brazenly; shamelessly; alternating wins and losses (every other day); (arch.) stupidly; (arch.) cluelessly; (arch.) slipping away secretly
big man; large man; tall man; giant
young (usu. of a woman); blooming; in the prime of youth; with a charm appropriate to one's age
straight face; composed expression; nonchalant look
laying the groundwork; behind-the-scenes maneuvering; consensus-building process; digging around the roots of a tree (before transplanting)
trickery; wiles; finesse; Machiavellism
way (of doing); manner; method
combination; assortment; matching (in a contest); pairing; combination
loser; defeated person; the defeated
imitation; copy; make-believe; doing something in a way that only superficially resembles the real thing
meaning; point (e.g. of a statement); gist; goal; intent; object
deviation; departure; (accidental) omission
these days; nowadays; recently; lately
getting stuck in a rut; becoming stereotyped
raising morale; lifting of morale
attempt; trial; experiment; endeavour (endeavor); effort; venture
to wager; to bet; to risk; to stake; to gamble
difference; distinction; discrepancy; mistake; error
to omit; to leave out; to overtake; to pass; to say; to speak
comparatively; relatively
possession; having (on one's person); carrying (with one)
quite capable of ...; not unlikely to ...; may well ...; might ...; could ...; would not hesitate to ...
to consist of; to be made up of; to be concluded (e.g. of an agreement); to hold true (e.g. of a theory); to be viable (of a business, lifestyle, etc.); to carry on
white circle; white star; victory mark; victory
position; situation; viewpoint; standpoint; point of view
specific; particular; designated; specifying; designating; identifying
support; backing; patronage
something one finds questionable; something one finds fault with
to clear; to make clear; to be unruffled; to look unconcerned; to look demure; to look prim
shameless; brazen and unscrupulous
academic year; school year; year in school; grade in school
tactics; strategy; military operation; naval operation
qualitative difference; disparity; gap
to compete; to vie; to make fight against another (person, animal); to pit against; to debate; to argue
to get stuck with (some job); to end up with (something unpleasant)
intention; inclination; mind; idea; wish; view
et cetera; etc.; and the like; the likes of; something like
old-fashioned; behind the times; out-of-date; antiquated
dark clouds; threatening signs; ominous indications
establishment; founding; incorporation (of a business)
useless resistance; vain struggle