English words and phrases

aware of, cognizant of, conscious of; acquainted with, made acquainted with; privy to, no stranger to; au fait with, au courant; in the secret; up to, alive to; behind the scenes, behind the curtain; let into; apprized of, informed of; undeceived.

proficient with, versed with, read with, forward with, strong with, at home in; conversant with, familiar with.

erudite, instructed, leaned, lettered, educated; well conned, well informed, well read, well grounded, well educated; enlightened, shrewd, savant, blue, bookish, scholastic, solid, profound, deep-read, book-learned; accomplished &c (skillful) 698; omniscient; self-taught.

known &c v.; ascertained, well-known, recognized, received, notorious, noted; proverbial; familiar, familiar as household words, familiar to every schoolboy; hackneyed, trite, trivial, commonplace.

cognoscible^†, cognizable.

unknown quantities, x, y, z.

sealed book, terra incognita, virgin soil, unexplored ground; dark ages.

[Imperfect knowledge] smattering, sciolism^†, glimmering, dilettantism; bewilderment &c (uncertainty) 475; incapacity.

[Affectation of knowledge] pedantry; charlatanry, charlatism^†; Philister^†, Philistine.

V. be ignorant &c adj.; not know &c 490; know not, know not what, know nothing of; have no idea, have no notion, have no conception; not have the remotest idea; not know chalk from cheese.

ignore, be blind to; keep in ignorance &c (conceal) 528.

see through a glass darkly; have a film over the eyes, have a glimmering &c n.; wonder whether; not know what to make of &c (unintelligibility) 519; not pretend to take upon, not take upon one self to say.

Adj. ignorant; nescient; unknowing, unaware, unacquainted, unapprised, unapprized^†, unwitting, unweeting^†, unconscious; witless, weetless^†; a stranger to; unconversant^†.

uninformed, uncultivated, unversed, uninstructed, untaught, uninitiated, untutored, unschooled, misguided, unenlightened; Philistine; behind the age.

shallow, superficial, green, rude, empty, half-learned, illiterate; unread, uninformed, uneducated, unlearned, unlettered, unbookish; empty-headed, dizzy, wooly-headed; pedantic; in the dark; benighted, belated; blinded, blindfolded; hoodwinked; misinformed; au bout de son latin, at the end of his tether, at fault; at sea &c (uncertain) 475; caught tripping.

unknown, unapprehended, unexplained, unascertained, uninvestigated^†, unexplored, unheard of, not perceived; concealed &c 528; novel.

Jonson]; that unlettered small-knowing soul [Love's Labor's Lost]; there is no darkness but ignorance [Twelfth Night].

bookworm, helluo librorum [Lat.]; bibliophile, bibliomaniac^†; bluestocking, bas-bleu [Fr.]; bigwig, learned Theban, don; Artium Baccalaureus [Lat.], Artium Magister [Lat.].

learned man, literary man; homo multarum literarum [Lat.]; man of learning, man of letters, man of education, man of genius.

antiquarian, antiquary; archaeologist.

sage &c (wise man) 500.

pedant, doctrinaire; pedagogue, Dr.

Pangloss; pantologist^†, criminologist.

schoolboy &c (learner) 541.

greenhorn, amateur &c (dupe) 547; novice, tyro &c (learner) 541; numskull.

lubber &c (bungler) 701; fool &c 501; pedant &c 492.

Adj. bookless^†, shallow; ignorant &c 491.

Phr. a wit with dunces and a dunce with wits [Pope].
494. [Object of knowledge.] Truth -- N. fact, reality &c (existence) 1; plain fact, plain matter of fact; nature &c (principle) 5; truth, verity; gospel, gospel truth, God's honest truth; orthodoxy &c 983.1; authenticity; veracity &c 543; correctness, correctitude^†.

accuracy, exactitude; exactness, preciseness &c adj.; precision, delicacy; rigor, mathematical precision, punctuality; clockwork precision &c (regularity) 80; conformity to rule; nicety.

orthology^†; ipsissima verba [Lat.]; realism.

plain truth, honest truth, sober truth, naked truth, unalloyed truth, unqualified truth, stern truth, exact truth, intrinsic truth; nuda veritas [Lat.]; the very thing; not an illusion &c 495; real Simon Pure; unvarnished tale, unvarnished truth; the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth; just the thing.

render true, prove true &c adj.; substantiate &c (evidence) 467.

get at the truth &c (discover) 480.1.

