pride of place; most prominent; top-ranking
executive; government; administration; governance; the authorities
standing (committee); permanent (exhibit)
implication; nuance; shade of meaning; connotation
to evaluate; to appraise; to comment on
denial; negation; repudiation; disapproval
power; authority; jurisdiction
to enlist as a supporter; to win over to one's side; to gain as one's ally
right (to do something); authority; power
becoming a mere shell; becoming a dead letter; losing (one's) substance; being reduced to a formality
to incline toward; to slant; to go down (sun, moon); to sink; to decline; to wane
obvious; clear; plain; evident; apparent; explicit
different opinion; objection
government; administration; ministry
these days; nowadays; recently; lately
state of things; state of affairs; situation; conditions; circumstances
pressure; urgency; tension; imminence; acuteness
with all due respect; if I may make bold to ask
to kidnap (esp. by force or deception); to abduct; to snatch
versus; against; to (e.g. score of 4 to 2, ratio of 3 to 1, vote of 320 to 180); toward ...; to ...; equal footing
surface of a board (shogi, go, etc.); (state of) the board; development of a game; surface of a record
complexion; skin tone; skin colour; countenance; look (on one's face); expression
to ward off (e.g. an attack); to fend off (e.g. a question); to elude; to evade; to dodge; to turn aside (e.g. a joke)
actor; actress; man of wits; clever person; cunning fellow
making light of; thinking little of; slighting; belittling; dismissing; contempt
national defence; national defense
authority; power; influence; (an) authority (on); expert
abasement; fall; forfeiture; sinking (in people's estimation)
by your leave; with your permission
to be in the firing line; to bear the brunt of (an attack, criticism, etc.); to face (e.g. questioning)
offensive (movement); aggression
argument; discussion; theory (e.g. of evolution); doctrine; essay; treatise
to emboss; to print out; to print; to work out (e.g. policy); to hammer out; to strike (a drum indicating the end of a performance)
(one) matter; (one) item; (one) case
to compromise; to meet halfway; to step up to; to walk up to; to approach
outward appearance; ostensible; public; official
to concentrate; to focus on; to devote; to stiffen; to become tense
trying to think of a way (to do); devising means (to do); working out (how to do); contriving (to raise money); managing