He explained everything to himself by making up little phrases or sayings.

By looking closely, a clever little phrase can be seen on the front.

This little phrase can be modulated in a thousand ways.

But I think that in the back of your mind, you always have another little phrase: 'for a woman.'

But it is the little phrase that follows, repeated once.

It was one of those bright little phrases that could mean anything or nothing.

That same little phrase: the identical words she had used before about the inheritance.

This shows a little phrase handed from one instrument to another.

That modest little phrase doesn't begin to capture the shock and struggle involved.

I leave entirely on one side all the difficult questions which are concealed by that little phrase 'over a period'.