Part 2

She is a very tender and indulgent mother

He is full of generous sympathies

He has a sunny temperament

He is quite an adroit flatterer

He seems to have an inexhaustible supply of affection

His modesty is worthy of wide imitation

He is brimming over with new ideas

He gives you a jolly shake of the hand

He has a wonderful gift of making friends

He has a circle of interesting friends

There is something very likable about him

He is truly regardful of the interests of others

He cultivates the amenities and civilities

He understands the art of making allowances

He would shun to break the bounds of courtesy

His polite best

He is above the meanness of tale-bearing

He spoke in language clear and expressive in the highest degree

He spoke with his accustomed felicity of language

It was a very neat and appropriate expression

He labored in a simple and straightforward manner to——

He possesses nerves that seem to be of iron

He is a perpetual surprise even to those who know him best

She is a charming person to set people at their ease

He is a noble character

She talked beautifully

He has a fine face full of vigor

He is very patient and very brave

We have beautiful neighbors

I never have seen you looking in better health

They form a delightful group

With him there is little seeking after effect

It is an evidence of good breeding

He possesses the rare faculty of——

She is without a shadow of affectation

He is incapable of hurting any one’s feelings

He possesses a masterly understanding of the subject

He is irresistibly funny

He is uncommonly quick

A man whose merit equals his reputation

He acquitted himself admirably

He possesses a good deal of homely dignity

He has the talent of dispensing pleasure

You have great reason to congratulate yourself on——

His name was never mentioned by us without the most tender regard

He has a character of sterling excellence

He is of consequence in the world

She is a model of propriety

There is an indefinable charm about her

He has an air of businesslike decisiveness

He is a facile talker

He is a plain frugal man

He is untinged by prejudice

He has a taste for polite conversation

He discharged his difficult task admirably

He was actuated by the most laudable motives

He never fumbles

He is always in such perfect good humor

He behaved very handsomely

He has calm good sense

He did it with good grace

He fitted his environment perfectly

You could not apply to any one better able than he

He made a most delightful impression

He is chock-full of fine sentiment

My heart warms towards him

He is a person whom I always recall with pleasure

His letters are full of heartiness

He has such a kindly and sympathetic spirit

No one ever displayed a sweeter spirit than he

He is every whit a man’s man

He has fine manners

He acted as one to the manor born

May his tribe increase

He impressed me prodigiously

He has the highest ideals of fine, clean, strong manhood

She is possessed with the most delicate intuitions

He possesses a certain suavity of manner

She is of exceptional personal beauty

He is above the average in point of conversation

He took the hugest pains to accommodate us

There is no more noble and beautiful character than she

There was something captivating in his manner

He was eloquent without being declamatory

You will go a long way before you find a better man

COMMENDATORY

Praise Encomiums

(Of Things)

