index finger; forefinger; second toe
with difficulty; faltering; tottering; awkward
total darkness; pitch dark; bleak future; poor prospects
peacetime; time of peace; ordinary times; normal times
to pay no attention to (while listening); to take no notice of; to ignore; to let go in one ear and out the other
not feeling like doing ...; having no mind to ...; being in no mood for ...; having no intention of ...
to take a long hard look at; to look (someone) full in the face
nail (e.g. fingernail, toenail); claw; plectrum; pick; hook; clasp
to crack; to develop a crack
entirely; completely; cleanly; snugly
pitiful; heartbreaking; heartrending; touching; tragic; sad
no problem; all right; not an issue; unobjectionable
glittering; sparkling; glistening; twinkling
sunlight filtering through trees
branch; bough; limb; twig; sprig; spray
base (of a plant, tree, pillar, etc.); (part near the) root; roots (of one's hair); root (e.g. of a problem); source
reading partway; leaving half-read
pictorial book; picture book; illustrated reference book; identification manual; field guide
smartly dressed; stylish; someone smartly dressed; to dress up; to be fashionable
grandfather (may be used after name as honorific); male senior-citizen (may be used after name as honorific)
around the world; throughout the world
local specialty or souvenir bought as a gift while travelling; present brought by a visitor; something unpleasant that one is given (e.g. an illness while on vacation); unwelcome gift
character; personality; (fictional) character; letter; character
slipping out (a chuckle, giggle); unintentionally (letting out a quiet laugh)
area; vicinity; side; edge; circumstances
bad (taste); unpalatable; poor; unskillful; ugly; unattractive
here I am; I'm home!; presently; right away; right now
magic; witchcraft; sorcery; spell
childish; child-like; immature; infantile
ordinary; nothing special; nothing to exclaim over
curtain; bunting; act (in play)
considerably; not a little; in no small numbers
to prick up one's ears and listen; to listen attentively
outbreak; spring forth; generation (e.g. of power or heat); genesis; ontogeny; development of complex multicellular structures from cell(s) in a simple state
zero; 0; nought; nothing; zilch
small; little; tiny; insignificant; humble; modest