beginning of the year; new year; New Year's call; New Year's greetings
third party; third person; outsider; disinterested person
feeling of tension; air of tension; tension; nervousness
near the mark; pretty close; not a bad guess
feigning ignorance; acting dumb
seems; I think; I guess; right?; don't you agree?
OK; okay; fine (without); not needed; unnecessary
absurd; irrational; unreasonable; absurdity
popular name; common name; given name
snapping one's fingers; finger snap
keepsake; memorabilia; memento
amusement; entertainment; recreation; pleasure; pastime; hobby
reconstruction; reorganization; reorganisation; reconstitution; reconfiguration
available room (hotel); vacancy; room to let
to accept; to receive (an application); to (be able to) take (food, medicine, etc.); to bear; to be affected by; to take damage from
adult; grown-up; becoming an adult; coming of age; growing up (to be a man, woman)
to call; to name; to call oneself ...; to go by the name of ...; to purport (to be); to profess
to close down a business; to shut a business
to move (house); to change residence
favorable reception; good reputation; popularity
tobacco; cigarette; cigar; tobacco plant (Nicotiana tabacum)
dull; uninteresting; insignificant; unimportant; absurd; foolish
set meal; special (of the day)
having nothing to do; having time on one's hands (and not knowing what to do); being at a loose end; being bored
last night; the previous night; night before (Christmas, etc.); eve (of festival, major event, etc.)
jello; jelly; gelatin dessert; gel; jelly
to dish up; to arrange (food) on a plate
deep-frying food lightly coated in flour or potato starch; deep-fried food (esp. chicken)
full stomach; filling one's stomach; eating one's fill; complete; total; full
a few years ago; some years back
what's the best thing to do?; what to do?
lightly; gently; (breaking apart) easily
platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)
Bodhidharma fell down (children's game similar to Statues or Red Light Green Light)
why; how; for what reason
independently; individually; separately; alone; singlehanded; unassisted
party (political); person who is fond of; fan of
to make use of aizuchi; to back-channel; to throw in interjections to show that one is paying attention
philosophical view; looking at philosophically; long view; farsighted view
to go past; to pass; to pass by