gentle clinking; sound of rapping; sound of rattling; simmering noise; light bubbling; sound of cooking something on a low flame
to boil well; to stew; to simmer (for a long time); to cook (various ingredients) together
middle and high-school students
mundane; routine; everyday; unremarkable; common; day-to-day
being seen here and there; appearing in various places
unexpressed; unspoken; implied; implicit
to appear; to start to appear; to show signs of appearing
rare; uncommon; not often seen
as soon as...; just after...; immediately after...; hurriedly; in haste; quickly
U-turn; returning home (after a vacation); returning to one's (rural) hometown (after having lived in a big city)
moment; brief space of time
to stand in the way; to bar someone's way; to block the way
to visit; to call on; to pay a visit to
rural area; countryside; the sticks; hometown
granny; grandma; gran; old lady; old woman
harmonious; peaceful; congenial; friendly; happy
source (of a spring, etc.); source (of payment, energy, knowledge, etc.); origin; wellspring
clear layer of fluid (at the top of a mixture); supernatant liquid; supernate
clever; smart; sharp (ear, etc.); sensitive; discerning
outside (e.g. of a building); exterior; outside (of a group, company, etc.); outside world
to fail to hear something; to miss; to act as if one didn't hear something; to let a remark slide
bad move (in chess, shogi, etc.)
behind closed doors; behind-the-scenes; (under the veil of) secrecy
pilloried criminal exposed to public view; public scorn or humiliation; person shamed in front of others
maximum; to the maximum degree; to the full
special characteristics; peculiarity; distinctiveness
to cheer up; to liven up; to become active; to look better; to improve (in appearance); to stand out
to get dark; to grow dark; to end (of a day, year, season, etc.); to come to an end; to be sunk in (e.g. despair); to be lost in (e.g. thought)
colorless and transparent
without an occupation; unemployed; jobless
literally; to the letter; literal
leader; central personage
to run (up hill, stairs, etc.)
state of mind; mental state; mental attitude
surmise (about somebody's feelings); guess; conjecture
person of importance; a somebody; absolutely; certainly; to be sure
to escape (disaster, death, etc.); to be saved from; to be rescued from; to avoid (e.g. punishment); to evade (e.g. responsibility); to avert
strategic withdrawal; strategic retreat
not having enough workers; being understaffed; being undermanned; having nothing one can do about something; having no options
to allow (someone or something) to come near; to let get close
effect; efficacy; validity; potency