Contents -AUTHOR INDEX -BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

Mawson, C.O.S., ed. (1870–1938). Roget’s International Thesaurus. 1922.

Class V. Words Releasing to the Voluntary Powers
Division (I) Individual Volition
Section III. Voluntary Action
2. Complex Voluntary Action

698. Skill.

   NOUN:SKILL, skillfulness or skilfulness, address; dexterity, dexterousness or dextrousness, adroitness, expertness &c. adj.; proficiency, competence, craft; callidity [rare], callidness, facility, knack, trick, sleight; mastery, mastership; excellence, panurgy [rare]; ambidexterity, ambidextrousness; sleight of hand (deception) [See Deception].
  seamanship, airmanship, marksmanship, horsemanship; rope-dancing; tight-rope -, slack-rope- walking.
  ACCOMPLISHMENT, acquirement, attainment; art, science; finish, finished execution, technique, technic, practical -, technical- knowledge; technology.
  WORLD WISDOM, knowledge of the world, savoir faire [F.]; tact; mother wit (sagacity) [See Intelligence. Wisdom]; discretion (caution) [See Caution]; finesse; craftiness (cunning) [See Cunning]; management (conduct) [See Conduct]; self-help.
  CLEVERNESS, talent, ability, ingenuity, capacity, parts, talents, faculty, endowment, forte, turn, gift, genius; intelligence [See Intelligence. Wisdom]; sharpness, readiness (activity) [See Activity]; invention [See Imagination]; aptness, aptitude; turn for, capacity for, genius for; felicity, capability, curiosa felicitas [L.], qualification, habilitation.
  PROFICIENT, expert, adept [See Proficient].
  MASTERPIECE, masterwork, coup de maître [F.,] chef d’æuvre [F.], tour de force [F.]; good stroke (plan) [See Plan].
   VERB:BE SKILLFUL &c. adj.; excel in, be master of; have a turn for &c. n.
  KNOW WHAT’S WHAT, know- a hawk from a handsaw, – what one is about, – on which side one’s bread is buttered, – what’s o’clock, – what o’clock it is, – the time of day, – a thing or two, – the ropes; have cut one’s -eyeteeth, – wisdom teeth; see through a millstone; be up to [all colloq.].
  see one’s way, see where the wind lies, see which way the wind blows; have all one’s wits about one, have one’s hand in; savoir vivre [F.]; scire quid valeant humeri quid ferre recusent [L.].
  look after the main chance; cut one’s coat according to one’s cloth; live by one’s wits; exercise one’s discretion, feather the oar, sail near the wind; stoop to conquer (cunning) [See Cunning]; play one’s cards well, play one’s best card; hit the right nail on the head, put the saddle on the right horse.
  TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, make the most of; profit by (use) [See Use]; make a hit (succeed) [See Success]; make a virtue of necessity; make hay while the sun shines (occasion) [See Occasion].
   ADJECTIVE:SKILLFUL or skilful, dexterous or dextrous, adroit, expert, apt, handy, quick, deft, ready, slick [slang], smart (active) [See Activity]; proficient, good at, up to, at home in, master of, a good hand at, au fait [F.[, thoroughbred, masterly, crack [colloq.], crackajack [slang], accomplished; conversant (knowing) [See Knowledge].
  EXPERIENCED, practiced, skilled; up in, well up in; in practice; competent, efficient, qualified, capable, fitted, fit for, up to the mark, up and coming [dial., U. S.], trained, initiated, prepared, primed, finished.
  CLEVER, cute [colloq.], able, ingenious, felicitous, gifted, talented, endowed; inventive [See Imagination]; shrewd, sharp (intelligent) [See Intelligence. Wisdom]; cunning [See Cunning]; alive to, up to snuff [slang], not to be caught with chaff; discreet.
  neat-handed, fine-fingered, nimble-fingered, ambidextrous, sure-footed; cut out for [colloq.], fitted for.
  technical, artistic, scientific, dædalian, shipshapelike, workmanlike, businesslike, statesmanlike.
   ADVERB:SKILLFULLY or skilfully &c. adj.; well [See Good]; artistically; with skill, with fine techique, with consummate skill; secundum artem [L.], suo Marte [L.]; to the best of one’s abilities (exertion) [See Exertion]; like a machine.
   QUOTATIONS:

1. Ars celare artem.
2. Srtes honorabit.
3. Celui qui veut celui-là peut.
4. C’est une grande habilité que de savoir cacher son habilité.
5. Expertus metuit.—Horace
6. Es bildet ein Talent sich in der Stille sich ein Charakter in dem Strom der Welt.
7. Heart to conceive, the understanding to direct, or the hand to execute.—Junius