strict; stern; rigorous; severe
administrative; businesslike; practical; impersonal; perfunctory; robot-like
bedroom; (woman's) bedchamber; pillow talk
marriage partner; spouse; wife-to-be; husband-to-be; future spouse
first meeting; first contest between
to head home; to leave for home
to be different from what was previously said; to be different from what was promised
following the lead of; playing second fiddle to; follower
softening; softening (of attitude); mollification; weakening (of the market); blanching (e.g. of vegetables; by depriving of light)
dispatch of troops; despatch of troops; expedition
to curry favour; to butter up; to fawn over; to humour someone (humor); to put in a good mood (e.g. a baby)
first (of all); firstly; probably; most likely; more or less (satisfactory); on the whole
selfish; egoist; (arch.) self-indulgent; (arch.) wilful; (arch.) willful
sharp, loud rebuke; bark; roar; rebuke used in Zen to achieve enlightenment
graceful; ladylike; modest; gentle; polite; quiet
haughty; arrogant; proud; stuck-up
time; hour; season; time of the year
following (e.g. someone's opinion); being servile to; adherence; compliance; emulation; mimicking
for oneself; for one's own sake; on one's own account
devoted; self-sacrificing
godsend; lifesaver; timely offer; windfall
declining; refusal; nonacceptance; turning down; withdrawal (e.g. of candidacy); pulling out (e.g. of a race)
reluctant to; not inclined to; disinclined; unwilling
to hit the bull's-eye; to go as expected
snugly; neatly; compactly; cosily
household items; furniture; furnishings; (arch.) bow and arrow
to be scrupulous; to be attentive; to be prudent; to be complete; to be thorough
to get complicated; to grow worse; to turn sour
seeming; pose; show; pretense; sham; mock
to put effort into; to strain; to put strength into; to put forth effort
to live under another's roof; to become a dependent on; to flatten oneself (against); to lean in close to
sticky; thickly (e.g. painted); heavily (applied); all over (pasting, stamping, etc.); clinging (e.g. of a person); following around
disrespect; irreverence; impiety; blasphemy; profanity
to break the silence; to break one's silence
to grow long (e.g. hair, nails); to lengthen; to extend; to reach out; to hold out; to straighten; to smooth out
brave warrior; hero; brave man
to give up all thoughts of; to abandon; to despair of; to make up one's mind; to take a momentous decision