eerie; hair-raising; exaggerated; ostentatious
to use one's influence; to pull strings; to take measures; to make the necessary preparations
remarkably; markedly; rapidly; sound of breaking or creaking
because of; on account of; about; on; per; for every
standing upright; standing straight; standing erect; rising perpendicularly; rising straight up; towering high
faint; fainting; losing consciousness
to become damp; to become moist; to become wet; to lack energy; to be in a slump; to be in low spirits
even though things may appear this way
abandonment; renouncement; renunciation; resignation; abdication; surrender
leather strap; thong; leash
obstruction of business; interference with business
diviner; fortune teller; soothsayer
side job; sideline; subsidiary business
long ago; a long time ago; already
wrong (guess or estimate); misdirected; irrelevant; off the point
conquest (of a difficulty, illness, crisis, etc.); overcoming; surmounting; bringing under control
annoyance; irritation; vexation; abdominal spasms; convulsions; cramps
vengeance; revenge; retaliation
ending; quitting; closing; ending before one had time to do something one wanted or intended to
user's manual; instruction manual; operation manual
to paste; to stick; to affix; to station; to post
to mask; to cover; to cloak; to hide; to conceal
index finger; forefinger; first (occ. second) finger; second toe
phantom; vision; illusion
gotcha; alrighty; got it; OK
Japanese apricot (Prunus mume); Japanese plum; ume; lowest (of a three-tier ranking system)
the five viscera and the six internal organs; inside one's body; in one's heart
early summer; fourth month of the lunar calendar
customer traffic; customers; custom
to die out; to peter out; to become extinct; to cease; to be stopped; to be discontinued
wide difference; a world of difference
encroachment; invasion; erosion (e.g. of market share, rights); erosion; corrosion
to walk about; to walk around; to walk to and fro; to pace around; to wander
noise (usu. unpleasant); interference (e.g. radio); static; gossip; irresponsible criticism
fiction; fabrication; concoction
unrealistic; impractical; infeasible; unreal
to be profitable (business); to pay; to be in the black
to have a cramp; to be pulled too tight
right away; without delay; as soon as possible; very soon