It is rather a fascinating theme

A message worthy of the widest attention

There is a certain quaint charm about the——

Free from fulsome adulation

A work replete with charm

It was a palpable hit

A favorable impression

Whole-hearted praise

Giving due meed of praise to——

Good to look upon

Beyond praise

Worthy of all praise

Isn’t it fine

I have nothing but praise for it

It was magnificent

Of great charm

Of superlative excellence

Exceptionally good

It is highly desirable

Truly admirable

Remarkably fine

A very handsome appearance

A masterly effort

Deserving high approval

In a very commendable manner

It is superb

I think it is charming

Without parallel

A neat stroke

It was a grand sight

A very rare trait

Most charming manners

Well worthy of a place in our remembrance

A most desirable outcome

Fitting words of felicitation

The loveliest and most endearing memories of life

Not the least interesting part of the——

Exquisitely dainty

In a truly elegant manner

The occasion went off beautifully

In a very handsome manner

With singular appropriateness

We shall take new pride in it

One of the most beautiful things that ever happened to us

A counsel of perfection

The never ending charm of——

A matter of surpassing interest

It has been well said that——

It is a high tribute to the——

A tribute of praise

Little short of perfect

A full meed of praise

In the most handsome terms

Handsome is that handsome does

Singularly attractive

It has the notable merit of——

It is uncommonly good

It is quite in keeping with the best traditions

It is the fashion to talk with pride of——

I think there is nothing more fascinating than——

We feel a special pride in——

It would be all the more delightful if——

It has novelty and is refreshing

It is perfectly justifiable

It is a magnificent achievement

I know no pleasanter fact than——

A rare combination of——

Beyond cavil and criticism

A fine example of——

A very signal example of——

On a fine scale

Beyond all imagination

Of exquisite taste

A most entertaining presentation of——

Surpassingly fine

It could not have been improved

The occasion was very propitious for——

An exquisite picture

It is worthy of a world of praise

It is worthy of high praise

It bears the stamp of excellence

A very promising beginning

A delight to all right-minded people

A work of unique value

The finest thought the human mind can cherish

A master-stroke of policy

A task of immense interest

Big with promise

A most excellent speculation

It is the ideal method of solving the problem

An asset of incomparable value

With new and increased capacities

A very pretty problem in——

An experiment of absorbing interest

In the most fetching style

It has much to commend it to the sober judgment of thinking men

COMMENT

Opinion Note

A not unfair inference is——

The clear upshot of it all is——

It remains to be seen whether——

I feel confident that——

In any event

There is a phase of the discussion going on which says——

I candidly think that——

I notice a very widespread tendency to——

I am never carried to any great lengths of reflection by——

It is a matter of common knowledge that——

My idea of it is quite the reverse

One thing struck my unskilled eye

At first sight it seems——

It is altogether probable that——

Have you considered that possibly the——

And it is worth remembering that——

All competent evidence points to the fact that——

It is highly probable that——

I am more than convinced every day that——

This is the short and the long of it. _The Merry Wives of Windsor_, II., 2

And thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges. _Twelfth Night_, V., 1

