unreliable; uncertain; indefinite; unclear
new era; new period; new age; new epoch
to dominate; to prevail; to be superior to; to get ahead of; to get the upper hand
wind direction; situation; way things are going; mood; temper
burn; scald; (fig.) getting one's fingers burned (e.g. poor investment, mixing with the wrong people)
falling far short (of); being far behind; being far inferior (to); being no match (for)
pack of wolves; wolf pack
rearing from infancy; training from an early age (e.g. an apprentice); teaching from an early stage (e.g. a subordinate)
tattoo (esp. a traditional Japanese one); tattooing
to carve; to engrave; to sculpt; to tattoo
origin; source; history; originally; from the start; by nature
elite force; elite troops
unable to stomach; sticking in one's throat; displeased with
judgement; judgment; carrying out a sentence (e.g. execution)
episode; anecdote; vignette; episode
good-naturedness; good-natured person; credulous person; easy mark
touchstone (assaying tool); touchstone (e.g. of success); test; litmus test
to have luck on one's side; to get lucky; to have one's eyes bulge out of one's head (with surprise)
a particular; a certain; that kind of; such a
to give up on; to turn one's back on; to abandon; to forsake; to desert; to leave
to change direction (of policy, etc.); (lit.) to turn the rudder (of a ship)
profit-and-loss arithmetic; calculating profit and loss; mercenary point of view
one's speciality; one's forte; one's strong point
termination (of a contract); cancellation; rescinding; lifting (of a ban, sanctions, etc.); removal; release (from obligations)
to make a cynical remark (about); to make a sarcastic remark (about); to satirize; to mock
reappearance; reemergence; return; reproduction; reenactment; recreation
wooden building blocks; wooden bricks; playing with building blocks; piled timber; piling up wood
one place; (all in) the same place; one spot; one location; one part; one passage
vitality; (one's) life force
azure-winged magpie (Cyanopica cyana); long-tailed
stripe; bar; streak; (weaved) stripe pattern (of 2 or more different colors)
seed (e.g. of a plant); pip; progeny; offspring; paternal blood; lineage; sperm
new leaves; young leaves; fresh verdure
to rustle (in the wind); to sway; to stir; to blow gently (of the wind); to blow softly
to be led by; to be headed by