influential person; powerful person; big wheel; big gun; power behind the throne
(not) particularly; (not) especially; (not) very; (not) much
sign; indication; trace; touch; feeling of
end; tip; extremities; rank and file; part of an organisation furthest from the centre
after all; in the end; when all's said and done; for the time being; at present
brittle; fragile; weak; tender-hearted; sentimental; easily moved
what sort of; what kind of; what way
overriding principle; main principle; great principle
ticktock; chinking (e.g. of a hammer against rock); knocking; dry and hard; (frozen) stiff; hidebound
classroom learning (as contrasted to practical training); classroom lecture; desk study
to cultivate a better understanding
to return a punch; to strike back; to hit (the ball) straight back; to plow up; to plough up; to renovate (cotton fabric)
apt to (do); liable to; predominantly; mostly; ... reaps the rewards; ... takes the prize
drawn-out (protracted) war or contest
to surpass the rest (e.g. of a large group); to stand out from the crowd; to be the best by far
resigning to another's will; going along without resistance; doing as another wants
trunk; torso; plastron (in kendo); touching the plastron (kimari-te in kendo); frame (of a drum, etc.); sound box (of a shamisen, etc.)
to curse; to put a curse on; to detest intensely
physical law; laws of physics
what number (in a sequence); what rank
cooling; refrigeration; cooling down (of a political conflict, etc.); calming down
in the same breath; hardly had the words been said
the sun; Sol; providence; heaven; god
backlight (in photography, etc.); illumination (of the subject) from behind
reformatory; juvenile training school; reform school; youth detention center (centre)
meeting (face-to-face); seeing; visit; interview
feeling extremely happy; being in seventh heaven
borderline between life and death; verge of death; deadline (boundary around a prison which prisoners were not allowed to cross)
full capacity; all one's ability
mortgage; security; hypothec; pledge
to trample underfoot; to tread on; to crush with a foot
"lucky" underwear (esp. panties), set aside for special dates
backward movement; reverse movement; going backwards; retrograde motion