essential; important; crucial; vital; main
point; gist; essentials; knack; trick; the ropes
work; workmanship; craftsmanship; artifice; trick; device
performance; execution; skill; dexterity; tact
very; extremely; terrible; horrid; remarkable; extraordinary
yes; that is correct; understood; I see; present; here; pardon?
difficulty; trouble; accident; disaster; fault; defect
study; diligence; discount; reduction
crude tactics; smattering of knowledge
to take lessons in; to be taught; to learn (from a teacher); to study (under a teacher); to get training in
sound argument; fair argument; just reasoning
it's OK to ...; it's best to ...; it's alright to ...
to begin; to set about; to start
dryness; aridity; drying (e.g. clothes); insipidity
mincing; cutting; rapping (a percussion instrument); beating; shredded tobacco; interval
flour; meal; powder; dust
series; chain; two reams (i.e. 1000 sheets of paper); verse; stanza
people; (all) persons; you (usu. plural); various
admiration; wonder; astonishment
rest; break; recess; intermission
continuously; throughout; in succession
to digest; to break down; to break to pieces; to be able to use; to be good at; to finish; to complete
workload; quantity of work; work rate; units produced
field; sphere; realm; division; branch
expert; skilled hand; person of experience
preliminary arrangements; preparation; spadework; pre-cooking
in one go; in one gulp; in one breath; immediately; instantly; right away
measuring; weighing; metric; distance function
boiling; seething; becoming heated (e.g. debate); excitement; soaring (prices); shooting up
sake cup; cup for alcoholic beverages; counter for cupfuls, bowlfuls, spoonfuls, etc.; counter for boats; counter for octopuses and squid; cup (in sports)
to mix; to stir; to scramble; to churn
whole; entirety; whatever (is the matter)
leaf; blade (of grass); (pine) needle
coincident with; while; simultaneously
low flame (cooking); low heat; simmering
to loosen; to slacken; to relax (attention, efforts, etc.); to let down (one's guard); to relax (a rule); to ease (e.g. restrictions)
to load (a gun, etc.); to charge; to put into (e.g. emotion, effort); to include (e.g. tax in a sales price); to hang over; to shroud
to become clear (water, air, etc.); to become transparent; to resonate clearly (e.g. voice); to become serene; to become tranquil; to pronounce as an unvoiced sound
remaining bony parts (of a fish after filleting); flaw (esp. of a person); fault; rice chaff; rough; crude