letter; missive; note; mail
guarantee; security; assurance; pledge; warranty
to lurk; to hover in the background; to be coiled up; to stretch tortuously
frank; candid; straightforward; openhearted; direct; outspoken
to resolve; to make up one's mind; to decide
good thing; nice thing; good excuse; good grounds; interjection used to impress an idea or to urge a response
matter; thing; affair; circumstance
babysitting; babysitter; taking care of; assisting; assistant
duty; obligation; responsibility
perhaps; probably; generous; many; much
while it may be true that; just because; nevertheless; not necessarily
to snatch away; to dispossess; to steal
to be infatuated (with); to be hooked (on); to lose one's heart (on)
to trust; to relax one's guard (around)
to spoil someone's start; to kill someone's enthusiasm; to take the wind out of someone's sails
request; favour (to ask); wish; please
doom; fate; misfortune; disaster
to smell; to smell of; to have a smell
to play a role; to serve a function; to play a part
diligently; assiduously; industriously; beavering away
to be busy at work; to work diligently
weather; climatic conditions; fine weather; clear day; situation; state of affairs
hammering sound; hammering
to complain; to make a complaint
by nature; from the very beginning; through and through; absolutely (not); (not) at all
obliging person; person who likes looking after others
always; constantly; frequently; often; nonstop
to be treated to a meal; to be given a meal
truth; reality; sincerity; honesty; content; substance
simmered with; cooked with; boiling; boiled dish
military service; conscription
reason for living; something one lives for; purpose in life; raison d'être
one's father; one's old man; middle-aged (or older) man; old man; one's boss; proprietor (of a restaurant, store, etc.)
lonely; lonesome; solitary; desolate
indicates two contrasting actions; (arch.) indicates possessive (often found in place names and compound words)
elder brother; one's senior; older man; man older than oneself
discouraged; dispirited; despondent
to feel refreshed; to feel more cheerful; to feel better
to the previous extent; as much as previously; as much as one used to
someone else's hands; someone else's possession; hand (worker); aide; labor; labour
to be sufficient; to be enough; to be worth doing; to be worthy of; to do (the job); to serve
to compare; to make a comparison; to compete; to vie
considerably; greatly; a lot
snugly; neatly; compactly; cosily