fighting to be first; scrambling to take the lead
to get cold feet; to back away; to withdraw
to press a question; to cross-examine
halo (esp. in Christian art); nimbus
to the limit; to the fullest extent; absolutely the limit; one cup after another; cup by cup
to wake (someone) up (by calling for them); to awaken; to call (to mind); to bring back (memories); to evoke
metallic sound; metallic clank
nature (of a person); disposition; temperament; nature (of something); character; kind
poor-quality; low-quality; shoddy; low-grade
reconciliation; amicable settlement; court-mediated settlement; (arch.) translation of a foreign language into Japanese
beginning; start; clue; lead; thread end
not budging an inch; to stand one's ground
suspicious glance; suspicious look; suspicious expression
persuasion by tears; using tears to get one's way; sob story
by a hair's breadth; in the nick of time; touch and go; close call; critical moment
important matter; matter of great importance; serious affair; major incident; emergency
meaning; connotation; denotation
to succeed; to bear fruit
to take a breath; to take a short rest
reproductive capability; fertility; fecundity; biotic potential
to be overproduced; to be incredibly good (e.g. for a child); to go much better than expected; to be too good to be true (of a story, etc.)
Japanese quince (Chaenomeles speciosa); flowering quince
to succeed; to bear fruit
office worker; salaried worker; white-collar worker
to shift one's attention to; to shift one's focus on
himself; yourself; herself
carriage porch; entranceway; porte cochere
character of a place; situation; location; occasion
rough (estimate, outline, etc.); broad; general; generous; openhanded
laughing while crying; smiling through one's tears; (alternately) laughing and crying; tears and laughter; joy and sorrow
constrained; uncomfortable; awkward
tail and fins; embellishment (of a story, rumor, etc.); exaggeration
lower part; foot; lower direction; left part of the stage (audience's or camera's POV); stage right (actor's POV)
skipping out; cutting class; truancy; procrastination
busy; hurried; confused; flurried
to face on; to look out on to
car (running) on the opposite lane; oncoming car
development (of land); preparation (e.g. of ground for housing); reclamation; creation
at regular intervals; evenly spaced