person; character; one's character; one's personality; able person; talented person
invisibly; secretly; privately
grinding of the teeth; involuntary nocturnal tooth grinding; bruxism; grinding one's teeth out of anger or vexation; gnashing one's teeth; gritting one's teeth
much more; not to mention; not to speak of; to say nothing of; let alone
diplomacy; selling (e.g. door-to-door); canvassing
laying the groundwork; behind-the-scenes maneuvering; consensus-building process; digging around the roots of a tree (before transplanting)
to gain a victory; to win
king; monarch; ruler; champion
to pass by; to go past; to go to extremes; to overdo it; to go too far
to raise (esp. overhead); to brandish (e.g. sword); to flourish; to wield (e.g. power, authority); to proclaim one's principles
judgment (of a crime); conviction; condemnation; beheading; decapitation
fastidiousness; fussiness about cleanliness, etc.; clean-freak
brilliant; glorious; glittering; bright; splendid (e.g. achievement, success); promising (e.g. future)
tumult; great noise; clatter; hustle and bustle
to stare at each other; to lock eyes (with)
ruin; fall; collapse; downfall; bankruptcy
to go too far; to go to excess
lovely; wonderful; charming; enchanting; nice; great
group (of people, competitors, companies, etc.); contingent; camp; team
influential; prominent; leading; strong; powerful; likely
dropping out; falling behind; omission; being left out; falling off; coming off
to mount (a horse, bicycle, etc.); to straddle; to sit astride; to span (an area, time, etc.); to extend over; to spread over
veteran; battle-worn; schooled by adversity in many battles; hard-bitten; rich in experience; very experienced
term; period; time frame; time limit; deadline; cutoff (date)
personality; character; individuality; personhood
considerable; great; important; significant; a big deal
the number of people; many people; a large number of people
that kind; competition; match
base; mean; vulgar; despicable; low
to get involved (with); to begin (with); to have a hand (in)
to hold one's breath (in fear, anxiety, etc.)
depends entirely on; depends above all on
I'm told; is what I heard; is how it is, apparently; is what they said
temporary; transitory; short-lived
to look after; to take care of; to be put in charge of; to be given responsibility for; to withhold (an announcement); to reserve (judgment)
administrator; janitor; manager; custodian; executor
sophism; chop logic; far-fetched argument; quibble; cavil; argument for argument's sake
persistence; single-mindedness; sticking to one point; always making the same bet
stubbornness; pigheaded person; miser
to wait and see; to sit on the fence; to be noncommittal
to shake one's head (in denial)
to have a (rough) idea (of what the situation is)