before; prior to; ago; the past; before; previously
injustice; unfairness; wrongdoing; iniquity; impropriety; irregularity
and; and then; thus; and now; and finally
collaborator; cooperator; coworker; ally
to be vague; to speak ambiguously; to be evasive; to not commit oneself
to tread on thin ice; to go out on a limb; to walk a tightrope; to take risks; (lit.) to cross a dangerous bridge
then; well; so; well then
plain; frank; candid; open; direct; straightforward
to be at a loss; to be puzzled; to be perplexed; to be pressed for; to be pinched for; to become poor
judging from; on the basis of; from the point of view of
for two people's eyes to meet; catching someone's eye; making eye contact; meeting a person's gaze
nobility; aristocracy; peerage
group; faction; (political) faction; wing; school (of thought, painting, etc.); sect
bureaucrat; government official; bureaucracy
leader; authority; mainstay
Empress Dowager; Queen Mother
small quarrel; dispute; run-in; issue; trouble
fight; dispute; feud; competition; contest; rivalry
defeat; loss; reverse; setback
have to (do, be); must (do, be); is indispensable; is absolutely necessary
explanation; exposition; description; account; caption; legend
please (give me); please (do for me)
to sigh; to breathe a sigh
success; achievement; succeeding (in life); (worldly) success; prosperity
all members; all hands; everyone; everybody; whole crew
front; frontage; facade; main
to be helpful; to be useful
to save; to rescue; to help; to assist; to support (financially); to contribute (to)
return gift; return favour; revenge; change (in a cash transaction)
danger; peril; hazard; risk
snugly; cosily; carefree; easily; freshly made and still warm; imprudently
to protect; to guard; to defend; to keep (i.e. a promise); to abide (by the rules); to observe
generally; on the whole; general; rough; outline; main points
reverse; opposite; converse (of a hypothesis, etc.); inverse (function)
arrest; apprehension; capture
making doubly sure; points scored for good measure; insurance run (in baseball)
musical composition; tune
pyramid; monumental work; landmark achievement
idiot; moron; stupid; foolish; trivial; insignificant; malfunctioning
composition; piece of music; tune; melody; enjoyment; fun
(in) the middle of; (in) the midst of; (in) the course of; (at) the height of
rushing into; breaking into; storming; plunging into (war, etc.); embarking on (a new venture)
clearly; plainly; distinctly; decisively; flatly; definitely
to declare; to assert; to state definitively; to finish saying; to say everything; to tell all
further; above (that); greater (than that); any more