It seems reasonably certain that——

A reasonable inference is that——

I feel myself scarcely competent to judge

COMPLIMENT

Adulate Flatter

It was so charming of you to——

As handsome as a picture

I am perfectly fascinated by that idea of yours

It is so kind of you to——

Well done, accept congratulations

That is certainly ideal

A very creditable performance

I think you have summed it up perfectly

It is surpassingly fine

Whom to have known was a great pleasure

I fancy you are of a good temperament for

Here is diplomacy of the highest order

Your views are most satisfactory

Cheerful company shortens the miles

Cold hand, a warm heart

How nicely you put that

Those friends of yours are delightful people

Permit me to compliment you

He is able to extract comfort out of hard experiences

You are looking as lovely as usual

I always thought the hour struck sooner in your home than anywhere else

You have a very helpful suggestion

I greatly like what you say about——

I offer my congratulations on your taste

I am not given to making compliments, but I would like to say that——

CONCEITED

Egotistic Opinionated

The one and only man who knows what to do and how to do it

Hypnotized by his own visions

A self-satisfied, confident attitude

He has an overweening opinion of himself

He had the hardihood to assert that——

Conscious of his own worth

A complacent indifference to evidence

He who tickles himself laughs when he likes

Complacently egotistical

With pedantic exactitude

It irked him to be in second place

A touch of the will to survive on the ruin of others

He is inflexible in any resolution formed in his own interest

He takes zealous care of a fancied dignity

They also plumed themselves on the——

He has a well-developed case of self-importance

The incarnation of self-importance

Opinionated self-esteem

Overweening self-love

Of narrow-minded complacency

A certain haughty inaccessibility

With overbearing arrogance

With pride of singularity

He has a very high opinion of himself

Naturally self-contained

His vanity was delicately tickled

He is captivated by a sense of his own importance

She came in with insufferable condescension

With a sort of bravado

In a very supercilious manner

With a surly grunt of recognition

A few curt remarks

All the grist must be ground through his mill

He proceeded with the greatest gusto to——

With sulky acquiescence

Reticent and self-contained

An affected civility

CONCERN

Tenderness Solicitude

Taking a living loving interest in men

A self-restraint which refuses to make capital of the faults of others

No selfish purpose to serve

There is something beautifully touching in the——

He has the deepest veneration for the——

A mind teeming with tender concern for human happiness

It is impossible to look with insensibility of feeling upon the——

He entertains a very adequate respect for——

He has a fellow feeling for——

Frequent expressions of solicitude for——

It is not until one has entered sympathetically into——

I am not unmindful of——

With a motherly tenderness

CONDEMN

Denounce Censure

No message but the message of anathema and excommunication

One aspect of it should be assigned to oblivion

Atrociously bad

The worst of irresponsibles

Ripe for merited destruction

In utter defiance of the rights of others and common decency

A gross miscarriage of justice

A wretched state of affairs

Such methods are incapable of defense

You can make your own mental deductions

Destroyed in the fires of its own presumption

Those who report such things are equally culpable

It digs its own grave

He stultifies his own soul who——

It is but a conspiracy to thwart justice

It is hard to say just what maledictions should be pronounced upon one who——

One finds it difficult to measure his epithet when——

Stirred to unmeasured wrath

They are all tarred with the same stick

He should come in for some rather rough handling

The mere thought of it fills me with disgust

It is empty talk to speak of——

It is a shortsighted policy

The indictment might be lengthened

An attitude morally impossible

Certainly not inviting

Reduced to plain language, the——

Such conduct seems unjustifiable

A rather bold innovation

Certainly injudicious and ill-timed

It is crude stuff

Foolish and pernicious talk

Most reprehensible

Utterly futile as well as mischievous

Gross injustice

CONDONE

Excuse Overlook

We all have our little vanities

There are always two sides to a story

All this is water which long since flowed over the mill

It is time to bury the hatchet

That was not necessarily to his discredit

It is human nature to ignore the——

Not quite so radical as the description would seem to indicate

Undoubtedly there are times when——

Guilty of occasional indiscretions

We must endeavor to establish amicable relations

That is a thing of the past

There is another plausible side to it

Of course there are mitigating circumstances

Extenuating nothing of the enormity of the offence charged it may be asked what——

