to keep company; to listen to; to associate with; to play against (e.g. a team); to take on (e.g. a rival)
number of persons; personnel
skill; proficiency; experience; dexterity
armed forces; military; troops
head-on; to one's face; squarely; directly; flatly (e.g. refuse)
confrontation; opposition; antagonism
prompt decision; immediate decision; on-the-spot decision; summary judgment; summary judgement
to accept; to receive; to agree
to grant (a wish); to accede; to comply with; to heed
unnecessary; not needed; not necessary
uninterested; unconcerned; plain; light; flowing gently
plan; project; schedule; scheme; program; programme
to knead; to thicken into a paste (stirring over a flame); to polish (a plan, etc.); to refine; to train; to drill; to gloss (silk)
to begin (doing); to start; to set about; to get down to
estimate (of costs); budget
securing; obtaining; ensuring; belay; belaying
to be pretentious; to put on airs; to show off
decoration; ornament; trimmings
easy; simple; easygoing; lighthearted; simplistic
to rely on; to depend on; to count on; to turn to (for help)
on the wane (e.g. popularity of something); decline of one's fortunes
to fix upon (one-sidedly); to (ignore someone's position and) arbitrarily decide something is the case; to scold; to take (a person) to task
way of saying (something); way of putting it; wording; phrasing; language; expression
to be silent; to say nothing
there is no way that ...; easy; simple
to ask; to enquire; to inquire; to search; to look for; to look into
to be lacking in options; to be too few
making light of; thinking little of; slighting; belittling; dismissing; contempt
it does not mean that ...; I don't mean that ...; it is not the case that
to put back; to return; to vomit; to throw up; to recover (of a market price)
to look at again; to re-examine (policy, estimate, plan, etc.); to review; to get a better opinion of; to see in a more positive light; to improve
what; how; what (a) ...!; how ...!; surprisingly; to my amazement
re-education; retraining; in-service training
elite; best; pick; cream of the crop
depending on; dependent on
expansion; extension; magnification; enlargement; escalation; spread
private; non-governmental; non-official; folk; popular
stimulation (e.g. of an economy); revitalization (e.g. of a town); rejuvenation; activation