Fifteen Thousand Useful Phrases

by Grenville Kleiser · Free audiobook · 165 chapters

LibriVox recording of Grenville Kleiser's Fifteen Thousand Useful Phrases read by a variety of LibriVox members. 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. For more information or to volunteer, please visit librivox.org . Download M4B part 1 (179MB) Download M4B part 2 (262MB)

Chapters

• 1. 000 - Introduction12:20
• 2. 001 - How To Use This Book4:52
• 3. 002 - Plan of Study4:52
• 4. 003 - Useful Phrases: abandoned hope - ample culture5:13
• 5. 004 - Useful Phrases: amusing artlessness - azure sky4:10
• 6. 005 - Useful Phrases: babbling gossip - bygone period3:57
• 7. 006 - Useful Phrases: cabalistic phrase - collateral duties2:47
• 8. 007 - Useful Phrases: collective wisdom - contingent reasons2:43
• 9. 008 - Useful Phrases: continuous endeavor - cynical disregard4:07
• 10. 009 - Useful Phrases: damaging admission - diligently propagated6:27
• 11. 010 - Useful Phrases: dim comprehension - dynastic insolence5:51
• 12. 011 - Useful Phrases: eager animosity - entrancing sadness5:50
• 13. 012 - Useful Phrases: enveloping presence - exultant condition4:54
• 14. 013 - Useful Phrases: facetious mood - flickering conscience2:53
• 15. 014 - Useful Phrases: flighty obstinacy - futile babble3:16
• 16. 015 - Useful Phrases: gabbling reminiscences - gymnastic agility4:31
• 17. 016 - Useful Phrases: habitual deference - hysterical agitation4:54
• 18. 017 - Useful Phrases: iconoclastic attitude - incipient fancy7:05
• 19. 018 - Useful Phrases: incisive critic - inquisitional rack5:45
• 20. 019 - Useful Phrases: inquisitive observer - isolated splendor5:46
• 21. 020 - Useful Phrases: jaded sensibility - lying equivocations5:30
• 22. 021 - Useful Phrases: maddening monotony - meteoric splendors4:25
• 23. 022 - Useful Phrases: methodical regularity - mythical kingdom3:51
• 24. 023 - Useful Phrases: naive manner - overworked drudge6:19
• 25. 024 - Useful Phrases: pacific disposition - political malcontent7:26
• 26. 025 - Useful Phrases: polluting taints - pyrotechnic outburst8:56
• 27. 026 - Useful Phrases: quailing culprit - remarkable sagacity3:20
• 28. 027 - Useful Phrases: remedial measure - ruthless commercialism2:33
• 29. 028 - Useful Phrases: sacerdotal preeminence - shuddering reluctance4:49
• 30. 029 - Useful Phrases: shuffling preliminaries - starched sterility5:02
• 31. 030 - Useful Phrases: starlit eminence - systematic interaction3:54
• 32. 031 - Useful Phrases: tacit assumption - tyrannical disposition5:07
• 33. 032 - Useful Phrases: ubiquitous activity - undue predilection4:04
• 34. 033 - Useful Phrases: undulating hills - unpalatable truth4:07
• 35. 034 - Useful Phrases: unparalleled atrocities - utmost scorn4:13
• 36. 035 - Useful Phrases: vacant stupidity - vulnerable foe3:08
• 37. 036 - Useful Phrases: wabbling enterprise - zoologically considered3:11
• 38. 037 - Significant Phrases: abashed and ashamed - awkwardness and crudity4:15
• 39. 038 - Significant Phrases: babel and confusion - civilized and cultured4:52
• 40. 039 - Significant Phrases: clamorous and wild - cynical and contemptuous5:06
• 41. 040 - Significant Phrases: dangers and pitfalls - digressive and wanton3:39
• 42. 041 - Significant Phrases: dilatory and hesitating - dwindle and disappear4:44
• 43. 042 - Significant Phrases: eagerness and ecstasy - exuberant and infectious6:16
• 44. 043 - Significant Phrases: fabulous and fabricated - futile and untrustworthy4:47
• 45. 044 - Significant Phrases: gaiety and grace - hypocrisy and impudence5:17
• 46. 045 - Significant Phrases: ideas and achievements - indomitable and dogged3:25
• 47. 046 - Significant Phrases: indorsed and applauded - isolated and detached3:37
• 48. 047 - Significant Phrases: jabber and chatter - luxury and pomp4:07
• 49. 048 - Significant Phrases: madness and folly - mystic and wonderful2:55
