to fall on one's backside
lifeline; safety rope; safety tether
for a short while; for a brief period; soon; in a short while
to catch and tie up; to apprehend; to entangle; to trap; to brush out (e.g. dust, fur, plaque); to extract
roll (e.g. of cloth); winding (e.g. watch); volume (of book); speeding up; heel (of a Japanese sandal)
impressive; striking; memorable; impactful
mismatched; odd; irregular; inconsistent; incoherent; confused
to bluff; to act brave; to put on a bold front
of good character; kindhearted; good-natured
dealing with (people, customers, complaints, etc.); receiving (callers, visitors, etc.); attending to; handling; serving
fool; someone beneath one's contempt
point (of a conversation, etc.); sense; hold; grip
to become twisted; to grow distorted; to get sulky; to sulk; to grow bitter; to become embittered
to brush gently; to stroke; to caress
sounding; probing; probe; stylet; spy
to assign; to allot; to allocate; to divide among; to distribute; to prorate
wrong; bad; not allowed; not possible; failing grade
borscht (Eastern European and Russian soup, usu. made with beets); borsch
to pay no heed to; to not care about; to take no notice of
to be square; to be angular; to be jagged; to be formal; to be stiff; to be ceremonious
only recently; just of late
water damage; flood disaster
evil deed; wrongdoing; crime; misfortune; calamity
practical problem; practical matter
decomposition; putrefaction; putrescence; corruption; degeneracy; decay
as if it weren't already enough
losing easily; being trounced; being beaten hands down
first; firstly; first of all; Introduction; Preface
evacuation site; exposure; refuge shelter; shelter
inquiry commission; enquiry commission; research group
promptly; quickly; without delay; before others; first
choices; alternatives; options
actual existence; real existence; existing in real life
cupboard; locker; closet; wardrobe; cabinet
inexpensive; cheap; easy; simple
extent of (one's) foolishness; degree of stupidity