one's future; one's fate; prospects; one's way; one's path
guinea pig (Cavia porcellus); subject of an experiment; (human) guinea pig
shortcake (layered cream and fruit cake; in Japan, made with sponge cake)
two by two; by twos; as a couple; in pairs
to surround; to crowd around; to gather around; to encircle; to besiege
stereotyped; stereotypical; invariable; like clockwork; regular
smiling; beaming; radiant; bright; cheerful
fault; defect; minor; 5-point card; short
man; male; masculine gender
personal organiser (e.g. Filofax)
somehow; without knowing (it); unconsciously; unthinkingly
circle; entirety; whole; money; dough; enclosure inside a castle's walls; soft-shelled turtle
round; spherical; circular
to dip out; to scoop up; to ladle out
to be expensive; to be costly
tenacious; tough; enduring; dogged; headstrong; stubborn
vomit; spew; confessing; extremely; really
tottering; staggering; faltering; reeling
per-capita division; division according to the number of people
boastful talk about one's love life; speaking fondly about one's sweetheart; going on about one's love affairs
leaving everything up to someone else
private; personal life; (one's) privacy
planning; devising (a plan); drafting; drawing up
clandestine meeting (of lovers); assignation; tryst; (lovers') rendezvous
whispered conversation; whispering
simple; easy; simplistic; inexpensive; cheap
late-growing rice; late-ripening crops; late-blooming flowers; late developer (e.g. child who reaches puberty late); late bloomer
to act as an intermediary; to step in; to come between; to intervene; to interject
to rummage through; to ransack (e.g. a drawer); to throw into confusion; to disrupt; to upset
putting someone in hospital; inflicting injury such that medical care is required
newsworthiness; news hook; topicality; popularity (of a topic, issue, etc.)
informal social gathering; convivial meeting; get-together
wait-and-see (situation, stance, etc.); waiting to see (how things play out); watching developments (before acting); probe; probing move
to happen to hear; to overhear
common saying; everyday talk; common parlance; vulgar; lowbrow; indecent
speaking without thinking; words spoken without much thought