obstacle; impediment; hindrance; handicap; impairment; disability
to refuse; to decline; to deny
practice; practising; experience
thoroughly; completely; severely; harshly; (arch.) scattered; (arch.) disconnected
decapitation; decapitated head
favorite; favourite; habitually used
around there; near there; or thereabouts; or so; such a matter; such a thing
to stand in the way; to bar someone's way; to block the way
to begin; to set about; to start
skill; proficiency; experience; dexterity
transport aircraft; transport plane
preventing (someone) from leaving; confinement; keeping indoors; being stranded; grounding
mixing; mixture; meld; miscegenation
to start; to begin; to challenge; to pick (a fight); to set (traps); to plant (explosives)
to leave as is; to ignore
(sense of) reality; realness; realism; authenticity; viability
the most; the extreme; prime; conspicuous
elite; best; pick; cream of the crop
disadvantage; handicap; unfavorable position
intently; single-mindedly; devotedly; solely; earnestly; with all one's heart
blood relative; close relation; (one's) flesh and blood; flesh and blood; the body
to polish; to shine; to brush (e.g. teeth); to refine (e.g. a skill); to improve; to cultivate
to outwit; to outmanoeuvre; to steal a march on; to get the jump on; to anticipate; to forestall
to compete; to contend; to vie; to contest
battle of wits; contest of wits
to flatter; to curry favor with; to curry favour with; to flirt with (woman with a man); to make eyes at (a man)
selective; optional; alternative
middle way; (golden) mean; moderation; the Doctrine of the Mean (one of the Four Books)
to keep in mind; to bear in mind; to try; to aim to do; to endeavor; to endeavour
extravagant; lavish; opulent; luxurious; magnificent; splendid
perception; intuition; the sixth sense
to whisper; to murmur; to rumor; to rumour
important person; influential figure; big shot; big thing; big one; big game
to loosen; to slacken; to relax (attention, efforts, etc.); to let down (one's guard); to relax (a rule); to ease (e.g. restrictions)