at the very beginning; first of all; first and foremost; before anything else
engine; agency; organisation; system; facility
correspondence (to); equivalence; suitability; coordination; dealing with; coping with
to take a position (e.g. on an issue); to adopt a stance
top brass; upper echelon; higher-ups; top management; upper reaches; top of the pile
trump card; ace up one's sleeve; secret weapon
check; keeping in check; containment (of enemy forces); diversionary action; pickoff throw; holding a runner on base
almost; roughly; approximately
to go by; to cross; to pass by; to flash across
more than most people; more than other people; compared with other people; more than others
sarcastic; having a sharp tongue; having a sharp nasty tongue
wheedling child; spoiled child (spoilt); pampered child; child who always demands attention
lonely person; someone who easily succumbs to loneliness
astounding; tremendous; crazy; exorbitant
to be delirious with fever; to have a feverish dream; (fig.) to be crazy about something
complete set; all; everything
lessening; diminishing; reducing
stupid idiot; total moron
final; eventual; ultimate
unconcernedly; nonchalantly; shamelessly; brazenly
duck; easy mark; sucker; sitting duck
bringing; taking; carrying
to pick up; to adopt (e.g. a proposal); to accept; to take away; to confiscate; to deliver (a baby)
main constituent; core; nucleus; subject (philosophical); protagonist
leather; leather-bound; leathern
leather; tanned animal hide; suede; kanji "tanned leather" radical (radical 178)
to boil down; to concentrate (soup, milk, stock, etc.); to reach a conclusion; to conclude a discussion
to be inferior to; to be less good at; to fall behind
(not) merely; (not) simply
active duty; active service; student taking (university) entrance exams while still enrolled in school; student who passed their university entrance exams on the first try
to hang one's head; to look down; to cast one's eyes downward
remembering; recollection; recall; to remember; to recall; to recollect
irritating; aggravating; upsetting
to vanish gradually (e.g. of a voice); to trail off; to die away; to feel one's soul leaving one's body (from embarrassment, grief, etc.); to feel faint; to feel numb
in a sense; in some way; to an extent
care-taking; house-sitting; house-watching; caretaker; house-sitter
instead; but (on the other hand)
to permit; to allow; to forgive; to pardon; to exempt (someone) from; to remit; to acknowledge