dangling; aimlessly; casually; unexpectedly
(Confucian) temple; church; sanctuary
(eligible) voter; elector; holder of a right; rightsholder; bigwig; person with political clout
to cling to ... in tears; to beg ... in tears; to appeal; to throw oneself on someone's mercy
ignominious defeat; crushing failure; utterly beaten; overwhelming defeat
to bite at; to snap at; to jump at (e.g. an offer); to snap at; to hold on to; to cling to
to escape (disaster, death, etc.); to be saved from; to be rescued from; to avoid (e.g. punishment); to evade (e.g. responsibility); to avert
to chip off; to scrape off; to prune
appearance; expression; manifestation
innocent; sensitive; uncomplicated; unpretentious; straightforward
one's field of expertise; one's strong area
crossing swords; competing against; contending with; fighting against
focusing on only the good points or strong points; incorporating the benefits (while ignoring the drawbacks); picking the best of both (everything); cherry-picking (e.g. information)
wild beast; wild animal; brute
secret techniques (of an art or skill); inner mysteries; essence; quintessence; heart
halting (speech); faltering; stammering
persistence; fortitude; indomitability
Buddhist priest; bonze; layman dressed like a priest; person
to sit cross-legged; to rest on one's laurels
irritating; troublesome; gloomy (e.g. mood); depressing; heavy (weather); cloudy
to shoulder; to carry on one's shoulder; to nominate for a position; to choose as a representative; to take (someone) for a ride; to deceive
substitution; replacement; shifting; change
regular customer; valued client
to look stupid; to have a critical lack
establishing; proving; ascertaining; identifying; confirming