ROGET'S THESAURUS OF ENGLISH WORDS AND PHRASES ...

Phr. action is eloquence [Coriolanus]; actions speak louder than words; actum aiunt ne
agas [Terence]; awake, arise, or be forever fall'n [Paradise Lost]; dii pia facta vident
[Lat.] [Ovid]; faire sans dire [Fr.]; fare fac [It]; fronte capillata post est occasio calva
[Lat.]; our deeds are sometimes better than our thoughts [Bailey]; the great end of life is
not knowledge but action [Huxley]; thought is the soul of act [R.
Browning]; vivre-ce nest pas respirer c'est agir [Fr.]; we live in deeds not years
[Bailey].
681. Inaction -- N. inaction, passiveness, abstinence from action; noninterference,
nonintervention; Fabian policy, conservative policy; neglect &c 460.
inactivity &c 683; rest &c (repose) 687; quiescence &c 265; want of occupation,
inoccupation † ; idle hours, time hanging on one's hands, dolce far niente [It]; sinecure,
featherbed, featherbedding, cushy job, no-show job; soft snap, soft thing.
V. not do, not act, not attempt; be inactive &c 683; abstain from doing, do nothing, hold,
spare; not stir, not move, not lift a finger, not lift a foot, not lift a peg; fold one's arms,
fold one's hands; leave alone, let alone; let be, let pass, let things take their course, let it
have its way, let well alone, let well enough alone; quieta non movere [Lat.]; stare super
antiquas vias [Lat.]; rest and be thankful, live and let live; lie rest upon one's oars; laisser
aller [Fr.], faire [Fr.]; stand aloof; refrain &c (avoid) 623, keep oneself from doing;
remit one's efforts, relax one's efforts; desist &c (relinquish) 624; stop &c (cease) 142;
pause &c (be quiet) 265.
wait, lie in wait, bide one's time, take time, tide it over.
cool one's heels, kick one's heels; while away the time, while away tedious hours; pass
the time, fill up the time, beguile the time; talk against time; let the grass grow under
one's feet; waste time &c (inactive) 683.
lie by, lie on the shelf, lie in ordinary, lie idle, lie to, lie fallow; keep quiet, slug; have
nothing to do, whistle for want of thought.
undo, do away with; take down, take to pieces; destroy &c 162.
Adj. not doing &c v.; not done &c v.; undone; passive; unoccupied, unemployed; out of
employ, out of work; fallow; desaeuvre [Fr.].
Adv. re infecta [Lat.], at a stand, les bras croisis [Fr.], with folded arms; with the hands
in the pockets, with the hands behind one's back; pour passer le temps [Fr.].
Int. so let it be!, stop!, &c 142; hands off!,
Phr. cunctando restituit rem [Lat.], If it ain't broke don't fix it [Bert Lance]; stare decisis
[Lat.], let the decision stand;
682. Activity -- N. activity; briskness, liveliness &c adj.; animation, life, vivacity, spirit,
dash, energy; snap, vim.
nimbleness, agility; smartness, quickness &c adj.; velocity, &c 274; alacrity,
promptitude; despatch, dispatch; expedition; haste &c 684; punctuality &c (early) 132.
eagerness, zeal, ardor, perfervidum aingenium [Lat.], empressement [Fr.],
earnestness, intentness; abandon; vigor &c (physical energy) 171; devotion &c
(resolution) 604; exertion &c 686.
industry, assiduity; assiduousness &c adj.; sedulity; laboriousness; drudgery &c
(labor) 686; painstaking, diligence; perseverance &c 604.1; indefatigation † ; habits of
business.