mess; spoiled; spoilt; (come to) nothing; ruin
penalty for contract breach
not knowing one's social position; overweening; overreaching; forgetting who one is
premature death; untimely death; dying young
trying to think of a way (to); devising means (to); working out (how to do); contriving (to raise money); managing
to tag along; to follow; to tail; to leave tracks; to leave footprints
excavation; exhumation; discovery (e.g. new talent)
striking (at something) and missing; swing and a miss; vain attempt
to hear a rumor; to get wind of
mark; guide; purpose; aim; sight (on a firearm)
pretending not to recognize (recognise); feigned ignorance
hypothesis; supposition; assumption; tentative theory
to open out (of a view, scenery, etc.); to spread out; to improve (of luck, prospects, etc.); to get better; to develop (of a town, civilization, etc.); to become civilized; to be sensible
to be closed; to be blocked; to be clogged; to be plugged up; to be occupied; to be taken (e.g. accommodation)
tomfoolery; monkey business
crumbling; collapse; ruin; has-been; wannabe
profit and loss; advantage and disadvantage
plus; addition; positive number; gain; advantage; anode
meeting; rendezvous; encounter; confluence
to look at again; to re-examine (policy, estimate, plan, etc.); to review; to get a better opinion of; to see in a more positive light; to improve
with ... as a start; taking advantage of; inspired by
I can say now (what I couldn't before); now (that things have changed) I don't mind telling you; I couldn't tell you until now; I couldn't have told you this back then
to become better; to improve
to climb over; to get over; to surmount; to overcome; to surpass; to overtake
rise; improvement; uptrend
twosome; duo; pair (of criminals)
things at hand; personal belongings
going through great pains in vain
in search of; in order to look for
to get angry; to take offense; to take offence; to be furious
on countless occasions; many a time
shell; husk; hull; pod; chaff
to break through; to penetrate; to pierce
impossible; incapable (of doing); incompetence; inability; impotence; having no solution (of an equation)
to fall into (e.g. a hole); to fall into (chaos, depression, dilemma, illness, etc.); to fall into (a trap, etc.); to fall; to surrender
to scurry home; to run home; to fly back
completely; absolutely; (not) at all; (not) a bit; earnestly; intently
suitable time; good time; propriety; moderation
disquieting; threatening; turbulent; restless; unsettled; disturbing