chance (of success); odds
shrewdly; smartly; calculatingly; astutely; cunningly
to keep talking; to go on and on; to talk non-stop
siblings; brothers and sisters
fellow traveler; fellow traveller; travelling companion; taking someone along unwillingly (e.g. in death); forcing to take part
older sister and younger brother
older brother and older sister
soft; software; soft hat; felt hat; soft serve ice cream; softball
either way; in any case; one way or another
attendant; valet; servant; follower
to dry up; to shrivel (up); to go (completely) dry; to wither (of talents, feelings, etc.); to become desiccated (e.g. of ideas)
time series; chronological order; chronology
I'm told; is what I heard; is how it is, apparently; is what they said
secondary residence; vacation home; villa
full particulars; all the details; the whole story; everything (about); from beginning to end
(carrying) close to one's person; next to the skin
responsiveness; responding; divine response (e.g. to a prayer); divine inspiration; induction (electromagnetism); inducing
through a wall; on the other side of a wall
trouble; bother; annoyance
water pistol; squirt gun; water gun
deadlock; stalemate; standstill; hopeless position; lost game; zugzwang
deadlock; stalemate; impasse; dead end
personality; character; personal appearance; gentility
it cannot be that ...; it is highly unlikely that ...; it is impossible that ...
eye; insight; vision; gist; main point; hole
being in one's room (office, etc.)
library; book storage; stack room; archive (file)
luxurious; magnificent; extravagant; sumptuous
leather-bound; leather binding
four and a half tatami mats; four-and-a-half-mat room; small room esp. for assignations
tsukemono; Japanese pickled vegetables
(looking) over the top of one's glasses; (looking) through a pair of glasses
(your) business; (your) concern; (customer's) order; official business (of the government, Imperial Court, etc.); arrest; capture
digest; summary; abridgment
(scrutinizing) carefully; (examining) thoroughly; (looking at) closely
expresses displeasure or disapproval; just from (doing); simply by
to be taken aback; to be astonished; to be dumbfounded
Sirs; Mesdames; around (the time that, etc.); about