preparation; arrangements; getting ready; provision; setup; reserving
bothersome; tiresome; bother to do
intently; single-mindedly; devotedly; solely; earnestly; with all one's heart
claim; insistence; assertion; advocacy; emphasis; contention
pet saying; favorite phrase; stock phrase; manner of talking
pushing through; bulldozing; doing something by force; arm twisting
all members; all hands; everyone; everybody; whole crew
to discuss; to talk together
cooperativeness; spirit of cooperation
regarding as important; attaching importance to; taking a serious view of; putting emphasis on
conference with much socializing but little real progress; (lit.) the congress dances (but doesn't progress)
be that as it may; even so; though that be so
close examination; careful investigation; investigation of a crime; inquiry into someone's guilt; winner (of the most rounds, i.e. a full game); (arch.) reciting and appreciating traditional poetry
consideration; examination; investigation; study; scrutiny; discussion
secondary; of secondary importance
to persist in; to carry out; to have one's own way; to push through; to carry through
sticking to (an opinion, theory, belief, etc.); clinging to; adherence; persistence; insistence
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 accept; to receive; to agree
defeat; loss; reverse; setback
leading a meeting; presiding over a meeting; officiating at a ceremony; chairman; presenter; host
adjustment; regulation; coordination; reconciliation; tuning; fixing
to perform; to do; to conduct oneself; to carry out
tedious; boring; being fed up with
too (much); overly; excessively
to be prolonged; to drag on; to take a long time; to persist; to linger
limply; wearily; listlessly; languidly; exhaustedly; unenergetically
forcefulness of speech; influential voice
no matter how you put it; whatever the circumstances may be; say what you like; no matter how you look at it
preparatory phase; preparatory period
to poke one's nose into another's affairs; to have a hand in; to take a (deep) interest in; to poke one's head (into a room)
meddling (in); butting in; interference; poking one's nose into
to keep company; to look after; to entertain; to play (a game) with
to leave (a matter, decision, etc. to someone); to entrust (to someone); to leave (to chance, one's imagination, etc.); to let (take its own course); to use (money, strength, spare time, etc.) to the full; to use freely
tediously; persistently; lazily; idly; (boiling) to a pulp; to a mash
to evade (questions); to reply evasively; to beat around the bush; to throw up a smoke screen
details; particulars; longitude and latitude; warp and weft; warp and woof
good-quality; superior in quality
without cause; without reason
to be quiet (due to lack of activity); to be in a slump (of a business)
unity; union; solidarity; combination; banding together; teaming up
to drift; to float; to waft (e.g. a scent); to hang in the air; to be in the air (e.g. a feeling or mood); to wander; to walk around aimlessly
to be discouraged; to be disheartened
dark clouds; threatening signs; ominous indications
to hang low (over; of clouds, fog, etc.); (arch.) to seclude oneself (behind a curtain, blinds, etc.)
apathy; lassitude; lethargy; languor