the Horse (seventh sign of the Chinese zodiac); hour of the Horse (around noon, 11am-1pm, or 12 noon-2pm); south; fifth month of the lunar calendar
Japanese apricot (Prunus mume); Japanese plum; ume; lowest (of a three-tier ranking system)
rave reviews; extremely high praise
to smack one's lips (over a dish); to eat with relish
cloth; fabric; dough; batter; inherent quality; one's true character; unglazed pottery
to finish up; to complete; to finish off; to get through; to polish off
excellent article; fine item; rare beauty; masterpiece; gem
fresh made; freshly baked; freshly roasted
skillful; skilful; delicious; tasty; good (deal, idea, etc.); profitable
cooking; cookery; cuisine; dealing with (skillfully); handling (well); managing
effeminate; unmanly; cowardly; sissy
to find a clear solution; to come to a clean decision; to give a clear explanation; to divide exactly (without remainder); to divide evenly
lingering attachment; lingering affection; regret; reluctance; ruefulness
to stuff one's cheeks; to fill one's mouth (with food)
splendid; magnificent; utter (esp. defeat); total; (arch.) something worth seeing; (arch.) sight
continuation; rest (of the story, work, etc.); flow (e.g. of a piece of writing); pacing (of a story); succession (of); sequence
another; one more; (not) quite; (not) very; lacking
(not) even once; (not) ever
deep (colour); dark; strong (flavour, smell, etc.); thick (consistency); dense; strong (possibility, etc.)
perhaps; possibly; maybe; by some chance
opportunity; chance; trigger; cause
being afraid of; being fearful; being timid; trembling; shivering
to save trouble; to save effort; to save hassle; to save bother; to save time
(your) words; what you say; what you have said; a few words (of welcome, advice, etc.)
some nerve (as in "you have some nerve to ...")
to talk; to chat; to chatter
as soon as ...; just after ...; immediately after ...; hurriedly; in haste; quickly
spoiled; spoilt; ruined; wasted (chance, etc.); messed up; destroyed
noisy; loud; much talked of; much-discussed; strict; severe
being at sea; losing one's bearings; (arch.) disorientation upon waking at night; (arch.) forgetting which house or room to enter
having in mind; happening to know (of); idea (of); inkling
to deliver; to forward; to send; to report; to notify; to file notice (to the authorities)
chic; smart; understanding; considerate; familiar with worldly pleasures (esp. sexual relations, geisha districts and red-light districts)
base; mean; vulgar; despicable; low
to take a breath; to take a short rest
to injure; to damage; to kill; to hinder; to obstruct
meal eaten without doing any work; unearned food; (fig.) living idly
to dribble; to spill; to suspend; to hang down; to slouch
intently; single-mindedly; devotedly; solely; earnestly; with all one's heart
displeasure; discomfort; unpleasantness; indisposition; ailment
declaration; statement; proclamation
to hide; to conceal; to lower volume (of a sound or one's voice) so as not to be heard; to become quiet and inconspicuous
to suit; to match; to become; to be like
perception; intuition; the sixth sense