drop in the bucket; very small quantity; chicken feed; insignificant amount; (lit.) sparrow tears
imbalance; lack of balance; lopsidedness; disproportion; inequality; disparity
to put in; to let in; to admit; to accept; to accept; to comply; to include
to make; to produce; to prepare (food); to brew (alcohol); to raise; to grow; to till
fire brigade; fire company
chain (bicycle, measuring, tire, etc.); chain (store, hotel, etc.)
yakitori; chicken pieces (or sometimes beef or pork offal) grilled on a skewer; grilled and skewered bird (esp. sparrow); failing to win a single hand during a half-game
person working for someone else (followed by job title); hired
prosperity; flourishing; thriving
whole company; all the companies
many-headed; hydra-headed; large-scale (e.g. breeding)
the Trinity; three parts; three components; three factors
scram (emergency nuclear reactor shut-down)
diligent application (to work or study); cultivating one's character by studying hard; mutual encouragement (to improve); working hard together; friendly rivalry
to meet the requirements; to satisfy the conditions
shortage; amount outstanding (e.g. on loan); deficit
too many cooks spoil the broth; (lit.) too many captains will steer the ship up a mountain
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)
skill involving the hands; craft
surgical operation; surgical procedure; surgery
routine work; everyday work
spirit of dedication to one's company
having served one's purpose; being finished (with); business settled
barely keeping a business going (analogy that a bicycle falls over when its wheels cease rotating)
attitude that with the state as one's boss, normal fiscal accountability can be dispensed with; dependence on the central government; attitude of those who assume their jobs are safe because they are government employees
conversation; conference (usu. between important people); discussion; interview
dismissal; discharge; beheading; decapitation
to scratch; to perspire; to shovel; to paddle
old age; old person; the old; the aged