to aggravate; to complicate; to make worse
ultramarine colour (color)
to be softened; to calm down
acid; sourness; sour taste
Star Festival (held in July or August); Tanabata; Festival of the Weaver
bamboo grass; generally smaller species of running bamboo that do not shed their sheaths (e.g. Sasa spp.)
tanzaku; long, narrow strip of paper used for writing poetry, wishes, decorations, etc.; thin rectangle
fingers; fingertips; underling; stooge; tool
aiming for laughs; trying to make people laugh; playing to the crowd; crowd-pleaser
harmless (remark, topic, etc.); inoffensive; safe; bland; neutral (attitude); noncommittal (reply)
smooth (i.e. without problems)
woman textile worker; Vega (star in the constellation Lyra); Alpha Lyrae
Lyra (constellation); the Lyre
Vega (star in the constellation Lyra); Alpha Lyrae
Altair (star in the constellation Aquila); Alpha Aquilae
Aquila (constellation); the Eagle
Altair (star in the constellation Aquila); Alpha Aquilae
about; roughly; generally; on the whole; completely; quite
conversion (e.g. yen to dollars); change; exchange; translation (numerical)
cloudiness; cloudy weather; fog (on a mirror, glasses, etc.); cloud (e.g. in marble); gloom; dejection
romance (e.g. Arthurian romances); heroic tale; (nigh) impossible dream; adventurous spirit; (full-length) novel; romance
overserious; deeply sincere; very earnest
to suppress (a smile, yawn, etc.); to stifle; to bite to death
pinch; tough spot; bind; clothespin; clothes peg
while it may be true that; just because; nevertheless; not necessarily
to tell (a story); to give an account of (an event, experience, etc.); to relate; to tell of; to show; to indicate
using every trick in the book; using every trick one knows; by one rouse or another; with careful coaxing; carefully (e.g. nursing a damaged vehicle)
to delay; to put off; to procrastinate
reeking of blood; stinking of blood; bloody (battle, crime, etc.)
resignation; acceptance; consolation
to win; to achieve; to gain; to obtain; to secure
to work on (someone); to appeal to; to make approaches to; to begin to work
to make sacrifices for; to pay dearly for
cheating; deception; trickery; manipulation; juggling; falsifying
to resolve; to make up one's mind; to decide
to hold on to something (secret, lead in a race, etc.)
(informal) discussion; talk; (formal and tedious) talk; lecture; admonition; reprimand
abrupt plot change; unexpected story development; story development from out of left field
overdependence (on others; usu. one's fosterers or seniors); lack of self-reliance; presumed acceptance (of one's behaviour); presumed benevolence; attention-seeking (behavior)
to forget something ever existed; to pretend something didn't happen; to put something behind one; to forgive (something)
relationship of mutual trust; fiduciary relation