gifted education; special education for gifted children
fresh off the farm; inexperienced
intuition; instinct; insight; hunch; immediacy
to stroke; to caress; to brush gently; to comb (hair); to smooth down
latest; most recent; nearest (in time)
but then; although; though; reasonable; natural; just
national border; provincial border
dispute; conflict; trouble; strife
our country; our land; one's own country
dispatch of troops; despatch of troops; expedition
commandant; commanding officer; general
plainly; clearly; vividly
side (of something, or taking someone's side); part; (watch) case
to smash up; to defeat crushingly
exactly as stated; verbatim
parent; parents; dealer (in cards, mahjong, etc.); banker; founder; inventor; (pet) owner
clique; group; (political) faction; wing; school; sect
various countries; various regions; various provinces
armed forces; military; troops
to take into one's possession; to receive; to take into one's care (e.g. person, pet); to take custody of; to leave; to go away
sound of the wind; voice of the wind
to disappear into; to be lost in; to do something under the cover of (confusion, etc.); to be almost indistinguishable; to be confusingly similar; to be diverted from (negative emotions, etc.)
the past; bygone days; one's past (that one would prefer remained secret); past (tense); preterit; previous life
distant look; faraway look
to govern; to manage; to subdue
plot of land; lot; soil; locality; region; place
shameful; disgraceful; indecent; unseemly; unbecoming; improper
ordinary person; average person; man in the street; everyman; (a) nobody
to put back; to return; to vomit; to throw up; to recover (of a market price)
dear (old); fondly-remembered; beloved; missed; nostalgic
another place; somewhere else; outside (one's family or group); someone else; not caring for; being indifferent to
on good terms with; on cordial terms with; getting along well with; to make friends with; to be good friends with; to get along with
a lot; many; (not) much; (not) many; almost (none)
what's what; heads or tails
slapping on (stamp, sticker); flopping down
to behave like a spoiled child; to fawn on; to take advantage of; to presume upon (e.g. another's benevolence); to depend on
to be worried; to be troubled
stifled laugh; chuckling; snickering
good thing; strong point; good family; prestigious school; the right moment; utter
secrecy; confidentiality; privacy; one's circumstances (esp. fiscal)
flickering; flashing on and off; glaringly (bright); painfully (bright); prickling (pain)