mean bastard; sneak; heel; despicable person
duck; easy mark; sucker; sitting duck
unconcernedly; nonchalantly; shamelessly; brazenly
to fish; to angle; to catch; to lure in; to tempt; to attract
precise; exact; detailed; accurate; minute; close
fishing spot; fishing hole
operation (of a machine); running; working (and earning money); workload; deployment (e.g. to a production environment); release
to amass; to accumulate; to store; to leave unpaid
to be affected; to put on airs; to act like (something one isn't); to pretend to be
charging (electrically); recharging one's batteries (e.g. by taking a nap); replenishing (one's energy)
to lure (someone) toward one; to lure (into); to entice
to get in someone's pocket; to help oneself to someone's wallet; to curry favour (favor); to butter up; to get in close to one's opponent
private funds; own funds; private property
one's financial situation; one's finances; state of one's purse
fair and square; open and aboveboard; bold and forthright
by hook or by crook; by all possible means
battle of wits; contest of wits
the prospects look brighter; there is hope of accomplishing (something)
things don't work that well in the real world; things seldom go as one wishes; that is expecting too much; it won't be that easy; (lit.) the wholesaler won't sell it like that
to contemplate; to ponder; to think long about; to turn over in one's mind
to come unstuck from; to peel off; to come off
transforming oneself; taking on another form; disguising oneself; artificial fly (for fishing)
taxpayers' hard-earned money; heavy tax; conscription; compulsory military service
holiday; vacation; day off; time off; leave; furlough
evaluation meeting; postmortem session; review meeting
probably; (most) likely; in all likelihood; I suspect; I dare say; I'm afraid
ordinary clothes (i.e. non-uniform); plain clothes; civilian clothes; plainclothes police officer
to bloom; to blossom; to become lively (esp. of conversation); to become animated; to experience a golden age
modulation (of voice); variation; variety; liveliness (e.g. of writing style)
black; black stone; guilt; guilty person
one swing; one shake (e.g. of pepper); one sword
to scheme; to plan; to play a trick; to invent; to conspire; to frame up
OK; okay; fine (without); not needed; unnecessary
silly person; dumb-bunny; dope
obvious; (as) clear as day; plain to see