• 50. 049 - Significant Phrases: nagging and squabbling - overworked and fagged4:10
• 51. 050 - Significant Phrases: pains and penalties - puzzled and affected6:09
• 52. 051 - Significant Phrases: quackery and incompetence - rust and disuse4:58
• 53. 052 - Significant Phrases: sad and melancholy - spacious and lofty3:48
• 54. 053 - Significant Phrases: sparkling and spontaneous - sympathetic and consoling4:06
• 55. 054 - Significant Phrases: taciturn and laconic - tyrant and oppressor4:48
• 56. 055 - Significant Phrases: unaccountable and grotesque - vulgar and artificial5:49
• 57. 056 - Significant Phrases: wandering and erratic - zigzag and deviating2:17
• 58. 057 - Felicitous Phrases: ability, humor, and perspicacity - busy, active, and toiling5:05
• 59. 058 - Felicitous Phrases: curious, fantastic, and charming - calculated, logical, and dispassionate4:11
• 60. 059 - Felicitous Phrases: dwarfed, scant, and wretched - danger, difficulty, and hardship4:32
• 61. 060 - Felicitous Phrases: eagerness, heartiness, and vehemence - fustian, padding, and irrelevancy4:35
• 62. 061 - Felicitous Phrases: gaunt, desolate, and despoiled - humor, fancy, and susceptibility3:40
• 63. 062 - Felicitous Phrases: idle, profuse, and profligate - luxurious, whimsical, and selfish4:20
• 64. 063 - Felicitous Phrases: magnificent, sumptuous, and stately - overriding, arrogant, and quarrelsome3:51
• 65. 064 - Felicitous Phrases: pain, toil, and privation - puzzles, tangles, and questionings3:45
• 66. 065 - Felicitous Phrases: quarrels, misunderstandings, and enmities - rush, roar, and shriek2:38
• 67. 066 - Felicitous Phrases: sacredness, dignity, and loveliness - sympathy, service, and compassion4:05
• 68. 067 - Felicitous Phrases: talent, scholarship, and refinement - wrinkled, careworn, and pale5:08
• 69. 068 - Impressive Phrases: able, skilful,... - business, profession,...4:41
• 70. 069 - Impressive Phrases: candid, sincere,... - dull, heavy,...6:04
• 71. 070 - Impressive Phrases: earth, air,... - gross, academic,..6:18
• 72. 071 - Impressive Phrases: habit, custom,... - lucidity, impressiveness,...5:41
• 73. 072 - Impressive Phrases: malice, anger,... - purpose, meaning,...5:40
• 74. 073 - Edit: Impressive Phrases: quack, imposture,... - symmetry, proportion,..4:20
• 75. 074 - Edit: Impressive Phrases: tact, courtesy,... - worry, annoyance,...4:10
• 76. 075 - Prepositional Phrases of: abandon of spontaneity - business of life4:35
• 77. 076 - Prepositional Phrases of: cadences of delirium - dust of defeat3:52
• 78. 077 - Prepositional Phrases of: earnestness of enthusiasm - futility of pride4:12
• 79. 078 - Prepositional Phrases of: gaiety of spirit - irony of life4:01
• 80. 079 - Prepositional Phrases of: jangle of sounds - overflow of vitality4:10
• 81. 080 - Prepositional Phrases of: page of desolation - ruts of conventionality4:52
• 82. 081 - Prepositional Phrases of: sadness of soul - system of aspersion3:34
• 83. 082 - Prepositional Phrases of: taint of megalomania - zone of delusion4:16
• 84. 083 - Prepositional Phrases by: affected by externals - hushed by denial3:05
• 85. 084 - Prepositional Phrases by: impelled by duty - wrenched by emotions3:33
• 86. 085 - Prepositional Phrases in: absorbed in meditation - kept in abeyance3:16
• 87. 086 - Prepositional Phrases in: landmarks in memory - weak in conception3:47
• 88. 087 - Prepositional Phrases into: abashed into silence - goaded into action1:59
• 89. 088 - Prepositional Phrases into: hushed into silence - withdraw into solitude1:51
• 90. 089 - Prepositional Phrases to: addicted to flattery - hostile to progress1:50
• 91. 090 - Prepositional Phrases to: impervious to suggestion - yield to reason2:28
• 92. 091 - Prepositional Phrases with: abounding with plenty - intoxicated with joy2:23
• 93. 092 - Prepositional Phrases with: kindle with enthusiasm - work with zeal2:29
