puzzling; tangled; complicated; complex
to ascertain; to make sure of; to determine; to probe; to get to the bottom (of something)
to defend against; to protect against; to prevent; to avert; to avoid
dark clouds; threatening signs; ominous indications
to hang over; to shroud; to enshroud; to envelop; to screen
the real criminal; true culprit
new; neo-; newness; novelty; Gregorian calendar; Xin dynasty (China, 9-23 CE)
to throw away; to cast away; to abandon; to desert; to give up; to resign
trivial; not amounting to much
bad (taste); unpalatable; poor; unskillful; ugly; unattractive
more or less; though not quite satisfactorily; tentatively; for the time being; just in case; once
you can never be too careful
the other day; lately; recently; meanwhile; in the meantime
locker room; changing room; dressing room
changing clothes; change of clothes
through; throughout; in the course of; all over or throughout (e.g. a place)
core; heart (of the matter); point; crux; kernel
that much; as much; to that extent; only that; that alone; no more than that
doubt; misgivings; distrust; suspicion
to deepen; to heighten; to intensify
sharp (blade); pointed; sharp (pain); stabbing; perceptive; keen
meaningfully (smiling, grinning, etc.); suggestively; broadly; sneeringly
with a rustling sound; (rummaging) around
contents; interior; substance; content; (sword) blade
to finger; to touch; to make changes to; to tinker with; to dabble in; to do as a hobby
the staff; inside the department
amateur; layman; respectable woman (i.e. not a prostitute, hostess, geisha); (arch.) unlicensed prostitute
amount of light; quantity of light
to be sufficient; to be enough; to be worth doing; to be worthy of; to do (the job); to serve
focus (of a lens); focal point; point (of a discussion, e.g. on-point, off-point)
to come together; to merge; to fit; to match; to be profitable; to be equitable
taking a picture secretly; taking a sneak shot; making a secret video recording; filming without someone's knowledge
heh heh heh; tee-hee; giggle
serious look (on one's face); straight face
clique; group; (political) faction; wing; school; sect
before very long; soon; someday; of the previously mentioned; of that number; among them
to wring (towel, rag); to squeeze; to squeeze (fruit to extract juice); to press; to rack (one's brains); to strain (one's voice); to extort
chattering; talk; idle talk; chatty; talkative; chatterbox
to board; to embark on; to get into (a car); to march into; to enter
to scatter; to sprinkle; to distribute (handbills, etc.); to spread (rumours, etc.); to give the slip; to throw off
Central Intelligence Agency (US); CIA
useless; no future in it; doesn't make sense; having no point
sympathy; empathy; response
investigation; examination; inquiry; enquiry; survey