mostly; nearly; practically; well-nigh; almost invariably; all but
otherwise; or else; if not
refusing flatly; rejecting sternly
force (bulldoze) one's way through
from time immemorial; ancient; time-honoured; time-honored
deep affection; dear; beloved
very small amount; insignificant thing; negligible amount
to be unequal to the burden (job); to be too heavy a load for
given the situation; now that it has come to this; if it comes to this
treaty; pact; convention; agreement
zealous; enthusiastic; ardent; fervent; keen; eager
have to do; must; should; ought to
stepping (in place); stamping (up and down); stomping; standstill; stalemate
use; exercise (of one's right, authority, power, etc.)
red line; line in the sand; red line (ice hockey); center line; centre line
credibility; authenticity; confidence; reliability
security; guarantee; collateral (e.g. mortgage)
main purpose; chief aim; focus; main point; gist; essence
in the face of the enemy; before the enemy
to rise; to go up; to enter (esp. from outdoors); to come in; to enter (a school); to advance to the next grade; to get out (of water)
order; turn; sorting; obedient; docile; submissive
cornerstone; main point; requirement; need; necessary; required
poor (at); weak (in); not very good (at); not one's cup of tea; not one's favorite
criticism (by a teacher or coach, with commentary, especially at a poetry reading); review; critique
marking; grading; scoring
(on) land; ground; shore; track-and-field events
passing mark; qualifying marks (score)
to come off; to be removed; to disappear (of pain, a fever, etc.); to be caught; to be harvested; to be interpreted (as); to be taken (as)
anti-ship; anti-warship; anti-surface
failing mark (e.g. in exam)
to have; to possess; to own; to be endowed with
to speak distinctly; to speak clearly; to put it bluntly; to get to the point; to be frank
Galapagosization; phenomenon of companies becoming overly specialized in developing products for the domestic market
weak point; weakness; shortcoming; defect; flaw; sore spot