upper stratum (classes, stories, storeys); upper layer; layer above
quick; speedy; prompt; rapid; swift
four man group; quartet; the Gang of Four
favourable; favorable; doing well; OK; all right
to advance; to move forward; to carry forward (plans, work, etc.); to proceed with; to raise; to elevate
to take the lead; to lead a group; to be in the vanguard
sword (esp. Japanese single-edged); katana; scalpel; chisel; burin; knife money (knife-shaped commodity money used in ancient China)
to board; to embark on; to get into (a car); to march into; to enter
to cram; to stuff; to jam; to squeeze; to compress; to pack
concealment; suppression; hiding
more or less; though not quite satisfactorily; tentatively; for the time being; just in case; once
in hand; on hand; on one; handheld
corner; edge; (street) corner; turning; rough edges (of one's character, words, etc.); abrasiveness
assistant; associate; duplicate; copy; adverb
to look after; to take care of; to be put in charge of; to be given responsibility for; to withhold (an announcement); to reserve (judgment)
carefully made; carefully produced; quality product; product made with care
busy; hectic; frantic; restless; hurried; fidgety
immersing oneself in; being absorbed in; devoting oneself to; giving oneself up entirely to
making a person, pet, etc. wait (before being permitted to do something); postponement; putting on hold
that's the way it is; such is life
gentle; peaceable; amicable; without fuss; simply
to collect; to assemble; to gather
as much as possible; unbeatably; unsurpassably
criterion; standard; yardstick; rough estimate; approximation
300; three hundred; 300 mon; trifling amount; shyster
(just) making sure; just to be sure; just in case; for caution's sake
to faint; to lose consciousness; to feel overwhelmed; to be astounded
to consider; to eye the possibility (of); to bring into view
to cut up; to cleave; to spare (time, money, etc.); to use part of something; (arch.) to have a tattoo in the corner of one's eye
standard; basis; criterion; norm; reference; datum
to decide; to determine; to establish; to lay down; to bring peace (to); to make peaceful
not exceeding; and downward; below (e.g. standard); under (e.g. a level); the below-mentioned; the following
to satisfy (conditions, one's appetite, etc.); to meet (e.g. demands); to fulfill; to fill (e.g. a cup); to pack; to supply
advance (into a new market or stage of progress); launching (a new career or venture); expanding (into a new market); stepping forward; emerging
idea; plan; draft; rough copy; expectation; (arch.) desk
staff officer; military staff; adviser; counselor; counsellor
be (that) as it may; having said that
taking action although it may result in death; acting while being fully prepared to die
to sink deeply into one's mind; to come home to; to go to one's heart; to pierce one's body (e.g. of wind, cold, etc.)
to step into (e.g. someone else's territory); to break into; to raid; to come to grips with; to get to the core of
seeing for the first time; first sight; first meeting; sight-reading
very; much; greatly; a lot of