it's no joke; gimme a break!
light; bright; bright (colour); cheerful; bright; bright (future, prospects, etc.); rosy
in the same way as; just like
eternal; everlasting; perpetual; immemorial
to fabricate; to invent; to make up (a story); to cobble together; to put together (in a slapdash manner)
thousands; several thousand
decline; degeneration; decay; waning; ebbing
to continue; to keep going; to go along (e.g. with some trend)
approximate age; apparent age; marriageable age (esp. of a woman); age of maturity; age (when ...); for years (past)
authority; power; influence; (an) authority (on); expert
in order to do; for the purpose of doing; must; should
establishment; founding; incorporation (of a business)
first generation; founder
believer; adherent; devotee; fanboy; fanatic; superfan
having to be; must be; should be; ought to be
any more; anymore; any further; any better; any longer
nothing but; none other than
nature; the natural world; realm of nature
eternity; perpetuity; permanence; immortality
capable person; talented person; human resources; personnel
reign; being on the throne
(verbal) message; word (from someone)
custom; practice; convention; precedent
characteristic (of); peculiar (to)
to boast; to brag; to feign ignorance; to pretend not to know; to recite (a song or poem to oneself); to bark
in all ages; over the ages; forever and ever
and; or; and the like; and so forth; and what not
easily; effortlessly; changing completely; plink (sound of something light falling or rolling)
reopening; resumption; restarting
as usual; as always; as before; as ever; still
decomposition; putrefaction; putrescence; corruption; degeneracy; decay
to call; to name; to call oneself ...; to go by the name of ...; to purport (to be); to profess
self-interest; selfish desire; greed
to throw one's weight around; to exercise one's authority; to make one's presence felt
vice; immorality; corruption
nobility; aristocracy; peerage