anticlimax; let-down; disappointment; loss of interest
sentence; composition; text; the literary arts (as opposed to the military arts); academia; statement
boiled octopus; person with red flushed skin
a tiny bit; just a smidgin; a wee bit; very slightly
stale; hackneyed; clichéd
finish; end; completion; result
to be by far the best; to be much better; to excel; to be exceptional; to be prominent; to be outstanding
nod; inclination of the head
one's every action; every single move
natural (e.g. talent); innate; inborn; inherent
to make fun of; to look down on; to make light of
putting on a brave face; put-on cheeriness; pretending one is fine; show of courage; bravado; Dutch courage
to eat; to live; to make a living; to bite; to sting (as insects do); to tease; to torment
crossing swords; competing against; contending with; fighting against
how many people; a number of people
direction; district; area; field (e.g. of study); sphere; quarter
way of writing; manner of writing; penmanship (esp. used in old textbooks); calligraphy; format (e.g. of a report); stroke order of a character
obstinate; stubborn; obdurate; headstrong; willful; perverse
to retreat; to back off; to draw back; to step back; to shrink away
ambition; aspiration; desire to improve oneself
shallow; superficial; thoughtless; short-sighted; foolish; silly
mixed with; mingled with; interspersed with; dashed with; sprinkled with
intellectual curiosity; out of curiosity; inquisitiveness
front-facing; forward-looking; positive; constructive
to blink (one's eyes) repeatedly
absurd; ridiculous; silly; ludicrous; nonsensical; asinine
taking a quantity (of time, people, etc.); similar to ...; dependent on ...; reliant on ...; while ...; when ...
to lean against; to set against
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
to treat (someone) to (something); to give (someone) a treat; to be extravagant; to live in luxury; to be proud; to be haughty
formal; official; regular; proper; legal; due (formalities)
to take command; to give direction
to exceed (esp. figures: profits, unemployment rate, etc.); to surpass; to be more than; to be better than
movements; bearing; deportment; farewell dinner (given by someone about to leave on a trip)
two sheets (of paper or other flat objects)
to begin making a sound (ringing, singing, crying, etc.)
coming to Japan; visit to Japan; arrival in Japan
to have something (likely) come to mind; to be reminded of something; to understand a point
to carry off; to run away with; to sweep away; to take entirely for oneself; to monopolize
flame; blaze; flames (of intense emotion, e.g. love, jealousy, anger); passion
telephone receiver; telephone mouthpiece; making a telephone call; receiving a telephone call