N. {opp. 82} nonconformity, unconformity, disconformity, unconventionality, informality, abnormity, abnormality, anomaly, anomalousness, exception, peculiarity, infraction of law, breach, of law, violation of law, violation of custom, violation of usage, infringement of law, infringement of custom, infringement of usage, teratism, eccentricity, bizarrerie, oddity, je ne sais quoi, monster, monstrosity, rarity, freak, freak of nature, weirdo, mutant, rouser, snorter*, individuality, idiosyncrasy, originality, mannerism, aberration, irregularity, variety, singularity, exemption, salvo, nonconformist, nondescript, character, original, nonesuch, nonsuch, monster, prodigy, wonder, miracle, curiosity, flying fish, black sheep, black swan, lusus naturae, rara avis, queer fish, mongrel, random breed, half-caste, half-blood, half-breed, metis, crossbreed, hybrid, mule, hinny, mulatto, tertium quid, hermaphrodite, phoenix, chimera, hydra, sphinx, minotaur, griffin, griffon, centaur, saggittary, kraken, cockatrice, wyvern, roc, dragon, sea serpent, mermaid, merman, merfolk, unicorn, cyclops, "men whose heads do grow beneath their shoulders", teratology, fish out of water, neither one thing nor another, neither fish nor fowl, neither fish flesh nor fowl nor good red herring, one in a million, one in a way, one in a thousand, outcast, outlaw, off the beaten track, oasis

V. be uncomformable, abnormalize, leave the beaten track, leave the beaten path, infringe a law, infringe a habit, infringe a usage, infringe a custom, break a law, break a habit, break a usage, break a custom, violate a law, violate a habit, violate a usage, violate a custom, drive a coach and six through, stretch a point, have no business there, baffle all description, beggar all description

Adj. uncomformable, exceptional, abnormal, abnormous, anomalous, anomalistic, out of order, out of place, out of keeping, out of tune, out of one's element, irregular, arbitrary, teratogenic, lawless, informal, aberrant, stray, wandering, wanton, peculiar, exclusive, unnatural, eccentric, egregious, out of the beaten track, off the beaten track, out of the common, out of the common run, beyond the pale of, out of the pale of, misplaced, funny, unusual, unaccustomed, uncustomary, unwonted, uncommon, rare, curious, odd, extraordinary, out of the ordinary, strange, monstrous, wonderful, unexpected, unaccountable, outre, out of the way, remarkable, noteworthy, queer, quaint, nondescript, none such, sui generis, unfashionable, fantastic, grotesque, bizarre, outlandish, exotic, tombe des nues, preternatural, denaturalized, heterogeneous, heteroclite, amorphous, mongrel, amphibious, epicene, half blood, hybrid, androgynous, androgynal, asymmetric, adelomorphous, bisexual, hermaphrodite, monoclinous, qualified, singular, unique, one-of-a-kind, newfangled, novel, non-classical, original, unconventional, unheard of, unfamiliar, undescribed, unprecedented, unparalleled, unexampled

Adv. unconformably, except, unless, save barring, beside, without, save and except, let alone, however, yet, but, once in a blue moon, once in a million years

Phr. never was seen the like, never was heard the like, never was known the like, i could hardly believe it, i saw it, but i didn't believe it, 1, number, in the abstract

Int. what on earth, what in the world, what the devil, holy cow, can you top that?, sacre bleu

N. qualification, limitation, modification, # coloring, allowance, grains of allowance, consideration, extenuating circumstances, mitigation, condition, proviso, prerequisite, contingency, stipulation, provision, specification, sine qua non, catch, string, strings attached, exemption, exception, escape clause, salvo, saving clause, discount, restriction, fine print

V. qualify, limit, modify, leaven, give a color to, introduce new conditions, narrow, temper, waffle, quibble, hem and haw (be uncertain) 475, equivocate (sophistry) 477, depend, depend on, be contingent on (effect) 154, allow for, make allowance for, admit exceptions, take into account, modulate, moderate, temper, season, leaven, take exception

Adj. qualifying, qualified, conditioned, restricted, hedged, conditional, exceptional, hypothetical, contingent

Adv. provided, provided that, provided always, if, unless, but, yet, according as, conditionally, admitting, supposing, on the supposition of, with the understanding, even, although, though, for all that, after all, at all events, approximately, 17, in a limited degree (smallness) 32, somewhat, sort of, something like that, to a certain extent, to a degree, in a sense, so to speak, with grains of allowance, cum grano salis, exceptis excipiendis, wind and weather permitting, if possible, subject to, conditioned upon, with this proviso

Phr. "if the good lord is willing and the creeks don't rise", catch-22, degrees of evidence

N. skill, skillfulness, address, dexterity, dexterousness, adroitness, expertness, proficiency, competence, technical competence, craft, callidity, facility, knack, trick, sleight, mastery, mastership, excellence, panurgy, ambidexterity, ambidextrousness, sleight of hand, seamanship, airmanship, marksmanship, horsemanship, rope-dancing, accomplishment, acquirement, attainment, art, science, technicality, technology, practical knowledge, technical knowledge, knowledge of the world, world wisdom, savoir faire, tact, mother wit, discretion &c. *(caution) 864, finesse, craftiness, management, self-help, cleverness, talent, ability, ingenuity, capacity, parts, talents, faculty, endowment, forte, turn, gift, genius, intelligence, sharpness, readiness, invention, aptness, aptitude, turn for, capacity for, genius for, felicity, capability, curiosa felicitas, qualification, habilitation, proficient, masterpiece, coup de maitre, chef d'euvre, tour de force, good stroke

V. be skillful, excel in, be master of, have a turn for, know what's what, know a hawk from a handsaw, know what one is about, know on which side one's bread is buttered, know what's o'clock, have cut one's eye teeth, have cut one's wisdom teeth, 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, scire quid valeant humeri quid ferre recusent, 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, 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 &e, (use) 677, make a hit, make a virtue of necessity, make hay while the sun shines

Adj. skillful, dexterous, adroit, expert, apt, handy, quick, deft, ready, gain, slick, smart, proficient, good at, up to, at home in, master of, a good hand at, au fait, thoroughbred, masterly, crack, accomplished, conversant, experienced, practiced, skilled, hackneyed, up in, well up in, in practice, in proper cue, competent, efficient, qualified, capable, fitted, fit for, up to the mark, trained, initiated, prepared, primed, finished, clever, cute, able, ingenious, felicitous, gifted, talented, endowed, inventive, shrewd, sharp, on the ball, cunning, alive to, up to snuff, not to be caught with chaff, discreet, neat-handed, fine-fingered, nimble-fingered, ambidextrous, sure- footed, cut out for, fitted for, technical, artistic, scientific, daedalian, shipshape, workman- like, business-like, statesman-like

Adv. skillfully, well, artistically, with skill, with consummate skill, secundum artem, suo marte, to the best of one's abilities

Phr. ars celare artem, artes honorabit, celui qui veut celui-la peut, c'est une grande habilite que de savoir cacher sonhabilite, expertus metuit, es bildet ein talent sich in der stille sich ein charakter in dem strom der welt, "heart to conceive the understanding to direct, or the hand to execute", if you have lemons, make lemonade