February and August (months when business is generally at its slowest)
live coals (for firelighting); cause (of disturbance, conflict, etc.); trigger
to prevent (something) from occurring; to forestall; to avert; to nip in the bud
service business (hotels, restaurants, etc.); service industry; hospitality industry
standoffishly; primly; pungently (of a smell); acridly; long and pointed (e.g. of a nose); popping (of ears)
unexpectedly; unusually; considering all that
easy; trifling; harmless; nothing of the sort; not at all
mild; calm; gentle; quiet; congenial; amicable
to lead (someone) by the nose; to twist (someone) around one's little finger
not factored in; not included in calculations; unaccounted for; unplanned for
inverted; upside down; reversed; back to front
to that extent; accordingly; that being the case; that state; that condition
even so (expressing frustration, etc.); still
discount; reduction; rebate; tenths discounted; tenths reduced
barking up the wrong tree; calling at the wrong house
undesirable state brought about by (my) lack of virtue; feeling morally responsible; mea culpa
treat; banquet; feast; thank you (for the meal); that was a delicious meal
to be treated to a meal; to be given a meal
don't worry about it; it's nothing; don't give it a thought
intolerant; small-minded; inflexible; unforgiving; unyielding; ungenerous
vain person; ostentatious person; show-off
bystreet; side street; back street; alley; lane
female high school student
guidance; direction; leading; guidance of juveniles to prevent delinquency; taking into custody (esp. of minors) for their protection
way to die; means of dying; quality of one's death
vigorously; at a great pace; greatly
two people alike; two of a kind; kissing cousins; two people cut from the same cloth
distinction between right and wrong; distinction between good and bad
insect; bug; worm; roundworm; thing inside one's body believed to influence one's thoughts and feelings; (one's) unconscious; nervousness
feather; plume; wing; blade (of a fan, propeller, etc.); shuttlecock (in badminton); shuttlecock (in hanetsuki); arrow feathers
crayfish (esp. the Japanese crayfish or red swamp crayfish); crawfish
scissors; shears; clippers; hole punch
toy; (person or thing treated as a) plaything
cruel; brutal; savage; barbarous
being afraid of; being fearful; being timid; trembling; shivering
sadistic desires; sadistic feelings
enlightenment; spiritual awakening; reaching one's peak (as a performer, etc.); reaching the highest echelons; gaining eyesight; restoring eyesight
bloomers; (girls') gym shorts
long ago; previous; of a former age
school education; formal education
period of rapid growth (especially Japan's period of rapid economic growth after WWII)