refreshing; exhilarating; invigorating; bracing
heat; hot air; enthusiasm; excitement; fever
biggest; greatest; largest; maximum
beginning of the game; kickoff; face-off
at that time; in those days
negligence; carelessness; inattention; unpreparedness
metallic sound; metallic clank
to sound; to ring; to resound; to echo; to roar; to rumble
rather; better; instead; if anything
to look down (on); to condescend (to)
ace up one's sleeve; trump card; secret skills; secret; (arch.) left hand
snare; trap (for catching wild game, etc.); trap (i.e. ruse, subterfuge, etc.)
to resound; to make a stir
unexpected; unforeseen; strange
equal (in ability); even; evenly matched; well-matched; on par (with)
to unfold; to unroll; to open
to disdain; to look down on; to make light of; to hold in contempt; to scorn; to despise
unable to stomach; sticking in one's throat; displeased with
muscle; tendon; vein; artery; fiber; fibre; line
to be filled with strength; to be filled with effort; to be enthusiastic about; to be tired (ironic)
to harm; to hurt; to injure; to fail to ...; to miss one's opportunity to ...
first; firstly; first of all; Introduction; Preface
the more ... the more ...; as; (arch.) while; (arch.) during; (arch.) because; (arch.) since
hitting the target; striking home; proving to be right; coming true; being on the mark
to be unusual (of a person or of a thing); to be uncommon; to be peculiar; to be crazy; to be eccentric; to be different
here and there; in twos and threes; sporadically; now and then; from time to time; occasionally
big moment (e.g. performance, in the spotlight); gala occasion; (on the) world stage
immediate; prompt; quick; rapid; urgent; pressing
to distance oneself (from); to keep (something or someone) at a distance; to maintain a distance (from)
secret plan; secret scheme; secret stratagem; secret method
conclusion; decision; end; settlement
speech and conduct; words and deeds
(a) little; (a) few; slight; only; just; merely
faint; dim; weak; poor; wretched; meagre
to hew; to chop up; to mangle; to mince
gale; strong wind; swift wind; fresh breeze (Beaufort scale)
lotus flower; Chinese milk vetch (Astragalus sinicus); china spoon; lotus-shaped pedestal for a gravestone
to go round and cut in; to take a roundabout path
preference; priority; precedence
no wonder; little wonder; after all; as expected; which isn't surprising
to build up; to establish; to form; to become (a state); to accomplish; to achieve; to change into
to exceed (esp. figures: profits, unemployment rate, etc.); to surpass; to be more than; to be better than
to disappear; to vanish; (arch.) to die