perfunctory; cursory; passing; chance (e.g. customer); transient; stray
beehive; hive; something full of holes; (fig.) Swiss cheese; honeycomb tripe; wall of a cow's second stomach
to poke (repeatedly, lightly); to nudge; to peck at (one's food); to pick at; to peck at (someone's faults, etc.); to egg on
scale (of fish, snake, etc.); serif (on kana or kanji (e.g. in Mincho font))
bustling; shuffling; squirming; creepy crawly
a matter for the police; a brush with the law
very improbable; vanishingly unlikely; only with a miracle
sommelier; wine steward; wine expert at a restaurant who advises guests on a choice of wines
extensive knowledge; erudition
to be vague; to speak ambiguously; to be evasive; to not commit oneself
very thin; flimsy; cheap; shallow
to step on a landmine; to really step in it; to screw up; to open up a can of worms
full impact; packing a punch
even ... (e.g. "even a genius")
to recover; to rally; to improve; to pick up
to strike back at; to bite back; to turn on; to rise against; to oppose; to defy
to be affected; to be influenced; to be concerned with; to have to do with; to stick to (opinions)
or rather (say); or better (say); or perhaps I should say; or, how should I put it,...; I mean
it is darkest under the lamp post; it's hard to see what is under your nose; go abroad to hear of home; you must go into the country to hear what news at London
before long; soon; almost; nearly; finally; in the end
frank; candid; frankfurter; frank
presumably; it seems that ...; I guess that ...; I suppose that ...; one could infer that ...
dear me; I mean; or rather
deep (of emotions, connections, etc.)
to carry out (of somewhere); to transport; to take out
to be curious; to wonder; to marvel
to toady; to be obsequious
ignoring (one thing) for (another)
to lose heart; to lose interest; to lose motivation; to become stale (i.e. of a carbonated beverage); to go flat; to lose flavor
how much; how many; what amount; what extent
laid-back; carefree; easygoing; thoughtless; happy-go-lucky
to choke; to have trouble breathing
trouble; difficulties; dispute; confusion; disorder; mess
suitcase; trunk; trunk (of a car); boot; (trunk) line
talking about (behind one's back); backbiting
to come to the point; to get straight to the point; to speak frankly; to speak plainly; to talk straight
where ... is concerned; when it becomes; if it becomes
habit; (social) custom; practice; convention
to become (a state, condition, etc.)
accumulation; accumulate; store
to knock down; to beat up (till unable to stand)