sprinkling; dropping in small light bits
nagging; faultfinding; carping; captious
statesman; administrator; politician; policymaker
wicked tongue; abusive language
unsightly; ugly; unseemly; indecent; deplorable; disgraceful
to thrust before; to thrust at
shortage of talented people; shortfall in human resources
clever; intelligent; well-behaved (esp. children and pets); obedient; (arch.) good (with words)
to be full of pride; to be boastful
one's social position; one's place; one's standing
slowly (but steadily); gradually; irritatedly; impatiently; scorchingly (of the sun); sizzling (i.e. sound of frying in oil); sound of a warning bell, alarm clock, etc.
gem; jewel; ornament; bijou (cocktail)
connection (to a person, place, etc.); relation; affinity
record; minutes; record (e.g. in sports); results; to record; to document
structural alteration (of a building); reconstruction; rebuilding; remodelling; remodeling
to arrive; to come to pass
acquisition (esp. corporate); buy-out; takeover; bribery; buying off; corruption
to keep a record; to keep a tally
good family; respectable family; decent family
sovereign; ruler; head of state
to succeed in doing; to manage to do; to finish doing
to be somewhat different (from before, from others, etc.)
lightning strike; thunderbolt; bolt of lightning; to strike (lightning); to be struck by lightning
interruption; suspension; break
enjoyment; pleasure; diversion; anticipation; looking forward to
to forget to say; to forget to mention
something like that; sort of like that; similar to that; in that vein
to yearn for (someone, something); to miss
of the time; at the time; of the hour; in vogue; sought after
exchange; reciprocation; give-and-take; reply; riposte
undulation; ups and downs; highs and lows
flesh-and-blood; human; warm; compassionate; (lit.) blood-circulating
reaching; attaining; arrival
longing for; burning desire
to rise; to go up; to enter (esp. from outdoors); to come in; to enter (a school); to advance to the next grade; to get out (of water)
for now; for the time being; for the present; though not quite satisfactorily; after a fashion
longed-for; anxiously awaited
evaluation criteria; evaluation standard