top; top position; senior management; senior bureaucrat; home page (of a website)
this is why; that is the reason why; it is the case that; so; thus; with that
to clasp; to grasp; to hold (the answer); to have (e.g. the solution); to seize (power); to hold (the reins)
as you (they, etc.) say; as you suggest; I absolutely agree
allied nation; ally; Central Powers (in WWI)
foreign country; another country; another province; strange land; alien land
domestic affairs; internal administration
to become public; to become known; to come out in the open; to be formal; to be official
sharp (knife, claws, etc.); pointed; sharp (pain, tone, etc.); acute; keen (intuition, sense of smell, etc.); acute
to house; to contain; to carry (a baby); to be pregnant; (arch.) to give lodging to; (arch.) to accommodate
means of making contact; intermediary; go-between; connections; influence; pull
weather balloon; sounding balloon; observation balloon; espionage balloon; trial balloon
middle ten days of a month; 11th to 20th day of a month
request; appeal; claim; purchase
northern part; the north (of a region)
to start; to begin; to challenge; to pick (a fight); to set (traps); to plant (explosives)
request; favor; favour; reliance; dependence; trust
tightly (holding on); firmly; strongly (built); solidly; properly; well
support (e.g. for an argument); backing; proof; evidence; corroboration; substantiation
to take; to pick up; to pass; to hand; to get; to obtain; to adopt (a method, proposal, etc.)
information bureau; intelligence department
nicely; properly; frequently; often; I'm glad that you ...; thank you for ...
knowing; being aware (of); (an) acquaintance
useless resistance; vain struggle
civil war; insurrection; rebellion; domestic conflict
war; fighting; fierce competition
live coals (for firelighting); cause (of disturbance, conflict, etc.); trigger
to flare up; to burst into flames
to get up; to rise; to wake up; to be awake; to occur (usu. of unfavourable incidents); to happen
nature; natural; spontaneous; naturally; spontaneously
area; region; district; locality
social order; public order
collapse; crumbling; breaking down; (radioactive) decay; disintegration
limit; limits; degree; extent; the end; the last; as long as ...
to become twisted; to grow distorted; to get sulky; to sulk; to grow bitter; to become embittered
reversal; return; return gift; return favour; barb (on a fishing hook); mixture of soy sauce, sugar and mirin
bitter smile; wry smile; strained laugh; sarcastic laugh
order; discipline; regularity; system; method
word game; wordplay; playing with words
to pass; to pass on; to give (something) a miss; to cut it out; to knock off (for the day); to let the matter drop
to act timid; to show diffidence; to be hesitant; to appear embarrassed; to look ashamed
source of information; intelligence source; message source