alley; alleyway; teahouse garden; path through a gate (or through a garden, etc.)
top; summit; twelve o'clock (usu. midnight); top of one's head; top of a helmet
to jump from one thing to another
simple; plain; uncomplicated; straightforward; simple-minded; naive
long ago; previous; of a former age
through; throughout; through (the good offices of); by way of
eyesight; vision; visual acuity
to become better; to improve
principle; theory; fundamental truth
fastidiousness; enthusiasm for one thing; meticulousness; susceptibility for a stiffening of the shoulders
or rather (say); or better (say); or perhaps I should say; or, how should I put it; I mean
taking up a new line of work; the beginning of things; starting the preparations for New Year's festivities (December 8 in Tokyo, December 13 in Kyoto); resuming work after the New Year's vacation
indicates supposition; if ... then; when; (typically after someone's name) indicates exasperation
parent; parents; dealer (in cards, mahjong, etc.); banker; founder; inventor; (pet) owner
reaching; attaining; arrival
wasteful; a waste; too good; more than one deserves; impious; profane
kitchen waste; food scraps; raw garbage
to plant; to grow; to insert; to transplant; to inoculate (e.g. an infectious agent); to instill (idea, value, etc.)
not the time for; not the place for; far from; anything but; ... is out of the question; ... isn't the word for it
bitter smile; wry smile; strained laugh; sarcastic laugh
(walk) briskly; at a brisk pace; quickly
house; home; one's house; one's home; one's husband
to bend; to curve; to turn; to be awry; to be askew
well aware of; know thoroughly; being familiar with (and thus feeling no need for restraint)
(next-door) neighbour; neighbor
one's family; family member
declining; refusal; rejection; announcement; notice
chest; breast; breasts; bosom; heart; lungs; stomach
to pass; to elapse; to pass through; to go through; to experience; to go through
main question; real issue at hand
to quarry; to cut (timber); to begin to talk; to break the ice; to start a fire (with flint, by rubbing sticks together, etc.); to select and extract (from a media file)
to be raised (e.g. child); to be brought up; to grow (up)
absorbed in; immersed in; forgetting oneself; daze; within a dream; while dreaming
academic year; school year; year in school; grade in school
there's but a fine line between genius and insanity
rumination; regurgitation; chewing the cud; turning over in one's mind; thinking over something; pondering
(not) anything; (nothing) at all; (not) any
false rumor (rumour); false alarm; misinformation
softly; mildly; gently; politely