming/ in the ascendant/ faring well)

~ Mr. Smith, of course, was in his glory. {Stephen Leacock, Sunshine Sketches}

~ She was flourishing as an attorney. (Growing vigorously; thriving; prosperous {Dictionary.com})

-The two girls, therefore, were from an early age not the least daunted by either art or ideal politics. It was their natural atmosphere. {DH Lawrence, Lady Chatterley’s Lover} (it was their element/An environment naturally suited to or associated with an individual {Farlex}/ habitat/ environment/ milieu/ medium/ domain/ sphere/ home/ in their natural element/ like a fish in water/ Like a blade sent home to its scabbard/ their strength/ trade/ profession/ art/ job/ vocation/ occupation/ calling/ sphere/ pursuit/ lifework/ metier/ it’s what they do best/ it’s their line of work/ they’re good at it)

~ But that was not his chosen environment.

~ The world of politics is her element.

~ Selling cars is Harry’s metier (metti-ay). (persons trade or line of work or profession/ a field of work or other activity in which one has special ability or training; forte)

-The conversation, of course, was the real charm of the place. You see, Jefferson’s forte, or specialty, was information. He could tell you more things within the compass of a half-hour’s shave than you get in days of laborious research in an encyclopaedia. {Stephen Leacock, Sunshine Sketches} (His strong point /specialty/ strength/ talent/ strong suit/ gravity/ power/ force/ muscle/ metier/ asset/ natural element/ trade/ profession/ art/ job/ vocation/ occupation/ calling/ sphere/ pursuit/ lifeworks / his preserve)

~ Mathematics, you will understand, were not the Dean’s forte. {Stephen Leacock, Sunshine Sketches}

-They made good on their threats to kill the hostages. (Make good on/ fulfil a promise/ to bring about the completion or achievement of (a desire, promise, etc.) accomplish/ realize/ bear out/ live up to/ bring about/ make happen/ follow through/ finish/ see through/ go through with/ deliver/ observe/ execute/ perform/ do/ discharge/ meet the terms/ act in accordance with/ carry out/ killed) antonyms: renege/ disobey/ neglect)

-I give credit to the jury- they listened to the theory. (Commendation or honour given for some action, quality, etc. {Dictionary.com} praise/ recognition/ acclaim/ acknowledgment/ pay tribute/ thanks to/ worthy of recognition/ a pat on the head/ A for effort/ get credit for/creditable performance)

- The government built her a new home in recognition of her achievements (in honour of/ as acknowledgement/ appreciation/ respect/ recognition/ acceptance/ admission/ tribute/ a proud recognition/ a delicacy of honour/ with divine honours/ with the chivalric sentiment of respect / I cannot conceive a greater tribute)

-The actor bowed in acknowledgement to the audience’s acclaim. (An expression of thanks or a token of appreciation /Recognition of another’s existence, validity, authority or right {Farlex}/ recognition/ acceptance/ admission/ appreciation/ tribute)

~ Acknowledgement of one another’s faults is the highest duty imposed by our love of truth. {The Cynic’s Word Book}

~ I expressed my acknowledgements

-It was no mean feat to reach that window ledge. {Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – Sherlock Holmes} (A great achievement or triumph/ a difficult accomplishment/ victory/ conquest/ success/ not an ordinary accomplishment/ it’s not a small thing/ triumph/ coup/ feat/ Bring something off= achieve something successfully {Oxford Dictionary}/ Carry all before one= overcome all opposition {Oxford Dictionary})

-I think we struck oil: we’ve discovered an antidote for bullshit. (Attain prosperity or success/to have good luck or success/ good luck/ hit the jackpot/ windfall/ an unexpected acquisition or gain/ a sudden stroke of good luck, especially financial/ achievement/ stroke of luck/ fluke/ godsend/ blessing/ lucky break/ miracle/ extremity of fortune/ favoured by fortune/ a stroke of good fortune/ happy stroke of fortune/ This is indeed good fortune/ piece of good fortune/ boon/ Bring something off= achieve something successfully {Oxford Dictionary})

~ That was all we needed- it was a home run. (A complete or unqualified success)

-Once, you have reached that level of package you’ll see doors open for you: nothing succeeds like success. (Success leads to opportunities for further and greater successes {Oxford Dictionaries}/ you will carry the world before you/ success opens doors/ success begets success/reproduces/ creates/ precipitates/ lead to/ result in/ makes it happen/ be the cause of further successes/ Bring something off= achieve something successfully {Oxford Dictionary}/ Carry all before one= overcome all opposition {Oxford Dictionary}/ bat a thousand/ carry the day/ delivers the goods)

~ Nothing quite succeeds like success when Kenyans run. (The Olympics bear testimony that Kenyan runners have emerged as the most successful in the world)

~ We fought cases from one court to another, until our opponents were worn out …We won, and that spirit of winning got into the blood. {American Winston Churchill, a Far Country}

~ Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess. {Oscar Wilde}

~ Nothing recedes like success. {Walter Winchell}

~ Success is the one unpardonable sin against one’s fellows {The Cynic’s Word Book}

-He was anointed to succeed as headmaster. (Nominate as a successor {Oxford Dictionary} appoint/ elect/ designate/ choose/ select/ pick/ commission/ hailed/ chosen)

~ Meet the man he anointed as his replacement.

