one's original family name; maiden name
foolish; idiotic; stupid; ridiculous; absurd
partly open; in half bloom
foster father; adoptive father
immediately; right away; on the spot
violent emotion; passion; fury
to feel giddy; to totter; to be unfixed (emotions, beliefs, etc.); to waver; to wander aimlessly; to loiter
to be unable to let pass unnoticed; to be unable to be indifferent; to be unable to just watch (without doing anything)
shade; shadow; behind (something); other side; background; behind the scenes
to trip (over); to stumble; to fail; to suffer a setback
to collect (e.g. one's thoughts); to get in order
awareness of things around one; ability to understand what is going on around oneself; judgment; judgement; discretion
yearned for; longed for; missed
a person without a single relative
companions; friends; comrades; mates; partners
you could say; you might say; verging on the
to offer; to propose; to suggest; to put forward; to request; to ask (for)
mother's side of family; maternal (grandfather, uncle, etc.)
on the occasion of; at the time of
to support; to maintain; to bring up; to raise; to adopt (a child); to cultivate (a habit, a quality, etc.)
elbowroom; leeway; room; reserve; margin; allowance
(eating or drinking) to one's heart's content
discomfort; inconvenience; poverty; want; inability; disability
heir; inheritor; successor
pretext for not revealing something (e.g. actual reason for one's failure, vested interest, etc.)
adopted child (usu. male); son-in-law
and yet; despite this; but even so; but even then; however; nevertheless
taciturn; reticent; quiet; silent; untalkative
on one occasion; once; at one point; at one time
good person; virtuous person
apartment building; apartment block; apartment house; apartment
complete stranger; total stranger
to cross over (e.g. mountain); to go across; to get over (e.g. hardship); to pass time (e.g. a winter); to surpass; to be better than; to move house
good-naturedness; good-natured person; credulous person; easy mark
a few years ago; some years back
(suffer) deterioration; growing worse; aggravation; degeneration; corruption
entering a higher-level school, esp. going on to university
visiting ill or distressed people; writing get-well letters; get-well gifts; get-well letters; expression of sympathy; expression of concern
(corporate) bankruptcy; insolvency; commercial failure; failed business