most likely contender; prime candidate; top prospect; leading candidate
competent; suitable; qualified
way (of doing); manner; method; means
excavation; exhumation; digging up; discovery (of a new fact, talent, etc.); finding; unearthing
concrete; definite; specific; material; substantial
skinny person; scrawny person; scarecrow; bag of bones
irritation; annoyance; frustration
exposed; scanty; bare; public; open
to inquire (about); to enquire; to ask; to interrogate; to question intensely; to grill (someone about something)
above; over; top; summit; surface; on (top of); the above (in a piece of writing)
to want; to wish for; to request; to demand; to seek; to search for
goes without saying; needless to say; obvious
first (of all); firstly; probably; most likely; more or less (satisfactory); on the whole
combat power; fighting strength
companions; friends; comrades; mates; partners
war situation; progress of a battle
depending on; dependent on
baton (of command); order; command; direction
commander; commanding officer; CO
to try (out); to have a try (at); to test; to put to the test
mixed (e.g. team, chorus)
tournament; knockout tournament (esp. single-elimination); elimination tournament
war; battle; match; game; competition
system of guilt by association (especially that of Japanese election law, which stipulates that an elected official may lose his position if someone in his campaign commits a crime)
action; behavior; behaviour; (arch.) recommendation (of a person for a position)
how; in what way; how about; questionable
to fill in (field, entry, etc.); to fill out (form); to post a message (e.g. on a bulletin-board); to store; to write (data); to flash
to be noisy; to be astir; to rustle; to murmur
war; battle; campaign; (arch.) troops; (arch.) forces
preface; foreword; introduction; beginning; start
short homeroom (at the beginning and end of the school day)
enforcement; implementation; putting into practice; carrying out; operation; working (e.g. working parameters)
to resound; to reverberate; to make a stir
teacher's desk; teacher's lectern
to strike; to hit; to attack; to bash; to sound out (someone's views); to pound (meat or fish); to chop into small pieces
supporter; adherent; proponent; backer
to lead; to spearhead (a group); to command (troops)
in short; in a word; to sum up; to put it simply; to make a long story short; after all
system; organization; organisation; imperial command; laws; regulation
to receive; to take; to get someone to do something; to have in one's pocket (a fight, match); to contract (a disease); to catch
two by two; by twos; as a couple; in pairs
general; universal; ordinary; average; (arch.) the same; (arch.) no different