bitter smile; wry smile; forced smile; strained laugh
using anything one can lay one's hands on; haphazardly; on the rebound; at random; indiscriminately
emotional scars; mental trauma
to feel anxious; to feel nervous; fluttering down; trickling down (e.g. tears); hanging untidily (of hair); straggling
model; type (e.g. of machine, goods, etc.); type; style; mold (mould); template; kata (standard form of a movement, posture, etc. in martial arts, sport, etc.)
to reflect on (oneself, past conduct, etc.); to contemplate; to examine; to think over; to introspect
work style; way of working
at that time; in those days; at that moment; then
warm; snug; cozy; cosy; comfortable; pleasant
not only ... (but also); not just; as well as
flushing (of one's cheeks); dizziness; rush of blood to the head
to shed tears; to (begin to) cry
to squash; to crush; to flatten
falling together; mutual destruction; joint bankruptcy
engagement gift; (ceremonial) exchange of engagement gifts
to be piled up; to lie on top of one another; to come one after another; to happen over and over; to overlap (each other); to occur at the same time
anyway; by the way; incidentally; well; to change the subject
something said for politeness' sake; diplomatic language; honeyed words; lip service; empty compliment
-ical; -ive; -like; -ish; (something) like; along the lines of
keyword; key word; clue word; keyword; search term; indexing term
very interesting; of absorbing interest; having a keen interest (in); being immensely curious (about)
to nod one's head; to nod yes; to agree
no matter how you put it; whatever the circumstances may be; say what you like; no matter how you look at it
substitute (e.g. actor); substitution; stand-in; double
(only) one option; one possible choice
language learning ability; foreign language skills; linguistic ability
TOEIC; Test of English for International Communication
both in name and reality; both in name and substance
above the clouds; heaven; the Imperial Court; something unreachable; place of out of reach
talk (of the town); rumour; rumor; gossip
to keep in pace with; to keep up with; to follow (someone's thought); to understand
in spite of; nevertheless; although; despite; no matter the; regardless of
to lend an ear; to hearken; to give an ear to; to listen carefully
competent; suitable; qualified
percussion; tapping; examining by percussion; sounding out (someone's intentions); making an approach (about)
interview (i.e. television, newspaper, etc.)
promising stock; stock with potential; hopeful stock; promising person; person with good prospects
Japanese person; Japanese people
discernment; penetration; insight; intellectual acumen