financial power; financial means; wealth
to keep; to preserve; to hold; to last; to endure; to keep well (food)
central government agencies; central bureaucracy
to attract attention; to come into the limelight
villain; baddie; the villain's part
satisfactory; decent; good; proper; respectable
to become independent; to leave one's hands; to leave one's possession
smooth (of a surface); glassy; smooth (of an action, proceedings, etc.); fluent (speech); continuously differentiable
impact of publicity or propaganda
have to (do, be); must (do, be); is indispensable; is absolutely necessary
rather; sooner; preferably; on the contrary; if anything
refreshing (e.g. feeling, scene, wind, morning air); brisk; bracing; fresh; refreshed
if that is the case; if it becomes so; when it becomes so
weird; eerie; ominous; creepy; uncanny; unearthly
to be prominent; to be conspicuous; to stand out; to be outstanding; to be remarkable; to be striking
first time; first innings; initial attempt; first; initial
fighting (against); taking on (an opponent); facing; confronting; competing (with); battle
terrible; dreadful; terrifying; surprising; startling; tremendous
it cannot be that ...; it is highly unlikely that ...; it is impossible that ...
tremendous; immense; enormous; colossal; stupendous; huge
to be placed on; to be set on; to be piled on; to appear (in print); to be mentioned; to be recorded
in a manner of speaking; as it were; so to speak; if you like; per se
(deliberate) misinterpretation; distortion (of someone's words, etc.); contortion; perversion; disingenuous understanding
nonexistent; nil; none; nothing (at all); bugger-all
nonetheless; nevertheless; but; (and) yet
being done for; giving up; being in a hopeless situation; not knowing what to do; being brought to one's knees; (lit.) throwing up (one's) hands
taking over; handing over; transfer of control; inheriting; passing on the baton
conference; consultation; discussion; negotiation
immediate; prompt; quick; rapid; urgent; pressing
to deliver; to extradite; to stretch across; to hand over
order (for an item); request; demand; condition
tactician; schemer; intriguer; resourceful person
idiot; moron; stupid; foolish; trivial; insignificant; malfunctioning
easily; readily; with ease; without trouble
stating (one's views); expressing
there is no way that ...; easy; simple
point of uncertainty; unclarified issue; doubt
cancellation; liquidation; resolution; reduction (e.g. of stress)
suspicion will raise bogies; once you suspect something, everything else will look suspicious; jumping at shadows
to deepen; to heighten; to intensify
to lurk; to be hidden; to be concealed; to lie dormant; to be latent
to change; to alter; to reform; to correct; to examine; to check
weapon; arms; ordnance; weapon (something used to gain an advantage); asset