• 94. 093 - Business Phrases24:37
• 95. 094 - Literary Expressions: A bitterness crept into her face - A nimble-witted opponent6:53
• 96. 095 - Literary Expressions: A painful thought was flooding his mind - A wordless farewell6:27
• 97. 096 - Literary Expressions: Absolutely vulgarized by too perpetual a parroting - Awaiting his summons to the eternal silence8:18
• 98. 097 - Literary Expressions: Bandied about from mouth to mouth - Dull black eyes under their precipice of brows6:47
• 99. 098 - Literary Expressions: Earth danced under a heat haze - Guilty of girlish sentimentality4:06
• 100. 099 - Literary Expressions: Half choked by a rising paroxysm of rage - Humiliating paltriness of revenge9:26
• 101. 100 - Literary Expressions: I capitulated by inadvertence - Kiss-provoking lips5:06
• 102. 101 - Literary Expressions: Laden with the poignant scent of the garden honeysuckle - Rudely reminded of life's serious issues10:45
• 103. 102 - Literary Expressions: Sacrificed to a futile sort of treadmill - Swift summer into the autumn flowed7:27
• 104. 103 - Literary Expressions: Taking the larger sweeps in the march of mind - The hungry curiosity of the mind8:09
• 105. 104 - Literary Expressions: The idiosyncratic peculiarities of thought - The swing of the pendulum through an arch of centuries9:37
• 106. 105 - Literary Expressions: The tempered daylight of an olive garden - Twilight creeps upon the darkening mind5:34
• 107. 106 - Literary Expressions: Unapproachable grandeur and simplicity - Your mind enthroned in the seventh circle of content3:39
• 108. 107 - Striking Similes: A blind rage like a fire swept over him - And the smile she softly uses fills the silence like a speech10:55
• 109. 108 - Striking Similes: As a child in play scatters... - Awkward as a cart-horse6:39
• 110. 109 - Striking Similes: Babbling like a child - Dull as champagne6:33
• 111. 110 - Striking Similes: Each like a corpse within its grave - Great scarlet poppies lay in drifts ...4:36
• 112. 111 - Striking Similes: Hair as harsh as tropical grass and gray as ashes - Hushed like a breathless lyre9:19
• 113. 112 - Striking Similes: I had grown pure as the dawn and the dew - Kingdoms melt away like snow3:36
• 114. 113 - Striking Similes: Laboring like a giant - Like a yellow silken scarf the thick fog hangs7:03
• 115. 114 - Striking Similes: Like an alien ghost I stole away - Like sweet thoughts in a dream6:31
• 116. 115 - Striking Similes: Like the awful shadow of some unseen power - Lovely the land unknown...6:32
• 117. 116 - Striking Similes: March on my soul nor like the laggard stay - Quivering like an eager race-horse to start6:49
• 118. 117 - Striking Similes: Rage, rage ye tears, that never more should creep... - Swifter than the twinkling of an eye10:25
• 119. 118 - Striking Similes: Talking and thinking became to him... - The music almost died away...6:35
• 120. 119 - Striking Similes: The name that cuts into my soul like a knife - Then the lover sighing like furnace8:27
• 121. 120 - Striking Similes: Theories sprouted in his mind like mushrooms - Turning easily and securely as on a perfect axle6:21
• 122. 121 - Striking Similes: Unbends like a loosened bow - Youth like a summer morn8:18
• 123. 122 - Conversational Phrases: A most extraordinary idea! - Human nature interests me very much indeed6:38
• 124. 123 - Conversational Phrases: I admire your foresight - I could never forgive myself for that7:28
• 125. 124 - Edit: Conversational Phrases: I dare say your intuition is quite right - I seem to have heard that sentiment before9:02
• 126. 125 - Conversational Phrases: I shall at once proceed to forget it - It has never occurred to me6:45
• 127. 126 - Conversational Phrases: It is a curious fact - It would take too long to formulate my thought6:17
