spirit; drive; vigour; ambition; aspiration
hard to say; inexpressible; hesitant to say; embarrassing; delicate
(a) weakness; shortcoming; failing; sore point
estimate (of costs); budget
research funds (expenses)
patron (of the arts, an artist, etc.); patroness; sugar daddy; man who provides for a woman (e.g. a geisha); patron; master
two sheets (pieces) (of paper)
mischievous boy; troublemaker; pesky kids
whatever the case; under any circumstances
to say (something) over one's shoulder
interruption; interference; butting in
to become rustic; to be countrified
anything and everything; from top to toe; from A to Z
ripple (on water); wavelets; ripple (e.g. of uneasiness); unrest; disturbance
isolated place; out-of-the-way place; remote part of the land
pupil and (dark) iris of the eye
completely; absolutely; totally; (not) at all
to remind (someone of something); to call attention to; to make sure of; to emphasize; to emphasise
terraced fields; terraced farm
terrible; awful; I don't even want to talk about it; without reason; inevitable; that's just how it is
to allow (someone or something) to come near; to let get close
to be absorbed in thought; to muse; to muse about; to think things through
attendant; person who looks after one's needs; caretaker
candidacy; standing as a candidate; bidding (to host an event, e.g. the Olympics)
this and that; one thing and another
silly; foolish; absurd; childish; easy; trifling
cold; indifferent; unfriendly; unsympathetic; unkind
sound of wind rustling through a crack; wheezing
selfish; self-centred; egotistical
odds and ends; all; every
breaking off; snapping off
to search about for; to hunt around for; to look high and low for; to look everywhere for
secret language; jargon; cant; argot; slang
to arrange beforehand; to make a sign to each other; to conspire
container; receptacle; case; inserting; putting in