equipment; device; installation; stage setting
practical; useful; utilitarian; pragmatic
fingering an object (in killing time); amusing oneself; diversion; gambling
or; either ... or; maybe; perhaps; some ... and others ...; sometimes ... and at other times ...
malicious; vicious; malignant; shoddy; inferior; poor-quality
actually; really; truly; in practice; practically
mechanism; machinery; trick; dodge; mechanical doll; string puppet
to carry out (of somewhere); to transport; to take out
near; neighbourhood; nearly (e.g. "it took nearly one year"); close to; shortly; soon
beforehand; in advance; ahead of time; previously
to dribble; to spill; to suspend; to hang down; to slouch
rope; cord; policeman's rope
ring; circle; hoop; wheel; circle (e.g. of friends); planetary ring
to tie up; to tie together; to hang (oneself); to summarize; to put (it all) together; to estimate; to expect
pointed end; tip; point; forefront; vanguard; spearhead
to tie (to); to fasten; to attach; to connect (one thing with another); to link; to bring together
to pull; to tug; to draw (attention, sympathy, etc.); to attract (e.g. interest); to draw back (e.g. one's hand); to draw in (one's chin, stomach, etc.); to draw (a card, mahjong tile, etc.)
to haul in (e.g. rope, net, etc.); to pull in; to attract (e.g. stares)
to wind; to coil; to envelope; to shroud; to outflank; to skirt
(switched) on; being on the green (of one's ball)
to eat; to live; to make a living; to bite; to sting (as insects do); to tease; to torment
to be crowded; to be packed; to be complex; to go into; to put into; to do intently
cutting; severance; section; amputation; disconnection
common; ordinary; fair (e.g. fight); gracious; frank; open
pain; ache; soreness; damage; injury; wear
pressure; oppression; suppression
completion; perfection; accomplishment
to taste; to eat; to drink; to speak (of); to put into words; to refer (to)
a piece; a scrap; a fragment; iota; modicum; trace
still having a very small chance; still having a tiny shred of hope
to be caught in; to be stuck in; to stop by; to drop in for a short visit; to get mixed up in (trouble); to get entangled in (a problem); to fall for (a trick)
to carry; to transport; to come; to go; to use (a brush, chopsticks, etc.); to move
deed (esp. negative); act; action; one's doing; one's work
situation; (present) state of affairs; circumstances
immediately; right away; at once; instantly
grasp (of the situation, meaning, etc.); understanding; control; hold; grip
indictment; prosecution; complaint
reopening; resumption; restarting
piece of evidence; evidence
to take away; to carry away
locked-room murder (e.g. in murder mystery fiction)
direction (of a play, film, etc.); production; organization (of an event); arrangement; staging (for effect)