December; twelfth month of the lunar calendar
odd; strange; queer; peculiar
from the beginning; from the first; all along; of course
series; chain; two reams (i.e. 1000 sheets of paper); verse; stanza
incident; affair; happening; event
common sense; good sense; common knowledge; general knowledge; common practice; accepted practice
so; therefore; accordingly; like I said; I told you already
before the gate; in front of the gate
admirable; commendable; praiseworthy; laudable; brave; heroic
to blame; to find fault with
overbearing; coercive; pushy; forcible; high-handed
consenting to; being convinced of; being satisfied; understanding
to be anxious or concerned about; to ponder (anxiously); to fear; to investigate; to consider; to plan
main building (of a manor); central room (of a house)
as many as one likes; as much as one likes; great many; plenty; almost (none); (not) much
one; 1; best; first; foremost; beginning; start
to share (someone's) good luck; to follow (someone's) example; to enjoy the same benefits (of someone or something); to be named after
leisurely; slow; deliberate; easygoing
to whinge; to kvetch; to gripe; to complain; to whine
safety; security; safely; without incident; good health; inaction
release; unleashing; liberation; deallocation (of computer memory)
labyrinth; maze; mystery; dungeon
to slip out; to sneak away; to break into the lead; to get ahead; to begin to fall out (e.g. hair); to break out (of a loop)
to be able (to); to be possible (to)
being lost for words; becoming speechless; jueju (Chinese quatrain with lines of either five or seven syllables)
had better ...; had better not ...
gloomy; melancholy; pessimistic
to sit down (and refuse to move); to sit-in (in protest)
anyhow; in any case; at any rate; at best; at most
decisively; decidedly; boldly; precisely; exactly
to cut deep into; to cut one's way into (an enemy position); to rush on; to press someone hard (e.g. with questions); to get to the heart of (a matter)
blunt; to the point; direct; outspoken; frank
to clear up; to become cloudless; to be refreshed
sky; the air; weather; far-off place; distant place; state of mind; feeling
animal abuse; animal cruelty; cruelty to animals; cruelty toward animals
real intention; true motive; true will; original intention; original purpose; original hope
to pin down; to hold down; to cover (esp. a part of one's body with one's hand); to clutch (a body part in pain); to get a hold of; to obtain
you; buddy; monarch; ruler; he; she
the scruff or nape of the neck
to catch; to capture; to catch hold of (someone); to stop (e.g. a stranger in the street); towards (someone); at (someone)
all one's power (strength, energy, efforts); one's utmost