Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases by Peter Mark Roget

dexterousness; adroitness, expertness &c adj.; proficiency, competence, technical competence, craft, callidity†, facility, knack, trick, sleight; mastery, mastership, excellence, panurgy†; ambidexterity, ambidextrousness†; sleight of hand &c (deception) 545. 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 [Fr.]; tact; mother wit &c (sagacity) 498; discretion &c (caution) 864; finesse; craftiness &c (cunning) 702; management &c (conduct) 692; self-help. cleverness, talent, ability, ingenuity, capacity, parts, talents, faculty, endowment, forte, turn, gift, genius; intelligence &c 498; sharpness, readiness &c (activity) 682; invention &c 515; aptness, aptitude; turn for, capacity for, genius for; felicity, capability, curiosa felicitas [Lat.], qualification, habilitation. proficient &c 700. masterpiece, coup de maitre [Fr.], chef d'euvre [Fr.], tour de force; good stroke &c (plan) 626. V. 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, 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 [Fr.]; scire quid valeant humeri quid ferre recusent [Lat.]. 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 &c (cunning) 702; 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 &c (use) 677; make a hit &c (succeed) 731; make a virtue of necessity; make hay while the sun shines &c (occasion) 134. Adj. skillful, dexterous, adroit, expert, apt, handy, quick, deft, ready, gain; slick, smart &c (active) 682; proficient, good at, up to, at home in, master of, a good hand at, au fait, thoroughbred, masterly, crack, accomplished; conversant &c (knowing) 490. 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 &c 515; shrewd, sharp, on the ball &c (intelligent) 498; cunning &c 702; 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 &c adj.; well &c 618; artistically; with skill, with consummate skill; secundum artem [Lat.], suo Marte; to the best of one's abilities &c (exertion) 686. Phr. ars celare artem [Lat.]; artes honorabit [Lat.]; celui qui veut celui-la peut [Fr.]; c'est une grande habilite que de savoir cacher sonhabilite [Fr.]; expertus metuit [Lat.] [Horace]; es bildet ein Talent sich in der Stille sich ein Charakter in dem Strom der Welt [G.]; heart to conceive, the understanding to direct, or the hand to execute; [Junius]; if you have lemons, make lemonade.