pillow; bolster; introduction (e.g. to a rakugo story); lead-in
stimulus; impetus; incentive; encouragement; motivation; provocation
bounce; spring; momentum; impetus; moment; instant
to poke (repeatedly, lightly); to nudge; to peck at (one's food); to pick at; to peck at (someone's faults, etc.); to egg on
subject; theme; homework; assignment; task; challenge
I'm sorry; (it's) inexcusable
groan; moan; roar; growl; buzz; hum (e.g. motor)
natural number; nonnegative integer
work; operation; manufacturing; fatigue duty
together with; same; both; all; including ...
just because; even if; even though
to tidy up; to put in order; to settle (problem); to clear (dispute); to finish; to bring something to an end
you're lying; yeah, right; liar; fibber
to set one's hand to; to start work on; to embezzle; to use (money obtained in illegal fashion); to have sexual relations; to have an affair
sprinkling (of rain, salt, etc.); pattering; flipping (through a book, etc.); riffling; sparse; scattered
other intention; hidden purpose; ulterior motive; ill will; malice
to return to normal; to revert to the starting point; to go back to how it was
to hang; to suspend; to lower; to reduce; to demote; to move back
name; title; appellation; (under the) pretext (of); pretense
reason; logic; sense; truth; right
stirring; slight movement
standing on formality; in a reserved manner; treating a friend as a stranger; unduly distant; formal
meek; quiet; docile; mysterious; marvelous; marvellous
to feel awkward; to feel ashamed; to feel inferior; to feel shy (about doing something)
to be too late; to be too slow
document; official papers
accounting; administration (of money)
likability; favorability; popularity
to travel all over; to be active in places widely apart
important person; influential figure; big shot; big thing; big one; big game
front stage; center stage (of politics, etc.)
numerical value; numerics; reading (on a meter, etc.)
to see; to look; to examine; to look over; to look after; to attend to; to experience
love passionately; ardent love; devotion
disclosure; exposure; revelation