idle gossip; foolish talk; yarn
assumption; supposition; hypothesis; supposition
top brass; upper echelon; higher-ups; top management; upper reaches; top of the pile
megalomania; delusions of grandeur
to cling to; to hold on to; to grapple; to set about doing; to begin; to possess (someone; of an evil spirit, idea, etc.)
nonsense; (having) terrible taste; unstylish
to put out one's hand; to extend one's arm; to reach (for); to try one's hand at (something new)
even if; even though; even; too; whether ... or ...; no matter (what, where, who, etc.)
treachery; betrayal; perfidy
to plan; to plot; to attempt (e.g. suicide, murder); to undertake (e.g. business); (arch.) to stand on tip-toes
to receive; to get; to catch (e.g. a ball); to be struck by (wind, waves, sunlight, etc.); to sustain (damage); to incur (a loss); to undergo (e.g. surgery)
more or less; though not quite satisfactorily; tentatively; for the time being; just in case; once
explanation; exposition; description; account; caption; legend
to be attached; to be connected with; to remain imprinted; to scar; to bear (fruit, interest, etc.); to be acquired (of a habit, ability, etc.); to increase (of strength, etc.)
but; however; provided that
to the end; to the bitter end; to the last; after all; it must be remembered; only
hypothesis; supposition; assumption; tentative theory
to distort; to strain (an interpretation); to stretch (the meaning of a word)
you could say; you might say; verging on the
hey!; say!; I say!; I; me
to be amazed; to be shocked; to be astonished; to be astounded; to be disgusted; to be exasperated
small; little; slight; below average (in degree, amount, etc.); low (e.g. sound); soft (e.g. voice)
so; therefore; accordingly; like I said; I told you already
interesting; fascinating; amusing; funny; enjoyable; fun
does not seem; unlikely; improbable
already; yet; soon; shortly; further; more
station (esp. a police station); office (e.g. tax office)
thoroughly; completely; severely; harshly; (arch.) scattered; (arch.) disconnected
anonymity; using an assumed name
self-proclaimed; self-professed; professing oneself to be; calling oneself; first person
influential; prominent; leading; strong; powerful; likely
period; epoch; the times; those days; oldness; ancientness
plot; intrigue; scheme; conspiracy
living thing; organism; creature; biology
Mr; Mrs; makes a word more polite (usu. in fixed expressions); state; situation
revival (of an old system, custom, fashion, etc.); restoration; return; resurrection; rebirth
big hit (with); great success; great reception; great popularity; catching on greatly
terrible; dreadful; amazing (e.g. of strength); great (e.g. of skills); to a great extent; vast (in numbers)
stealthily; secretly; in secret
truth; reality; truly; really; absolute truth
such things as ...; and ... and; the minute (that) ...; no sooner than ...; be; is; o