to paint; to plaster; to lacquer; to varnish; to spread; to smear
exchange; conversion; replacement; switching (to); switchover
was it?; I think it was ...; if I've got it right; (I, we) used to ...; I remember ...; it was ...
leaving something where it is; abandoning something
balloon (esp. small, toy variety); airship; blimp
older brother; elder brother; young man; buddy; fella
to shrink back; to wince; to flinch; to recoil
something to think about; one's thoughts; concern; thinking about something; being absorbed in one's thoughts
to soothe; to calm; to pacify
matter; thing; affair; circumstance
uncertain; vague; ambiguous
to close (one's eyes); to shut
finishing blow; coup de grâce
after an interval of ... years; for the first time in ... years
boundary; border; limit; bounds; frontier
to be sacked; to be fired; to be dismissed; to be beheaded
unable to resist; unable to suppress
to return; to come home; to leave; to get home; to get to home plate
thrust; charge; digging into (a matter); depth; straight man (of a comedy duo); quip; jab
to be tired of; to be sick of; to get fed up with
diversion; appropriation (e.g. of funds); misappropriation; re-use (e.g. old computer parts); recycling
to come together; to join; to get married; to become a married couple
whispering; murmuring; subdued
facial gesture of pulling one's eyelid down and sticking out one's tongue
in short; in a word; to sum up; to put it simply; to make a long story short; after all
expiry date (esp. on food); expiration date; use-by date
to be sad; to mourn for; to regret
presence; sitting with; being with
new employee; freshman employee; new hire
saying "Ah!"; making one say "Ah!"; surprisingly; astonishingly
directions; instructions; orders; command
supervision; control; superintendence; director; superintendent; supervisor
to discern (e.g. right from wrong); to discriminate; to distinguish; to know (manners, one's place, etc.); to understand; to bear in mind
about; concerning; related to; -ish
to stand in the way; to bar someone's way; to block the way
such (about the actions of the listener, or about ideas expressed or understood by the listener); like that; that sort of
shallow knowledge; superficial learning