half joking; being (only) half serious; (in a) jocular vein
suppressed laugh; smile; giggle; chuckle
may; might; perhaps; may be; possibly
brake; drag; skid; brake (on inflation, spending, etc.); check; restraint
freely; generously; liberally; ungrudgingly; unsparingly
to use and then throw away
body; physique; shape; form; substance; identity; field
search; lookup; hunt; (item of) research; exploration; investigation
to stop; to abort; to discontinue; to close
terrible; dreadful; tremendous; terrific; appalling; shocking
before one's eyes; under one's nose; immediate (e.g. interests); present; foresight; near future
exclusion; removal; elimination; clearing away; getting rid of
execution (e.g. of a plan); carrying out; (putting into) practice; execution (of a program); run
stomach; Chinese "stomach" constellation (one of the 28 mansions)
hole; opening; pit; hollow; burrow; den; deficit
to gather up; to scrape up together; to rake
on the surface; ostensibly; superficially; apparently
accumulation; accumulate; store
it is assuredly (that) ...; can say with confidence that it is ...
to be conceivable that; to be thinkable that
appearing in unexpected places and at unexpected moments; elusive; phantom
appearance; emergence; advent; arrival; showing up; coming to existence
unable to do (as one wishes); able to do only with great effort; almost impossible to do; beyond one's control; not always turning out as one wishes; not going the way one wants it to
dangerous person; security risk; loose cannon
to lead; to spearhead (a group); to command (troops)
to smoke (a cigarette, pipe, etc.); to puff on; to rev (an engine); to race; to put on (an air of); to act in a ... way
but then; although; though; reasonable; natural; just
hardly any; almost nonexistent; very little
to serve as a reference; to provide useful information; to be helpful; to be informative; to be instructive
unnatural; artificial; false; forced (e.g. smile); empty (e.g. compliments)
title (e.g. Doctor, Professor, Lord); job title; position (in a company); degree; status; rank
surplus; margin; leeway; composure; placidity; complacency
cutting in two with a single stroke; taking decisive action; dealing with decisively; cutting the (Gordian) knot
as many as one likes; as much as one likes; great many; plenty; almost (none); (not) much
difficult problem; challenge
(powers of) concentration; ability to concentrate
spreading; disseminating; scattering; diffusion (of light, gas)
liking very much; loving (something or someone); adoring; being very fond of
promotion; advancement; rising in rank
ogre; demon; spirit of a deceased person; ogre-like person (i.e. fierce, relentless, merciless, etc.); it (in a game of tag, hide-and-seek, etc.); seeker; Chinese "ghost" constellation (one of the 28 mansions)
brow; glabella; middle forehead; area between the eyebrows