to shrink; to contract; to diminish (in size)
candidate; contender; prospect; candidacy; candidature; nomination
far and away the best; the very best; cream of the crop; crème de la crème; decisive lead; commanding lead
following (in the footsteps of); catching up with; coming level with
skillful; adroit; craft; craftsmanship; plot; scheme
twelve; 12; queen (playing card)
absurd; unreasonable; extreme; senseless; disorderly; chaotic
long chopsticks (for cooking, serving, etc.)
grasping; gripping; handful; fistful; handle; grip; rice ball
bathing (in a lake, river, or in the sea); playing in the water; playing with water
now that you say that; now that you mention it
prank; practical joke; horseplay; mischievous trick
exactly; precisely; closely; tightly; properly; without fail
to mix; to stir; to blend
connotation; comprehension; intension; inclusion; containment within
dual nature; bilateral character; two-facedness; two-sidedness
leadership; initiative; spearhead
to attract attention; to come into the limelight
extra-sensory perception; ESP; psi; psychokinesis; PK
(please) try to; (please) look; seeing; looking
seeming to be; appearing to be; like; similar to; in order to (e.g. meet goal); so that
whirlpool; swirl; eddy; vortex; maelstrom
to trap (into a difficult situation); to put (in a fix); to capture (a castle, fortress, etc.); to take; to drop (something) into
skin; hide; rind; peel; shell; sheath
to throw away; to cast away; to abandon; to desert; to give up; to resign
to wash; to cleanse; to inquire into; to investigate; to purify (one's heart); to lave (e.g. shore)
dish of potatoes first boiled, then spun around while fried in a bowl (making them look as if covered in powder)
to open the lid; to lift a lid; to open the lid (on); to make public; to start (something); to look at the results (consequences, outcome, effect)
chopping board; cutting board
to peel off; to come off; to be taken off
magic (illusion); conjuring; magic trick; conjuring trick; sleight of hand
eccentricity; eccentric behaviour
several people; a few people
before very long; soon; someday; of the previously mentioned; of that number; among them
science and technology; scientific technique
product demonstration; sales demonstration
disturbance; trouble; ups and downs
for better or worse; for good and bad; regardless of merit; both good and bad
unable to take one's eyes off of something; having to keep a watchful eye on
manner of using one's hands
dangerous; critical; grave; uncertain; unreliable; dodgy
natural; reasonable; understandable
optimization; optimisation
process; procedure; sequence; protocol; instruction