anyhow; anyway; somehow or other; apart from ...; setting ... aside
to dodge (e.g. a question); to evade; to sidestep; to give (someone) the slip
youth; springtime of life; adolescent
to speak with restraint; to understate; to downplay; to put it mildly; to say the least
to get information out of a person; to begin listening
question; inquiry; enquiry
to speak one's mind; to be frank; to tell the truth
important matter; requirement; requisite; necessary condition
silver hair; gray hair; grey hair
invisibly; secretly; privately
to fail; to blunder; to make a mess; to drink up; to eat up
vague; ambiguous; shady; disreputable; fuzzy
reaching a stopping place; settling down (before the next stage); getting to a point where one can rest; one paragraph
to gulp down; to swallow deeply; to understand; to take in; to engulf; to swallow up
chewing; mastication; digestion (e.g. of words); assimilation; comprehension
finger flick to the forehead
all kinds of things; various things; large number of people
trajectory; line of fire; ballistic
originally; by nature; from the start
to fill with holes; to riddle (e.g. with bullets)
to wake; to wake up; to become sober; to sober up; to come to one's senses; to be disillusioned
to untie; to unfasten; to unsew; to unstitch; to solve; to work out; to dispel (misunderstanding, etc.)
to recover consciousness; to come to
dubious; puzzled; suspicious
going public (with a matter); becoming public knowledge; recourse to litigation; taking (a matter) to court
elevation; rise; improvement; advancement; progress
immediate; prompt; quick; rapid; urgent; pressing
elucidation; explication; explaining; unravelling; clarification; understanding
true character; true form; true colors (colours); consciousness; one's senses
black curtain; wirepuller; mastermind; backroom manipulator
naturally; not surprisingly; it should be appreciated that; understandably; as a matter of course; as is obvious
restoration; repair; mending
efforts; exertion; endeavour; assistance; services
having ended; being resolved
activity (esp. energetic); great efforts; conspicuous service; to flourish; to participate actively; to play an active role
to play a leading role; to play a central part