financier; lender; financial backer; gambling boss; head of a gambling house
sure; certain; reliable; trustworthy; If I'm not mistaken; If I remember correctly
to descend; to stoop; to degrade oneself; to be reduced to
to smoke; to smoulder; to be sooty; to be smoke-stained; to smoulder (e.g. a dispute); to smolder
vengeance; revenge; retaliation
to be puffed up with pride; to throw out one's chest
brave; valiant; gallant; stirring; vigorous; rousing
to watch over; to watch attentively
whereabouts; place; location; place where one belongs; where one fits in; place where one can be oneself
vague; ambiguous; shady; disreputable; fuzzy
bump; lump; protuberance; swelling
to fly around; to scatter
object; natural phenomenon; science of inanimate nature
to show signs of; to appear
shadow; shade; shading; nuance; shades of meaning; subtleties
to turn yellow; to become tinged with yellow; to yellow (with age)
layperson; layman; laywoman; country home; farmhouse; cottage
to stop; to turn off; to park; to prevent; to suppress (a cough); to stop (someone from doing something); to dissuade
spicy; hot; salty; harsh (criticism); severe (punishment); painful
guidance; lead; guide; primer; influence; connections
kendo; Japanese martial art using bamboo swords
peculiarity; uniqueness; characteristic
art; technique; means; way; trick; trap
villainous; rascally; knavish; (arch.) independent; (arch.) self-reliant
(something) despised; (something) made light of
rogue; thug; hoodlum; punk; racketeer
skillful; skilful; delicious; appetizing; fortunate; splendid
energy; military strength
official; governmental; public (use, matter, forum, etc.); common; being public knowledge; being out in the open
license; licence; certificate; permit; diploma (conferring permission to teach, etc.)
to go to; to visit; to call on
exposed; scanty; bare; public; open
to offer; to propose; to suggest; to put forward; to request; to ask (for)
flattery; cajolery; adulation
manner of speaking; way of speaking; intimation; lip service; words
to take measures; to work out a plan; to lecture; to read aloud; to confer
unreasonable; irrational; outrageous; absurd
fleeting life; this transient world; sad world; world of grief and worry; the world of the living; this life
killing a would-be avenger; having the tables turned on someone (e.g. by a challenger); being beaten at one's own game
convenience; accommodation; advantage; benefit; expediency
practice; practising; training; study
one's long-cherished desire
thorn; spine; splinter (esp. lodged in one's flesh); hard sharp item (esp. lodged in one's throat, e.g. fish bone); biting words