foster child; adopted animal (e.g. pet)
full house; sell-out; putting up a sign forbidding entry, passage, etc.
on-season; in season; peak season
food specialist; meal advisor
safe and secure; safe and worry-free
to get a big surprise; to be astonished
inscrutable and interesting are the ways people are brought together
failure teaches success; failure is a stepping-stone to success
intercalary month (lunar calendar); leap month
big leakage; uncontained leak
living abroad; life overseas
deeply indented coastline; rias coastline
geisha; Japanese singing and dancing girl; dressed-up beautiful woman
easy to get into (e.g. of music, etc.); easily getting into (a certain mood, etc.)
management base; business foundation
(written) appeal; circular; manifesto; encouragement; encouraging words; letter of encouragement
virtualization; virtualisation
to ask for too much; to expect too much
the prospects look brighter; there is hope of accomplishing (something)
grand; imposing; magnificent
forming a four-of-a-kind; declaring a kong
tolerant; generous; lenient; broad-minded; magnanimous
a couple strangely but happily united; uncanny relationship formed by a quirk of fate
one's characteristics as a writer; characteristics of a creator
ge (ancient Chinese dagger-axe)
draining hot water (e.g. from noodles)
bestial; beastly; beast-like; brutal
truth is stranger than fiction
to be pressed for time; to be pressed by urgent business; to have one's pants on fire
severe cold; intense cold; bitter cold
to sleep in peace; to sleep without fear
KGB (former Soviet Union intelligence agency)
floundering while nearly drowning; suffering
to set a deadline; to fix a time limit