wandering; rambling; roaming
group; crowd; flock; herd; bevy; school
to listen carefully; to strain one's ears
branches and leaves; foliage; unimportant details; nonessentials; side issue
whispering; private talk; talking (during a class, lecture, etc.)
head (of a line, group, etc.); front; lead; forefront; vanguard
person concerned; interested party; related party
strange; odd; peculiar; weird; bizarre; unusual
to carve into; to cut into; to engrave into; to inscribe
cloth; fabric; dough; batter; inherent quality; one's true character; unglazed pottery
roundness; rotundity; mellowness; maturity
contours of one's body; figure
barely; narrowly; only just; with difficulty
tall figure; high stature
birth; lineage; identity; background; provenance; origin
interruption; interference; butting in
to defend against; to protect against; to prevent; to avert; to avoid
promotion; encouragement; fostering; unwanted help (usu. unintentionally harmful); unnecessary help; disservice
to trip (over); to stumble; to fail; to suffer a setback
to get used to; to grow accustomed to; to become skilled in; to become experienced at; to become tame; to become domesticated
footwear; footgear; shoes
uncertain; doubtful; unreliable; unsteady; unclear; vague
covered in mud; mud-caked
what kind of; what sort of; what; no matter what (kind of); whatever; any
downheartedly; dejectedly; dispiritedly; despondently
to outwit; to outmanoeuvre; to steal a march on; to get the jump on; to anticipate; to forestall
wooden; made of wood; wooden construction
rain and wind; driving rain; the elements
periodic; regular; routine
care; looking after; repair; (police) raid; crackdown
to rot; to go bad; to corrode; to weather; to become useless; to blunt; to become depraved
zigzag-shaped paper streamer often used to adorn Shinto-related objects
indeed; really; very; extremely; absolutely; certainly
polite; courteous; hospitable; careful; handled with great care; treated with attention
to draw (water); to scoop up; to dip up; to understand (someone's feelings, etc.); to grasp; to surmise
to withdraw from (a deal); to wash one's hands of; to lead by the hand
to (call and) stop; to call (someone) to stop; to hail (e.g. a taxi)