record high; all-time high
glacial period; glacial epoch; glacial era; tough period; drought (of opportunities, jobs, etc.)
odious; hateful; detestable; (speaking ironically) darling
to be greatly obliged; to be very sorry
being a mystery (due to conflicting testimony); being unknown; (lit.) in a grove
holiday traffic congestion caused by people travelling to their hometowns en masse
to be in high spirits; to be encouraged; to be lively; to cheer up
preparedness; readiness; mental attitude; frame of mind
slapping hands in front of the opponent's face to confuse him
(raw) ore; unpolished gemstone
to follow (a rule, precedent, etc.); to conform to (the law, standards, etc.); to be proportionate to; to correspond to; to be equivalent to
to be in full bloom; to blossom in full glory; to be in fullness of bloom
fungal filament; hypha; hyphae
nonsense; irresponsible remark; codswallop; random; haphazard; unsystematic
custom; convention; tradition; mores; conventional practice
tower; steeple; spire; stupa; pagoda; dagoba
after an interval of ... years; for the first time in ... years
coward; chicken; yellow-belly; sneaky person; underhanded person; dastardly person
hidden ball trick; ace up one's sleeve; secret weapon
formidable; not to be sneered at; not to be made light of
question and answer session
Japanese man (esp. with traditional, masculine values); Japanese manhood
to pile up; to accumulate
by the way; in this connection; incidentally; in passing
feeling that something has come too late
light novel; young-adult fiction novel, typically illustrated in a manga art style
peanut (Arachis hypogaea); groundnut
noted product; local specialty
to partition; to divide; to direct; to manage; to settle accounts; to assume a crouching posture (at the start of a bout)
otherworldliness; detachment from the real world; lack of worldly sense
some things are better left unsaid; silence is golden
assembling (in full force); muster; lining up; gathering; getting together
unfashionable; uncouth; unrefined; unpolished; unsophisticated
desire to tease; desire to cause mischief
stupid; foolish; idiotic; fool; idiot; blockhead
anyway; either way; one way or the other; whichever; whatever
to go through the proper procedures; to follow the required steps
youth; child (esp. of the young son of someone of high social standing); young; new
thorough investigation; complete inquiry
set; suit; uniform collection; entirely; all; every one