tea party; get-together; tea ceremony
high-spec; highly competitive (on the dating scene, e.g. by having a high income, being good-looking); ticking all the boxes
to have tears in one's eyes; to be close to crying
stealing a march on; getting a head start; secretly acting before others; solo raid on an enemy's camp (for glory)
joyful (news, event, etc.); joyous; delightful (e.g. result); pleasing (e.g. sight); gratifying; welcome
pre-nuptial doubts; wedding blues
to declare; to speak out; to warn; to spit out (words)
indiscriminately; blindly; at random; indiscriminate; random; excessive
frivolous; flippant; superficial; flattery; (insincere) compliments
main street; avenue; boulevard
to collapse; to flop (onto)
letter breaking off with someone; Dear John letter
unforgivable; inexcusable; unpardonable
guilty verdict; guilty as charged
to connect (with a different flight, train, etc.); to make a connection; to change (planes, trains, etc.)
Anna era (968.8.13-970.3.25); Anwa era
life imprisonment; life sentence
lifelong; lifetime; for life; life
cross-examination; close questioning; demanding an explanation
cancellation; withdrawal; abolition; revocation; cancel; CAN
elder sister; effeminate man
ought to do; have to do; must do; feel obliged to
relations; members of extended family
willful; wilful; selfish; carefree; do-as-you-please; freewheeling
elopement; running away with a lover
to take seriously; to believe in; to fall for
fetters; shackles; hobbles; encumbrance; hindrance; burden
to come to nothing; to be spoiled; to be spoilt
two blessings at once; flanked by two beautiful women
to re-think; to think back upon; to change one's mind
way of writing; manner of writing; penmanship (esp. used in old textbooks); calligraphy; format (e.g. of a report); stroke order of a character
pack of lies; complete fabrication; all lies
(so marvelous or horrible that it may be) the first and probably the last
as it is; plain (truth); bare; undisguised; unvarnished; unexaggerated