Adj. real, actual &c (existing) 1; veritable, true; right, correct; certain &c 474; substantially true, categorically true, definitively true &c; true to the letter, true as gospel; unimpeachable; veracious &c 543; unreconfuted^†, unconfuted^†; unideal^†, unimagined; realistic.

exact, accurate, definite, precise, well-defined, just, just so, so; strict, severe; close &c (similar) 17; literal; rigid, rigorous; scrupulous &c (conscientious) 939; religiously exact, punctual, mathematical, scientific; faithful, constant, unerring; curious, particular, nice, delicate, fine; clean-cut, clear-cut.

verified, empirically true, experimentally verified, substantiated, proven (demonstrated) 478.

rigorously true, unquestionably true.

true by definition.

genuine, authentic, legitimate; orthodox &c 983.1; official, ex officio.

pure, natural, sound, sterling; unsophisticated, unadulterated, unvarnished, unalloyed, uncolored; in its true colors; pukka^†.

well-grounded, well founded; solid, substantial, tangible, valid; undistorted, undisguised; unaffected, unexaggerated, unromantic, unflattering.

exactly &c adj.; ad amussim [Lat.]; verbatim, verbatim et literatim [Lat.]; word for word, literally, literatim [Lat.], totidem vervis [Lat.], sic, to the letter, chapter and verse, ipsissimis verbis [Lat.]; ad unguem [Lat.]; to an inch; to a nicety, to a hair, to a tittle, to a turn, to a T; au pied de la lettre [Fr.]; neither more nor less; in every respect, in all respects; sous tous les rapports [Fr.]; at any rate, at all events; strictly speaking.

mistake; miss, fault, blunder, quiproquo, cross purposes, oversight, misprint, erratum, corrigendum, slip, blot, flaw, loose thread; trip, stumble &c (failure) 732; botchery &c (want of skill) 699 [Obs.]; slip of the tongue, slip of the lip, Freudian slip; slip of the pen; lapsus linguae [Lat.], clerical error; bull &c (absurdity) 497; haplography^†.

illusion, delusion; snare; false impression, false idea; bubble; self-decit, self-deception; mists of error.

heresy &c (heterodoxy) 984; hallucination &c (insanity) 503; false light &c (fallacy of vision) 443; dream &c (fancy) 515; fable &c (untruth) 546; bias &c (misjudgment) 481; misleading &c v..

err; be in error &c adj., be mistaken &c v.; be deceived &c (duped) 547; mistake, receive a false impression, deceive oneself; fall into error, lie under error, labor under an error &c n.; be in the wrong, blunder; misapprehend, misconceive, misunderstand, misreckon, miscount, miscalculate &c (misjudge) 481.

play at cross purposes, be at cross purposes &c (misinterpret) 523.

trip, stumble; lose oneself &c (uncertainty) 475; go astray; fail &c 732; be in the wrong box; take the wrong sow by the ear &c (mismanage) 699; put the saddle on the wrong horse; reckon without one's host; take the shadow for the substance &c (credulity) 486; dream &c (imagine) 515.

inexact, unexact inaccurate^†, incorrect; indefinite &c (uncertain) 475.

illusive, illusory; delusive; mock, ideal &c (imaginary) 515; spurious &c 545; deceitful &c 544; perverted.

controvertible, unsustainable; unauthenticated, untrustworthy.

exploded, refuted; discarded.

in error, under an error &c n.; mistaken &c v.; tripping &c v.; out, out in one's reckoning; aberrant; beside the mark, wide of the mark, wide of the truth, way off, far off; astray &c (at fault) 475; on a false scent, on the wrong scent; in the wrong box, outside the ballpark; at cross purposes, all in the wrong; all out.

axiom, theorem, scholium^†, truism, postulate.

first principles, a priori fact, assumption (supposition) 514.

