fortress; stronghold; citadel
town; city; municipal; urban
to tower over the surroundings
protection; defense; providence; amulet; charm
hard; solid; stiff; tight; strong; firm (not viscous or easily moved); safe
only; just; since; after; remaining (in a particular state)
preliminary inspection; having a look in advance; preparatory read-through (e.g. of lesson notes); siding (on a house); clapboard
to kick about; to kick around; to scatter (a crowd, the enemy, etc.); to rout
waves that remain after the wind has subsided; after-effect; aftermath
to chide; to rebuke; to reprove
to be able to manage somehow or another
creed; belief; conviction; article of faith
random; by chance; haphazard; hit-or-miss; unplanned
to run swiftly; to dash; to rush; to race
to apologize; to apologise
going in and out; entering and exiting; visiting regularly; frequenting; income and expenditure; incomings and outgoings; increase and decrease
simple; plain; uncomplicated; straightforward; simple-minded; naive
to tower above the rest; to be by far the best; to be prominent; to be outstanding; to be a cut above
had better ...; had better not ...
inspection; examination; check
draining basket (traditionally made of bamboo); colander; something full of holes; zaru soba; strong drinker; someone who can drink like a fish
to incline one's head to the side (in doubt); to tilt one's head to the side (in confusion); to be puzzled
background; scenery; background (of an incident, situation, etc.); circumstances; backing; support (from behind the scenes)
political measures; policy
in conflict; incompatible; out of harmony; running counter; mutually exclusive; clashing with
lie; falsehood; fiction; fabrication
married couple; husband and wife; man and wife; his and hers; pair of objects, one larger (for man), one smaller (for woman)
large number (of); many; majority
nothing ventured, nothing gained; (lit.) you will not get the tiger cub without entering the tiger's den
does not seem; unlikely; improbable
when push comes to shove; when needed; when necessity arises; when the moment arrives
dissatisfied-looking; looking discontented
to give a warning; to remind (a person) of
shapeshifting (of an animal or spirit); goblin; incarnation; transformation
unskillful; poor; awkward; imprudent; untactful
to (call and) stop; to call (someone) to stop; to hail (e.g. a taxi)
business; thing to be done; something that should be performed; information that should be conveyed
to ask a question; to ask questions
illness (usu. excluding minor ailments, e.g. common cold); disease; bad habit; bad behaviour; crazy; insane
false name; alias; assumed name; pseudonym