going round in circles; game of cat and mouse; pointless and repetitive back-and-forth; itachi-gokko; Edo-period children's game in which two players alternately pinch the back of the other's hands and stack them on top of each other while saying "itachi-gokko, nezumi-gokko"
modifiable; changeable; updateable
to use up; to exhaust; to wear out
moving first; person with the first move; forestalling; (seizing the) initiative; sente; move that forces a response from the opponent, allowing the player to retain the initiative
to lose; to be defeated; to give in (to); to yield; to be inferior (to); to be second (to)
it's better to; it's best to; it's safest to; you can't go wrong with; it doesn't hurt (to be young, beautiful, have money, etc.)
incomprehensible; mysterious; inexplicable; inscrutable; enigmatic; baffling
natural; understandable; reasonable; no wonder
hypothesis; supposition; assumption; tentative theory
unrealistic; impractical; infeasible; unreal
one side; one party; the other side; one (of a pair); the other (one); the mate
throat; important part; vital area
relaxation (e.g. of muscles); becoming flaccid
relief; reassurance; recognition of right to land ownership (by the shogunate, a feudal lord, etc.); (arch.) living safely surrounded by walls
to swing; to sway; to shake; to waver; to feel shaken; to become unstable
judgement; judgment; refereeing; umpiring; judgement (of God); referee
cumulative total; accumulated total; total up to now
gap; lag; difference; discrepancy; shear (e.g. shear stress)
divine work; miracle; superhuman feat; (arch.) Shinto ritual
to read (a book); to open (a book) to read; to unravel (e.g. a mystery); to discover (the truth)
to be possessed by a god; to not act like oneself; to behave oddly; to be awesome; to be extreme
to be possible; to be conceivable; to be likely; to be probable
by-product; spin-off; outgrowth; side effect
losing one's position; losing one's standing; downfall; fall (from power); being overthrown
lawless; outrageous; insolent; rude; inexcusable; unpardonable
grant; allowance; endowment; bestowal; assignment; conferment
one's hand; name tag; nameplate; wallet-sized (photo)
interior; backwoods; hinterland; back regions
to forestall; to beat to the punch; to anticipate; to play the first move (e.g. in go)
to haul in (e.g. rope, net, etc.); to pull in; to attract (e.g. stares)
oracle; revelation; divine message
prior; beforehand; in advance; before the fact; ex ante
mincing; chopping finely; short and repeated (movements; e.g. trembling, quick steps); gradual; bit by bit
light; easy; non-serious; minor