personal (employee); employed; retained
disposition; temperament; nature; mentality; spirit; character
original intention; initial resolution
contract; compact; agreement
papier-mâché tiger (toy with a loose, wobbly head); paper tiger; someone (or something) who is all bark and no bite; man of straw
certainly; without fail; right and wrong; pros and cons
exhibition; display; putting on show
to put on airs; to assume importance
moving slowly (and dull-wittedly)
pleasant feeling; pleasant sensation; pleasure
fondly; admiringly; with fascination; with adoration; with enchantment
to stand in the way; to bar someone's way; to block the way
allied forces; the Allies (e.g. in WWII)
8000; eight thousand; many
more or less; though not quite satisfactorily; tentatively; for the time being; just in case; once
to divide (into); to split (into); to share; to distribute; to distinguish; to discriminate; to break up (a fight)
funny; comical; humorous; ridiculous; silly; absurd
uneven; irregular; non-uniform; unsorted; odd; miscellaneous
mixed (e.g. team, chorus)
deep gratitude; overwhelming joy; great happiness
to drool; to dribble; to slobber
June; sixth month of the lunar calendar
southern part; the south (of a region)
homecoming; returning home
unique; matchless; unparalleled; unparallelled; never again
most part; greater part; majority
good material; valuable data; positive factor (for the stock market); good news
to control; to take the lead in; to have under one's thumb
league; federation; union; alliance
to fall behind; to lag behind; to lose (race, contest)
to knead well; to polish; to refine
measure taken too late; measure taken in haste
initial response (e.g. to a crisis); action in the earliest stages; initial shock (of an earthquake); preliminary tremor
stage; step; level; rank; order; stairs
dark clouds; threatening signs; ominous indications
to hang over; to shroud; to enshroud; to envelop; to screen
to swell (out); to expand; to be inflated; to get cross; to get sulky; to pout
laying the groundwork; behind-the-scenes maneuvering; consensus-building process; digging around the roots of a tree (before transplanting)
standard of revolt; banner of rebellion
to toady; to be obsequious
to hesitate; to think twice; to flinch; to get cold feet