poor-quality; low-quality; shoddy; low-grade
almost every day; almost daily
fresh (e.g. fish); lively; spirited; animated
to keep a watchful eye on
one step higher; one better; cut above; one up
reading in a monotone; stiff delivery; wooden delivery; reading a Chinese classical text without translating it into Japanese
forbidding mentioning (something to others); imposing silence (on); ordering (someone) to keep quiet; hush money
thank you (for your hard work); I appreciate your efforts
tail (of an animal); cauda; tail (of a kite, etc.); tail end; tail (of a comet); slope at the foot of a mountain
root; joint; base; crotch
to bend; to warp; to curve
memorial service for the dead; holding a service
to come to see; to come and see; to visit
lately; recently; nowadays; terribly; awfully; extremely
young person; young people; youth; young employee; young manservant; young follower
hard worker; hardworking person
announcement; presentation; demonstration; displaying; showing; introducing
unwell; in a bad state; not working properly; out of order; inconvenient; troublesome
to be discouraged; to shrink from
regrettable; disappointing; precious; dear; too good for; deserving better
companion; follower; attendant; retinue
to flatly refuse; to reject; to spurn
clear solution; clean decision
to take a lesson from (someone serving as an example); to learn from someone's example; (lit.) to boil the dirt under (someone's) fingernails and drink it
before one knows; before one becomes aware of; unnoticed; unawares
to tickle; to tickle (one's curiosity, vanity, etc.); to arouse; to make (someone) laugh; to amuse
to follow (someone's) example; to imitate; to copy; to learn (by observation)
to tease; to make fun of; to poke fun at; to make a crack about; to chaff; to kid
to turn round; to face about; to turn about
regret; chagrin; mortification; freedom from obstructive thoughts
to mix (with); to be mixed (together); to be mingled
February and August (months when business is generally at its slowest)
work; labor; achievement; performance; salary; income
finally; in the end; after all that; eventually; on top of all that
to omit; to leave out; to overtake; to pass; to say; to speak
delusion; wild idea; (wild) fancy; (ridiculous) fantasy
log; dace (Tribolodon hakonensis); test subject (of human experiments performed by Unit 731 during WWII); (arch.) prostitute dressed as a Buddhist nun
average; medium; mid-grade (item); regular grade; same level as; equal to
really (seem, appear, etc.); truly; evidently; in that way
to grant; to give; to confer; to teach; to instruct; to impart (knowledge)
leaving (on, open, unfinished, etc.); (doing) continuously; constantly; keep ...-ing
to be opposite; to face each other; to confront (an issue); to face
clear insight; resignation (to one's fate); acceptance
to throb (with pain); to ache; to smart; to rankle; to gall; to rile