to flatter; to curry favour (with); to play up (to); to toady (to); to fawn (on)
standing in each other's way; holding each other back; getting in the way of each other's success; hindering each other's progress
self-destruction; ruining oneself; natural decay; perishing naturally
unsurpassable; peerless; having no equal; outclassing (others)
to pull a muscle; to strain a muscle
in itself; the thing itself; this itself; for its own sake; per se
soil; breeding ground (for); fertile ground (for)
a little; a bit; a small amount; a little while; a short time; a moment
dictatorship; despotism; autocracy; running (a company, etc.) despotically
match declared drawn due to injury; ending with both sides suffering damage (of a dispute, etc.)
backing (for a position); giving support to; helping (someone) to a position
equal; identical; the same; no different (from); just like; equivalent
to drive a wedge into (e.g. enemy defences); to wedge apart
rise; increase; income; takings; completion; end; end result (e.g. of crafts)
plan; protocol; manifest; program
black-market lending; illegal loan
lip service; mere words; professions; lips; mouth; snout
election campaign strategy; election tactics
mistake; error; fault; slip; blunder; omission
fact-finding survey based on interviews; oral survey; interview survey
secrecy; highly classified information
paltry sum of money; small change; odd money; pittance; chicken feed
to swipe; to nick; to pilfer; to greedily try to win big (e.g. in mahjong)
noisy; confused; uproarious
supremacy (over a nation); hegemony; domination; championship; victory
to assume an aspect; to take on an appearance
none other than; ... himself; ... herself
bribe; sweetener; douceur
to be left in the dust (of); to be outdone (by); to be subordinate (to); to play second fiddle (to); to take second billing (to)
galloping around on a horse; running around; making every effort (to do); exerting oneself