reflection &c (idea) 453; conclusion &c (judgment) 480; golden rule &c (precept) 697; principle, principia [Lat.]; profession of faith &c (belief) 484; settled principle, accepted principle, formula.

accepted fact.

received truth, wise maxim, sage maxim, received maxim, admitted maxim, recognized maxim &c; true saying, common saying, hackneyed saying, trite saying, commonplace saying &c

blunder, muddle, bull; Irishism^†, Hibernicism^†; slipslop^†; anticlimax, bathos; sophism &c 477.

farce, galimathias^†, amphigouri^†, rhapsody; farrago &c (disorder) 59; betise [Fr.]; extravagance, romance; sciamachy^†.

sell, pun, verbal quibble, macaronic^†.

jargon, fustian, twaddle, gibberish &c (no meaning) 517; exaggeration &c 549; moonshine, stuff; mare's nest, quibble, self-delusion.

vagary, tomfoolery, poppycock, mummery, monkey trick, boutade [Fr.], escapade.

foolish &c 499; sophistical &c 477; unmeaning &c 517; without rhyme or reason; fantastic.

head, brains, headpiece, upper story, long head; eagle eye, eagle-glance; eye of a lynx, eye of a hawk.

wisdom, sapience, sense; good sense, common sense, horse sense [U.S.], plain sense; rationality, reason; reasonableness &c adj.; judgment; solidity, depth, profundity, caliber; enlarged views; reach of thought, compass of thought; enlargement of mind.

genius, inspiration, geist [G.], fire of genius, heaven-born genius, soul; talent &c (aptitude) 698.

a bright thought, not a bad idea.

Solomon-like wisdom.

V. be intelligent &c adj.; have all one's wits about one; understand &c (intelligible) 518; catch an idea, take in an idea; take a joke, take a hint.

see through, see at a glance, see with half an eye, see far into, see through a millstone; penetrate; discern &c (descry) 441; foresee &c 510.

discriminate &c 465; know what's what &c 698; listen to reason.

Adj. intelligent [Applied to persons], quick of apprehension, keen, acute, alive, brainy, awake, bright, quick, sharp; quick witted, keen witted, clear witted, sharp-eyed, sharp sighted, sharp witted; wide-awake; canny, shrewd, astute; clear-headed; farsighted &c 510; discerning, perspicacious, penetrating, piercing; argute^†; quick-witted, nimble-witted, needle-witted; sharp as a needle, sharp as a tack; alive to &c (cognizant) 490; clever &c (apt) 698; arch &c (cunning) 702; pas si bete [Fr.]; acute &c 682.

wise, sage, sapient, sagacious, reasonable, rational, sound, in one's right mind, sensible, abnormis sapiens [Lat.], judicious, strong-minded.

unprejudiced, unbiased, unbigoted^†, unprepossessed^†; undazzled^†, unperplexed^†; unwarped judgment^†, impartial, equitable, fair.

cool; cool-headed, long-headed, hardheaded, strong-headed; long-sighted, calculating, thoughtful, reflecting; solid, deep, profound.

oracular; heaven-directed, heaven-born.

prudent &c (cautious) 864; sober, stand, solid; considerate, politic, wise in one's generation; watchful &c 459; provident &c (prepared) 673; in advance of one' age; wise as a serpent, wise as Solomon, wise as Solon.

one's weak side, not one's strong point; bias &c 481; infatuation &c (insanity) 503.

simplicity, puerility, babyhood; dotage, anility^†, second childishness, fatuity; idiocy, idiotism^†; driveling.

folly, frivolity, irrationality, trifling, ineptitude, nugacity^†, inconsistency, lip wisdom, conceit; sophistry &c 477; giddiness &c (inattention) 458; eccentricity &c 503; extravagance &c (absurdity) 497; rashness &c 863.

act of folly &c 699.

