courtesy; etiquette; formality; (religious) observance; ritual; rite
becoming a mere shell; becoming a dead letter; losing (one's) substance; being reduced to a formality
to dilute; to water down; to thin; to soften (e.g. a statement, impression, etc.); to weaken (e.g. an effect); to tone down
to die out; to become extinct
ferocious; fierce; audacious; impudent; shameless
foolishness; stupidity; silliness
obstinate; stubborn; headstrong
to blossom; to flower; to bloom; to flower (of a civilization, talent, etc.); to flourish; to become widespread
to scatter; to cause a shower of; to disperse; to distribute; to resolve (a symptom, condition, etc.); to relieve
many people; a large number of people
cannot bear (doing); cannot bring oneself (to do); reluctant (to do)
to lead; to take the lead (in doing something); to precede; to go before; to die before (esp. one's spouse, parents, etc.); to be a prerequisite
past days; bygone days; days of yore; while still alive; during one's lifetime
directly managed store (as opposed to a distributor)
poor (quality, conditions, etc.); bad; inferior; poor-quality
to pass by; to go past; to go to extremes; to overdo it; to go too far
column; beam; girder; digit; decade; order of magnitude
to act as an intermediary; to step in; to come between; to intervene; to interject
to put (into); to put away (in); to include (in an anthology, catalogue, etc.); to contain; to achieve (results, success, etc.); to obtain; to accept (a gift or money)
to grow older (than expected); to advance in age
to bring disgrace (dishonor, dishonour) on; to fling mud at; to put to shame
to wring (towel, rag); to squeeze; to squeeze (fruit to extract juice); to press; to rack (one's brains); to strain (one's voice); to extort
taking captive; carrying away; kidnapping; kidnaping; abduction
married woman; another's wife
chastity; virtue; fidelity; feminine modesty
household head; master; host (e.g. of a tea gathering); husband
how about ...?; I wonder; I don't know
clean; clear; pure; honest; clean
riddle; puzzle; enigma; enigmatic; mysterious
to go past (a place or thing); to go beyond
to make a sound with one's throat; to purr (of a cat)
hard to get; hard to come by
scornful laughter; ridicule; derision; sneer
of no concern at all; I couldn't care less; no skin off my nose
what time; (lit.) which hour
extravagant; lavish; opulent; luxurious; magnificent; splendid
corridor; hallway; passageway
to lose focus; to let one's mind wander; to relax one's attention
to be of an overly talkative disposition since birth; (lit.) to be born mouth first
taciturn; reticent; quiet; silent; untalkative
one-sided; unilateral; arbitrary
(verbal) abuse; denunciation; disparagement; vilification; scathing criticism
indicates a confident conclusion; indicates emotional emphasis; indicates question
document containing instructions; prescription
generally; mainly; nearly all; almost all; gist; summary; staying within bounds