solid; robust; tight; taut; shrewd; calculating
blockage; blockade; blocking up; stoppage; obstruction; occlusion
optical illusion; hallucination; misapprehension; delusion
... is the reason; ... is my excuse
impossible; unlikely; improbable
to arrive (at one's destination); to reach; to come to a head; to reach a conclusion; to culminate (in)
look; glimpse; apparently; seemingly; (arch.) first meeting
above anything else; above all; more than anything; best; greatest; excellent
east and west; Orient and Occident; East and West; ladies and gentlemen!; your attention, please!
at a stroke; with a single swoop
major change; major transformation
to wake up; to awake; to perk up; to awaken (to the truth, etc.); to come to a realization; to come to one's senses
shock (psychological); crisis (esp. financial); event that rattles the markets; shock (physical, mechanical); shock (e.g. due to lack of blood flow); trauma
prime minister (as the head of a cabinet government); premier
thought; consideration; thinking
busy; hurried; confused; flurried
to erase; to delete; to turn off (power); to switch off; to extinguish; to put out
in one go; in one gulp; in one breath; immediately; instantly; right away
reaching a stopping place; settling down (before the next stage); getting to a point where one can rest; one paragraph
to wedge one's way in; to push in (between); to step in (between); to interrupt (a conversation, quarrel, etc.); to intervene
to apologize; to apologise
sometimes; occasionally; now and then; from time to time
interruption; suspension; break
kind; gentle; considerate; generous; friendly; nice
look here; I say; well; I know what; I'll tell you what; just a minute
situation where alcohol is being served; (over) a drink
underling; newbie; small fry; newcomer
to partition; to divide; to direct; to manage; to settle accounts; to assume a crouching posture (at the start of a bout)
serve; serving (e.g. of food)
socks; sock; stockings; stocking
wife (esp. one's own wife); court lady; female court attache; (arch.) woman (esp. as a love interest)
to take off (clothes, shoes, etc.); to undress
customer; client; client company; business connection; trade partner
to behave; to conduct oneself; to entertain; to treat someone (to a drink); to make tea for someone (tea ceremony)
no!; no no!; no, not at all
moving to a different location to start a new job; (proceeding to) new appointment
rank-and-file member of staff; ordinary employee; low-grade employee
humiliation; shame; loss of face
after (a long process); at the end of; last line (of a renga)
par (in golf); equivalence; face value; parity