dull; uninteresting; insignificant; unimportant; absurd; foolish
guest; visitor; customer; client; counter for containers used to entertain guests
possibly; apparently; (seem) likely; somehow or other; with difficulty; barely
signalling with the eyes; exchanging looks; winking
several sheets (flat objects)
blackmail; extortion; threat (to extort money)
to be caught; to be arrested; to hold on to; to grasp; to find (e.g. proof); to get (e.g. a taxi)
originally; from the start; from the beginning; none the worse (for); (coming out) even; in the same position (as before)
to work (for, at, in); to be employed (at); to finish (a term); to serve (e.g. a sentence); to conduct (a ceremony); to perform (a Buddhist memorial service)
to pass by; to go past; to go to extremes; to overdo it; to go too far
gathering material (for an article, novel, etc.); collecting information; covering (an event, incident, etc.); reporting; interview (for a news story)
to backfire; to have a harmful result
dismissal; discharge; (arch.) beheading; (arch.) decapitation
neck; head; dismissal (from a job); firing
to supplement; to make up for; to compensate for; to cover (a shortage, loss, etc.); to fill (e.g. a vacancy)
first (of all); firstly; probably; most likely; more or less (satisfactory); on the whole
political and business circles; political and business establishment; politics and industry
government office; agency; board
accessories; small articles; minor character; small fry; weak one
corruption (esp. by a government employee); bribery; graft
to find; to discover; to come across; to be used to seeing; to be familiar with
material (for a story, article, etc.); information; joke; jest; proof; evidence; (magician's) trick
to solicit; to demand; to extort
to roll up; to hoist; to take away; to rip off (e.g. money from someone); to blow up (dust)
kind; sort; type; equal; match; peer
than; in comparison to; rather than; over; above
(some) more; even more; longer; further
malicious; vicious; malignant; shoddy; inferior; poor-quality
without a moment's delay; at once; immediately; instantly; promptly; without hesitation
to act as an intermediary; to step in; to come between; to intervene; to interject
(game pieces, soldiers, etc.) under one's control
style; way; shape; dress; attire; clothing
somewhere; in some respects; in some way
white vegetables or fish simmered without soy sauce
to slip into; to crawl into (under); to conceal oneself (under); to sneak into; to infiltrate
important person; influential figure; big shot; big thing; big one; big game
moreover; furthermore; nevertheless; and yet
once; one time; one round; one game; one bout; one heat
to be worn down; to wear away; to wear out; to dwindle; to be reduced