deterioration; getting worse; worsening; aggravation; degeneration; corruption
uncertain; doubtful; unreliable; unsteady; unclear; vague
husband and wife; married couple
disadvantage; handicap; unfavorable position
it cannot be that ...; it is highly unlikely that ...; it is impossible that ...
soon; shortly; before long; nearly; almost
gradually; steadily; slowly; little by little; step by step; by degrees
if one is unlucky; if one is careless
to release; to let go; to free; to add (pieces of eggplant, potato, etc.) to water, broth, etc.
office (e.g. the Oval Office)
tearing up and discarding (e.g. documents); destruction; annulment; cancellation; reversal (of an original ruling on appeal); quashing
development; evolution; expansion; spreading out; expansion (of an algebraic expression); development (of a three-dimensional shape); extraction (of compressed data)
to wipe the slate clean; to start anew
adds force to a statement, decision or conclusion; indicates command; (strongly) emphasizes the previous word; adds focus; some- (e.g. something, someone)
politics; political manoeuvre; political maneuver
term; period; time frame; time limit; deadline; cutoff (date)
sweet-tasting; sweet; fragrant (smelling); sweet (music); lightly salted; light in salt; indulgent
to cut; to cut through; to sever (connections, ties); to turn off (e.g. the light); to terminate (e.g. a conversation); to hang up (the phone); to punch (a ticket)
only; merely; but; no more than
honest; frank; candid; honestly; frankly
self-confidence; confidence (in oneself)
disapproval; disagreement; no; the noes; not ...; dis-
isn't it?; let's ...; why don't we ...; how about we ...
to stand still (for a while); to remain in one place; to stand alone (of a building, statue, tree, etc.); to stand quietly; to wander about; to loiter
now that you mention it; come to think of it; that reminds me; on that subject; speaking of which
a long time (since the last time); first in a long time; it's been a long time; long time no see
particularly; only; in the case of
intention; plan; belief; assumption; estimate; estimation
older sister; elder sister
here and there; various places; all around; muddled; confused; in the wrong order
man; male; fellow; guy; male lover; boyfriend
to make a pass at; to hit on; to call out to (in an attempt to seduce)
to disagree; to dispute; to fight (over)
false accusation; trumped up-charge; pretext; statement that cannot be retracted; saying something one cannot take back
to taper to a point; to become pointed; to be on edge; to be nervous; to be sharp (of a voice, words, etc.); to be harsh
to flatter; to curry favor (with); to fawn (on); to flirt (with; a man); to make eyes (at)
to wield; to brandish; to display (one's knowledge); to show off; to abuse (one's power); to manipulate someone
to visit; to call on; to pay a visit to