to open hostilities; to take up arms (against)
general mobilization; general mobilisation
beginning; start; outset; at first; at the beginning; initially
trampling down; overrunning; infringement; violation
main point; gist; essentials; bones (e.g. of an idea); pith
swiftness of foot; fast runner; person of great talent; gifted person
desolate field; withered field
fires set off in early spring to burn off dead grass; bush fire; field fire; grass fire
cooking, esp. frying or stir-frying; heating; tempering; -ware
to trip (over); to stumble; to fail; to suffer a setback
forcing; enforcement; forced; enforced
to throw oneself (into an activity)
to play dumb; to feign ignorance; to play the fool; to be in one's dotage
relatives; one's family; friends; members of the same organization; followers; henchmen
to be incomparable; to be completely different matters; to be completely different things
the die is cast; there is no going back; point of no return; alea iacta est; alea jacta est
good (place to leave off); convenient
to get tired; to become exhausted; to become worn out; to become battered (from long use); to get tired of (doing); to get fed up with
to capitulate; to surrender; to submit to; to concede
order (esp. to a number of people); command; ritual of bowing at start and end of school class
rearing; training; nurture; cultivation; promotion
defeating an argument; winning an argument; refutation; confutation
argument; discussion; theory (e.g. of evolution); doctrine; essay; treatise
to be all out; to exhaust
twelfth day of the month; twelve days
to keep step (with); to keep pace (with); to move in lockstep; to align (with another's thoughts or actions)
easy; simple; easygoing; lighthearted; simplistic
to raise (to maturity); to bring up; to rear; to train; to educate
to read and understand; to take in; to sense from external cues; to read (someone's) mind; to read (calibration, tape, etc.); to scan (bar code)
(all) important positions; every strategic point; each key post; (all) important parts; every important point
brave; valiant; gallant; stirring; vigorous; rousing
to sleep all day; to idle away one's time; to loaf all day
yours sincerely; respectfully yours
cigarette; cig; smoke; fag