dramatic decrease; sharp drop; sudden fall
extinction; extermination; eradication; stamping out; wiping out
modern times; the modern age; this day and age
all over the country; everywhere in the country; throughout the nation
to run about; to rush about
swindler; fraudster; trickster; con man
look; glance; stone (in the game of go)
awesome; awe-inspiring; august; discourteous (to a superior); lacking due respect
to happen to pass by; to pass by
dinner party; ceremonial dinner; dinner meeting (or lunch, breakfast)
burden; load (e.g. CPU time, electricity, etc.)
encounter; being confronted with (e.g. difficulty); meeting with (e.g. accident)
to tell (somebody) to (do something)
most part; greater part; majority
How do you do?; I am glad to meet you
to snatch (and run); to carry off; to swipe; to scoop up (and remove; sand, earth, etc.)
of course; certainly; naturally
opening fully; full throttle; full power
to become independent; to leave one's hands; to leave one's possession
suspicious-looking; shady; questionable; dubious; fishy
knowing only too well; being fully aware of
serious; severe; grave; acute
hardly any; almost nonexistent; very little
abandonment; renunciation; resignation; abdication (responsibility, right)
poisonous; toxic; addictiveness
intoxication; being carried away by; being enraptured by
fault; error; indiscretion; faux pas
phantom; vision; illusion
powerful medicine; strong poison
shall ...; to assume; to suppose
contacting; (making) contact; connection (with a train, bus, etc.); joining (a railway line, etc.); connection (between matters, incidents, etc.); relation
period; epoch; the times; those days; oldness; ancientness
management; dealing with; course of events; circumstances; end result (usu. bad); outcome
to operate (e.g. a machine); to handle; to have a good command of (a language); to play proficiently (of a musical instrument); to work (a puppet); to pull the strings of a puppet
to curry favour (with); to play up (to); to cozy up (to); to butter up