stronghold; inner citadel; base; headquarters
to the best of one's meager ability; the little help one can be; though my help might not be worth much
to have one's attention caught (by); to be distracted (by); to be preoccupied (with); to be captivated (by); to be absorbed (in)
fresco; mural; wall painting
with a splash; slap; slat; slam
to be contrary; to run counter (to); to conflict (with); to disagree (with)
systematization; systematisation; organization; organisation
wartime fire; war; wartime destruction; horrors of war
(measuring) scale; rule; scale; scope; (musical) scale; weighing scale
underground lake; subterranean lake
to run around; to bustle about
to store; to save up; to accumulate (e.g. knowledge); to build up (e.g. experience); to grow (a beard, moustache, etc.); to wear
shortening; contraction; reduction; curtailment; abbreviation
to ascend; to go up; to ascend (as a natural process, e.g. the Sun); to rise; to go to (the capital); to add up to; to advance (in price)
to collect (debts); to dun; to appoint; to promote; to emphasize; to focus on
troubled times; turbulent times
sign; indication; omen; symptom
halfway up (down) a mountain; mountainside
descent (to earth, esp. of a god); advent; epiphany; arrival (of an important person); appearance
upper stratum (classes, stories, storeys); upper layer; layer above
to coagulate; to congeal; to be fanatical (about); to be obsessed (with); to stiffen; to become stiff
rushing into; breaking into; storming; plunging into (war, etc.); embarking on (a new venture)
careful; elaborate; scrupulous
to make clear; to clarify; to disclose; to make public
to fight (with); to cross swords; to compete (with); to argue (with); to have an argument; to have a dispute
the point of ...; the place where ...; a place called ...; places known as ...; I would say ...; ... is how I'd put it
ultimate; final; last; eventual
excess; surplus; superabundance
long time; several hours; long spell
grave; solemn; stern; authoritative; hard (e.g. fact)
having little knowledge (of); being ill-informed
lump (of flour, etc.); clump (of ground meat, etc.)
to soak (in); to steep; to dip; to dunk
to raise one's voice; to lift one's voice; to speak emphatically
freely; generously; liberally; ungrudgingly; unsparingly
to sum up; to summarize; to summarise
knowing; being aware (of); (an) acquaintance