(the three) Baltic states; Baltic countries
inside; interior; inner part
commonwealth; federation of states; confederation; union
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; USSR; Soviet Union
to crown; to cap; to prefix with; to start with; to begin with
depending on the situation; should time and circumstances permit
two reams (of paper); 1000 sheets (of paper); stanza; verse; tribe (in taxonomy); forecast (bet); bet which predicts the top 2 finishers (i.e. quinella or perfecta bet)
Soviet Union; Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; USSR
to blossom; to flower; to bloom
by the way; incidentally; sometimes; occasionally; precisely (at that time); exactly
to some extent; to a certain extent
respect; esteem; reverence; honour; honor
free speech; freedom of speech
all citizens; all the city's inhabitants; the whole city
stipulation; prescription; provision; regulation; rule
election; selection; choice
(Edo-period) chief minister
to bear responsibility for; to be liable for; to answer for; to take the blame for
prime minister; chancellor (Germany, Austria, etc.); premier
to receive; to get; to eat; to drink; to be crowned with; to wear (on one's head)
form of government; system of government; polity
source (of a river); fountainhead; source; origin; root
household economy; housekeeping; homemaking
figure of speech; rhetorical flourish
words; writing; ci (form of Chinese poetry); independent word
unexpected; unforeseen; inconceivable
rhyming game; play on words; pun
very; much; greatly; a lot of
to like; to be pleased with; to be delighted with; to take a liking to; to suit one's fancy
implementation (e.g. of a system); materialization; materialisation; realization; realisation; actualization
to be based on; to take into account; to build upon; to have one's feet firmly planted on; to plant oneself on
holiness; sacredness; sanctity; dignity
serious; earnest; real sword (as opposed to a wooden practice weapon)
intimacy; friendship; familiarity
ancient times; distant past; antiquity