We are all willing to condone but not to forget

I can only plead in extenuation that——

There will be extenuating circumstances

No doubt he was in a playful mood when he spoke it

He did it all in good faith

The trouble with us poor mortals is——

It must in fairness be added that——

Very likely the explanation lies in the fact that——

That is far from being the whole truth

We must be willing to make the best of a bad affair

After all he possesses some fine qualities

No hard and fast line can be drawn between——

There is a view which palliates our case a little

And it is fair to remember that——

There is a certain truth in the criticism that——

The best of us make mistakes

Softening the asperities of life

Apparently he has done all he can to placate the ire of——

It is a great mercy that——

We attempted to smother down some very harsh asperities

I will give you absolution from——

Progressive thinkers would fain ameliorate the harsher aspects of——

Please say something nice to him

A tendency to conciliate those who oppose

Their efforts smoothed away many asperities

One of the chronic frailties of human nature

Things past redress are now with me past care. _King Richard II._, II., 3

CONSECRATION

Devotion Dedication

All there is of us for God

Willing to take a lowly place anywhere to serve God

There is a constancy of spirit that beats like the pulse of God

A heart full of longing to live in a larger way

The hardships and joys of a life of toil

My heart is set to do all the will of God

A fervent and vigilant life in the service of God

Men and women who are living beautiful lives of sanctified service

A work in which every man may bear a share

The depth and fervor of our belief

To lay our tribute at the feet of one who is nobler than the noblest

Perfect abandon unto the will of God

Not much engaged in cumbering affairs

Into spheres of sublime service

In harmony with His character

The free-will offering of our lips and purses

Men who tried to stem the flood-tide of sin

In fearless pioneering

In plucky unyielding struggle with evil

In unapplauded toil among the poor

A path of whole-hearted consecration to God

CONSIDERATE

Regardful Thoughtful

Given to the niceties of deportment

He has the courtesy of the old school

In manner he was deferential

The flower of courtesy. _Romeo and Juliet_, II., 5

Always time for the considerate word

Positive claims to consideration

Kindly and considerately

Every consideration should be shown to——

I very much doubt whether others will be equally considerate

CONTENTED

Satisfied Gratified

I am in a very happy state of mind

I have not had one melancholy hour

I think it is a settled temper of my soul that I——

I lived melodious days with——

He loves the sunny side of the road

An air of moderation and sweet reasonableness

Not one minute’s uneasiness

I want the satisfactions and complacencies of——

To every bird its nest seems fair

He may well be content

It pleased me greatly to find that——

It is a very great satisfaction to know that——

I am rejoiced to find that——

That was one of the pleasantest experiences of my life

It was hailed with unmixed joy

Every cat loves its own garret

I am perfectly comfortable about it

It is with the liveliest satisfaction that——

One of the few true delights of——

A very pleasing sort of experience

It is a source of inexpressible comfort to find that——

It is the panacea for all ills

It was heavenly

It was concluded in the most gratifying way

It is a matter of great gratification to me to find that——

There is no use blowing a fire that burns well

Quite in keeping with the best traditions

It will pass muster

An arrangement to our mutual advantage

We had no reason to complain of——

It must be a very confirmed pessimist who would refuse a smile of satisfaction at——

Snug as a bug in a rug

It was a great find

A perfectly proper proceeding

Elegant ease

Snugly ensconced

COURAGE

Resolution Mettle

Always unafraid

Unshakable resolution in the face of adversity

Through the ordeal unflinchingly

As bold as a hawk

A recklessness that snatches victory out of the jaws of danger

There is no such word as compromise in his vocabulary

He has the courage of his convictions

Fighting for imperishable moral treasures

Fortune aids the bold

With the splendid heroism of a man sure of life

Certain fearless minds

He had the fortitude to resist the——

Faint heart never won a fair lady

Look danger in the face

Upholding the finest traditions of——

A fighting heart

Our staying power is sure to be well tested

It takes a very daring man to——

As a test of the mettle of——

Unmoved by fear

The stuff of a hero in him

With red blood in his veins

Facing the problem squarely

With a bold disregard for danger

The daring mood

Not afraid to tackle big things

COURTESY

Civility Politeness

(Conventional——Apology)

I am afraid I am trespassing on your time

I beg your pardon for intruding

I hope my coming will not put you to any inconvenience

I offer my most sincere apology

I beg you will excuse me

I regret it more than I can express

Excuse me for having detained you so long

I warmly regret being unable to oblige you

I must apologize for my stupidity

This is quite unforgivable, I fear

I am very awkward, pray forgive me

I regret that I cannot assist you

It is with no small regret that——

I am exceedingly sorry that your request comes to me at a time when I am so pressed by my own affairs, that I cannot, with any convenience, comply with it

Pardon my indiscretion

(Conventional——Assistance)

I shall be very happy to assist you

I have had great pleasure in being useful to you

Permit me to serve you in any way I can

May I give you some assistance

If you can assist me I shall take it as an extraordinary kindness

(Conventional——At Weddings)

I wish you much joy

Let me wish you every happiness

I wish to offer you my heartiest congratulations

I congratulate you heartily on the good fortune that is yours to-day

Kindly accept my sincerest good wishes

It is impossible to wish you any greater good fortune than you have had to-day

Please accept my congratulations

Hearty congratulations

(Conventional——Condolence)

Kindly accept my sincere esteem and sympathy

I beg to offer my profound sympathy

We all share in your loss, and you have my deepest sympathy

I sympathize with you in your great affliction

I wish to assure you of my heartfelt sympathy

I could not refrain from assuring you in person of my sincerest sympathy

We can all splendidly trust God in life, no matter what its vicissitudes, if we but feel that we are drawn nearer to Him

