stepping back; drawing back
sun (approx. 3 cm); length; measurement; shortness; tininess
to ring; to sound; to be popular; to be esteemed; to state; to insist
sexual excitement; estrus; oestrus; rut; (coming into) heat
hair; fur; wool; down; plumage
to stand on end; to bristle up; to be ruffled
sidelong glance; short grain (paper); kanji "net" radical at top
change; alternation; rotation; replacement; substitution; shift
clerical desk; office desk
to wear glasses; to put on glasses
leaving everything up to someone else
timidly; nervously; hesitantly; trembling (with fear); fearfully; anxiously
burden; load; responsibility; bearing (a cost, responsibility, etc.); shouldering
to be exhausted; to be tired out; to be worn out
oh; oh my; oh dear; well, ...; er ...; why, ...
major progress; huge advance
hardly any; almost nonexistent; very little
to have been decided (so) that; to have been arranged (so) that
never mind!; don't worry about it
to each his own; people differ; different people (have different likes)
before one knows it; before one realises; without one's knowledge; without noticing
immense; awesome; enormous; terrific
deep blue; bright blue; ghastly pale; pallid; white as a sheet
mastery; learning through experience; realization; realisation; comprehension
dismissal (from one's post); firing; being relieved from one's post; discarding; throwing away; becoming useless
matter of time; question of time
self-deprecation; self-derision; self-mockery; laughing at oneself
to get cloudy; to cloud over; to cloud up; to fog up; to be gloomy; to be clouded (expression)
the other day; lately; recently; meanwhile; in the meantime
clean sweep; purging; doing away with; eradication
to accomplish; to fulfill; to carry out
feeling refreshed; feeling relieved
guardian; protector; patron; parent
even so; all the same; nevertheless; yes, but ...
by all rights; properly speaking; legally speaking
guy; fellow; chap; bastard; asshole; arsehole
whaa whaa; sound of a baby crying
finally; in the end; after all that; eventually; on top of all that
to speak distinctly; to speak clearly; to put it bluntly; to get to the point; to be frank
matter in question; that matter; the matter; the issue
to worry (about); to fret (over); to be anxious
the end; closing; being done for; that's it; that's enough; that's all