strong spirit; mettle; backbone; guts; fighting spirit
attractive; good-looking; stylish; cool; smooth; neat
faint; indistinct; dim; vague; subtle; delicate
unrelated; irrelevant; unconcerned; unconnected
increasing the number of staff; hiring more people
merit system (as opposed to seniority); meritocracy; ability-ism
election; selection; choice
income; earnings; revenue; proceeds; takings; receipts
coercion; extortion; compulsion; force
leaving (a decision, job, etc.) to someone else; entrusting; leaving the choice of a meal to the chef; omakase
finishing blow; coup de grâce
declining; refusal; rejection; announcement; notice
needle (compass, gauge, etc.); hand (clock); indicator; guiding principle; guideline; guide
pay; salary; wages; allowance; grant; supply
declining; refusal; nonacceptance; turning down; withdrawal (e.g. of candidacy); pulling out (e.g. of a race)
rightly or wrongly; by all possible means; at all costs; at any cost; no matter what (happens); by fair means or foul
preface; introduction; preamble
to lie; to pretend; to feign; to deceive; to trick
to get worked up; to be eager (enthusiastic); to rouse oneself
to make time; to carve out some time (to do something)
walking; strolling; roaming; wandering; exploring
replacement; substitution; change; shunting (rail); switching
way of writing; manner of writing; penmanship (esp. used in old textbooks); calligraphy; format (e.g. of a report); stroke order of a character
a lot; lots; enough; sufficient; enough; too many
to eat; to live on (e.g. a salary); to live off; to subsist on
full stomach; bellyful; (eat) heartily; to one's heart's content
moreover; furthermore; nevertheless; and yet
small; little; tiny; insignificant; humble; modest
luxury; extravagance; to live in luxury; to indulge oneself; lavish (use of something); abundant
to factor in; to take into account; to include in one's considerations
manufacture; production; production (of a film, play, TV show, etc.)
(giving) birth; childbirth; native (of); product of; produced in; assets
to employ (as a retainer); to enlist; to engage
royal capital; imperial capital
to run a shop; to have a shop
narrow-minded; obstinate; stubborn; perverse; unreasonable; warped
old person; senior citizen; the aged; the elderly
recommendation; advice; suggestion; encouragement
to displease; to offend; to hurt (a person's) feelings