to swear; to vow; to take an oath; to pledge
written oath; covenant; pledge
seal of blood; sealing with one's blood
form; shape; state; condition; letter; correspondence
to interrupt (with frivolous remarks, silly jokes, etc.); to butt in; to make teasing remarks
malicious; ill-tempered; unkind; mean; nasty
impossible to understand; impossible to decipher
refutation; rebuttal; retort
to reach one's ears; to come to one's knowledge; to hear about; to enter one's ears (e.g. of water)
person concerned; interested party; related party
being present (at the same meeting, occasion, etc.); attendance (with); sitting with; same (seating) precedence; same rank
certainly; without fail; right and wrong; pros and cons
to ask (about); to inquire; to enquire; to question; to make sure of
muscle; tendon; vein; artery; fiber; fibre; line
to take a firm stand; to argue about
as much as one can; as much as possible
state of mind; mentality; psychology
mediocrity; the masses; ordinary run of men
of all people; a person of ...'s standing
to be hesitant; to feel timid
one's weak point; one's sore spot; raw nerve
roundabout (e.g. expression); indirect (reference, criticism, etc.); oblique
to poke (repeatedly, lightly); to nudge; to peck at (one's food); to pick at; to peck at (someone's faults, etc.); to egg on
to make a fool of (someone)
ignoring; looking the other way; passing through; going through; leaving a passing ball for a teammate (in soccer); letting the ball go past
whatever way; any way; either way; one way or the other
(one's) consideration; (taking) notice; interest; within the eye
existence or nonexistence; presence or absence; consent or refusal; yes or no
eyesore; offensive sight; offense to the eye; obstruction (to the view of something)
retrogression; reversal; relapse; doubling back; backtracking
family precepts; family motto; rule of the home
favoritism (esp. to relatives, associates, etc.); favouritism; nepotism
liking something; being partial to something; -phile
senility; dotage; decrepitude
blind (devotion, faith, etc.); reckless
infatuation; adoration; blind love; doting (on a child)
to swallow one's tears; to choke back one's tears; to hold back one's disappointment; to suppress one's mortification
test; trial; ordeal; tribulation