achievement; meritorious deed; distinguished service; contribution
greater-than mark (>); right angle bracket
merit; success; meritorious deed; achievement; accumulated experience
chaos; turmoil; pandemonium; havoc
to diminish (dampen) the spirit
being painfully-true (e.g. reprimand); making one's ears burn; striking home (e.g. remark); having an earache; feeling pain in one's ear
to distract a person's attention
off the top of one's head; from thin air; from memory
to steam (food, towel, etc.); to be hot and humid; to be sultry
scorch; burn; burnt rice; part of ceramic glaze that has become dark or darkish-brown during firing
old book; rare book; classic; secondhand book; used book
red bean paste; red bean jam; kudzu sauce; filling (of a dumpling, etc.); filling; stuffing
attack on both sides; pincer movement; double envelopment
last line of a poem; finally
wait until you actually see it
one step higher; one better; cut above; one up
handrail; railing; banister
embodiment; manifestation; materialization; materialisation; expression; indication
upper floor; upstairs; top of the stairs
wheat straw; barley straw
to put heads together; to gather (for discussion); to go into a huddle
jumping to a wrong conclusion
approximate age; apparent age; marriageable age (esp. of a woman); age of maturity; appropriate age (to ...); old enough (to ...)
to picture; to come into one's mind; to remember
demon; devil; evil spirit; monster; goblin; apparition
to be flustered; to lose one's presence of mind
to bend a bow; to shoot an arrow; to rise up against; to rebel against
mixture; jumble; cord made by entwining threads of various colours
going against one's will; contrary to one's intentions; going against one's desire; going contrary to one's wishes
poisonous substance; toxic substance; poison
to warp; to become strained; to become distorted; to become crooked
ordinary person; average person; man in the street; everyman; (a) nobody
to stake; to risk; to bet; to wager
mastery; learning through experience; realization; realisation; comprehension
to remake; to remold; to remould; to convert; to reconstruct; to adapt
to be awarded (e.g. a prize); to be given an award; to be gifted or endowed (e.g. with a talent); to be blessed (e.g. with a child); to be initiated (e.g. into a secret)
top-heavy; big-headed; overly-theoretical