customer traffic; customers; custom
to step aside; to move (out of the way); to make way; to resign; to retire; to quit
to strike dead; to beat to death
to have a rumor circulating
closing up shop (for the day); stopping business; going out of business
all pain, no gain; doing no good and a lot of harm; having no redeeming features; being a complete disadvantage; (lit.) a hundred harms and not a single gain
advantage; benefit; merit; good point; plus
(even) if only a little; to some extent; in the slightest way
relief; mitigation; alleviation; relaxation (of restrictions, tensions, etc.); easing; softening
to fit (e.g. a pane into a frame); to insert (e.g. a cork); to put on (something that envelops; e.g. a ring, gloves); to place (a hoop) around; to pigeonhole (into a particular category); to force (into a mold); to entrap
laying the groundwork; behind-the-scenes maneuvering; consensus-building process; digging around the roots of a tree (before transplanting)
to imitate; to follow; to copy; to emulate
beginning; opening; start; outset
to arrive (at one's destination); to reach; to come to a head; to reach a conclusion; to culminate (in)
pleasant; agreeable; comfortable; refreshing
demitasse; small coffee cup
curiously enough; oddly enough; to the point of being mysterious; to the extent of being strange
thank you for the meal; that was a delicious meal; what a wonderful meal
(hand) towel; handkerchief; paper tissue; napkin; serviette
pump-priming; rousing; stimulation
battle; fight; fighting; engagement; contest
rampancy; prevalence; domination
pasturing (e.g. cattle); letting (an animal) run loose; letting (someone) do as they please; leaving (something) to take its own course; letting (an issue) go unchecked
seductive; carnal; troubling; difficult; anxious; uneasy
dispatch; despatch; deployment; temporary employee (esp. from an agency); temporary worker; agency temp
counter for buildings (esp. houses); suffix for a pen name, stage name, etc.
to offer; to propose; to suggest; to put forward; to request; to ask (for)
your home; your family; their home; (my) home
to forget something ever existed; to pretend something didn't happen; to put something behind one; to forgive (something)
to infer; to figure out; to get an idea of; to tell; to imagine; to guess
to talk on and on; to rattle on; to keep on talking (without pause)
leading; prominent; eminent; counting on one's fingers
no matter how much time passes; no matter how long you wait; (taking) forever
origin; source; basis; base; cause; (raw) material; ingredient
(informal) discussion; talk; (formal and tedious) talk; lecture; admonition; reprimand
I would be most grateful if you could ...; I would humbly ask that you ...; please ...
accounting; finance; bill (at a restaurant); check; accountant; treasurer
to be expensive; to be costly