-At your age, you are still going strong. (Continuing to be healthy, vigorous or successful/ still carry the world before you/healthy/ fit/ well/ strong/ vigorous/ in good physical shape/ hale and hearty/ in the pink/ in fine fettle/ healthful/ successful/ fruitful/ positive/ effective/ efficacious/ popular/ prosperous/ up-and-coming/ well-off/ many a tune can still be played on this fiddle/ Bring something off= achieve something successfully {Oxford Dictionary}/ Carry all before one= overcome all opposition {Oxford Dictionary})

~ There were many Hutchinses in Elkington,—brothers and cousins and uncles and great-uncles,—and all were connected with the woollen mills. But there is always one supreme Hutchins, and Ezra was he: tall, self-contained, elderly, but well preserved through frugal living. {American Winston Churchill, a Far Country}

-The picture perfect family might not be so rock solid after-all. (Can be depended on and trusted /without any problems/firm and not likely to change/Cannot be broken easily/well-adjusted/ best regulated/ well-regulated family/ faultless/ flawless/ not to be faulted/ textbook/ seamless/ unspoiled/ strong/ secure/ sturdy/ rugged/ stable/ sound/ pure/ genuine/ one hundred per cent/ consistent/ reliable/ dependable/ trustworthy/ level-headed/ good, safe and solid/ steady, reliable, dependable, and well-balanced)

~ He was never stressed. He was just the rock of Gibraltar.

~ Mingled with this sense of emancipation was a curious feeling of regret, of mourning for something I had never valued, something fixed and dependable for which he had stood, a rock and a refuge of which I had never availed myself!. {American Winston Churchill, a Far Country}

~ O no! It is an ever-fixed mark

That looks on tempests and is never shaken {Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116}

-There isn’t the least bit of adventure in you. (Participation in exciting undertakings or enterprises {Dictionary.com}/ the spirit of adventure/ escapade/ exploit/ quest/ venture/ exploration/ undertaking/ exciting activity/ dreaming adventurer/ romance, adventure, and passion/ love of excitement and adventure)

-It will raise you a point in her estimation. (An amount of credit considered as earned, especially by favourably impressing a superior / earn you a brownie point/ put him in a able light /admiration/ credit/ praise/ recognition/ acclaim/ acknowledgment/ tribute/ appreciation/ high regard/ think well of you/ be impressed with you/ improve his image/ put him in a good light/ score points with someone= to gain the favour of someone)

~ The announcement scored him brownie points with lobby groups. (An imaginary award for someone who tries to please)

-You will do your parents proud if you acquire a hard-earned degree at university. (act in a way that gives someone cause to feel pleased or satisfied/ treat someone with lavish generosity or honour pleased/ satisfied/ gratified/ honoured/ delighted/ fulfilled/ full of pride/ filled with pride/ rewarding/ pleasurable/ pleasing/ uplifting/ cock-a-hoop/ proud as a peacock/ gallant and proud/ proud privilege/ An honest and unquestioning pride/ flushed with pride)

-They pulled out all the stops and came up with a good deal. (Make a very great effort/ go to elaborate lengths/ go to great length/ made every effort to impress/ tried hard/ do or die/ knocked them out/ went to great pains/ bend over backwards= make every effort, especially to be fair or helpful {Oxford Dictionary}/ went that far/ resolution and effort/ labour and drudgery/ self-exacting, laborious, and inexhaustible/ Toil like a giant)

~ A huge house which an unknown architect had taken unusual pains to make pretentious and hideous. {American Winston Churchill, a Far Country}

-It would be great to hold the Curry-Cup aloft again. (Be winning / triumphant / champion / prizewinning / prize-winning / successful / conquering again/ Bring something off= achieve something successfully {Oxford Dictionary}/ Carry all before one= overcome all opposition {Oxford Dictionary})

-You hope to have good fortune smile on you and catch lightning in a bottle, and today that happened for us when Western Province won the Curry-Cup beating all odds. (It describes something that’s extremely difficult, perhaps bordering on the impossible. It can express the idea that a person has succeeded in trapping the essence of some elusive creative process {World-Wide Words}/ to describe a team that wins against difficult odds/ like flying a kite in a thunderstorm/ Performing a rare feat/ A moment of creative brilliance/ achieved the impossible)

~ The full expression is "like trying to catch lightning in a bottle, sometimes to keep lightning in a bottle," / go fight City Hall= futility of challenging entrenched politicians or establishment/ Bring something off= achieve something successfully {Oxford Dictionary}/ Carry all before one= overcome all opposition {Oxford Dictionary})

-The word ‘cellar’ is an elastic one. It can be applied equally to the acres of bottle-fringed vaults, which lie beneath a great pile like Blanding’s Castle, and to a hole in the ground like the one in which she now found herself. {PG Wodehouse: Leave it to PSmith} (Flexible; accommodating; adaptable; tolerant {Dictionary.com} /Adjustable/ adaptable/ accommodating/ flexible/ modifiable/ changeable/ variable/ amendable/ bendable/ versatile)

-There’s no cigar for India; they drew the match. (Close but not successful/ no victory/ they were unsuccessful/ no celebration, rejoicing or jubilation/ mediocre/ ordinary/ middling/ average/ unexceptional/ second-rate/ pedestrian/ commonplace/ middle-of-the-road/ Close but no cigar= almost but not quite successful {Oxford Dictionary}

~ If a tie is like kissing your sister, then losing is like kissing your grandmother with her teeth out.

