a few hours; several hours; a couple of hours
apron; apron (airport); apron (stage)
suitable; proper; appropriate; perfunctory; half-minded; sloppy
class (of students); group (of people); party; lot; bunch; crime family; organized-crime syndicate
to rise (of smoke, steam, etc.); to go up
more than usual (usu. time)
homework; assignment; pending issue; unresolved problem; open question
to fall into (e.g. a hole); to fall into (chaos, depression, dilemma, illness, etc.); to fall into (a trap, etc.); to fall; to surrender
heaps; a lot; plenty; with a thud
to run off (fluid); to run down; to flow down
ticktock; chinking (e.g. of a hammer against rock); knocking; dry and hard; (frozen) stiff; hidebound
deep blue; bright blue; ghastly pale; pallid; white as a sheet
crisis; critical situation; emergency; pinch
sample; specimen; pattern; model; example
just after a holiday break; the first day after the holidays
anyway; anyhow; at any rate; in any case
erasure; deletion; elimination (of variables); extinction
escape from reality; escapism; ostrichism
white of the eye; cold, unwelcoming eyes
to be discouraged; to shrink from
to miss (doing); to fail (to do); to do without
to have tears in one's eyes; to be moved to tears
to see (someone) off; to escort; to watch (someone or something) go out of sight; to follow with one's eyes; to let (a bus, pitch, etc.) go by; to let pass; to postpone
lawless; outrageous; insolent; rude; inexcusable; unpardonable
confluence (of rivers); flowing together; joining; joining (of people, groups, parties, etc.); union; linking up
major company; big company; front castle gate; force attacking the front of a castle
tsk tsk; oh-oh; huh; what's that?
rucksack; knapsack; backpack
(jumping) nimbly; light-footed; boing; used at sentence end to affect cuteness
only; merely; just; at most; no more than
combined use; using together (with); using jointly; using at the same time
being preoccupied with; being obsessed; only thinking of; having only ... on one's mind
empty; void; vain; fruitless; lifeless
with a splash; with a plop
return (home); repatriation; feedback (in an electronic circuit, biological system, etc.)
dripping wet; soaked; drenched
to dry (clothes, etc.); to desiccate
to pick up; to gather; to find (and pick up; something someone has dropped); to select; to choose; to get (unexpectedly); to hit upon (luck, an opportunity, etc.)
to hold in one's arms; to carry in one's arms; to have (problems, debts, etc.); to take on (a responsibility); to employ; to have (on one's staff)
thin (of an object); pale; light; watery; thin; weak (taste, etc.); little (affection, etc.)