dimly; faintly; absentmindedly; vacantly; idly; aimlessly
now that you mention it; come to think of it; that reminds me; on that subject; speaking of which
mother; mom; wife; you (of an elderly person older than the speaker); she
that way; that direction; that (one); that person; there; over there
cooking; cookery; cuisine; dealing with (skillfully); handling (well); managing
to return; to come home; to leave (of a guest, customer, etc.); to get home; to get to home plate
evening meal; dinner; supper
to help; to assist; to aid; to contribute to; to be a factor in
main constituent; core; nucleus; subject
hardworking; painstaking; diligent; conscientious; sincere
to tease; to make fun of; to poke fun at; to make a crack about; to chaff; to kid
to lose; to miss (a chance, opportunity); to lose (a loved one); to be bereaved of; to concede (goals, points, etc.)
abrupt; sudden; unexpected
soggy; soaked; crushed (out of shape); crumpled; messy; untidy
to stir; to churn; to rummage around; to throw into confusion; to throw into chaos
to stroke; to caress; to brush gently; to comb (hair); to smooth down
to rock; to shake; to swing
grabbing hold; eagle grip; tight hold
to comfort; to console; to amuse
long ago; a long time ago; already
graduation; completion (of a course); moving on (from); outgrowing (something); leaving (a group, company, etc.); quitting
correspondence (to); equivalence; suitability; coordination; dealing with; coping with
treating someone like a child
to get angry; to get mad; to lose one's temper; to scold; to tell (someone) off
grateful; thankful; welcome; appreciated; evoking gratitude
such; this sort of; like this
extent; scope; sphere; range; span
ambition; aspiration; desire to improve oneself
only; merely; but; no more than
so; like this; in this way; this much; to this extent
stature; body height; one's means; one's status; one's ability
before one knows it; before one realises; without one's knowledge; without noticing
to insert; to include; to incorporate; to install; to embed
to rekindle one's love; to fall in love again (with a person one has previously been in love with)
readiness; (mental) preparedness; resolution; determination; resignation (to one's fate)
by all means; at any cost; whether (one is) willing or not; willingly or unwillingly; on no account; by no means
to be born and raised (in); to be born and brought up; to be born and bred
to be separated; to be apart; to leave; to go away; to leave (a job, etc.); to quit
whereabouts; place; location; place where one belongs; where one fits in; place where one can be oneself
hard to get; hard to come by