to be softened; to calm down
acid; sourness; sour taste
Star Festival (held in July or August); Tanabata; Festival of the Weaver
bamboo grass; generally smaller species of running bamboo that do not shed their sheaths (e.g. Sasa spp.)
long, narrow strip of paper on which Japanese poems are written (vertically); tanzaku; thin rectangle
fingers; fingertips; underling; stooge; tool
aiming for laughs; trying to make people laugh; playing to the crowd; crowd-pleaser
harmless and inoffensive; bland; tepid
woman textile worker; Vega (star in the constellation Lyra); Alpha Lyrae
Lyra (constellation); the Lyre
Vega (star in the constellation Lyra); Alpha Lyrae
Altair (star in the constellation Aquila); Alpha Aquilae
Aquila (constellation); the Eagle
Altair (star in the constellation Aquila); Alpha Aquilae
about; roughly; generally; on the whole; completely; quite
conversion (e.g. yen to dollars); change; exchange; translation (numerical)
cloudiness; cloudy weather; fog (on a mirror, glasses, etc.); cloud (e.g. in marble); gloom; dejection
romance (e.g. Arthurian romances); heroic tale; (nigh) impossible dream; adventurous spirit; (full-length) novel; romance
overserious; deeply sincere; very earnest
to stifle a smile, yawn, etc.; to bite to death
pinch; crisis; tough spot; clothespin
while it may be true that; just because; nevertheless; not necessarily
to tell (a story); to give an account of (an event, experience, etc.); to relate; to tell of; to show; to indicate
using every trick (in the book)
to delay; to put off; to procrastinate
reeking of blood; stinking of blood; bloody (battle, crime, etc.)
resignation; acceptance; consolation
to exert oneself and win; to gain (victory)
to work on (someone); to appeal to; to make approaches to; to begin to work
to make sacrifices for; to pay dearly for
hanky-panky; juggling; cheating; deception; smoke and mirrors
to resolve; to make up one's mind; to decide
to hold on to something (secret, lead in a race, etc.)
discussion; discourse; lecture; sermon
abrupt plot change; unexpected story development; story development from out of left field
lack of self-reliance; depending on others
to forget something ever existed; to pretend something didn't happen; to put something behind one; to forgive (something)
relationship of mutual trust; fiduciary relation
flat board; slab; slat; monotonous; dull; flat