inarticulate; clumsy with words; poor at speaking
dark-natured; gloomy; dour; moody; insular; glum
to play cool; to act cool
empty seat; unoccupied seat; vacancy; vacant post
mediator; peacemaker; troubleshooter; manager
resting one's chin in one's hands; brace (in construction); angle brace
close (e.g. in terms of relationship); intimate
cooperativeness; spirit of cooperation
to snarl (at each other); to growl (angrily); to quarrel; to fight; to argue
to sit cross-legged; to rest on one's laurels; to be self-complacent
local specialty or souvenir bought as a gift while travelling; present brought by a visitor; something unpleasant that one is given (e.g. an illness while on vacation); unwelcome gift
to listen attentively to; to be absorbed in (listening to)
not a chance; you wish!; that's not going to happen; that won't work
with a pop; with a squish; grainy; crunchy; bubble wrap; small grains
or rather (say); or better (say); or perhaps I should say; or, how should I put it,...; I mean
to chatter pointlessly; to waste one's breath
clearing one's throat; cough
to quiet (a child, crowd, etc.); to quieten; to calm (one's nerves, excitement, etc.); to compose (oneself); to suppress (a rebellion, riot, fire, etc.); to quell
shooting down (an aircraft)
long distance; long haul; long-distance race
going around; orbiting; circling; circumference; girth; surroundings
to calculate; to compute; to deduce; to infer; to conclude
familiar spirit; familiar
counter for laps or circuits; perimeter; Zhou dynasty (of China; approx. 1046-256 BCE); Chou dynasty
severe wound; serious wound; gash
to bend by twisting; to twist; to contort; to distort (e.g. the truth); to twist (e.g. someone's words)
for generations; from generation to generation; generation after generation; through the ages
main topic; main subject; main issue; this subject
fate; destiny; predestination
other than; excluding; without
to fall in love (with); to fall for; to be attracted (by); to be charmed (by); to forget oneself; to be entranced (by)
bargaining point; terms of exchange; conditions for meeting a demand
to jump; to leap; to splash (of oil, mud, etc.); to spatter; to burst; to crack open
beat; palpitation; pulsation; throbbing
struggling; pawing (e.g. horses' hooves)
one act (of a play); scene; event
supporting role (actor); minor role
going backward; turning back; backtracking; regression; retrogression; relapse
output (electrical, signal, etc.)