by any standard; (not) even as flattery
frequently; repeatedly; eagerly; keenly; hard; terribly
to take for granted; to assume; to pretend (to be); to pose (as); to go through with (what one decided to do); to persist in doing
to get tired of waiting; to grow impatient
(for) self-defense; (for) self-protection
alley; alleyway; path through a gate or garden; teahouse garden
to get away without consequences; to get off scot-free
to match; to be a match for; to rival; to equal; to compare with
roughly; approximately; round about; cursorily; briefly; quickly
correction; rectification; mending; repair
to knock down; to send flying
quick; nimble; agile; sharp; shrewd; smart
to be petrified; to be unable to move; to be paralyzed (with horror); to be stupefied (with amazement)
glossy (e.g. hair); sleek; shiny; lustrous
charm; fascination; glamour; glamor; attraction; appeal
insistent; obstinate; persistent; too rich (taste, etc.); fatty; heavy
to drive in (a nail, stake, etc.); to hammer in; to hit (a ball, etc.); to drive; to fire into; to shoot into; to input (data)
pit of the stomach; solar plexus
elbowing (someone); rejection; rebuff
reward; recompense; return; punishment; retribution
scoundrel; rascal; villain
back-facing; backwards; backward-looking; retrogressive; reactionary
to put back up; to stand back up; to restore (to former strength); to revive (e.g. the economy); to make again (a plan, policy, etc.); to reformulate
with a whack; with a smack; (answering a question) directly; definitively
to resort to violence; to behave violently; to use force
mean; contemptible; despicable; dirty; foul; cowardly
to knock down; to knock out
to throw a punch at; to swing at; to strike out at; to raise a hand against
to hold one's breath (in fear, anxiety, etc.)
militant (faction, group, person, etc.); hardliner who favors force over compromise; hawk
technique; art; skill; move
leisurely; slow; deliberate; easygoing
to poke one's nose into another's affairs; to have a hand in; to take a (deep) interest in; to poke one's head (into a room)
to lock (a door, etc.); to lock up
to cool; to chill; to calm down; to cool off; to be frightened (at); to be scared (of)
unexpectedly; surprisingly
start; beginning; build up; how well a pitcher pitches at the start of the game
teary-eyed; damp (e.g. skin, hair); moist