V. to be an imbecile &c adj.; have no brains, have no sense &c 498.

trifle, drivel, radoter^†, dote; ramble &c (madness) 503; play the fool, play the monkey, monkey around, fool around; take leave of one's senses (insanity) 503; not see an inch beyond one's nose; stultify oneself &c 699; talk nonsense &c 497.

weak headed, addle headed, puzzle headed, blunder headed, muddle headed, muddy headed, pig headed, beetle headed, buffle headed^†, chuckle headed, mutton headed, maggoty headed, grossheaded^†; beef headed, fat witted, fat-headed.

weak-minded, feeble-minded; dull minded, shallow minded, lack-brained; rattle-brained, rattle headed; half witted, lean witted, short witted, dull witted, blunt-witted, shallow-pated^†, clod-pated^†, addle-pated^†, addle-brained^†; dim-sighted, short-sighted; thick-skulled; weak in the upper story.

shallow, borne, weak, wanting, soft, sappy, spoony; dull, dull as a beetle; stupid, heavy, insulse^†, obtuse, blunt, stolid, doltish; asinine; inapt &c 699; prosaic &c 843; hebetudinous^†.

childish, child-like; infantine^†, infantile, babyish, babish^†; puerile, anile; simple &c (credulous) 486; old-womanish.

fatuous, idiotic, imbecile, driveling; blatant, babbling; vacant; sottish; bewildered &c 475.

blockish^†, unteachable Boeotian, Boeotic; bovine; ungifted, undiscerning^†, unenlightened, unwise, unphilosophical^†; apish; simious^†.

foolish, silly, senseless, irrational, insensate, nonsensical, inept; maudlin.

narrow-minded &c 481; bigoted &c (obstinate) 606; giddy &c (thoughtless) 458; rash &c 863; eccentric &c (crazed) 503.

[Applied to actions] foolish, unwise, injudicious, improper, unreasonable, without reason, ridiculous, absurd, idiotic, silly, stupid, asinine; ill-imagined, ill-advised, ill-judged, ill-devised; mal entendu [Fr.]; inconsistent, irrational, unphilosophical^†; extravagant &c (nonsensical) 497; sleeveless, idle; pointless, useless &c 645; inexpedient &c 647; frivolous &c (trivial) 643.

Phr. Davus sum non [Lat.] [Oedipus]; a fool's bolt is soon shot [Henry V.] clitellae bovi sunt impositae [Lat.] [Cicero]; fools rush in where angels fear to tread [Pope]; il n' a ni bouche ni eperon [Fr.]; the bookful blockhead, ignorantly read [Pope]; to varnish nonsense with the charms of sound [Churchill].
500. Sage -- N. sage, wise man; genius; master mind, master spirit of the age; longhead^†, thinker; intellectual, longhair.

authority, oracle, luminary, shining light, esprit fort, magnus Apollo [Lat.], Solon, Solomon, Nestor, Magi, second Daniel.

man of learning &c 492; expert &c 700; wizard &c 994.

wiseacre [Iron.], bigwig, know-it-all; poor man's Einstein.

child, baby, infant, innocent, milksop, sop.

oaf, lout, loon, lown^†, dullard, doodle, calf, colt, buzzard, block, put, stick, stock, numps^†, tony.

bull head, dunderhead, addlehead^†, blockhead, dullhead^†, loggerhead, jolthead^†, jolterhead^†, beetlehead^†, beetlebrain, grosshead^†, muttonhead, noodlehead, giddyhead^†; numbskull, thickskull^†; lackbrain^†, shallowbrain^†; dimwit, halfwit, lackwit^†; dunderpate^†; lunkhead sawney [U.S.], gowk^†; clod, clod-hopper; clod-poll, clot-poll, clot-pate; bull calf; gawk, Gothamite, lummox, rube [U.S.]; men of Boeotia, wise men of Gotham.

un sot a triple etage [Fr.], sot; jobbernowl^†, changeling, mooncalf, gobemouche^†.

dotard, driveler; old fogey, old woman, crock; crone, grandmother; cotquean^†, henhussy^†.

incompetent (insanity) 503.

greenhorn &c (dupe) 547; dunce &c (ignoramus) 493; lubber &c (bungler) 701; madman &c 504.

one who will not set the Thames on fire; one who did not invent gunpowder, qui n'a pas invente' la poudre [Fr.]; no conjuror.