quibble; pointless argument
to clear away; to remove; to demolish
erasure; denial; obliteration; ignoring (an opinion)
to run into; to collide with; to come to the end of (a street); to run into (difficulties, problems, etc.); to run up against
suspicion will raise bogies; once you suspect something, everything else will look suspicious; jumping at shadows
disclosure; exposure; revelation
if you think about it; come to think of it
cooperative relation; cooperative relationship; collaborative relationships; cooperative structure; cooperative ties; cooperative alliance
difficult to imagine; quite unlikely to; very doubtful; would not expect
eldest son (may be the only son); first-born son
to make sense; to be consistent; to be logical; to stand to reason; to be coherent
to tear off; to pluck; to scratch off
it is darkest under the lamp post; it's hard to see what is under your nose; go abroad to hear of home; you must go into the country to hear what news at London
just this side of; one step short of; on the brink
loud laughter; roaring with laughter
standing comparison with; comparing favorably with; by no means inferior to; equal to
excess flesh; surplus fat; flab
running errands (for someone else); errand boy; gofer; dogsbody
ought to do; have to do; must do; feel obliged to
pensive (or worried) look on one's face
hard fight; close game; struggle; tight contest
disciples of one's disciples
takoyaki; octopus dumplings
obsession; fixation; complaining; criticizing; speciality (e.g. of restaurants)
falsely similar; counterfeit
or rather (say); or better (say); or perhaps I should say; or, how should I put it; I mean
to be a quick worker; to be fast in forming relationships with women; to be quick to resort to violence
people close to the head man
existence; being; survival; to exist; to live; to survive
cool; chilly; feeling nice and cold
to enlist as a supporter; to win over to one's side; to gain as one's ally
the defensive; passive attitude; passivity; the passive; passive voice; ukemi (the art of falling safely)
something used to cover the eyes; blindfold; blinder; concealing one's home such that the interior cannot be seen from outside
to lose strength; to become weak; to wither; to droop; to feel demotivated; to lose interest
to draw close to; to edge up to; to snuggle up to; to nestle close to; to cuddle with; to draw closer to
being somewhat (half) joking; half seriously; half in jest; in a jocular vein
to rip up (a seam); to burst; to tear; to break out (e.g. into a smile)
preparedness; readiness; mental attitude; frame of mind