creakily; close (i.e. with no room to spare)
fresh wound; fresh bruise
wrong; different; not like that
diagonally upward; (going in a) completely unexpected direction (of a story, result, etc.)
smallish; on the small side
good handwriting; skillful penmanship; speedy writing; vigorous writing
to grovel; to go down on one's hands and knees
to devise; to arrange; to plan; to plot
missing (of a person); lost; unaccounted for; whereabouts unknown
to cover up; to hush up; to shroud in darkness; to have a secret abortion
to make public; to bring to light
to smash up; to defeat crushingly
desperation; despair; self-abandonment
disintegration; self-destruction
finally; after; following; at the end (of)
ruin; destruction; devastation; waste; decay
to fall down; to drop; to be omitted; to be missing; to decrease; to sink; to fail (e.g. exam or class)
to drop like a rock (e.g. of reputation, power, influence); to go down the toilet
appropriate; adequate; suitable; fitting; worthy
life-size; life-sized; true-to-life; faithful (depiction); realistic
to be completed; to be finished; to be ready (e.g. to serve or eat); to be very drunk
repayment; reimbursement; refund; redemption
rumor; rumour; gossip; report
establishment; settlement
(villains) of the same stripe; birds of a feather; (lit.) badgers of the same hole
bribe; sweetener; douceur
intentionally; deliberately; designedly; especially; particularly
detestable; despicable; abhorrent
it is no exaggeration to say; it is not too much to say
to wish (for); to pray (for); to hope (for); to pray silently; to recite (Buddha's name, sutras, etc.) in one's mind; to chant (a silent prayer)
thanks (for coming, helping, etc.); glad you could make it; tiredness; fatigue
magnificent; grand; fair; square; grandly; boldly
to have the personal support of (an influential person); to be under the patronage of
therefore; for that reason; so; because of that
headship of a family; family property
to compete; to contest; to quarrel; to argue; to deny (e.g. evidence)
trend; tendency; movement; attitude