to smirk; to grin broadly
personal delivery; handing over in person
edge; brink; verge; time; moment of
to threaten; to intimidate; to be threatening
guidance; leading (the way); information; notice; announcement (of a visitor's arrival); informing (someone) of a visitor's arrival
to succeed in doing; to see through; to manage to do; to finish doing
old-fashioned; ancient-looking; time-worn
atrium; well (in building); blow-by; blow-bye; drafty; draughty
fear; horror; risk; danger; awe; reverence
and; moreover; besides; as well as; and on top of that; at the same time
although I say; although one might say; although called
stubbornly; firmly; determinedly; obstinately; resolutely; adamantly
scheme; plot; artifice; stratagem; trick
to scheme; to plan; to play a trick; to invent; to conspire; to frame up
to let down one's hair; to undo hair
listen!; you see; mind you; remember
cold-hearted; callous; unfeeling; insentient (objects); insensate; inanimate
to be far apart (from); to be a long way off (from); to be remote; to be very different (from); to be quite unlike; to be far from (e.g. the truth)
sleek; smooth; thin (of a liquid); without hesitation or delay
sharp (words); harsh (manner, tone, etc.); hostile (mood, attitude, etc.); spiky; prickly; jagged
absentmindedly; dazedly; vaguely
impressions; thoughts; feelings; reactions
to read and understand; to take in; to sense from external cues; to read (someone's) mind; to read (calibration, tape, etc.); to scan (bar code)
to brace oneself; to focus one's energies; to focus one's mind
seeming; giving the appearance of; giving one the feeling of
relaxation (e.g. of muscles); becoming flaccid
to assume an air of ...; to act ...; to affect ...; to put on airs; to be self-important
to press down; to hold down; to pin down
some; few; a number of; somewhat; to a certain extent; a bit
to be irritated; to get annoyed; to lose one's patience
estrangement; alienation; disaffection; (customer) churn; attrition
groping (for); fumbling around (for); searching (for an answer, solution, etc.); trying to find
to stare back at; to look back at
to pass; to elapse; to pass through; to go through; to experience; to go through
to be completed; to be finished; to be ready (e.g. to serve or eat); to be very drunk; to get plastered
standard; criterion; norm; benchmark; measure; gauge
to kick about; to kick around; to scatter (a crowd, the enemy, etc.); to rout
high and low (social standing)
all ages to come; all generations; eternity
to close (one's eyes); to shut