Please accept my sincere condolences

(Conventional——Congratulatory)

I cannot refrain from expressing my admiring appreciation of——

You are to be congratulated upon the——

I wish to congratulate you, and express my appreciation of——

Will you permit me to make an acknowledgment of appreciation to you for——

Permit me to make appreciative acknowledgments of——

Please accept my congratulations upon your——

Since the news of the joy that has happened to you reached me, I have been anxious to write you a word of congratulation

I congratulate you on the very fortunate opportunity which presents itself

I had the great pleasure of hearing that——

I take this opportunity of assuring you that——

It is with great pleasure I hear of your safe arrival

(Conventional——Greeting)

It is a great pleasure to me to welcome you

I am delighted to see you here

I am delighted to make your acquaintance though indeed I seem to know a great deal about you through——

I am mightily glad to see you

I am so pleased to see you

How happy we are to see you

Welcome once more

This is a most unexpected pleasure

(Conventional——On Leaving)

This has been a delightful occasion

This has been a most enjoyable evening

I want to make my parting compliments

Many thanks for your kind hospitality

I will not forget this agreeable day

I am under the greatest obligation to you for a charming evening

I have enjoyed this little glimpse of you very much

This has been a most agreeable experience

It has been delightful to have you with us

I hope you may be persuaded to come again

I wish you were not going quite so soon

Come to see us again before you leave town

I trust you will repeat this experience at some future date

(Conventional——On Being Introduced)

I am very happy to meet you

It is a great pleasure to meet you

I am delighted to know you

I am sure the pleasure is mine also

You are most kind

It is a great pleasure

I was not clever enough to catch your name

(Conventional——Parting, On Chance Meeting)

It is a very great pleasure to have met you

I hope we may meet again

I hope to see you again soon

I must wish you good morning

I want to cultivate your acquaintance

I beg to present my compliments to all your family

I hope you will favor us with a call

I wish you a pleasant journey

Kindly convey my warmest regards to——

Be so good as to present my most respectful compliments to——

It has given me great pleasure to have this chat with you

Present my remembrances to——

Remember me very kindly to——

I hope we shall meet under happier circumstances

(Conventional——Request)

Could I interrupt you for a minute

I shall be glad if you will join me

I wish you would take it into serious consideration

Would you be good enough to give him a message for me

Please do not give yourself that trouble

Please accept this as a slight token of my gratitude

Will you not do me the favor to tell me——

I beg you to excuse me

If you don’t mind, I——

Let us have the pleasure of hearing you——

(Conventional——Request to Accompany Another and Response)

May I have the pleasure of your company

May I accompany you

I like good company, may I go with you

May I go along with you

With very great pleasure

Most assuredly

With pleasure

I shall feel highly honored

I shall be very happy of your company

(Conventional——Response to Compliment)

I am delighted to hear you say so

I am delighted to have your approbation

That is very gracious

Thank you, I appreciate your kindly thought of me

It is good of you to say so

(Conventional——Thanks)

I trust I shall have an opportunity of returning your kindness

You anticipate my wishes

Many thanks for doing me the honor to inquire

This is extremely kind of you

My best thanks are due to you for——

I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it

I thank you very cordially

You are very obliging

I am deeply indebted to you for your kindness

I beg your acceptance of my very hearty thanks for——

Permit me to thank you

(Conventional——Shakespeare)

_Apology_

Excuse my manners, that so neglected you. _Othello_, V., 1

Pardon, my haste made me unmannerly. _King Henry VIII._, IV., 2

I am heartily sorry that—— _All’s Well that Ends Well_, IV., 3

_Congratulatory_

Many years of sunshine days. _King Richard II._, IV., 1

Take from my mouth the wish of happy years. _King Richard II._, I., 3

Prosperous life, long and ever happy. _King Henry VIII._, V., 5