• 128. 127 - Conversational Phrases: Join us, please, when you have time - Surely you would not countenance that7:00
• 129. 128 - Conversational Phrases: Tell me in what way you want me to help you - True, I forgot!6:38
• 130. 129 - Conversational Phrases: Undeniably true - Would you mind telling me your opinion?3:47
• 131. 130 - Conversational Phrases: Yes and no - Your statement is somewhat startling4:49
• 132. 131 - Public Speaking Phrases: A fact of vast moment - And next I would ask7:29
• 133. 132 - Public Speaking Phrases: And now allow me to call attention - Away then with the notion8:01
• 134. 133 - Public Speaking Phrases: Be assured, then - But it has been suggested to me4:55
• 135. 134 - Public Speaking Phrases: But it is a fact - By this time it will be suspected4:20
• 136. 135 - Public Speaking Phrases: Can it be supposed - Granting all this4:12
• 137. 136 - Public Speaking Phrases: Had I time for all that might be said - However, it is to me a very refreshing thing3:16
• 138. 137 - Public Speaking Phrases: I abide by my statement - I am willing to know6:16
• 139. 138 - Public Speaking Phrases: I anticipate with pleasing expectation - I distrust all general theories of7:39
• 140. 139 - Public Speaking Phrases: I do again and again urge upon you - I hasten to concede8:10
• 141. 140 - Public Speaking Phrases: I have a dark suspicion - I hope you will not accuse me11:49
• 142. 141 - Public Speaking Phrases: I imagine that no one will be disposed - I rejoice to think I remark here9:23
• 143. 142 - Public Speaking Phrases: I remember a reference made - I thank you very sincerely for the honor9:41
• 144. 143 - Public Speaking Phrases: I think I am correct in saying - I yielded to the earnest solicitations10:38
• 145. 144 - Public Speaking Phrases: If any man be so persuaded - In widening our view10:38
• 146. 145 - Public Speaking Phrases: Indeed, can anyone tell me - It is my present purpose9:25
• 147. 146 - Public Speaking Phrases: It is natural to ask the question - It may still more probably be said5:38
• 148. 147 - Public Speaking Phrases: It must be a cause of delight - Just the reverse is true5:21
• 149. 148 - Public Speaking Phrases: Language is inadequate to voice my appreciation - My regret is intensified by the thought8:23
• 150. 149 - Public Speaking Phrases: Nay, I boldly say - Now, you will understand from this5:43
• 151. 150 - Public Speaking Phrases: Observe again - Surely it is not too much for me to say7:43
• 152. 151 - Public Speaking Phrases: Take another instance - The whole story of civilization6:48
• 153. 152 - Public Speaking Phrases: Then again, in corroboration - Think of the cool disregard5:49
• 154. 153 - Public Speaking Phrases: This absurdity arises - Very strange is this indeed5:15
• 155. 154 - Public Speaking Phrases: We all agree as to - What strikes the mind so forcibly9:02
• 156. 155 - Public Speaking Phrases: What, then, are we to believe - Your presence seems to say6:57
• 157. 156 - Miscellaneous Phrases: A bewildering labyrinth of facts - A pleasant flow of appropriate language7:01
• 158. 157 - Miscellaneous Phrases: A bewildering labyrinth of facts - A pleasant flow of appropriate language7:22
• 159. 158 - Miscellaneous Phrases: An abandoned and exaggerated grief - Awaited with feverish anxiety6:03
• 160. 159 - Miscellaneous Phrases: Bandied to and fro - Dwindled to alarmingly small dimensions6:58
• 161. 160 - Miscellaneous Phrases: Easy-going to the point of lethargy - Hopelessly belated in its appearance9:30
• 162. 161 - Miscellaneous Phrases: I adjured him - Its dominating and inspiring influence11:13
• 163. 162 - Miscellaneous Phrases: Jealous and formidable foes - Quixotically generous about money10:34
• 164. 163 - Miscellaneous Phrases: Radiantly and transparently happy - Swift and vehement outbursts of feeling8:02
• 165. 164 - Miscellaneous Phrases: Take root in the heart - The sycophants of the rich12:00