periodic medical check-up (examination)
considerable; great; important; significant; a big deal
cavity; tooth decay; decayed tooth; dental caries
prevention; precaution; protection against
to fade (of a colour); to grow dull in color (colour); to lose vividness; to lose freshness; to grow stale
to descend (e.g. a mountain); to go down; to alight (e.g. from bus); to get off; to step down; to retire; to be granted
complicated and mysterious
section (e.g. in a newspaper); column; field (in a form, web page, etc.); blank; handrail; railing
scolding; telling-off; rebuke; complaint; grumbling; fault-finding
literary woman; talented woman
how; in what way; circumstances
to light (a candle, lamp, etc.); to turn on (a light)
difficult to ...; hard to ...
handwriting; calligraphy specimen; example of penmanship; holograph
individual; distinctive; unique; characteristic; personal; idiosyncratic
decipherment; interpretation; making out; identification
habit (often a bad habit, i.e. vice); tendency; peculiarity; idiosyncrasy; crease; wrinkle
character (esp. kanji); letter; handwriting; penmanship; the ... word (e.g. "the L word" = "love")
recruitment; invitation; raising (funds, donations, etc.); collection; flotation (of shares, loans, etc.)
slowly; quietly; steadily; soon; momentarily; before long
middle-age; middle age; midlife; one's middle years
to come near; to approach; to be on the verge of; to be about to; to overhang; to hang over
remuneration; recompense; reward; toll
only; merely; but; no more than
manual or physical labor; manual or physical labour
profitable; worn-out; crumbling
cavern; cave; cave system; grotto
to force one's way; to push through
ferocious; fierce; truculent; savage
at the most; at best; to the utmost; as much as possible; as much as one can
to have a catch; to have an ulterior motive; to be more (to something)
even if; even though; even; too; whether ... or ...; no matter (what, where, who, etc.)
aspiration; volunteering; desire; application
to return; to come home; to leave; to get home; to get to home plate
debt; loan; liabilities; borrowing money
selling oneself (into bondage) (esp. for prostitutes)
to jump at; to be attracted by
(being) off night duty; end of a night shift