to tighten; to stiffen; to brace; to strain
to escape from; to get out
friendly army; friendly troops; allied army
to mix (with); to be mixed (together); to be mingled
overserious; deeply sincere; very earnest
to tease; to make fun of; to poke fun at; to make a crack about; to chaff; to kid
dear (old); good old; longed-for; classic; nostalgic
introduction; presentation; referral; showcase (of a product)
to be late; to be delayed; to fall behind (in a race, one's studies, etc.); to lag behind; to be bereaved of; to be preceded by (someone) in death
(for the) first time; something used (worn, etc.) for the first time; new item; first of the season (crop, fruit, etc.)
from the bottom of one's heart; heartily; sincerely
to take a long hard look at; to look (someone) full in the face
transformation; abnormality; sexual perversion; pervert; metamorphosis; transformation
to express in a refined fashion; to weave a web of words
nonstandard; out of spec; irregular; exceptional; extraordinary; unbelievable
being concerned about or mindful of
poor (at); weak (in); not very good (at); not one's cup of tea; not one's favorite
complicated; complex; intricate; confusing; difficult; troublesome
order; observance; discipline; rules; law; regulations
choking; suffocating; stifling; oppressive; heavy
considerably; not a little; in no small numbers
to hold in one's arms (e.g. a baby); to embrace; to hug; to have (a thought or feeling); to hold; to harbour (suspicion, doubt, etc.)
in short; in a word; to sum up; to put it simply; to make a long story short; after all
to be frank with you; to tell you the truth; I'm going to lay my cards on the table
feeling good; feeling at ease; feeling easy
on a routine basis; regularly; habitually
to explain clearly; to give detailed instructions
curse; spell; malediction
to add (one thing to another); to add (a few more words, an explanation, etc.)
way of speaking; intimation
to be impolite; to be discourteous
speech; expression; wording; language
strict prohibition; ban; interdiction
unmistakable; evident; obvious; certain; beyond doubt
to become stiff (of muscles); to get absorbed in; to develop a passion for; to be elaborate; to be intricate