the four classical chemical elements (fire, earth, air and water)
theory; doctrine; opinion; view; rumour; rumor
scholar; academic; scientist; learned person; person of learning
university or college offering four-year programs; the big four ...; the four major ...
to shorten; to reduce; to crumple (fabric); to wrinkle; to make (one's body) smaller; to draw in (one's legs)
sense of language; feeling of a word; impression a word makes; nuance
people; men and women; each person; everybody
to separate (by distance, time, etc.); to isolate; to interpose; to have between; to alienate; to estrange
trouble; problem; mess; difficulty; nuisance
lamentable; deplorable; regrettable; sad; wretched
getting back to the subject at hand, ...; (but) to return to the main topic, ...; so much for digressions, ...
being already (well) aware
secrecy; highly classified information
to reveal one's true intentions; to show one's cards
same crime; being equally guilty; bearing the same amount of responsibility
(public) notice; attention; public eye; public gaze
willow (any tree of genus Salix); weeping willow (Salix babylonica)
(if) by some chance; by some possibility; in the unlikely event that; (unlikely event of) emergency; the worst(-case scenario)
one in a million (chance, etc.); one in ten thousand; in the unlikely event that
all eyes (of the public); (in) full view of the public; (with) everyone looking on; (focus of) public attention
to strain one's eyes; to look closely; to stare at
to keep company; to listen to; to associate with; to play against (e.g. a team); to take on (e.g. a rival)
low-spec; having nothing to compete with (on the dating scene); having nothing going for one; being a lost cause
conflict; complication; troubles; discord
debut; opening; first public exhibition
to charm; to bewitch; to enchant; to captivate; to fascinate
small number; few; minority
childhood friend; friend from infancy; old playmate
the old days; the past; former times; the past ten years; the past decade
to bite at; to snap at; to jump at (e.g. an offer); to snap at; to hold on to; to cling to
to sink (into); to get depressed
association; socializing; socialising; fellowship
emotional scars; mental trauma
wound; injury; chip; crack; flaw; defect
to get better; to get well; to recover (from an illness); to be cured; to be restored; to heal
sentimental; emotional; maudlin; mawkish
to hear; to hear by chance; to hear by accident; to catch (the sound)
to be furnished with; to be provided with; to be possessed of; to be endowed with; to be among; to be one of