(professional) storyteller; hereditary role of narrator in early imperial court
repeatedly; over and over again; several layers deep; layer upon layer; row upon row
to be related; to be connected; to be joined together; to result in; to lead to; to bring about
distinction; differentiation; discrimination; discrimination (against people)
sour (expression); (lit.) as if having swallowed a bitter bug
(in) his way; peculiar to him
to deem acceptable; to approve of; to value; to consider a good thing
universal; omnipresent; ubiquitous
fate; destiny; predestination
starting point; starting line
from the start; from the beginning; from the outset
to do something by choice; to like; to be fond of
portable shrine (carried in festivals); palanquin; buttocks; lower back
to oppress; to persecute; to tyrannize
loss and gain; advantage and disadvantage
viewing and treating as one; regarding as the same; equating one thing with another; identification
lovely; dear; beloved; pitiable; pitiful
to tie; to fix; to attach
casual; doing something without taking it too seriously
to resonate emotionally (with one); to strike home (words, etc.); (lit.) to stab in the chest
black sheep (of a family); ostracism
to bewilder; to perplex; to puzzle; to tempt; to seduce
to reheat; to steam over; to bring up again (a problem that has been dealt with); to take up again; to drag up
I'm sorry; my apologies; may I come in?; permission; leave; dismissal
to collect (e.g. one's thoughts); to get in order
dispute; controversy; debate; argument; taking issue
to become serious; to take something seriously (joke, teasing); to become irritated or angry (usu. at something trivial); to get worked up
selling area; counter; section; favorable time to sell; good time to sell
to become desperate; to give in to despair
sacrifice sale; selling at a loss; dumping; clearance sale
selling out; being sold out
amount sold; sales; proceeds; takings; turnover
dullness; slump; stagnation; inactivity; depression
investigation to determine the cause (of); tracing something back to its origin
handsome youth (male); pretty boy
inspection; examination; survey
licking; lapping up; (eating up) quickly; gobbling up
cold (e.g. weather); uninteresting (esp. joke); lame; dull
between-meal snack; mid-afternoon (around 3 o'clock) snack; afternoon refreshment; afternoon tea
eating between meals; snacking
local specialty or souvenir bought as a gift while travelling; present brought by a visitor; something unpleasant that one is given (e.g. an illness while on vacation); unwelcome gift
to be lazy; to be slack; to feel dull; to feel languid; to feel listless
never (even in error); never, ever; never, no matter what happens; by no means
being startled; getting a shock