exterior; outside; outer; external; lateral
isolation; cut off; blockade; quarantine; interception; deprivation
clicking one's tongue; tut-tut; smacking one's lips (with relish)
arbitrator; mediator; go-between
to see; to look; to examine; to look over; to look after; to attend to; to experience
serious; severe; grave; acute
I don't know about ... but; it may be possible for ... but
to do exactly what one is told to do; to be subservient; to be easily controlled
so what?; what of it?; and?; why do you ask?
to think of; to hit upon; to come into one's mind; to remember; to recall
to laugh; to smile; to sneer; to ridicule; to be dumbfounded; to be flabbergasted
to change sides; to double-cross; to betray; to roll over (in bed); to turn over
all-out confrontation; total confrontation
ground levelling (leveling); laying the groundwork; making preparations; roller; road leveller
to get hold of; to take possession of; to seize
one way or the other; either way
blunder; fault; error; mistake; failure; disgrace
writing off (a debt); cancellation; balancing the books; cancelling out (gains or losses); making even; making up (for)
extremely; in the extreme; knows no bounds (e.g. rudeness); boundless (e.g. universe, ocean); limitless
(confronting a problem, etc.) head-on; directly; outright; (lit.) from the front
to hold down; to twist someone's arm; to force (someone) to yield (e.g. an argument); to make (someone) surrender
silly person; dumb-bunny; dope
to kill an enemy soldier before the start of a battle to raise spirits; to kill viciously; to victimize; to torment
arrogance; insolence; disrespect
to run counter to; to go against; to disobey; to infringe
planning; scheming; maneuvering; manoeuvring
last days; the end; one's fate
rational; reasonable; logical
vague; ambiguous; shady; disreputable; fuzzy
heaven's punishment; divine punishment; well-deserved punishment; just punishment
to put to use; to make good use of; to exploit
gradually; by degrees; little by little; step by step
operations (a strategy) on two fronts; two-pronged strategy
withdrawal; retraction; revocation; repeal
to call (someone) back; to recall; to call home; to bring back (memories, etc.); to recall; to revive
suppression; repression; subjugation
thousands; several thousand
after an interval of ... years; for the first time in ... years