sharpness; cutting ability; quickness (of wit); incisiveness; peppiness (of a ball)
group; bunch; crowd; group
openly; squarely; directly; to a person's face
simple and honest; unsophisticated; simpleminded; naive; unspoiled
(very) familiar; well-acquainted
to knock down; to tear down; to crush (e.g. enemy); to throw into confusion; to refute; to pick apart
maneuvering behind the scenes; backroom deals; dodgy dealings
case worker; case officer
to puzzle over; to think deeply about; to rack one's brains over (wrack)
receiving an official appointment; being appointed (to the post of)
odds and ends; all; every
real nuisance; becoming inconvenienced by someone else's problems (through no fault of one's own)
lonely (place); remote; in the middle of nowhere
ash; embers; complete destruction
to come to (in the end); to end in; to attribute; to blame
private funds; own funds; private property
first class; first rank; one degree; one level; most; best
massacre; annihilation; wholesale slaughter
supporter; adherent; proponent; backer
to worry about; to be anxious about; to be concerned about; to lament; to grieve; to mourn
rising to action; standing up against; jumping to one's feet
to let out a cry; to shout
holiday; vacation; day off; time off; leave; furlough
relying completely on others; being totally dependent on others
strange; unfamiliar; mysterious; suspicious
clap (sound of wooden clappers); chop vigorously; slight movement (e.g. poke, small bird alighting); the end; originally end of a play, marked by clap of clappers; dot (esp. typographical)
to run away; to escape safely
unexpectedly; surprisingly
depending on the situation; depending on circumstances
lottery; lot; raffle; draw
three years; third school year (e.g. of high school)
final word; voice of authority; authoritative pronouncement
to dig one's own grave; to bring calamity upon oneself; to make a rod for one's own back
to put on (clothing, esp. new)
things to do; must-do items; one's duty; what is required