-I was extravagant in the days of my prosperity. (A successful, flourishing, or thriving condition, especially in financial respects; good fortune {Dictionary.com}/affluence/ success/ richness/ fortune/riches/ wealth/ opulence/ when I carried the world before me/ when I was rich/ when I was wealthy/ well-being, happiness and prosperity/ efficiency and success/ successful, energetic, and ingenious/ fortunate, happy and prosperous)

-Before he became president there were many who were quick to hitch their wagon to the star of Obama. (Attaching you to someone successful or famous in order to profit from the association/ suck up to/ fawn to/ flatter to/ pander to/ curry favour with/ be sycophantic/ be obsequious/ be servile/ Butter someone up= flatter someone {Oxford Dictionary}/ cosy up to= to try to become friendly with someone in order to get some benefit for yourself {Your Dictionary}/ pay court to= to solicit someone’s attention; to woo someone {Farlex}

~ She was hitching her wagon to a man with breakaway pants. {ID.}

-Once I have published my book you will see my star rising. (Someone is becoming ever more successful or popular/ see me carry the world before me/ popular/ well-liked / admired / trendy / fashionable / in style / all the rage /prosperous/ Renown/ fame/ prominence/ eminence/distinction/ prestige/ famousness/ popularity/ stardom/ broadening fame/ fame and fortune/ fame, distinction, dignity, and honour/ accomplished and popular)

~ Favoured to win, his star was on the rise.

-The larks on the wing; the snails on the thorn; God’s in his heaven, all’s right with the world. {Robert Browning, Pippa’s Song; and extensively used by PG Wodehouse} (Used to express satisfaction, joy, or contentment/ spoken to encourage people in any distress. Everything is just as it should be) {Farlex} /hunky dory/ fine-fettle/ satisfactory/ splendid/ nature smiles/ don’t worry be happy/ all is well/ place your trust in God/ all things pan out eventually/ throw off an illness/ Fine and dandy /really good)

~ Now that my daughter has finally graduated, God’s in his heaven; all’s right with the world.

~ But I may perhaps without dishonour reproduce one of these letters, and my answer to it, inasmuch as the date is now months ago, and the softening hand of Time has woven its roses- how shall I put it? – The mellow haze of reminiscences has- what I mean is that the young man has gone back to work and is all right again. {Stephen Leacock, Literary Lapses}

~ As far as we are concerned, everything in the good old garden is lovely. {PG Wodehouse, the Little Warrior}

~ All’s well that ends well. (An event that has a good ending is good even if some things went wrong along the way {Farlex}) {A play by William Shakespeare}

~ Then the world resumed its course for him, and things fell into their wonted ways of indefatigable study. {Morley on Gladstone} (And life goes on / moves on/ has run its course)

-These fencing masters were worsted by you. {Alexandre Dumas, the Count of Monte Cristo} (Get the better of {Oxford Dictionary}/ beaten/ defeated/ vanquished/ outdone/ overcome/ conquered/ crushed/ routed/ subjugated/ Get the better of = defeat or overcome {Oxford Dictionary} blow someone out= defeat someone convincingly {Oxford Dictionary}/ Trounce/ Triumph over/ Gain an advantage over/ Get the upper hand/ Bring something off = achieve something successfully {Oxford Dictionary}/ foiled and defeated/ discredited, and despised/ frustrated, defeated, disappointed, and thwarted/ branded by defeat/ The grim reality of defeat)

~ I had worsted him in personal combat (archaic: got the better of)

-My first impression of him, which I had got at Jerry Kyme’s, deepened as time went on, and I readily shared the belief of those around me that his legal talents easily surpassed those of any of his contemporaries. {American Winston Churchill, a Far Country} (To go beyond in excellence or achievement; be superior to; excel {Dictionary.com} exceeded/ beat/ bettered/ bested/ outdid/ outdone/ outshined/ outshone/ outstripped/ topped/ transcended/ improve on/ go beyond/ do better than/ go one better than / rise above)

~ Their love for each other transcends their past problems. (Rises above)

-Our team came up trumps again last night. (Have a better performance or outcome than expected/ victorious/ good result/ winning/ triumphant/ champion/ successful/ conquering/ Go down a bomb= be very well received {Oxford Dictionary} smooth sailing= going well/ having no problems / go like a bomb [went like a bomb] = be very successful {Oxford Dictionary}/ animated by victory/ radiant with victory/