careful selection; careful screening; hand-picking
further; farther; furthermore; all the more; even more
party; group; troop; one act; one action; one deed
Mr.; Mrs.; makes a word more polite (usu. in fixed expressions); state; situation
ticket; token; label; tag; sign; card; playing card
meaning; tenor; effect; influence; appearance; aspect
upright; honest; faithful; conscientious; sincere
frustrated (over a failure, humiliation or injustice); annoyed; chagrined; (bitterly) disappointed; bitter; vexed
gathering; mixer; meetup; assembly; social; exchange meeting
indicates uncertainty or second hand nature of information quoted
to run to; to come running; to rush (someplace); to hasten
exchange (e.g. cultural); interchange; interaction; alternating current; AC
to return (something); to restore; to turn over; to turn upside down; to pay back; to retaliate; to respond (with)
even if I say so myself; for me (to do such a thing)
unnatural; affected; studied; forced
atmosphere; mood; a certain air; presence; (Earth's) atmosphere
open; unconcealed; undisguised; broad; lewd; indecent
lifeboat; friend in need; helping hand; timely help
to take out (e.g. garbage); to put out (e.g. dishes on table); to serve (e.g. meal); to get out (e.g. food from cupboard); to submit (e.g. ideas, opinions); to provide for
while it may be true that; just because; nevertheless; not necessarily
peers; friends; fellow workers; comrades
fighting with real swords; game played in real earnest
rather; sooner; preferably
outside of one's area of expertise
second; number two; runner-up
rare; uncommon; not often seen
with trouble; at great pains; rare; valuable; kind; generous
to wager; to bet; to risk; to stake; to gamble
batsu game; punishment given to the loser of a game or contest
interest; eagerness; enthusiasm
victory or defeat; issue (of battle); outcome
nice; likeable; desirable
please; somehow or other; one way or another
something; some; somehow; for some reason; (is there) something (you want, etc.)
habit (often a bad habit, i.e. vice); tendency; peculiarity; idiosyncrasy; crease; wrinkle
unthinkable; unexpected; absolutely not!; far from it!; (it was) no bother at all; not at all
at the very beginning; first of all; first and foremost; before anything else
serious; earnest; real sword (as opposed to a wooden practice weapon)