straight-laced person; stubborn person
yours sincerely; respectfully yours
to be somewhat different (from before, from others, etc.)
promising; hopeful; full of promise
gently; mildly; leniently; don't be too hard on me (us, them); go easy on me
to give off sparks; to spark; to have a heated argument; to fight fiercely
gathering; mixer; meetup; assembly; social; exchange meeting
to compete; to contend; to vie; to contest
consecutive victories; series of victories; winning streak
to establish; to formulate
to gain a victory; to win
with a sting; with a tingle; nervously; tensely; with a rip; with a ripping sound
competitor; contestant; player; athlete
to gather (attract, receive) attention; to have a high profile; to gain prominence; to become popular
newcomer; new figure; new member; modern humans (from Cro-Magnon man onwards); Homo sapiens
to fall (e.g. blossoms, leaves); to scatter; to be dispersed; to disappear; to dissolve; to spread
to be softened; to calm down
useless; futile; unnecessary; needless; not on business; unrelated
certainly; surely; definitely
all eyes; public attention
phantasmagoric; protean; shape-shifting; kaleidoscopic; capable of ever-changing appearance
spectators; onlookers; members of the audience
to begin a trip; to depart; to embark; to die; to pass away; to depart this life
fatigue; weariness; exhaustion; fatigue (of metal, etc.)
mediator; peacemaker; troubleshooter; manager
short end of the stick; short straw; unlucky number; blank; bad bargain
lottery; raffle; drawing (of lots); balloting
waiting room; anteroom; antechamber; green room
everywhere; all over the place; here and there; at every turn
arms; armament; taking up arms; arming oneself
narrow; tight; formal; stiff; constrained; uncomfortable
embarrassed; feeling ashamed; feeling awkward
start of a match; beginning of a game; kickoff
to wear (clothes) stylishly; to dress oneself stylishly
to blurt out; to let slip; to say inadvertently; to come out with (e.g. nonsense)
to hurry; to rush; to hasten; to make something happen sooner
to get a lump in one's throat; to overflow with feelings; to be overwhelmed with emotion