in spite of; nevertheless; although; despite; no matter the; regardless of
to marry (a woman); to take to wife; to take in marriage
anyhow; anyway; somehow or other; apart from ...; setting ... aside
plentiful; lot of; much; pile of
to accept; to receive (an application); to (be able to) take (food, medicine, etc.); to bear; to be affected by; to take damage from
to go upstream; to go back (in time, to origin); to date back to; to trace back to
previous generation (e.g. one's parents); family predecessor; predecessor; previous age
life; lifetime; career; for life; all one's life; throughout one's life
tightrope walking; high-wire act; funambulism; treading a tightrope; walking on thin ice; pulling a risky balancing act
to die out; to peter out; to become extinct; to cease; to be stopped; to be discontinued
to lean over (someone); to bend over; to lean on; to weigh on one; to bear (heavily) on one; to lie on one
to desire; to wish for; to expect; to see; to command (a view of)
proposal; offer; request; application
the trouble is that ...; the problem is that ...; unfortunately; annoyingly
hobby; pastime; tastes; preference; liking
because of; owing to; due to
marriage partner; spouse; wife-to-be; husband-to-be; future spouse
appropriate; adequate; suitable; fitting; worthy
nature; disposition; temperament; qualities; attributes; talents
not only ... (but also); not merely; as well as; furthermore; besides; moreover
unhappiness; sorrow; misfortune; death (usu. of a relative); bereavement
to be unable to; to find difficult (unpleasant, awkward, painful) to do; to serve two or more functions or roles simultaneously; to contain (or combine) two or more features; to work in two or more jobs simultaneously (positions, etc.); to do alongside
leading aristocrat; great house; grand seigneur; boyar
on a routine basis; regularly; habitually
fate; destiny (esp. as a mysterious force that binds two people together); relationship (e.g. between two people); bond; family ties; affinity; opportunity
under control (e.g. of territory)
somebody (important); person of importance
clear as day; perfectly obvious; plain as daylight
self-consciousness; self-awareness
to go uninvited; to call on without an invitation; to barge in on; to throng to; to crowd into; to converge upon
no matter what it takes; by any means necessary; at all costs; by hook or by crook
opinion; intention; thought
to come to like; to become fond of; to fall in love
effort; exertion; endeavour; endeavor; hard work; striving
monopoly; monopolization; exclusivity; hogging; keeping to oneself
to declare; to speak out; to warn; to spit out (words)
to be vague; to speak ambiguously; to be evasive; to not commit oneself