stern; grim; rough; rugged; forbidding; overbearing
ill-natured; mean; nasty; sadistic; cruel; mean-spirited
uncle; old man; mister; manybar goatfish (Parupeneus multifasciatus)
transactions; dealings; business
matter (to discuss); item (on the agenda); issue; (court) case
nature; property; disposition
advantage; benefit; merit; good point; plus
money-making; commercialized; commercialised
to not understand; to not (quite) know; to be unsure; to be unable to tell
to consist of; to be made up of; to be concluded (e.g. of an agreement); to hold true (e.g. of a theory); to be viable (of a business, lifestyle, etc.); to carry on
enterprise; business; company; corporation
criticism; judgement; judgment; comment
to take a veneer off something
wrong; not good; hopeless; past hope; must not do
to that extent; to that degree; so much; so
to praise; to commend; to compliment; to speak well of; to speak highly of
to talk down; to corner someone in an argument
to learn by experience; to learn one's lesson; to learn the hard way; to be discouraged (by); to have enough (of); to be disgusted (with)
lip service; mere words; professions; lips; mouth; snout
to taper to a point; to become pointed; to become sharp; to look displeased; to look sour; to be on edge
company; association; regional Chinese god of the earth (or a village built in its honour); counter for companies, shrines, etc.
member of an assembly; member of the Diet; member of parliament; member of Congress
sharp (blade); pointed; sharp (pain); stabbing; perceptive; keen
nonchalant air; unruffled air
to ward off (e.g. an attack); to fend off (e.g. a question); to elude; to evade; to dodge; to turn aside (e.g. a joke)
to be different from what was previously said; to be different from what was promised
to build; to construct; to erect; to amass (e.g. fortune); to pile up
master (of a house, shop, etc.); husband; sir; boss; patron of a mistress, geisha, bar or nightclub hostess; sugar daddy
vulgar; indecent; coarse; crude
least; lowest; worst; awful; horrible; at the very least
bad pun; corny joke; worn-out joke; dad joke
to be noisy (e.g. from people talking); to be discomposed (e.g. feelings)
to be perturbed; to be agitated
chair; chairman; chairperson; speaker (of an assembly); president (of a council, senate, etc.)
irregularity; unsteadiness; disorderly
statement; remark; observation; utterance; speech; proposal
authority; expert; counter for messages, letters, notes, documents, etc.; understanding (esp. of male-female relations); tact; supernatural powers
red string of fate; in Chinese-Japanese folklore, fated lovers were said to be joined by an unseen red string, tied around one little finger of each
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