shortening; contraction; reduction; curtailment; abbreviation
to be sorry; to beg pardon; to be grateful; to be amazed; to be filled with awe; to be disconcerted
not insignificant; not to be sneezed at
meticulous; careful; discreet; scrupulous; prudent
to live up to (one's) expectations; to meet expectations
close; intimate; on good terms
midway; halfway through; in the course of
arriving at the final stop (of a bus, train, etc.); reaching the end of the line
dull; uninteresting; insignificant; unimportant; absurd; foolish
for better or worse; for good and bad; regardless of merit; both good and bad
modesty; humility; being humble
less than ...; smaller ...
iron rod; iron bar; iron club; horizontal bar (gymnastics)
elementary level; beginner level
one's field of expertise; one's strong area
to write down; to note; to jot down; to remember
well-known; noted; celebrated
Venus (Roman goddess); Venus (planet)
slightly difficult; somewhat bothersome; troublesome; peevish; querulous
strenuous effort; earnestness; seriousness
previously; already; for some time; for quite a while
to bite into; to sink one's teeth into; to stick to; to cling to; to hold on to
youth; springtime of life; adolescent
thankfully; fortunately; luckily; thanks to your (his, their, everyone's, etc.) kindness; thanks to your assistance; thanks to your support
otaku; geek; nerd; enthusiast
new breed of humans (used to refer to the younger generation, who have different ideals and sensibilities)
one's father; one's old man; middle-aged (or older) man; old man; one's boss; proprietor (of a restaurant, store, etc.)
to keep in pace with; to keep up with; to follow (someone's thought); to understand
without (doing); instead of; if (it) isn't done; if (one) doesn't do ...; if not ...; unless ...
taking a story with a grain of salt; discounting half the story
day (as in holiday); daytime
to become red; to redden; to blush
(out of) desperation; (as a) last resort; (driven by) pain
completely (quitting, etc.); entirely; thoroughly; cleanly (cutting, snapping off, etc.); in a single blow
to correct oneself; to restate