as expected; sure enough; after all (is said and done); in the end; too; also
uncomfortable feeling; feeling out of place; sense of discomfort; malaise; physical unease
influential person; powerful person; big wheel; big gun; power behind the throne
trump card; ace up one's sleeve; secret weapon
that's a different matter; that's a different story
flexibility; pliability; softness; elasticity
very; awfully; exceedingly; (not) at all; by no means; simply (cannot)
terrible; dreadful; amazing (e.g. of strength); great (e.g. of skills); to a great extent; vast (in numbers)
bitter (e.g. criticism); sharp; biting; severe; scathing; harsh
fearfully; timidly; cautiously; nervously
extent; degree; limit; bounds; (span of) time; (a) distance; the state of
way of speaking; intimation
top brass; upper echelon; higher-ups; top management; upper reaches; top of the pile
postbox; mailbox; post; position; post (e.g. goalpost); post- (e.g. post-Cold War)
to plunder; to grab; to snatch
(political) power; authority; influence
profit; gains; benefit; advantage; grace (of God, Buddha, etc.) (esp. as attained through rightful actions, prayer, adherence to one's faith, etc.); blessing
to get; to earn; to understand; to comprehend; to receive something undesirable (e.g. a punishment); to get (ill)
it is not (like that) either
wholesale delegation; hundred-percent subcontracting; leaving all the decision-making to somebody else
the future (usually distant); future tense; the world to come
measure; step; countermeasure; counterplan; countermove; strategy
idea; plan; draft; rough copy; expectation; (arch.) desk
maintaining the status quo
propulsion; drive; promotion (of a policy, project, movement, etc.); furtherance; advancement
laid-back; carefree; easygoing; thoughtless; happy-go-lucky
pastime; hobby; favorite amusement; dissipation; debauchery; loose living
thoroughly; completely; severely; harshly; (arch.) scattered; (arch.) disconnected
valuation; appraisal; evaluation; appreciation; recognition; acknowledgement
rejection; dismissal; turning down; abandoning; renunciation
to entrust (e.g. a task) to another; to leave to; to passively leave to someone else's facilities; to leave to take its natural course; to continue (something) in a natural fashion (without particular aim); to rely fully on one's (full strength, great ability, long time taken) to get something done
to throw away as useless; to scrap; to make null and void; to renege; to annul
ball of dried, ground, fermented dyer's knotweed leaves
being moved forcibly, e.g. being carted to a police station, transportation for forced labour, etc.
execution (e.g. of a plan); carrying out; practice; action; implementation; fulfillment
I'm told; is what I heard; is how it is, apparently; is what they said
to speak distinctly; to speak clearly; to put it bluntly; to get to the point; to be frank