frost columns; ice needles
powder snow; powdery snow
north wind; northerly wind
leaf; blade (of grass); (pine) needle
avenue; boulevard; tree-lined street
vocabulary notebook; ring of vocabulary flash cards
as (X, then Y); with; in accordance with; in proportion to
just the other day; quite recently
(non-documentary) television series; TV drama; teledrama; drama; dramatic incident; spectacle
flow of time; flux of time; lapse of time; current of the times; trend of the times
trot; half run; jog; girl in charge of menial tasks in a samurai family
preparedness; readiness; mental attitude; frame of mind
one's frame of mind; way one looks at things
Jizo (esp. statue); Kshitigarbha; Ksitigarbha
mumbling; chewing one's words; chewing (food); squirming; wriggling
to cancel; to withdraw; to retract; to take back (words, etc.); to revoke
National Center Test for University Admissions
being concentrated on one thing; devoting oneself completely to something
to cut up; to cleave; to spare (time, money, etc.); to use part of something; (arch.) to have a tattoo in the corner of one's eye
starting afresh; going back to square one; abandoning (e.g. a plan); clearing an abacus
lunch break; noon recess; noon rest period
or rather (say); or better (say); or perhaps I should say; or, how should I put it; I mean
still having a very small chance; still having a tiny shred of hope
(corporate) bankruptcy; insolvency; commercial failure; failed business
failing college entrance exams and retaking them a year later
command of English; proficiency in English; knowledge of English
translation; deciphering; decoding; translation
family business; family trade; one's occupation; one's trade
to narrow; to reduce; to contract
period of youth; while young
stinging; smarting; on edge; nervous; ripping; peeling
to go beyond the limit; to pass the limit
to become desperate; to give way to despair
osechi; food eaten during the New Year's Holidays
regret; flesh, blood vessels and fat from around chicken heart (usu. served as yakitori)
I don't care; fine, whatever; that's okay; sure, go ahead
to have a (rough) idea (of what the situation is)